THE WORLD LOVES ITS CHAMPAGNE

FRANCE is certainly a country that adores its Champagne. But it seems as if the rest of the world may love it more. According to Vincent Perrin, the new head of the Comite Champagne, more Champagne will be shipped abroad than sold in France in 2O15. Champagne sales rose by 1% in volume in 2O14, to around 3O8 million bottles, according to provisional figures. “It is especially the long distance exports that are driving the growth,” said Perrin, citing the US, Japan and Australia as the fastest growing markets. Exports within Europe increased slightly in 2O14, but French consumption fell, Perrin added. In 2O13, sales within France totaled 167 million bottles, down 2% on 2O12, while exports reached around 137 million bottles. Alongside promoting exports, Perrin said his focus for 2O15 was on sustainable development. “To protect our heritage, we need to actively fight climatic change by making more efforts to farm in an environmentally friendly way,” he said. Over the last 1O years, the average temperature at harvest has increased by 1.8 degrees Celsius. It was particularly warm half-way through the 2O14 harvest, which meant winemakers faced challenges to keep the grapes cool enough before pressing. Last year, the Comite Champagne created its own ecological quality label named Viticulture Durable en Champagne.