French red wine is in sharp decline as tastes change among younger drinkers.

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According to those who work in the industry, French red wine faces a “realistic” decline if it is not adapted, with younger generations increasingly choosing something different. Drinks Or avoid alcohol altogether.

According to industry association Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB), consumption of red wine in France has fallen by 90 percent since the 1970s.

Total wine consumption, red, white and rosé, has fallen more than 80 percent in France since 1945, according to Nielsen survey data, and the decline is accelerating, with Generation Z buying half the amount bought by older millennials.

Spyros Malandrakis, drinks analyst at Euromonitor International, said: “Issues with wine – especially red wine – are becoming more prevalent now and have been problems for more than a decade.”

The industry was suffering from a “lack of connection with younger generations”, he added, and wine had previously fallen into “neglect” due to its popularity with the younger generation.

The shift in French consumption exacerbates global trends affecting the sector, such as a smaller population and changes in taste. Especially red wine is becoming less fashionable among young people. Rose, beer, spirit and Alcohol-free options.

“We see the change from every generation in France. “If a grandfather drinks 300 liters of red wine a year, the father drinks 180 liters and the son 30,” said CIVB board member Jean-Pierre Durand.

The industry is one of the main export markets from China and in 2010 Impact of climate change.

The challenges did not hit all wine types equally. “High-volume, high-tan reds are on the decline, and it’s accelerating with the generational shift,” says wine buyer Thomas Castet.

Some industry leaders expect producers to respond by focusing on high-quality wines or expanding from red to other products, such as white or low-alcohol wines – although the latter will require investment in new wine and equipment.

Durand, who runs Advini winemaker in south-west Bordeaux, predicts that there will be less demand for substandard wines in the future as younger generations prioritize quality over quantity. Some wines sell for as much as €2.50 a bottle in France.

But Durand’s low yields and many low-end wines have hurt Bordeaux’s image, even though the region produces high-quality and expensive wines in the Saint-Émilion area. It is known.

Business is also challenging for some high-end wineries. In 2024, Château Mauvinon, a small family-run business in Saint-Emilion, was affected by extreme heat and mold – problems that plague the region every time the climate changes.

Brigitte Tribaudeau, who owns and manages the winery, said high-quality Grand Cru reds were still a staple of Chat Mauvignon’s production, but years ago she noticed changes in the behavior of young drinkers and began to adapt.

In 2018, she started producing white wine, as well as an orange wine popular among young drinkers. She is now experimenting with a low alcohol wine that will be sold this year.

The winery has been certified organic since 2017, which appeals to young consumers.

“I realized early on that the drinking scene was changing — seeing that women, and especially young women around me, were drinking less and less,” Tribaudo said.

Some wineries are reluctant to innovate because of cost or out of respect for tradition. Shifting from red to white wine production requires significant investment in both new grapes and different equipment, and not all growing areas are suitable for different wines.

We can’t continue to make intoxicating wine.”

Most winemakers tend to produce products such as wine mixers and bottled wines, which are used to recruit new drinkers, Malandrakis said. Many have been slow to embrace wine tourism and personalized shopping, which appeals to younger consumers who want an experience and a story when making a purchase.

The pressures have prompted the Bordeaux region to begin uprooting up to 9,500 hectares of vines to curb yields and prevent disease in sparsely protected vineyards. In the year The two-year plan, which starts in 2023, will extract €6,000 per hectare and will provide €57mn from a total budget supported by the government and CIVB.

“We can’t continue to make intoxicating wines,” Durand said. “When the model breaks, we agree.”