France Bon Appétit

France dominates the fine wine market because of its terroir and its refined vinification techniques. The diversity of grape varieties, each one linked to a different soil, climatic conditions and the know-how of its wine producers, means that collectively the French vineyards are varied and rich. French wines benefit from a well-established industry and also from rigorous controls. Faced with the on-going competition from the New World, France retains an important place on the dynamic British market.

France, On-Going and Dynamic

Making up 60% of still wines and 40% of Champagnes, exports of French wines and spirits to the United Kingdom grew by more than 3 million hectolitres in 2007 or an increase of 4% compared with the previous year. With a 22% share of the market, French wines maintain their position thanks to their well-established, good reputation. With a large dominance of AOC wines, because of their better quality/price ratio, they are an alternative to the wines from the New World. French Wines remains moreover leader in on-trade sales.

It is worth noting that consumption of wine and particularly still wine is constantly growing in the United Kingdom, it reached 26.4 litres a year per person (average for the population > 15 years old) compared with 7 litres consumed in 1976. The United Kingdom is therefore the world’s leading wine importer (12 million hectolitres in 2007).

The benchmark for quality

From a rich and diverse terroir, created by dedicated and knowledgeable producers, French wines are recognised across the world for their outstanding quality.
The most influential wine critic, the American Robert Parker, confided to Le Figaro in April 2008 that ‘French wines remain the reference point for all countries which produce great wine. It’s greatness and intrinsic quality has become the reference point influencing winemakers across every country where they are consciously evaluating their products. Today French wines have progressed considerably in quality even in difficult vintages.’

The Regions and the Terroirs

A good vineyard terroir is a combination of the variety of vine, soil, climate and man’s know-how. In France vines are cultivated in very different regions, but always where there is a moderate climate which is favourable to vegetal development. 872,000 hectares are given over to vines, with around 144,000 grape growing businesses.
The climate, the diversity of grapes as well as the variety of French soils favours vine cultivation across a range of terroirs:

• Alsace, Champagne and Burgundy have a continental climate.
• Bordeaux, the South-West and the Loire Valley have an Atlantic climate
• The Rhône Valley, the South, Provence and Corsica have a Mediterranean climate.

Variety and Richness

With its large regions as well as its abundance of isolated vineyards in 2006 France offered over 400 Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée wines and 152 Vins de Pays. This means that it can keep its place as one of the first producers and exporters of wine in the world (in 2006).

A lively and aromatic Crément d’Alsace, a rich and unctuous Sauternes, a supple and meaty Saint-Emilion, a soft and aromatic Côtes du Rhône or a full bodied and intense Saint-Estèphe… the range is so large it is always possible to find a French wine which suits the dish, the mood or the whim of the moment.

Source: French Customs 2007

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