Champagne shipments rose 3.2% through September, led by exports

Champagne shipments rose in the first nine months of 2026, extending a recovery in the trade, but the gains were concentrated in export markets and among the large houses while the French market and independent growers continued to lose ground.

The latest volume data, published by the trade publication La Champagne de Sophie Claeys and attributed to the Comité Champagne, show 174.2 million bottles shipped between January and September, up 3.2% from the same period a year earlier. That represents roughly 5.4 million additional bottles. The increase followed a weak comparison period in 2025, when shipments for the same nine-month span had fallen 1.5%.

September added to the improvement. Shipments for the month reached 25.7 million bottles, a 7.8% increase from September 2025. Even so, the pace of growth for the year to date eased slightly from the 3.4% increase recorded through August, suggesting the rebound is continuing but not accelerating.

The main support again came from outside France. Exports reached 109.8 million bottles from January through September, up 6.8% from a year earlier. Domestic shipments in France moved in the opposite direction, falling 2.5% to 64.4 million bottles. The split underlines how dependent the region’s recovery has become on foreign demand as French consumers continue to buy less Champagne at home.

The September figures showed the same pattern, though with some improvement in France. Domestic shipments rose 3.1% for the month, while exports increased 10.7%. That monthly gain in France was not enough to reverse the decline for the year to date.

Within exports, both the European Union and markets outside the bloc contributed. According to the figures cited by La Champagne de Sophie Claeys, shipments to non-EU countries rose 6.3% to 77.7 million bottles in the first nine months of the year. Shipments to EU countries increased 8% to 32.1 million bottles.

The recovery has also been uneven across producer groups. The strongest gains came from the Champagne houses, the larger branded producers that dominate international distribution. Their shipments reached 133 million bottles through September, up 5.1% from the same period in 2025. Export shipments from the houses rose 7.7%, while their French volumes slipped 1.1%. In September alone, the houses shipped 20 million bottles, a 10% increase from a year earlier.

Independent growers did not share in that improvement. Their shipments fell 4% in the first nine months of 2026 to 27.4 million bottles. The decline was driven mainly by weakness in France, where their volumes dropped 7%. Their export business did grow, rising 5.7%, but that was not enough to offset the domestic pullback. In September, growers’ shipments fell another 1.9% overall, even as their export volumes for the month rose 7.2%.

Cooperatives were close to flat. Their shipments edged down 0.2% to 13.8 million bottles in the January-to-September period. Sales in France rose 3.6%, but exports fell 3.8%. The figures suggest cooperatives were more stable than growers but still did not match the momentum seen at the large houses.

The contrast matters for the structure of the Champagne region. Large houses typically have wider international networks, stronger brand recognition and greater exposure to high-value export markets. Independent growers tend to have more reliance on France and on smaller-scale distribution, making them more exposed when domestic demand weakens. The current pattern shows that an improvement in total regional shipments does not translate evenly across the sector.

The latest data also point to a modest recovery over a longer period. For the 12 months from October 2025 through September 2026, Champagne shipments totaled 271.4 million bottles, up 0.8% from the previous 12-month period. That annual view still showed the same divide. Exports increased 3.7%, while the French market declined 3.1%.

By producer type over that 12-month span, the houses posted a 2.2% increase and cooperatives a 0.9% rise. Growers remained in negative territory, with shipments down 4.6%.

Because the figures track shipment volumes, they do not show whether revenue or margins improved at the same pace. No data on sales value or average bottle prices were provided in the sector report. That means the volume rebound, while real, does not answer whether producers are earning more from each bottle or simply moving more cases into the market.

Still, the numbers released on Oct. 14 give the clearest sign so far that Champagne trade has regained some traction in 2026 after a weaker 2025. They also show that the recovery is being carried by exports and by the large houses, while the French market remains under pressure and independent growers continue to contract.