(Decanter) - Champagne exports last year reached their second highest volume in five years – with sales close to the peak of 2007. Exports in 2011 were up by 5.1%, rising to a total of 141.2m bottles, the second largest volume ever achieved behind 2007 and only 9.5m bottles less than this peak, according to the latest statistics just released by Champagne’s governing body the CIVC. However because of a slight downturn in domestic sales in France, where the market weakened particularly towards the end of the year, total sales figures rose by only just over 1%, to 322.97m bottles.