French wine exports in 2025 reveal a complex picture of market fragmentation, category divergence, and shifting geographic priorities.
While total export volumes declined by 1% and value by 3% in the first ten months of the year, the underlying dynamics vary significantly by market and wine category.
The slowdown is most pronounced in France’s traditional key markets. The United States, Germany, Belgium, China, and the Netherlands all recorded declines in volume. In the US, tariffs have effectively constrained shipments, leading to a near-7% drop in bottled wine volumes and a smaller, though still significant, contraction of around 3% for sparkling wines. Although Champagne volumes have held up relatively well, the sharp fall in average prices has weighed heavily on export value.
China remains the most structurally weakened market. Now ranking only tenth among French wine importers, it has fallen behind Switzerland. Bottled wines, the dominant category, declined by 10% in volume, while sparkling wines showed modest growth of 1%, driven primarily by Champagne (+7%). Despite stable export value, the average price rose by more than 8% to EUR 13.4 per liter, reflecting a smaller but more premium-focused demand base.
Within Europe, performance is mixed. Germany, the largest EU27 destination for French wines, saw volumes decline by over 3% compared to 2024. Bottled wines lost nearly 4%, and bulk wines contracted by 8%. Sparkling wines, however, emerged as a bright spot, growing by 9%, led by non-Champagne AOP sparkling wines (+14%). Champagne itself rebounded strongly in volume (+11%), pushing export value up by more than 1% despite overall market contraction.
Belgium followed a similar pattern. Export volumes declined by 3%, yet value increased by over 1%, largely due to strong sparkling wine performance. Sparkling wine volumes rose by 10%, with value up 9%, confirming the category’s resilience even in mature markets.
The Netherlands continues to struggle, particularly due to declining re-exports to the United Kingdom and Norway. Overall volumes fell by 2%, with all categories declining except sparkling wines, which surged by nearly 23%. Non-Champagne AOP sparkling wines (+33%) and Champagne (+17%) are increasingly reshaping the Dutch import mix, though sparkling still represents only about 5% of total market share.
The United Kingdom stands out as a partial exception. Volumes grew by 4% year-on-year, yet remain below the five-year average. At the same time, export value declined, primarily due to weaker performance in sparkling wines.
Taken together, these trends suggest that French wine exports are not collapsing but transforming. Sparkling wines—particularly AOPs beyond Champagne—are gaining structural importance, while bottled still wines face pressure from changing consumption patterns, pricing sensitivity, and global economic uncertainty.
Source: WineNews
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