The wine market is much more than just an industry

The wine market, the identity of France. It is rare to be able to identify a country with an industry. Ecuador is known for its coffee, Saudi Arabia for oil or Russia for vodka.

France is one of these countries, the land of luxury and wine. This is how to internationally identify France. However, the wine market is not consigned to France. It is a market that has become largely international. Moreover, it is even Italy that is at the top of the ranking of producers in the world. But it would be impossible to talk about Wine without mentioning and analyzing the influence that France has in the sector. This influence has its source in the city of Bordeaux. Here, the wine industry is also an Art.

The wine market, the wine with an international flavour

The wine business has become international. France is far from having a monopoly despite its well-established letters of nobility in view of its history and its fame. If this fame is still relevant, the wine market is of global interest in the economy.

However, the trio that emerges in production, remains European, and even close neighbors. Italy has been leading on the podium for a few years now. For its part and in second place, France is a key player. Finally, Spain, which is in third place. It posted a production of 40.5 million hectoliters in 2018 against 48.5 for the Italian leader and 46.4 for France.

But all the interest of this ranking is also done by the actors who follow the podium. Indeed, the United States, Australia, Argentina and China have potential in the wine market. The European trio alone accounts for 48% of world production. However, the wine market gradually opened up to the whole world over the years. It must be said that we are seeing the emergence of countries that are not necessarily historical players in the wine world.

In terms of consumption, the increases recorded confirm that the new world is taking an increasing taste for wine. Thus, the United States, China and South Africa saw an increase of more than 2% in their consumption from 2016 to 2017. Wine seems to please beyond the borders for countries that are still novices. At the same time, France was at -0.40%, Germany at 0% and Italy showed a slight increase of 0.90%. A simplified translation would be to say that we are simply in a mature market in Europe.

Wine market glass of Bordeaux wine
The wine market no longer has borders and new players are emerging.

Wine, an indelible French taste in a global wine market

Beyond the global aspect of the wine market, wine is also a French identity and know-how. We are attached to it, but we are not all experts. This is explained by a rich gastronomic culture. Its weight is considerable in agricultural production. Indeed, it represents 15% of general production for only 3% of agricultural land. It is then a profitable market from a space- production point of view. One of the most telling figures concerns the consumption of wine per capita. In 1975, it represented 100 liters per capita per year, where in 2016 for example, it was less than 42 liters. Indeed, it should be said that even if wine enters French cultures and traditions, its consumption is subject to prevention against the dangers of alcohol. Today, many campaigns warn of the dangers of alcohol.

Thus, this decrease is of course primarily linked to public health issues. However, it is also linked to a choice that is now more than wide in terms of alcoholic beverages. The purpose of this figure is to demonstrate that wine is historic in France. Its export turnover in 2017 was 8.7 billion euros. These data make it possible to affirm that France is indeed the leading country to export on the wine market, 54% for Europe and 46% outside Europe.

Bordeaux, the representation of French wine

Despite a drop in production in 2017 due to adverse weather conditions, Bordeaux production produced 6.4 million hectoliters on the wine market with a small share for white wines which represent 14% of production compared to red wine which totals 86%.

But in Bordeaux, wine is not only represented by numbers, it is also a festival translated every year by the Wine Festival that takes place over several days, a festival concluded in apotheosis by a fireworks display. Or more recently, the second edition of the wine tourism workshop, on the banks of the Garonne which brought together 122 exhibitors. This event allowed meetings with its exhibitors, conferences related to wine tourism, but also exchanges between professionals.

In the days that follow, it is the turn of the international wine challenge to present itself in Bordeaux. This challenge takes place on April 12 and 13, 2019. Over the years, it has become the largest international independent wine competition, completely independent. Indeed, the competition receives nearly 800 tasters to evaluate up to 5,000 wines, coming from forty countries.

This is not a competition focused solely on Bordeaux wines, nor on red wines that are very famous around the world. The challenge will indeed present many wines such as whites (dry and sweet), rosé, but also eaux-de-vie and organic wines. But what criteria is the competition based on? To classify and evaluate wines, experts rely mainly on the dominant olfactory type, the dominant structure, power, age, or evolution. And at the end of these two days of blind tasting, the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded as well as special prizes.

However, one theme will emerge for this year 2019, it is the Greek wines entering the wine market that will be honored for this edition. Over the years, the challenge has seen prizes awarded to a few personalities, to name but a few, a silver medal for the “Confiance” wine by Gérard DEPARDIEU in 2007 or Pierre RICHARD for the “Château Bel Evêque” wine in 2015.

As a result, the wine market still has many years ahead of it with the growth outside the European Union of its industry, but in Europe, especially in France and Bordeaux. Wine is a celebration, a moment of sharing. Opportunities to learn about this art are not lacking throughout France whether for visits to vineyards, or to take advantage of competitions to discover trades and collect the opinion of experts.

Hugo RENIER – BORDEAUX Business

Sources:

Wine tourism is exhibited in Bordeaux” Terre de vin, article by Laura Bernaulte of March 13, 2019

Oenologie.fr

World wine figures” Wines of the World – World Wine Figures, article by François POTEVIN of 23 August 2018

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