Export demand is likely to drive Champagne sales over the coming decade as any consumption growth in France lags behind that in newer markets overseas, including Asia, the French region’s trade association says.
Mainland China and Hong Kong, while outside the top 10 export markets, are growth areas; mainland sales have more than doubled to two million bottles from 897,000 in 2012 from 2008, while sales in the city rose to 1.58 million from 1.04 million.
While Britain, the United States and Germany held their rankings as the top three export markets for Champagne from 2008 to 2012, Japan climbed to fourth from sixth in the table as sales rose 9 per cent over the period.