Early start signals healthy crop for Champagne 2025 harvest

Champagne’s 2025 harvest has officially begun earlier than expected, with producers hailing the crop’s health and ripeness. Despite positive vineyard conditions, the region faces economic pressures, reduced yield limits and continued labour scrutiny.

Champagne producers have opened the 2025 harvest today, describing vineyard conditions as “remarkable” after an early start driven by unusually hot weather. According to Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité Champagne, the crop inspires “confidence and serenity” as the three key varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier – begin to be picked in stages, with the latest parcels scheduled to start from 4 September, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

The Comité said that the vines have ripened quickly, with a “historically rapid increase in alcohol content” linked to 2025 being the second-warmest year of the century so far. Co-president David Chatillon added that “a very good vintage” was possible, with acidity, aromatics and grape health all said to be in balance.

Yield limits at their lowest in years

The upbeat start to harvest follows July’s announcement that the region’s marketable yield limit has been reduced to 9,000 kg/ha, its lowest level since Covid-19, as reported by the drinks business. This represents around 255 million bottles, down from 10,000 kg/ha in 2024 and well below 2022 levels of 12,000 kg/ha.

The cap was described by Toubart as “responsible” and a reflection of Champagne’s ability to “act with restraint in an evolving world”. Chatillon commented that the region would “build the future with ambition, without ever losing sight of today’s realities”.

Notably, natural yields are expected to come in higher, at 10–11,000 kg/ha, thanks to excellent growing conditions, according to Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon of Louis Roederer. He described 2025 as an “easy” vintage, contrasting sharply with the mildew-hit 2024 crop, adding that organic farming had not been a disadvantage this year.

External pressures on Champagne

The promising start to harvest comes as Champagne grapples with multiple external challenges. Producers continue to lobby against the impact of US tariffs, with the American market representing 10% of Champagne’s export volume and 14% of its value, or €820m, according to Comité Champagne figures for 2024.

Meanwhile, the labour conditions behind the harvest remain under scrutiny. In July, three individuals were charged with trafficking seasonal workers and housing them in unfit conditions. A further trial is scheduled for November, involving the alleged housing of 40 Ukrainians in squalid accommodation. Each year, around 120,000 temporary workers are brought into Champagne for the harvest, which spans 34,000 hectares.

Tragedy has also marked recent harvests. In 2023, four seasonal workers died, possibly due to sunstroke while working in extreme heat.

Outlook

While the 2025 crop is smaller than growers might have hoped, the combination of healthy fruit, balanced ripeness and moderate volumes appears to match global demand trends. As per the drinks business, sales in 2024 stood at 271.3 million bottles, well below the 2022 peak of 325.5m, but relatively stable year-on-year.

If weather holds and picking proceeds without incident, producers appear poised for a vintage of sound quality, with a cautious but confident market backdrop.

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