HOW TO BUY, AND NOT TO BUY, VINEYARDS IN CHAMPAGNE

Some fascinating statistics about vineyards in France can be seen in the latest annual report from SAFER (Les Sociétés d’Aménagement Foncier et d’Établissement Rural) - the non-profit umbrella organisation whose brief is to track and guide the use and development of rural land in the best communal interest.

Amongst the nine wine making regions in France covered in the report, Champagne is one of only 3 where the price of vineyard land increased in 2025. The drop in prices was most acute in the Bordeaux and Aquitaine region where prices fell by almost 24% versus 2024 

Having said this, the price rise in Champagne during the same period was only a modest 0.9% but at an average price of 1.13 million euros per hectare, that is 7 times higher than the average for the entire country!

Even more striking is the fact that the report reveals that Champagne represents just 8% of the total surface area of vineyards in France, yet accounts for 53% of the total value of vineyard land in France! (image courtesy of SAFER)

Perhaps surprisingly, given the high prices involved, the market for buying and selling vineyards in Champagne is relatively active. In 2025 there were 1,020 transactions which is roughly 10% of all vineyard transactions in France (1020 / 10,930 = 9.3%)

On the other hand, the total area of vines that changed hands in Champagne was just 210 hectares – that’s just 0.6% of the Champagne AOP area. Despite this, the value of all these transactions amounted to 207 million euros which means that the average area per transaction is just 0.2 hectares at an average of 220,000 euros per sale.

There are many more facts and figures to be gleaned from the report for anyone who wants to delve deeper into this topic, but from the few mentioned above we can gather that

• You need very deep pockets indeed to buy vineyards in Champagne, even assuming that you have the right contacts to become aware in the first place that a plot is for sale. Many sales are concluded before any public announcement is made of the availability of the land.

• Purchasing vineyard land in Champagne is not really about making an investment with a rapid and attractive return on investment – it’s more a question of acquiring an asset to be held over the long term (probably the very long term).

• The purchase of 0.2 hectares is just the first outlay. The land will require tending. If all goes well it will yield grapes, but not yet champagne. Making the champagne requires yet more time and more investment and the limited number of bottles produced would have to be sold at a very high price indeed to cover all the costs involved, let alone make a profit.

Nevertheless, there is an alternative.

For exceptional individuals who have a love of champagne, and an entrepreneurial flare, creating a private champagne brand offers the opportunity to have

• a stake in the world of champagne,
• the prospect of making a profit and
• a fascinating and unforgettable experience.

If that appeals to your ambitions, to your sense of adventure and to your business mind, then contact me via Linkedin or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an initial discussion. It could lead to something amazing.