Vineyards and wine: four things to know in France

France has a total of 750,000 hectares of vineyards, or 10% of the world's area of vines. And a myriad of wines, champagnes, spirits, and liqueurs. 

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Territorially, vineyards represent only a small fraction of the country's 29 million hectares of total agricultural land. Still, they are found in two-thirds of the departments (66 out of 101). In terms of value, wine-growing land is by far the most expensive, the most sought-after, and also the most speculative, estimated at an average of 147,300 euros per hectare for wines with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 2018, according to the most recent estimates of the Safer (Société d'aménagement foncier et d'établissement rural) the land of specific prestigious "grands crus classés" of champagne can reach two million euros per hectare. Even outside of the PDO, vineyards remain more than twice as expensive as other agricultural lands, at an average of 14,200 euros per hectare, compared to 5,990 euros per hectare for free land/meadows and 4,740 euros for rented land or fields, according to the Safer organization.

Production, market, employment

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Although they represent 3% of French agricultural land, vines account for 15% of the country's agricultural production in value. France is the world's second-largest wine producer behind Italy in volume, but the leading exporter in value, with 12.2 billion euros worth of wine and spirits sold abroad in 2018, representing more than 2 billion bottles in over 200 countries. Wines and spirits are the second largest contributor to the trade balance behind aeronautics and ahead of cosmetics. In terms of employment, the wine industry generates nearly 500,000 direct and indirect jobs in France.

Consumption

Despite a decline in consumption over the past 30 years, from 100 liters per year per capita in 1975 to 40 liters today, France is the second-largest wine-consuming country in the world, behind the United States and ahead of Italy. More than 3.5 billion bottles were consumed there in 2018.

Wines and grape varieties

Three-quarters of the wines produced in France are "still wine", or non-sparkling, of which 55% are red, 26% are white, and 19% are rosé. About twenty grape varieties, mainly from France, are known worldwide. They represent 80% of the wines produced on the planet. Depending on the region, the soil, and the climate where they are used, they will produce very different grapes and wines. The terroir is also defined by the most suitable grape varieties. Examples of white grape varieties: Chenin, sauvignon, chardonnay, riesling, viognier, ugni blanc, pinot gris, Vermentino, grenache blanc. Examples of red grape varieties: pinot noir, cabernet-franc, cabernet-sauvignon, Gamay, syrah, merlot, grenache, malbec, and carignan.