After two years of hangover, Champagne sees the end of the tunnel. Monday evening, wine producers and traders have agreed on the amount of grapes they can reap in the next harvest. This year, from mid-September, the owners of vineyards can recover from the vines which produce 301 million bottles of champagne. That's 8% more than last year.
For the first time, players of Champagne, accustomed to hear only a few days before the first shots of secateurs, have chosen to define rules in the middle of summer. "We wanted to send a sign of serenity," said Ghislain de Montgolfier, the president of Champagne houses.It was harder last year. "At that time, negotiations had resulted in a stormy painful compromise, after which the harvest made possible the production of only 277 million bottles, or 30% less than 2008.
The Champagne was going through a major crisis and was with a stock of 1.2 billion bottles on the arms, well above the sector's needs. The crisis was finally serious than feared months: after falling by 5% in 2008, sales declined 9% in volume last year … and 16.6% in value.
Since then, sales leave. In the first five months of the year, they rose 20% in volume. "The market was very well presented in recent months, and the tendency of June confirms May's figures," says Le Figaro Ghislain de Montgolfier cheap credit report.Sales rose 9% in France, 25% in the European Union, and even 69% in the rest of the world.
However, compared to a year, higher volumes is still only 2.7%. The end of the year represents the bulk of the activity. For all of 2010, the Interprofessional Committee for Wine of Champagne (CIVC) said that sales will reach 315 million bottles, representing an increase of 8% compared to 2009. Some players even think that sales will recover their level two years ago.
Optimism not shared
"We're out of the hollow, recognizes Ghislain de Montgolfier. Our only problem is to anticipate the year-end sales. Everything will depend on the general level of consumption, particularly in Europe. In case of decline, we might have to suffer. "
In Champagne, everyone does not share the optimism of some."Sales volumes remain below those of 2008, and there will be loss of value, fears Dominique Pierre, CEO of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. There are still a lot of sales of champagne, entry-level or on promotion. We can not talk about the crisis. With the economic austerity policies in Western Europe must be realistic. "
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