The wine market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Wine is the alcoholic drink resulting from the fermentation of grapes. Since 1973, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine specifies that "wine is exclusively the beverage resulting from the complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether crushed or not, or of grape must". It is also stated that its alcoholic strength may not be less than 8.5% by volume.

Therefore, spirits and any drink obtained from the fermentation of fruits other than grapes are excluded from this study.

There are several types of wine, distinguished in particular by color (red, white, rosé), texture (still, sparkling, naturally sweet) and grape variety (type of vine). These distinctions allow us to identify several segments of the wine market, each of which is the subject of a separate study. Studies on the red wine market, the white wine market, the sparkling wine market and the organic wine market are available.

In addition, French wines are divided into two categories: wines without geographical indication (VSIG) which correspond to the former table wines and wines with geographical indication (GI). The production of wines with GI is strictly regulated and is itself divided into two groups: wines with protected designation of origin (PDO) and wines with protected geographical indication (PGI). [Ministry of Economy]

The French wine market is renowned for the breadth of its range but also for the quality of its wines. French wine has a privileged status on the international scene as well as within the national territory. Indeed, the French associate it with values of tradition and conviviality and give it a significant place in French culture. However, the wine market in France is characterized by a structural decline in consumption. This decline is symptomatic of a transformation in lifestyles and consumption patterns and the shift from daily consumption and a "wine-food" function to a more cultural and occasional product.

In addition, the wine market is facing several external challenges and hazards, in particular the Brexit, the US surtax on wine or the coronavirus crisis, which are all events that threaten the industry. Production is also dependent on weather conditions, which explains, for example, the 14.1% drop in production in 2019. However, this decline is not representative of a structural trend, as evidenced by the production increase in 2020 of 10.8%. [Agreste]