Record sales of Alsace wines

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Pat Straker

Proof that all is not wrong with the image of French wines in the leading markets around the world are the record sales figures for Alsace wines during the last campaign year (12 months ending August 2000). For the first time global sales topped 160 million bottles, an increase of 7.7 million bottles over the previous year. Demand in France remains very strong for Alsace wines - accounting for 73% of all global sales - but, encouragingly, export shipments improved by almost 7% last year, surpassing 42 million bottles. While the best growth results were evident in USA (+29%), Japan (+26%), Sweden (+22%) and in Canada (+ 20%), the two top markets in volume terms remain the Netherlands with 8.2 million bottles (+4%) and Belgium and Luxembourg with 8 million bottles (+7%). Germany is the number three country with 7.9 million bottles, followed by Denmark (+6%) with 6.1 million bottles and the USA with 2.6 million bottles. The demand in the UK (still sixth most important export market) remains static at about 1.9 million bottles and Alsace still remains very much the trade "fancy", never quite fulfilling its potential in the eyes of the consumer. Other significant markets are Sweden with 1.4 million bottles, Canada with just under one million bottles, Switzerland with 570,000 bottles and Japan with 500,000 bottles.

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