BNIC Increases 2018 Yield Quotas in a Year of Vineyard Damaging Floods, Frosts, Hail and Record Sales.

As the Cognac growers look forward to the mid-September harvest of the mostly Ugni Blanc grapes used to make Cognac, the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) has announced an increase in the 2018 yield quota. For 2017, the BNIC set the maximum production dedicated to Cognac at 12 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare. For 2018, the yield has been increased to 14.64 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare.

While this increase is welcomed, it is unlikely that many growers will reach their quotas this year as a combination of floods, late spring frosts and hail damaged a significant portion of some of Cognac’s vineyards. Indeed, the damage was so wide spread that four communes in the region were declared disaster areas.

Cognac producers are struggling to keep up with record demand. Hennessy reported last year that record Hennessy V.S. demand caused shortages throughout the United States. The BNIC also noted again earlier this month that Cognac shipments continue to hit new records with each of their quarterly Cognac shipment reports.

The BNIC noted that the latest increase in quotas will allow Cognac producers to accelerate their vineyard development plans.