Geoffrey Branger, edited by Romain Rouillard 06:24, February 12, 2023

The final of the competition for the best sommelier in France, which takes place this Sunday in Paris, on the eve of the opening of the Vin Expo, is part of a delicate context for the French wine sector which is bearing the brunt of the drop in the annual consumption of wine by the French.

Wine no longer seduces as much as before in France.

Yet enjoying an unparalleled reputation in this area, France sees its annual wine consumption melt away like snow in the sun, year after year.

In 1960, the French drank an average of 128 liters of wine per year compared to only 36 today.

Over the year 2022, sales of red wines in supermarkets fell by 15%.

This is enough to worry the wine sector as the final of the best sommelier in France takes place this Sunday in Paris. 

However, in spite of particularly significant episodes of drought and heat wave last summer, the last harvest was rather correct and the cellars are full for the most part.

So much so that winegrowers are wondering how to store the next harvest as French interest in the product continues to drop. 

An envelope of 160 million euros 

Jérôme Despey, secretary general of the FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions) wants to be alarmist.

"The Covid, export also which has closed, climatic hazards and now significant costs and the subject of purchasing power... I think that the wine sector is experiencing, on a cyclical level, a succession of hazards that require responses from the government". 

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Winegrowers are indeed calling on the State to help, in particular to transform surplus wine into alcohol intended for industry, cosmetics or even pharmacy, as was the case in 2020 during the health crisis.

The players in the sector are also calling for aid to uproot excess vines so that the French vineyard is smaller and responds more effectively to market demand. 

Marc Fesneau, the Minister of Agriculture, has already announced a support envelope for the sector of 160 million euros.

An amount that many professionals in the sector consider insufficient.