In 2022, for the first time, sales from the French region of Champagne amounted to more than six billion euros, according to the industry organization Comité Champagne. This involved a total of 325 million bottles and is seen as further proof that the luxury industry, whether it is cars, jewellery, clothes or in this case alcohol, is relatively unaffected by macroeconomic conditions. The outlook for the remainder of 2023 is assessed to be stable, the more uncertain the situation is over a longer horizon. Heat waves like this summer’s in Central Europe are expected to have disastrous consequences for champagne producers in the northwestern region of France with the same name, reports CNBC. Risk of damage The risk of serious damage to crops linked to drought has tripled in just over 25 years, according to a sustainability report from S&P Global. In the report, different regions have been assessed from a scale of 1 to 100, where the latter represents maximum exposure to drought. In the case of the Champagne region, the figure rises from 16 to 43 in 2050 and to 88 around 2090 if no changes are made to climate policy. However, drought is not the only problem, but forest fires, floods and periods of frost risk becoming more frequent in the future. – If the grapes are exposed to too much UV radiation, they will get the equivalent of a sunburn and it will practically damage the taste itself, says Matt Hodgson, founder of the wine sales chain Grape Britannia to CNBC. However, climate change is already being felt and has consequences for the taste of champagne itself. Changed harvest season 20 years ago, the grapes were harvested in September and early October. Nowadays, the harvest season is late August to early September. The increasingly warm climate brings a different sweetness, something that means that sweeteners no longer need to be added and some critics claim that the change is already being felt. – I have noticed a certain change in my 30 years and other people who have more than 50 years of experience have pointed out a definite difference, says wine critic Susy Atkins. – In terms of flavors, it’s a more mature character, says critic Tom Hewson to CNBC. The French producers are aware of the challenges and a solution may be other types of grapes.
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