PARIS: French wine exports plunged in 2014, overshadowing stronger demand for Champagne, show new figures.
Total French wine exports fell by 3.3% in volume to the equivalent of 1.7bn bottles, while the value of exports sank by 1.7% versus 2013, to 7.44bn euros, according to wine and spirits export body FEVS.
Appellation wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux were among the biggest fallers during the year, each dropping by 13% and 9.5% in volume respectively, to 279m and 75m bottles.
Part of the problem for Burgundy, in particular, has been a series of low-yielding harvests. FEVS president Christophe Navarre alluded to this problem more generally in his comments on the figures.
