FRANCE: Whites limit fall in Burgundy sales

By Stuart Todd | 19 November 2002

Relatively stable exports of white wines limited the fall in Burgundy sales to 4% for the 2001-2002 harvest, figures from the Burgundy wine industry body, BIVB show.

Exports of whites for the 12-month period to end-July 2002 totalled 66 million bottles, a decrease of 2.5 % on the previous year's levels and down 3.5% in value terms. However, exports to the UK were at record levels with 27.5 million bottles sold.

In contrast, Burgundy reds posted a 10% fall in exports in 2001-2002 (25 million bottles sold) and fell 2% in value.

"This was a satisfactory performance in a difficult market, particularly at the end of 2001. Whites have flourished in the first eight months of 2002 with an increase of 3.6% in volume and 3% in value, a BIVB spokesman said.

"For the same period, reds were down 10.5% in volume and 1.5% in value. The task facing us now is to find new markets for reds as we'll soon have a situation were whites represent two-thirds of exports," he added.

Burgundy stocks (whites and reds) stands at 2.24 million hectolitres, the equivalent of one and half'year's harvest.