by Hervé Lalau
The growers in Champagne have applied to the French authorities through their regional association, the CIVC, in order to be permitted to increase yields. The maximum currently allowed now 13 metric tonnes per hectare; the CIVC is requesting 15.5 tonnes, which
equates to roughly 100 hectolitres per hectare. The INAO, the French administrative body for all appellations, supports their demand, but the governmental Conseil d\'Etat has yet to make its decision known.
According to the winegrowers, this increase would allow them to better regulate the market. Although the quality was perfectly acceptable in 2006, the CIVC notes that the natural yield was about 17 tonnes per hectares, forcing the winegrowers to either leave 4 tonnes unharvested or destroy the excess juice.
Seen in a broader context, the problem is that the Champagne appellation of 33,000 hectares is not extensible, but that sales continue to climb, up 6.3% from January to October 2006. Given the low yields experienced in dry years, stocks are being depleted. As most Champagnes are blends of several vintages, growers argue that higher production limits could be a quality guaranty, allowing winemakers to better compensate for low yielding years.
