The sales of the eight French Crémant appellations increased by 5.7% in 2023 compared to the previous year. This corresponds to a sales increase of nearly 6m bottles, reaching over 108m bottles sold, as reported by the Fédération Nationale des Producteurs et Élaborateurs de Crémant (FNPEC).
The growth is part of a long-term trend that was only temporarily interrupted by the Covid crisis in 2020. Sales increased both domestically (60% share) and in exports (40% share). The average price per bottle increased in all markets, regardless of the appellation of origin. Alsace sold the most bottles (39.4m), followed by the Loire (26.7m) and Burgundy (22.3m). Additionally, 10m bottles of Crémant de Bordeaux were sold, 6.2m bottles of Crémant de Limoux, 2.7m bottles of Crémant du Jura, 368,000 bottles of Crémant de Savoie, and 266,000 bottles of Crémant de Die.
"Crémant has experienced a decade of growth and has become firmly established in people's consumption habits, both in France and internationally. As an additional boon, the 2023 harvest marks our best ever, totaling 1.03m hectoliters. The strong harvest in 2022 should allow us to meet market demands while maintaining balance between supply and demand at stable prices," says Dominique Furlan, Vice President of FNPEC.
A contrast to Champagne sales
While Crémant sales are on the rise, Champagne sales are declining. In 2023, 299m bottles of Champagne were sold, marking an 8.2% decrease compared to the previous year, yet still nearly three times the amount of Crémant. In the first quarter of 2024, Champagne sales experienced an even sharper decline. Wine Searcher reports a decrease of 17.1% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, marking 14 consecutive months of declining sales.
However, Champagne prices have risen significantly, resulting in revenue levels for 2023 remaining consistent with the previous year (over €6bn). Wine Searcher even reports €6.4bn and a record revenue for 2023.
According to the FNPEC, there is no direct correlation between the declining Champagne sales and the rising Crémant sales. "The sales of Crémant have steadily increased over the past 10 years. This is not an episode triggered by the rising prices of Champagne but rather a long-term trend," explains treasurer Edouard Cassanet in response to inquiries from the German wine trade magazine Weinwirtschaft. VM
