Champagne’s governing body, the Comité Champagne, has set the 2025 harvest yield at 9,000 kg/ha, the lowest since 2020, as the region adopts a cautious approach in response to global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

The decision follows consecutive reductions from 12,000 kg/ha in 2022 to 11,400 kg/ha in 2023 and 10,000 kg/ha in 2024. By lowering yields, producers aim to destock and maintain stability while protecting Champagne’s long-term prestige.

Despite the reduced yield, the 2025 growing season is off to a strong start, with mild weather boosting optimism. Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité, called the move “a clear-headed, united and responsible decision,” while co-president David Chatillon emphasised Champagne’s resilience and commitment to sustainable viticulture.

Both leaders remain confident that these measures will allow Champagne to adapt, innovate and continue building its global reputation.

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Vineyard numbers in England and Wales have jumped to 1,104, with 25 new wineries registered, according to Wine GB’s 2025 Industry Report.

Vineyard area has grown to 4,841ha, a 510% increase since 2005, and sales are up 3% despite tough market conditions. Exports continue to rise and are now 9% of total sales.

Kent remains the UK’s leading wine county, while Essex has climbed to third, overtaking East Sussex and Hampshire.

Plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir continue to dominate for sparkling wine, with the top 10 grapes being:

Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Pinot Meunier
Bacchus
Seyval Blanc
Solaris
Pinot Gris
Reichensteiner
Rondo
Pinot Blanc

Still wines remain stable at around a third of production with sparkling making up the rest.



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From 1 August 2025, the US will raise tariffs on European wine and spirits from 10% to 15%, unless negotiators reach a new deal. Talks are expected to resume in the autumn, with EU officials pushing for either zero tariffs or fixed Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rates.

The EU remains determined to secure a better outcome, particularly for wine, where MFN rates would translate to just a few cents per litre. While spirits once enjoyed tariff-free trade under a 1997 agreement, uncertainty remains over whether this will be reinstated.

A senior EU diplomat confirmed that discussions will continue after the US and EU finalise their framework trade deal, agreed last weekend. Industry observers are watching closely, with producers hoping that autumn negotiations could roll back the tariff hike and keep transatlantic trade flowing smoothly. For now, the 15% rate looms large over exporters.

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California’s Lodi wine region, long associated with bold, jammy Zinfandels, is undergoing a quiet transformation, becoming a haven for rare and refreshing white wines. At the heart of this shift is Acquiesce Winery, founded by Sue Tipton in 2008 as a white wine only winery, with no Chardonnay in sight.

Lodi’s sandy soils, Mediterranean climate and dramatic day-night temperature swings make it surprisingly well-suited to whites. While Chardonnay still dominates white plantings, winemakers like Tipton and Markus Niggli (Markus Wine Co.) are embracing lesser known grapes such as Kerner, Bourboulenc, Assyrtiko and Gruner Veltliner. Some of these are so rare they don’t even appear on California’s official Grape Acreage or Crush Reports. In 2024, for example, only around 50 tons of Assyrtiko were crushed state-wide.

Kerner, championed by Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, has attracted cult interest, while Assyrtiko is becoming a hip grape, first propagated in Lodi by the Perlegos brothers using cuttings from UC Davis.

Albariño, however, has emerged as Lodi’s white signature grape. First planted by Markus Bokisch in the 1990s, his vines provided the foundation for 90% of Albariño plantings across the US. Today, Lodi grows around 30% of California’s Albariño and Bokisch Vineyards produces over 1,200 cases annually. His success has helped open the door to even more diversity, from Grenache Blanc to Xarel-lo.

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A French winemaker is on trial in Reims for allegedly selling up to 1.8 million bottles of counterfeit Champagne between 2022 and 2023 by passing off carbonated still wine from Spain and sourthern France labelled as the real thing.

Didier Chopin, 56, admitted injecting CO₂ into still wines from Ardèche and Spain, bottling them in the Marne and labelling the bottles as Champagne. He faces charges of fraud, misuse of the appellation and theft of a protected brand name. The Comité Champagne, the trade body safeguarding the AOC status, joined the case as a civil plaintiff.

Chopin claimed he was under immense pressure from retail giant Leclerc to produce low-cost Champagne, but the court appeared unmoved. His defence did little to justify the scale of deception.

Prosecutors are seeking a four year sentence, fines of €100,000 and a permanent industry ban. Chopin’s wife may also be fined and suspended. He also faces further trials, including allegations of customs fraud and sexual assault. A verdict is due on the 2nd September 2025.

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Three people have been convicted in France over the mistreatment of 57 migrant grape pickers during the 2023 Champagne harvest, prompting renewed calls for better protection of seasonal workers.

A court in Châlons-en-Champagne sentenced a Kyrgyz woman to four years in prison (2 year suspended) for human trafficking, while two male recruiters received one-year part-suspended sentences. The wine co-operative that used their services was fined €75,000 and the exploitative service company was dissolved.

The case exposed dire conditions in Nesle-le-Repons where pickers had no electricity or running water, worked 12 hour days and ate “rotten sandwiches” as food. The Comité Champagne, a civil plaintiff in the case, reiterated its “zero tolerance” stance, vowing to join future prosecutions.

In response to the scandal, Champagne authorities launched a reform initiative in late 2023. Dubbed 'Together for the Champagne harvest', it aims to safeguard the 120,000 seasonal workers vital to the region’s sparkling wine production.

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