Not just Italy. French struggle to sell wine abroad: exports have never been this bad since 2009

We have to go back to the subprime mortgage crisis, namely 2009, to find figures similar to those recorded by French wine exports. It was widely predictable from the numbers that started circulating at the beginning of 2023 that the wine market would present the bill to all major producing and exporting countries. However, the negativity of the performance is clearer when looking at the customs-based elaborations published by Business France, the French agency for the internationalization of companies. The governmental entity painted a picture of the transalpine country and its competitors, from which negative signals emerge almost everywhere: Italy (-1% at 2.1 billion litres), Spain (-4% at 2 billion litres), Chile (-18% at 0.68 billion litres), Australia (-3% at 0.62 billion litres), South Africa (-20% at 0.35 billion litres). France, indeed, is no exception, losing 9% in volume (1.28 billion litres of wine) and 3% in value (12 billion euros). According to Business France's wine manager, Adrien Boussard, this is the worst year since 2009 in terms of exported volumes: "Compared to 2009, a year marked by the subprime crisis, 2023 did not witness a similar economic crisis but an inflationary crisis, supported by a negative economic situation."

Major client countries are performing poorly, proximity exports are better

French wines, therefore, suffered in major historical destinations. Germany, the primary destination, lost 8%, the United States 13% due to the effects of overstocking recorded in 2022, the United Kingdom 6%. Also, Belgium (-5%), the Netherlands (-9%), Canada (-10%), Japan (-14%), and China, with a noticeable 26% drop in volumes, performed poorly. As highlighted by Boussard himself, in an analysis reported by the newspaper Vitisphere, French wines have fared better in closer European markets compared to so-called long-distance exports. Considering the revenue trends in 2023, the negative signs are less severe compared to the trends in exported quantities. Specifically, the United States lost 8% in 2023, Germany 2%, Belgium 3%, and Japan 5%. Britain remained stable. The reduction in volumes consequently led to increases in the average price for Champagne (-11% in quantity and -1% in value), PDO still wines (-10 in volume and -4% in value), PGI wines (-8% in volume and -4% in value), and wines without geographical indication (-6% and -1%).

Territorial PDO performances

Finally, analyzing territorial performances, all major PDOs are negative. Among these, Bordeaux (-12%), Burgundy (-7%), Provence (-12%), Languedoc-Roussillon (-16%), Alsace (-12%), Beaujolais (-16%), Rhone Valley (-10%), Southwest (-7%). Considering PGI wines, Business France reports -8% for Pays d'Oc, -14% for wines from Languedoc-Roussillon, and -20% for the Southwest region. Against the trend, the Loire Valley with -5% in volume for PDO wines but with a +6% in value, and with a +1% in volume for PGI wines accompanied by a +4% in turnover. Another exception, finally, are Terres du Midi PGI wines (+37% in volume and +53% in value).