Bulgarian grape harvesters work within the vineyards of Chateau de Meursault in Meursault, within the Burgundy area of central-eastern France, on August 26, 2025. (Photograph by ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP) (Photograph by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Arnaud Finistre | Afp | Getty Photos
It’s going to come as no shock that gross sales of Champagne peak within the run-up to Christmas and New Yr, with French fizz the drink of selection for a lot of households within the festive season.
Yearly, round 120,000 seasonal employees come to work in France, harvesting grapes throughout 34,000 hectares of vines. The harvest solely lasts a few weeks, making it a frenetic time for the sector.
A darker facet to the business has emerged in relation to that work, nevertheless, with current stories shining a lightweight on the exploitation and mistreatment of champagne grape pickers who are sometimes overseas and undocumented migrants.
Throughout an excessive heatwave within the late summer season of 2023, not less than 4 migrant grape pickers, or “vendangeurs” as they’re identified, died in what has since been dubbed the “harvest of disgrace.”
The case highlighted broader substandard working and housing circumstances for pickers, together with extreme working hours, low pay, an absence of security gear and protocols, reminiscent of enough hydration and breaks.
The scandal round working circumstances and welfare comes at a tough time for the broader business — 2024’s harvest noticed decrease yields than common resulting from spring frosts and a wet interval through the summer season that solely subsided towards the tip of the rising season, nearly “saving” the harvest.
The 2025 harvest fared higher and was lauded for its high-quality classic, because of clement climate circumstances.
Nonetheless, this yr’s gross sales, which will likely be launched in January, are prone to be additional dented by U.S. import tariffs on items from the EU, which brought about Champagne shipments to the U.S. to stoop.
‘Blatant mistreatment’
The murkier facet of the Champagne business got here to mild when not less than 4 migrant grape pickers died through the 2023 harvest, which occurred throughout an excessive heatwave.
Seasonal employees harvest grapes in vineyards within the AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) Champagne area on September 14, 2023 in Châtillon-sur-Marne, France.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Photos Information | Getty Photos
Then, in the summertime of 2025, three people have been placed on trial, accused of human trafficking and exploiting over 50 West African migrant employees through the 2023 harvest.
The victims reported being handled “like slaves” and “animals” and being housed in “hellish” and unsanitary circumstances with no clear ingesting water. Such circumstances compromised employees’ security, well being and dignity, the labor inspectorate mentioned within the case.
Unscrupulous hiring practices have been additionally thrust into the highlight through the trial because the defendants have been affiliated with an employment company which supplied employees to the business, highlighting Champagne homes’ widespread use of subcontractors and employment companies, or extra casual channels, to recruit grape pickers.
The defendants have been convicted and handed fines and jail sentences, whereas commerce unions mentioned the usage of “middlemen” and companies had enabled Champagne homes to show a blind eye to unlawful working practices.
In a abstract of the case which was held in Châlons-en-Champagne legal courtroom, the prosecutor commented, “we can not settle for that behind a bottle of Champagne lies uncontrolled subcontracting and blatant mistreatment.”
Gross sales challenges
The Comité Champagne — the overarching commerce physique for France’s Champagne business and representing over 16,000 winegrowers, 130 cooperatives and 370 Champagne homes — acknowledged that the courtroom case had broken the business’s repute and mentioned it might take a “zero tolerance” strategy to any future abuses.
“We needed to stand with the victims. You do not play video games with the well being and security of seasonal employees. Nor do you play video games with the picture of our appellation,” Comité co-presidents David Chatillon and Maxime Toubart advised Le Monde newspaper in July after the trial.
The Comité launched a “Collectively for the Champagne Harvest” motion plan to make sure that employee well being and security protocols and employee lodging have been improved, in addition to harvest rules.
A French Basic Confederation of Labour (CGT) union member fingers out pamphlets to seasonal grape pickers, typically overseas employees, in a Champagne winery to tell them of their labour rights, in Igny-Comblizy, japanese France, on September 19, 2024.
Francois Nascimbeni | Afp | Getty Photos
Champagne winegrowers and homes have been eager to indicate they’re dedicated to employees’ well-being. Moët & Chandon, the world’s largest producer and a part of LVMH, invested 1.5 million euros ($1.76 million) in new lodging for an additional 90 grape pickers in 2024, bringing the whole capability of its lodging provision to as much as 1,900 beds.
CNBC requested the Comité Champagne whether or not welfare measures had been totally applied by its member organizations since they have been proposed, however has not but acquired a response. CNBC additionally contacted a number of unions, together with the CGT labor union and SGV union of Champagne growers, concerning the reforms, however didn’t obtain responses.
It is little doubt a tough time for the broader business — 2024’s harvest noticed decrease yields than common resulting from spring frosts and a wet interval through the summer season that solely subsided towards the tip of the rising season — nearly “saving” the harvest. The 2025 harvest fared higher and was lauded for its high-quality classic, because of clement climate circumstances.
Synonymous with north-eastern France, Champagne accounts for 10% of the world’s glowing wine manufacturing by quantity, however as a lot as 35% of glowing wine’s international market worth.Nevertheless, gross sales have declined lately amid a fall in international demand and declining alcohol consumption.
In 2023, shipments of Champagne (that are usually a mixture of a number of years’ harvests) totalled 299 million bottles, down 8.2% in comparison with the earlier yr. In 2024, 271 million bottles have been shipped, in response to the Comité Champagne information. This yr’s gross sales face extra headwinds from U.S. import tariffs on items from the EU.
The business has additionally confronted challenges from inside, with the CGT labor union at LVMH’s Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot’s champagne models calling on employees to strike in December over the cancellation of year-end bonuses and calls for for higher pay.
A spokesman for Moët & Chandon advised CNBC that it might not touch upon the dispute however that negotiations over pay would happen in early 2026, noting, “we can not remark earlier than the negotiations.”
If gross sales maintain falling, the therapy of seasonal pickers will likely be only one problem dealing with the business.
