The wine market is constantly evolving, and adapts to new consumption habits, but also to new technologies. The SOWINE/Dynata barometer then takes stock of the year 2022 through several data on wine, spirits, champagne and beer. Focus on the latest major trends in French wine consumption .
Wine and beer neck and neck in 2022
Since 2015, still wines have topped the list of French people's favorite alcoholic drinks . In 2022, the trend remains the same (49%; -1 point), but beer strongly competes with them and thumbs its nose at them, with a clear increase of +12 points (51%).
Ultimately, still wine remains the preferred alcoholic beverage of women (45%), but among men, beer wins the vote, at 59%. And if we look closer, we see that it is especially the older generations who set their sights on still wines. In fact, 61% of 60 - 65 year olds say they prefer still wines, compared to 33% of 18 - 25 year olds.
In third position, we find champagne (31%), followed by spirits, which appeal to 1 in 5 French people.
An evolving relationship with wine
If the figures for recent years are roughly the same regarding consumer preferences, there are still constant changes in the relationship that the French have with wine.
Increasingly informed consumers
In 2010, nearly 35% of French people classified themselves in the category of enlightened wine lovers . In 2022, they increased to 47%! These figures are perfectly consistent with other data, such as the share of consumers considering themselves novices (-15 points), and the share of those who classify themselves in the category of experts and connoisseurs (+3 points).
The top 3 favorite wine regions of the French
Regardless of consumers' knowledge of wine, the 3 favorite wine regions remain the same: Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne .
Next comes Alsace in 4th position, followed by Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, in 5th position.
Please note: until a few years ago, the consumption of champagne was mainly reserved for festive moments. Today, sparkling wine is more common in everyday life, during a meal or an aperitif.
The increase in the average budget per bottle of wine
For several years now, the average budget allocated for the purchase of a bottle of French wine has continued to increase. Thus, 56% of wine lovers spend between €11 and €20 per bottle, which corresponds to an increase of 34 points since 2013. Consumers who spend more than €20 per bottle represent 23% of the total (+17 points in 9 years).
The bottle of wine: packaging that still appeals
The majority of wine purchases in France continue to be in bottle format. The SOWINE/Dynata 2022 barometer reveals that 75% of wines purchased are packaged in bottle .
But, despite everything, we are seeing an evolution, and other types of packaging are experiencing an upward trend and are attracting 25% of French wine lovers. This increase is more marked among men (29% compared to 20% among women), and among young people (30% of 18 - 25 year olds, compared to 19% of 60 - 65 year olds).
The other preferred packaging is BIB (Bag-in-Box) (62%), followed by bulk wine (25%) and wine in can format (21%). The choice of packaging is largely influenced by price, then by the volume of wines and their quality, and finally by practicality.
Increasingly connected consumers
With the explosion of new technologies, the wine market is experiencing a real turning point, and more and more producers of white wines, red wines and rosé wines are turning to online wine sales .
The wine market arrives on social networks
With the advent of digital technologies, and even more so after the pandemic, online sales have experienced meteoric growth, and the world of wine is no exception. Today, 32% of users of the social network Instagram follow at least one wine and spirits producer, a brand or an estate.
However, we note that, despite the growing use of social networks to promote the production of French wines (60% on Instagram and 41% on TikTok), Internet users who buy wine following the recommendations of an influencer are decreasing (- 5 points).
To explain this, we can make the link with the rise of amateurs considering themselves enlightened when it comes to wine. These profiles seek more information about wines, and prefer to discover the producers themselves.
A decrease in online wine purchases
While online sales have never been so high in all sectors, the world of wine is experiencing a small decline. It must be said that the increase was so significant during the confinements of 2020 and 2021 (46% of French people bought wine online), that it was difficult to remain at such a level. In 2022, there will be only 41% of online buyers , a figure that remains higher than before the pandemic.
We notice that young people are more inclined to buy wine online. 18 -25 year olds represent 55% of buyers, followed closely by 26 - 35 year olds (53%).
French people still greedy for spirits
The world of spirits also continues to interest people, with an increase of 5 points since 2019 (42%). Half of them are aged 26 to 35, and 36% consider themselves enlightened amateurs (61% neophytes and 4% experts).
With 80% of the vote, rum remains the favorite spirit of the French , followed by whiskey (77%) and vodka (64%).
The increase in wine sales and wine consumption in France demonstrates a marked attraction for local products, and supports the know-how of our wine producers. The wine estates of France are then working hard to ensure that these trends assert themselves over the coming years, producing the best still wines and sparkling wines .
