In the red: France's wine industry turns sour • FRANCE 24 English

Wine lovers will be familiar with Bordeaux, Bourgogne and Beaujolais. These wines are all symbols of French culture, celebrated worldwide. Yet over the past 60 years, wine consumption has dropped by 70 percent in France. Reds, in particular, have been given the cold shoulder – even abroad. So why are consumers changing their habits? How can winemakers in south-western France survive? Some are even forced to tear up their vineyards and seek compensation from the French government and EU. Our team reports.

[johnblowes]

It’s plummeted because wine cost too much for a lot of people

[andrewvictor]

The architects of their own downfall. In the 1970s London merchants used to import wine in bulk and bottle it in London. i distinctly remember being able to buy a bottle of St Emillion for 30 bob. In their wisdom the French put a stop to this and the price of French wine rocketed. By the early 80s other countries from Australia to Bulgaria started to export, By 1981 I was buying crates of very decent Bulgarian wine from Vinimpex for £2 a bottle.

[RStrophy]

Prices have not changed in the supermarket but taste has changed. The last 20 years I only drink New World wines: stronger taste but not stronger in price.

[HolisticHealthEducation]

The French have destroyed their wine industry by selling low quality wine at overblown prices. Consumers can now, for example, buy wines from a country like South Africa, where the quality is simply superior and often at prices significantly lower than French wine.

[PAVANZYL]

Another issue is the growth of South American wines - not only in quantity, but also in quality.

[davidgray]

This is very sad to see, I wish the French vineyards well, all the best from the U.K.

[seanlander]

A factor ignored in Europe is that as it turns to Muslim immigration that the decline in alcohol consumption reflects almost exactly the rise of non-drinking Islamists. Sure there’s other factors such as subsidising lazy European farmers, but the demographics in Europe will ensure a gradual reduction in domestic alcohol consumption.

[nemanjadj]

French habits about drinking wine haven't been changed, but demographics of France have been changed with increasing number of people who don't drink alcohol.

[tombranch]

Sadly there is a glut in much of the global wine industry, to many winemakers and not enough wine drinkers.

[guzy]

The Bordeaux area has a problem because they’re too focused on red wine and relied too much on their reputation
Other regions are doing well and have increased the quality level
Due to climate change new wineyards are being created and new cépages are introduced promising new great wines in the future
People drink less wine but the average quality is far better than 50 years ago
Withe and rosé wines are very trendy and we can find in this category more excellent products than decades ago
People realize that beside champagne there are other traditional sparkling wines that are very interesting
I’m not worrying for the French wine industry in the long term : we have the know how, passionate professionals, strong wine schools
Some people in this sector must adapt to the new trends
C’est la vie !

[fuglbird]

The consumption of red wine isn't declining in Denmark. It was the same in 2022 as in 2017. The global market has not been reduced. External factors are not the problem. French red wine is simply too expensive. Back in the 1970s and 1980s we could afford St. Emilion and Côtes du Rhône regularly and Margaux and Châteauneuf-Du-Pape occationally. Now St. Emilion and Côtes du Rhône are too expensive even on occations. I can buy 3 liters of decent red wine from Spain, California, Chile or Australia for the cost of a 70 cl bottle of a similar French wine. The quality of wines from Spain, California, Chile and Australia has improved a lot in the past 50 years without any increase in price. French wines have just become more expensive.

[ogvdqpp]

'Eric Etienne has been a winemaker in Bordeaux for four generations'😆😂. The reincarnating vintner.

[anthonyferris]

I've recently noticed the price of French wines have been dropping in my UK supermarkets, but I've long ago developed a taste for new world wines.

[stephanleo]

Especially Bordeaux is one of the most conservative wine regions in France. They're like the german Automobile industry: Thinking you're the gold standard of the whole industry, you sleep on while the world is changing.

[arunkottolli]

One of the problems is that the new immigrants to France and EU don’t drink wine.
Make them drink wine, and problem is solved!

[courtcomposer]

These wines have gotten too expensive and the quality is not the same.

[danatmatchvox]

One can only blame the french...they make less palatable/over priced/substantially mediocre wine compared to the rest of the world

[naomirill]

If less people buy it, it's kinda logical. If you provide a product and fewer people want your products, think about how you can change yourself

[Simpaulme]

The EU 'wine lake' has been a byword as long as I can remember, alongside the butter mountain.

[NoJobNoBoat]

"Global red wine consumption has plummeted by 20% -- as a result prices have tumbled." Maybe this is a half truth at best.