For immediate release: Monday 18th September, 2017
Wine drinkers in France are on the hunt for a more diverse wine offering, turning to wine merchants, the internet and social media to help them navigate the category, according to new Wine Intelligence report
Though wine consumption is still steadily declining, wine drinkers in France are becoming more adventurous consumers with 55% saying that they look for new wines on a regular basis, compared to 47% in 2014. Conversely, the latest report from Wine Intelligence, France Landscapes 2017, reveals that the proportion of wine drinkers who say they are more likely to stick to wines they know and like has decreased from 40% to less than a third.
Consumers are also returning to wine merchants, the only purchase channel to experience significant penetration growth in usage since 2014. Today, 41% of wine drinkers in France buy wine in wine merchants compared to just over a third 3 years ago. Wine Intelligence market experience indicates that this is likely because the increasingly adventurous and experimental wine drinker is turning to wine merchants for their expertise and more diverse range.
Wine drinkers are also beginning to use the internet as a source for wine information. The report, which includes a focus on wine communication on the internet, highlights the generation gap between Millennial digital natives and less tech-savvy Baby Boomers, particularly in regard to social media. 44% of wine drinkers in France aged 25-34 consult social media as a source of wine information, while less than a fifth of those aged 55 and over do.
When it comes to which platforms users of social media are searching for in France, they are most likely to consult Wikipedia for articles concerning wine, followed by blog/forum posts on wine and then YouTube videos. Wine Intelligence research shows that wine drinkers are primarily passive users of social media, with around 30% consulting the internet to find out about current offers/promotions or the opinions of people who have similar interests. Only 15% post photos of wine-sharing moments with friends or family or post photos of wines they have tried or bought.
Director of Wine Intelligence France, Jean-Philippe Perrouty, comments: “Despite falling wine consumption, the French market is hardly static: it is full of change, driven by consumers who aren’t afraid of something new. Both bag-in-box and rosé wines have seen major growth over the past 10-15 years. Wine drinkers are now looking for more and more variety, as shown by the increase in awareness of more appellations and the resurgence of interest shown in wine merchants.”
Notes to editors:
Report details:
Further details about the report can be found here.
Requests for purchase should be directed to reports-shop@wineintelligence.com
About Wine Intelligence Ltd:
Wine Intelligence is the leading research-led strategy consultancy serving the global wine industry. It conducts client-specific research projects to aid companies to gain greater insights into wine markets and wine consumers, and helps business leaders develop business strategy and marketing plans. The company also assists businesses in developing new brands, and in formulating and communicating marketing messages within the industry.
