Decline in French wine drinking slows

Robert Beynat: CEO of Vinexpo

Research carried out for Vinexpo shows that the long decline, which started in the 1960s, in the amount of wine consumed by the French will be slowing. Consumption is forecast to only decline by 2.18% by 2012, whereas it dropped by 7.5% between 2003 and 2007. In 2012 the average annual individual consumption will be 55.8 litres. In 1970 it was around 110 litres per head.

The consumption of still wine in France will drop by 2.9% by 2012 compared to a fall of 8.6% between 2003-2007. In contrast sparkling wine will increase by 4.5% by 2012.

In the lead-up to the bi-annual Vinexpo wine fair at Bordeaux, Vinexpo always commission useful research to drum up interest in this ‘hell on earth’ event. My policy has always been to thank them for the research and stay as far away from Bordeaux in mid-June as possible.