The Comité Champagne has set the marketable yield for the 2026 harvest at 8,800 kilograms per hectare, a decrease for the fourth consecutive year.
The figure, equivalent of around 250 million bottles, reported by Champagne Fm on July 26, was set by the Comité Champagne (CIVC), the joint trade association for the Champagne industry.
Champagne winegrowers and houses met in Épernay, considered the capital of Champagne, within the Comité Champagne, to agree the conditions for the next harvest.
The yield was lower than years before. 9,000 kilograms per hectare in 2025 and 10,000 kilograms per hectare in 2024.
The decision aims to “gradually rebalance stocks while preserving the economic viability of winegrowers and maintaining their high quality standards,” the Comité Champagne said.
France 3 reported that at the press conference, the Committee justified the decision on the grounds that the sector’s stock will reach 4.8 years’ worth by July 31.
The official start date for the harvest has been set for August 15, with widespread picking likely to begin between August 20 and 25.
French wine journalist Sophie Claeys reported, ahead of the CIVC’s announcement, that the Federation of Independent Winegrowers had warned a further decline in yield raised concerns, as the break-even point for grower-producers is now close to 10,000 kilograms per hectare.
