Faced with the decline in wine consumption, French wine growers want a recovery plan

In sixty years, wine consumption has fallen by 70% on average per capita in France, due to new habits, particularly among young people who consume less than their elders. To which must be added the difficulties which have accumulated in recent years: from climatic hazards to rising production costs, including inflation which is seriously eating into household budgets. According to the latest projections, consumption of French wine could fall by another 20% over the next ten years.

Now too many vineyards?

Professional organizations do not cut corners: we must reduce the surface areas of vines. According to Bernard Fages, who chairs the National Committee of Interprofessions for Wines with Designation of Origin, this probably means quickly exiting the production of 100,000 hectares out of the 750,000 vineyards in France. Which implies painful decisions for many wine growers.

The sector is currently working to find the right tools to finance this reduction in surface area. Aid that could come from Europe. But, like small farmers, what winegrowers and merchants are waiting for is not aid. They do not want to be assisted but to live from their work, their passion. Among the avenues studied, there is the creation of observatories of market trends to better adapt to them, revitalize innovation, reconnect with consumers who have turned away from wine by adapting products to new expectations with, for example , lighter wines. Finally, relaunch exports at a time when French wines face strong foreign competition.

The weight of the wine industry

Viticulture is the leading agri-food export sector with 10 billion euros in turnover in 2022, the second largest trade surplus behind aeronautics. There are nearly 500,000 direct and indirect jobs. It will not be easy to cushion the inevitable shocks to ensure a future for what is still a heavyweight in the French economy… and above all, a true national heritage.