To be honest, I had not realized that wine had ever left this country (he said, tongue in cheek, after reading that newspaper headline above). I did know, however, that while Italy and Spain ship greater quantities by volume than France, this country is the world’s largest exporter of wine by value. That would highlight the reputation and prestige associated with French reds, whites, rosés, and sparklings. Just saying the words Bordeaux, Burgundy, and of course Champagne make that point obvious. But today’s post addresses what stays within this country’s borders rather than what’s sent out.

SOWINE is a French marketing and communication consultancy dedicated to wine, champagne and spirits. According to their survey, wine has returned to the top spot as the preferred alcoholic beverage of the French. For years there’s been a neck and neck race with beer slightly in the lead but those positions have recently reversed.

According to SOWINE, there are three main reasons for the taste shift:

• The French government has been taking steps recently to promote wine consumption. In 2022, for example, the government launched a campaign to encourage people to drink more wine during meals.
• I found their second suggestion a little ironic: the rise of craft beer in France may have also contributed to the decline of beer consumption. Craft beer is often more expensive than traditional beer, and it may be seen as a more premium product. I suppose you might linger over a single, more costly beverage rather than ordering two or more glasses of something cheaper.
• During the COVID lockdowns when people were forced to stay home, they cooked more meals and often accompanied them with wine. I know that we certainly increased the variety of wines that we consumed once we found a supplier who would deliver to our front door for free.

For a quick historical background, there’s evidence that grapes were grown in France as early as 10,000 BC and wine was definitely being produced by the Greeks in the 6th century BC and greatly expanded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. The Romans also introduced beer but it never caught on as well as its grape neighbor perhaps because of the climate here and a cultural preference. Industrialization led to the growth of breweries in the 19th century that could mass-produce beer leading to its rise in popularity as the favored alcoholic beverage in tight competition with wine that continues even today.

Speaking of wine, if you happen to be in Carcassonne this coming Thursday or Friday, it’s the annual Fête du Vin that the city organizes in the heart of downtown. There will be 60 producers and wine merchants, all from our département, offering tastings. See you there!

Photo notes: All illustrations within the story come from the SOWINE website, thank you. Those grape vines and olive trees shown in the featured photo across the top are in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.