Champagne Tops Europe’s Vineyard Wealth Ranking

A new analysis based on 2024 Farm Accountancy Data Network data places Champagne at the top of Europe for vineyard wealth created per hectare, with Alto Adige and Valle d’Aosta ranking just behind it and leading Italy on the same measure.

The figures were presented in a study by the American Association of Wine Economists, which examined net value added generated by vineyard cultivation after intermediate costs. The comparison offers a snapshot of how much income a hectare of vines can produce for growers across different European wine regions, though the study itself is partial and does not cover every major territory.

Champagne ranked first at €60,030 per hectare, far ahead of the rest of the field. Alto Adige came in second at €32,155 per hectare, followed closely by Valle d’Aosta at €32,043. Burgundy placed fourth at €25,312, and Liguria was fifth at €21,177.

The rest of the top 10 included Luxembourg at €20,715 per hectare, Galicia in Spain at €18,742, Piedmont at €18,253, Franche-Comté, including the Jura area, at €16,100, and Croatia’s Adriatic region, listed as Jadranska Hrvatska, at €15,287.

Among other Italian regions, Tuscany ranked 12th with €12,447 per hectare. Molise followed in 13th place at €12,275. Veneto was 14th at €11,609, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia ranked 17th with €9,373.

At the bottom end of the range cited in the study was Spain’s Valencian Community at €684 per hectare. That gap shows how sharply vineyard economics can differ across Europe depending on geography, labor structure, production model and market positioning.

The results also underline that prestige alone does not always translate directly into the highest returns. Some of the strongest performers are relatively small regions by volume. Alto Adige and Valle d’Aosta do not rank among Europe’s largest wine producers, but both appear near the top when measured by value added per hectare. Their position suggests that limited production, strong identity and pricing power can outweigh scale in vineyard economics.

The study groups data across broad territories, which means internal differences can be large. In regions such as Tuscany, Piedmont or Burgundy, returns from famous appellations may differ sharply from those in less sought-after or more volume-driven areas. For that reason, the rankings should be read as regional averages rather than precise indicators for every vineyard site.

Even with those limits, the numbers matter for the beverage sector because they point to where grape growing is generating stronger economic returns and where pressure on margins may be more severe. That can shape investment decisions in wine production, land values, grape supply strategies and long-term planning for producers focused on premium bottles as well as larger-volume categories.

For growers and wineries facing rising labor and farming costs, the issue goes beyond reputation. The central question is how much income a vineyard can actually produce after costs are taken into account. In that sense, the latest comparison offers a useful measure of resilience in European viticulture at a time when profitability remains one of the industry’s most important concerns.