A powerful symbol of our country’s culture, wine is a product in its own right, inseparable from national identity in the eyes of the French. But what is the relationship the French have with wine? Domaine du Goût provides the key figures to help you better understand our consumption habits.
Key figures for the French wine market
With more than 750,000 hectares spread across 66 departments, our country accounts for 11% of the world’s area planted with wine grapes. In 2018, France produced 4.6 billion liters of wine (17% of the world’s wine), including 55% red wine, 26% white wine and 19% rosé wine. France has 363 AOCs and 74 PGIs. With 292 million hectoliters produced that year, our country ranked second behind Italy and ahead of Spain in terms of production.
A genuine economic asset, wine accounts for 15% of agricultural production in France while covering only 3% of French farmland. In addition, one in five farmers in France has a winegrowing activity. The wine industry generates more than 500,000 direct jobs (winegrowers) and indirect jobs (employees, seasonal workers, service and logistics companies, administrations) in our country.
Exports and tourism, the industry’s main sources of revenue
France is the world’s leading wine-exporting country. 30% of wine sales are intended for export, 56% to Europe and 44% outside Europe. Wine is France’s second-largest export sector, generating €11.7 billion in profits, behind aeronautics and ahead of cosmetics. In 2019, revenue generated by French wine exports reached €13 billion.
In addition to exports, wine tourism is one of the most flourishing markets. France is the most visited country in the world, and tourism is the country’s leading activity. Thanks to their well-established reputation, French vineyards have become a popular destination, attracting no fewer than 10 million visitors every year, including 39% international wine tourists.
Wine consumption among the French
With no fewer than 44 liters consumed per person per year, or 58 bottles, France is the country where the most wine is consumed after Vatican City (more than 50 liters per person). This figure is declining, however, as twenty years ago French consumption stood at 71.5 liters per year. This trend can be explained by the fact that the French have become more demanding! They consume less but better, allocating an average annual budget of €283.40 to wine.
How do the French choose their wines?
On average, a French household buys wine 1.7 times a month. The frequency of purchases made as gifts is 0.5 times a month. While the majority of buyers favor bottled wine (9 out of 10 buyers), 1 in 4 buyers purchases wine in a box and 1 in 3 in cases.
The main channel for buying wine is the supermarket. Supermarkets account for 61% of French wine purchases. Next comes buying directly from a producer, at 18%, followed by wine merchants, at 16%.
Online sales, which are taking an increasingly important place in our habits, account for 9% of French wine purchases.
The importance of tasting
The importance of tasting when choosing wine is a decisive factor. In fact, 27% of buyers consider being able to taste the wine very important. In addition, 24% of them rank it among their top three selection criteria.
Furthermore, nearly 1 in 4 French people say that a wine having won a medal is a distinguishing criterion.
Wine enthusiasts are 91% likely to drink wine at least once a week and buy, on average, twice as much wine per month for their household. For 46% of them, the opportunity to taste before buying is considered very important. They buy more wine in bottles (86%), as well as in cases (64%).
Those around us: the main selection criterion
Word of mouth is the main criterion the French use when choosing a particular wine, especially among enthusiasts and regular consumers. In fact, 56% of them buy a bottle on the advice of people around them. Overall, those close to us know our tastes, so their opinions are reliable.
In second place is the opinion of professionals. 40% of French people admit to choosing their wine based on the advice of a wine professional. Next comes the opinion of restaurateurs and servers, who are accustomed to advising customers and are happy to share their knowledge.
Finally, 22% of French people rely on the internet and search engines to choose the wine that suits them. Fast, easy to access and use, the growing number of specialized websites and blogs dedicated to wine enthusiasts has contributed to the rise of this way of choosing wine. Online reviews of a bottle provide additional assistance and make the selection easier.
Red, white or rosé? What is the French favorite wine?
After analysis, red wine comes out on top. Red wine appears to be favored by 38% of French people, followed by rosé at 23%, and white wine at 20% (19% choose none of the three).
This can be explained by the fact that France has many more red grape varieties than white ones. Red wine is also favored by restaurateurs, 98% of whom include a red wine on their menu, compared with 89% for white wine.
However, looking more closely, we can see that not all French people have the same tastes when it comes to wine. Age and gender, as well as geographical location, influence French preferences in terms of wine.
Different tastes among the French
First of all, younger people (18-25) tend to choose white and rosé wines more often. The trend then reverses between the ages of 25 and 65, with red wine being the most appreciated by this age group, at 36%. The preference for red wine reaches its highest level among seniors, at 53%, compared with 21% for white wine and 18% for rosé. Red wine is more complex and requires more experience to be appreciated.
Furthermore, men are the ones who prefer red wines. No fewer than half of them name it as their first preference. This can be explained by the fact that these wines are often fuller-bodied and more distinctive, with tannins and much more pronounced aromas that appeal to men. Consequently, the percentage of women who prefer red wine is only 28%. This result is very close to those for white and rosé, tied at 25%.
Finally, geography is also a factor that determines French preferences in wine. Red wine is therefore more appreciated in the Rhône-Alpes region (48%) and Burgundy (41%). Both regions are known for placing red wine in the spotlight. White wine is the most popular in Alsace, at 30%. Finally, rosé leads in Provence-Alpes-Côte-D'Azur, Corsica and Languedoc-Roussillon, at 36%.
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