Market report

France: The 2018 harvest allows Chablis wines to regain share in the French market

Key 2018 figures for Chablis wines in France

Internal market: 10.5 million bottles (estimate for 2018) Including bottles sold to ► Major retailers (supermarkets, hypermarkets, low-cost stores): 4.8 million ► Traditional channels (restaurants, wine stores, direct sales, etc.): 5.7 million

After low yields in 2016 and 2017, the 2018 and 2019 vintages show great marketing potential and will preserve the market shares regained by Chablis. France remains the third wine-consuming country, despite a tendency of declining consumption (- 2.2% per year on average). In France, wine is the alcoholic beverage most consumed by the French, although several factors threaten its market share: societal changes, competition from other alcoholic beverages or the deterioration of the wine-health relationship.

Chablis regains its market share in supermarkets

Sales of Chablis wines to supermarkets In 2019, white Bourgogne wines accounted for 18% of the volume of French still white wines in supermarkets, and 24% of revenue. Chablis wines accounted for 21% of the volume of white Bourgogne wines and 28% of sales on this outlet category.

In 2019, Chablis saw a boost in sales with an 18.9% increase. Revenue also went up by 5.6 million euros (+ 15.5%). This new growth phase is mainly due to the quantity and quality of the 2018 vintage.

Petit Chablis wines show the biggest growth, up 28.6% in volume and 25.5% in revenue in 2019. In this distribution mode, they account for 36% of the volume of all four Chablis appellations. The Chablis appellation grew by 16% in volume and 13.9% in value, representing 57% of volumes in major retailers. The Chablis Premier Cru appellation is stable in both volume and value.

1/2 Chablis: the most popular Bourgogne wine on restaurant wine lists

In 1,200 mid- to high-range French restaurants (survey carried out in the first half of 2019), Bourgogne is the leading region in terms of still wine, accounting for 19% of the offer (ahead of Bordeaux at 16% and the Rhône region at 13%), despite the rather high median price of €52 / 75cl. Present in over 70% of restaurants, it averages nine references per establishment.

On the white wine market, Bourgogne wine is by far the leader in terms of references, representing 28% of the national offer. It competes primarily with the Loire wines, as well as local wines in other wine regions. Bourgogne wines are the most widely distributed in this color (present in 64% of restaurants), ahead of the Loire (60%) and French IGPs (61%). They dominate the bottled white wine supply from €30 and up, and increasingly so. Bourgogne wine has a wide range of well-established AOCs at the heart of this sales mode (€25-50 for 75cl). But no Bourgogne AOC apart from Chablis exceeds 15% presence in restaurants. The median prices of the Chablis appellation, the Mâconnais and the Côte Chalonnaise appellations all lie around €40.

In terms of white wine, French IPGs, Bourgogne and the Loire regions dominate the offer by the glass. Bourgogne is the most widespread by the glass for this color, present in two restaurants out of five, with a median price of €6. However, no AOC exceeds 10% in diffusion rate except Chablis at 14%, valued at €7 a glass.

…and in specialist wine stores

In 335 wine stores, spread over 13 key commercial areas (between the end of August 2017 and mid-June 2018), Bourgogne wine occupies a prominent place as it shares 30% of the offer with Bordeaux (all colors). Despite being the first reference among wine stores in the Île-de-France, the Lyon and the Grand-Est regions, it falls to less than 10% in Brittany, Toulouse or the Languedoc Roussillon. In terms of white wine, its share is quite substantial as it represents over 25% in some regions.

On the white wine market, Bourgogne wine dominates the offer in wine stores as it accounts for 23% of references, notably in certain key areas such as the Île-de-France region, the Lyon region or the Côte d'Azur. In regions where it only represents 13% to 14% of the offer (Brittany, Languedoc Roussillon, Loire and Toulouse), competition comes mainly from lower-priced wines (Loire, IPGs, Languedoc or wines from the south-west). All the Bourgogne AOC groups have developed a strong presence in wine stores and are favourably priced. Competition comes from the Alsace and the Centre-Loire regions, as well as from the Rhône wines. The Loire region seems to be the main competitor in the biggest group of wines, those selling between €10 and €20.

The median sale price of a bottle of Petit Chablis is between €12 and €13. The appellations Chablis, white Régionale Bourgogne, Montagny or Village AOCs of the Mâconnais lie between €15 and €20. These AOCs compete with the more highly commercialised appellations from the Centre-Loire region and Alsace. There is less competition in the price range beyond €25.

Economic report produced by the Markets and Development department of the BIVB – February 2020 (Sources: BIVB - IRI - Kantar – Symetris - XJ analyses Décisions)

Press contact: Françoise Roure – Head of Marketing & Communication at the BIVB Chablis

Tel. + 33(0)3 86 42 42 22 – Fax: + 33(0)3 86 42 80 16 – [email protected]

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