Paris (AFP)

Faced with consumers who are more attracted by organic food but also more concerned about their wallet, the retailers adapt their catalogs during autumn wine fairs, to the detriment of burgundy, even if it remains indestructible.

The 2019 wine fairs have already started at the end of August at some distributors and will end at the end of October. They will have to forget a disappointing 2018 edition, with sales down 2.1% in value and 4.4% in volume, despite an increase in the number of references in the catalogs, according to the firm Nielsen.

At Carrefour alone, the 2018 autumn wine fair had a turnover of 103 million euros, down 4%.

Nevertheless, this event remains unavoidable since it represents nearly 25% of the annual sales of the department store's wine department, which, in order to attract the consumer, aims to increase the diversity of its offer.

At the expense of the Bordeaux Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), whose panelist Iri estimated the drop in sales at the end of April to 13% in volume and 1.9% in value over one year, in the specialized magazine LSA close August.

For Michel Biéro, Lidl France's Executive Director of Purchasing and Marketing, "we are actually selling less Bordeaux than we did five years ago". What confirms to AFP Audrey Sonnendrecker, director of the wine market for Carrefour France: "In 2005, the share of Bordeaux in all catalogs of wine fairs was 41%, it is 33% today".

- Value for money -

"Twenty years ago, we bought at Bordeaux wine fairs at bargain prices, we now find second wines at more affordable prices," said Thierry Desseauve, the guide Bettane and Desseauve.

But why has the queen of appellations become so unloved?

"Because they do not do anything to turn the tide," Mr. Biéro told AFP, who found a side "Calimero", the cartoon chick 1960-70 affected by a syndrome of persecution. "For them, the Bordeaux is the best in the world, so it must sell the most expensive and they do not derogate".

However, at a given moment, the French consumer can no longer follow. "Today, he may be willing to buy more than a liter of milk, or meat to help a rancher", but not his wine, says Mr. Biéro.

Especially since the amateur of good bottles wishes, as for his food, to consume less but better. And that opposite Bordeaux, other appellations have taken the turn of organic, biodynamic, "no added sulphite" or certification "HVE" (high environmental value), without clogging on a good price / quality ratio : Languedoc, Alsace, Loire, Côtes-du-Rhône etc.

- A different consumption -

"The market has really changed in the space of ten years: the red has decreased by 10% when the rosés have jumped by 10% and the whites by 4-5%", says for its part Audrey Sonnendrecker: two types wines "less complex in terms of taste and tasting", which are consumed in particular "+ millennials + at dinner aperitifs".

However, Bordeaux produces 90% of the red, hence a name much affected than others by this mutation.

And then, adds the leader of Carrefour, "thanks to + packaging and bottle formats much more modern, the other names have captured the tune of time", when the Bordeaux still stick to more traditional labels , especially. Wine fairs are also an opportunity to "tell a story and discover nuggets".

"Today, the + natural + wines drive growth in the sector and support volumes," Sonnendrecker said. This year, Carrefour will offer 280 natural wines (organic, sulphite-free, "HVE" etc ...) out of a total of 1,650, "80 more than last year".

© 2019 AFP