The news is expected to dampen the spirits of this region and the wine industry, in general. The last time the growth in this ever growing market tumbled was seen in the early 90s when sales of top labels such as Bollinger plummeted.
In contrast, exports of sparkling wines from the Loire valley, Alsace and Saumur "were very dynamic," the agency said in a report. It is interesting to note that UB has been importing Bouvet Ladubay wines from its recently owned winery in Loire Valley and does offer value for money bubbly, while the resistance to increasingly expensive Champagne has been building up. Similarly, the alternative sparklers like Spanish cava, Italian prosecco and South Africa's Methode Cap Classique have been showing firmness.
The figures released also reveal that international demand for France's inexpensive plonk like VdT and VDP is softening at an unprecedented rate, as middle class, cash-strapped British and American consumers are putting controls on their dinnertime favourite while the richer classes are still shielded from the report inflation and choking of economy.
Affected by the continuous rise of euro vs. the dollar and pound sterling, exports of mid-level regional and table wines fell dramatically in the first half of this year, with the number of bottles down by 15.5% on the same period in 2007. These varieties have been hit even harder than Champagne, and are by far the hardest hit.
"Contrary to popular belief, it is no longer the AOC wines that are responsible for the bitter aftertaste of our exports," said a report authored by Herve Henrotteby of Ubi France, the agency for the international development of French businesses.
The saving grace for French vintners is proving to be the great vintage Bordeaux of 2005, whose exports have rocketed to 42.5%. Hailed as the best wine vintage in many decades, the international demand has been constantly on the increase for this vintage.
Despite fall in volumes, the value of French wine exported increased however, by 8.2 per cent to € 3.2 billion, showing that consumer demand for French wine is now focused towards the higher end of the market as lower-quality wines struggle to compete against exports from Australia, Chile and the USA. |