Why are the French drinking shockingly little wine now?
When you think of France, wine surely comes to mind within a few seconds. We know it as a true wine country, with crowd favorites such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. The French themselves also enjoy a glass – or so we thought, at least. Because here’s the thing: in recent years, the French have actually been drinking shockingly little wine.
Shockingly little, indeed: research by the Conseil Interprofessionnel du vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) shows that red wine consumption in France has fallen by no less than 90% since the 1970s. If you look at total French wine consumption – red, white and rosé combined – the decline is 80%. Mais quoi?!
A generational thing
Apparently, it’s a generational thing. If the grandfather drank 300 liters of wine a year, the father drinks 180 liters and the son just 30, CIVB board member Jean-Pierre Durand explains the situation to the Financial Times. It actually fits in with the trend that’s so popular these days. Younger generations drink less and more consciously. Their tastes are changing too, which means red wine is less likely to be their preference. Instead, young people are more likely to choose beer, spirits, rosé and alcohol-free drinks, for example.
Adaptation is needed
The expectation is that many French wine producers will eventually adapt to this change. Quite a few wineries are already producing less red wine, focusing instead on white and even orange wine (and no, that’s not the same as natural wine). Organic wines are also becoming increasingly common in France. Quality is becoming more and more important to younger generations too; in their view, it comes before quantity. Wines from the lower segment are therefore expected to have a harder time.
Not every French wine producer will be eager for change. Tradition is still important to a large group. On top of that, making changes is simply a major investment. If you switch from red to white wine as a wine producer, for example, you have to plant new grapevines and use different equipment. Well, they really have no choice… Otherwise, before long they’ll once again be left with a serious wine surplus because the French are leaving red wine untouched. Maybe we can come and help?
Also read:
- How to read a wine list in five steps
- Bordeaux vs Burgundy: 10 differences between the world-famous regions
- Why baguettes taste so much better on vacation
Source: Financial Times
