France to lose out to Spain

As if Euro 2008 and Rafael Nadal’s arms weren’t enough for one country, Spain also looks set to steal France’s crown as the world’s number one wine producer. According to a study commissioned by the Vignerons Indépendants, French wine production will fall from 52.8 million hectolitres to 43.9m, by 2015 while Spanish production is set to increase from 38.5m to 46.2 m.

Credoc, the company that conducted the research, predicts that Spain’s wine production will overtake that of its neighbour in the next seven years if Spanish wine maintains its current popularity.

Credoc says these waning figures are due to falling domestic consumption among Gallic consumers. The report claims that red wine drinking, in particular, will fall by 1.1% every year until 2015. The study also predicts that French wine will lose market share to New World competitors in the UK, the US, China and Japan, as well as in other traditional western European markets.

The Vignerons Indépendants have said they will adapt to meet these increasingly difficult market conditions. They plan to pool logistical and commercial costs to reduce their overheads and will club together to gain better market access, especially to supermarkets.

Fionnuala Synnott 09/07/08