VITeff Veille

France

The sparkling wine market remains limited in respect of that of still wine.

Champagne Appellation

AOC holders: 19 853
Producers only: 15 138,
producers + merchants: 4 958
Global champagne sales in 2003: approximately 293 million bottles

Alsace

Vineyard: 14 500 hectares of AOC wine in production for approximately 1.2 million hectolitres.
150 millions bottles sold annually, 25% of which for export.
6 000 wine-growers - 1 100 merchants.

Alsace Appellation: 83 %

Alsace Grand Cru (great vintage): 3%

Alsace cremant: 14%.
Production 2002: 22 000 000 bottles (on a global cremant market of a little over 40 million bottles), approximately 2.5 million bottles of which for export (which represents 13.5% of AOC produced in the region).
500 grower-producers

Its strong and constant progress since the decree in 1976 has turned Alsace cremant into the leading player among AOC sparkling wines in France, excluding champagne.

Bordeaux

Vineyard: 115 000 hectares for a production of approximately 6.5 million hectolitres.
It represents 27% of French AOC wines and involves 11 760 AOC producers.

The Bordeaux wine trade is the second largest in France (after that of Champagne).

Bordeaux cremant Annual production: 2 500 000 bottles 100 grower-producers.

Burgundy

Vineyard: 25 000 hectares for a production of 1.4 millions hectolitres.
Approximately 160 million bottles/year marketed, 56% of which for export.
4 500 wine-making estates - 20 cooperatives cellars - 120 producer-merchants - 130 brokers.

Burgundy cremant: 11 200 000 bottles in 2002 240 grower-producers.
6 6450 000 bottles in France and 1 300 000 bottles for export.

The Bourgogne Mousseux (Burgundy Sparkling Wine) appellation has been in existence officially since March 16, 1943.
The main homes of this know-how: the regions of Rully in the Côte Chalonnaise and Auxerrois.
The creation of the Crémant de Bourgogne (Burgundy Cremant) AOC appellation dates from October 17, 1975. The whole of Burgundy now produces this appellation.

Rhône Valley

Vineyard: 70 000 hectares for a production of 3.4 million hectolitres.

Die cremant: production 2002: 533 333 bottlesand 14 grower-producers.

Jura

Vineyard: 1 800 hectares for a production of 95 000 hectolitres.

Jura cremant: production 2002: 2 000 000 bottles - 138 grower-producers.

Languedoc Roussillon

Vineyard: production de 2.7 million hectolitres. It represents approximately 40% of French wine. 376 cooperative cellars - 70 large trading companies - 2 600 private cellars.

Limoux cremant

Production 2002: 3 200 000 bottles - 200 grower-producers.

Loire Valley

Vineyard: 50 000 hectares for a production of 3 million hectolitres. 15 000 AOC holders marketing their production.
50% white wine - 29% red wine - 13 % rosé wine - 8% sparkling wine.

The major sparkling wine appellations are located in Touraine: Saumur, Montlouis and Vouvray.

Loire cremant: 5 400 000 bottles produced in 2002 and 240 grower-producers.

Production 2003: 513 million bottles of sparkling wine.

Source: VITI Sparkling Wine Special Edition, October 2004