Champagne to limit production to 250m bottles for 2026
The region of Champagne is to cap the amount of wine that can be made from this year’s harvest at 8,800kg/ha – the equivalent of around 250 million bottles.
Set by the Comité Champagne (CIVC), the figure represents the “rendement commercialisable” or “marketable yield”, and this year’s limit is the lowest in the modern era of the appellation, with the exception of 2020’s Covid-induced anomaly – when the region capped production at 8,000kg/ha (representing fewer than 230m bottles).
The limit for this year’s harvest is lower than in 2025 (9,000kg/ha), as well as 2024, when it was capped at 10,000kg/ha, which, in turn, was down a little more than 12% on the 2023 vintage, when it was set at 11,400kg/ha (and almost 17% lower than in 2022, when it was 12,000kg/ha).
A ‘collective’ decision
Justifying the decision to set this figure, which comes after cuts in the three preceding harvests, the heads of the Comité Champagne stressed that the limit was set by the grape growers and winemakers to prevent the region from producing more wine than it can sell.
In a statement released by the Comité Champagne yesterday, it stated, “This collective decision aims to gradually rebalance stock, while preserving the economic viability of the vineyards and maintaining quality standards.”
Commenting on demand for the sparkling wine, it recorded a 1.2% growth in shipments for the first half of this year, with a total of 107.1 million bottles from January to June, with exports driving the increase.
Should that trend continue, the region would ship 269m bottles by the year-end, up on last year’s total of 266m, which itself was a 2% decrease compared with 271m bottles in 2024.
“Champagne has a unique collective model that allows it to adapt its decisions to market realities without losing sight of what matters most: preserving the appellation’s value over the long term,” said David Chatillon, president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne and co-president of the Comité Champagne
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Continuing he said, “In an economic climate that remains uncertain, and as the industry continues to gradually rebalance its stock, this yield reflects a responsible approach.”
A complex harvest
Also commenting on the figure, Maxime Toubart, president of the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne and co-president of the Comité Champagne, said, “The yield set this year reflects a measured decision, mindful of both the reality of the vineyards and the future of the industry.”
In terms of harvest conditions, the growing season was described as “complex”, marked by episodes of frost, extreme heat in June and the recent onset of drought, with significant variation seen across Champagne’s vineyards.
It is expected that the harvest will take place between 20 and 25 August on average – which is 10 to 15 days earlier than usual – with the official start of the harvest is scheduled for 15 August.
As previously reported by db, following an unusually early and heavily frost-damaged start to the season, followed by recent heatwave conditions, Champagne could be on course for the earliest start date for harvesting in its long history.
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