According to the champagne trade association Comité Champagne, 325.5 million bottles of champagne were transported from Champagne in 2022, with 6.3 billion euros ($6.9 billion) in sales.
As to the S&P Global Sustainable1 report, the Champagne region’s susceptibility to physical risk brought on by drought is expected to almost triple by the 2050s, which will present significant issues for vineyards.
Critics claim that some champagnes actually taste drastically different from the champagne that people used to drink.
For generations, champagne has been a symbol of festivals and opulence. However, rising temperatures and more unpredictable weather in Europe are raising concerns that the Champagne area of France may no longer be appropriate for its production.
According to the champagne trade association Comité Champagne, more than 325 million bottles of champagne were delivered from Champagne in 2022, topping 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in sales for the first time. The United States, Great Britain, and Japan are the three largest markets.
The committee offered a “prudent outlook” for 2023, but it also stated that Champagne growers and houses “remain confident in the essential health of their business.”
However, the state of the climate casts doubt on the beverage’s future; champagne houses will need to adapt in order to survive, and the taste of champagne may change along the way.
grapes with sun damage and ruined taste
According to the S&P Global Sustainable1 report, the Champagne region’s susceptibility to physical risk brought on by drought is expected to almost triple by the 2050s, which will present significant issues for vineyards.
A score of 100 denotes the highest level of risk exposure. The report rates regions on a scale of 1 to 100. If current climate policies are left unchanged, it was predicted that the danger of drought in Champagne will increase from its current level of 16 to 43 by the 2050s and double to 88 by the 2090s.
There are other factors besides drought that can affect productivity. The weather has been more unpredictable in recent years, with an increase in the frequency of fires, floods, and frosts.
Although grapes can still thrive in a changing climate, the environment can affect the fruit’s growth and harm it.
According to Matt Hodgson, CEO of English wine shop Grape Britannia, “[If the grapes] get exposed to too extreme UV rays, they will get an equivalent of our sunburn and that will basically… damage the flavor.”
The grapes’ acidity, that provides champagne its freshness and “intangible zip and zing,” can also be altered by the additional heat, according to Hodgson.
International companies are conscious of the profound effects that climate change may have on their operations.
Champagne technique
The most well-known champagne rule is that it must be made in the Champagne region of France, but there are many other appellation requirements that must be followed, such as particular vineyard practices, sourcing grapes from particular regions, specific grape-pressing procedures, and the use of only particular grape varieties.
All phases of the production process for Champagne must take place there, right up before the labeling of the bottle. Pesticide use and further acidification are prohibited. However, champagne companies are making adjustments to their procedures to keep production inside the rigorous bounds of the laws.
The temperature variations also cause champagne’s inherent sweetness to increase.
You no longer need to add sugar because we have so much sun and so much sugar in the juice, according to Sarazin. Although it hasn’t been a problem so far, we still need to take care of it.
Taste change that is “definite”
Critics claim that some champagnes already taste significantly different from champagne that was consumed in the past.
According to champagne writer Tom Hewson, “in terms of flavor, what you’re noticing a lot of are much riper characteristics,” adding that this puts sparkling wine closer to other white wines and renders it “a more transparent wine.”
Susy Atkins, a wine judge and reviewer, has also observed recent changes in champagne’s flavor.