Champagne some figures.
This year the price of the grapes is fixed
at 4.2 USD/kg for Crus at 100%. Production is limited to
10.4 Ton/ha. An extra allowance of 2.6 Ton/ha is permited
and will be reserved for quality. Any additional quantities
will be distilled. Minimum degree is 9 for the whole harvest.
Addition of maximum 3.5 Kg sugar/ hectoliter is admitted.
Many rules and prices are established in Champagne Appellation
d'Origine Controllée which is a reference in the
EEC.
In 1997 sales level was up to 268.9 million bottles. France
consumes over 160 million. 10 Main markets represent 85.9
million bottles. EEC absorb 67.7 million btls. North America
represent 18.8 million btls. UK : 22.7 million btls, Ge
: 19.5 million btls, Be : 8 million btls, It : 6.6 million
btls....Ja : 2.5 million btls. Champagne export revenues
represent for France the equivalent of sales of 20 Airbus
A320 and the purshase of one week of its need in crude oil.
