Further to my previous article, I can see more and more problems ahead for the wine industry in both France and the rest of the world, we could see wine production almost disappear in the future , but not in my lifetime.
There has been a huge drop in the demand for wine in France and other countries. Part of the problem for wine producers is a change to the buying power of younger people who are turning to non-alcoholic drinks, and drinks which they consider safer to consume from the point of view of chemical additives.
Probably, advertising campaigns about the consumption of alcohol are beginning to work especially with the younger generations who are concerned about the effects of over consuming alcohol on their health. Younger people are turning to cocktails etc. without alcohol. France has a culture which encourages the development of new tastes so wine is under threat.
All of us are concerned about the additives in our food; sulphites are added to most wines to act as a preservative, so many young people are reducing their wine consumption to reduce their ingestion of chemicals. Sulphites, however, are added to an enormous range of food and drinks but wine seems to be the strongest target against sulphites.
Even though demand for wine is falling, the price of wine does not seem to be going down, even in France. Many vineyards are being grubbed up to reduce wine production. Eventually a new balance will be established between production and demand and no doubt prices will go up. Soon, the majority of the population may only be able to afford wine on special occasions - even lower quality wine. What a shame it will be if the tradition of opening a bottle of good wine with friends disappears.
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