Finally, some positive figures! This was the sentiment in many reactions to the data from the latest Sowine/Dynata Barometer 2025, which was recently presented. The analysis of French consumption trends for alcoholic beverages is published annually by the Sowine agency in collaboration with the US market research company Dynata, currently in its 15th edition. The most important messages: Wine remains the most popular alcoholic beverage in France and overtakes beer among 18 to 25-year-olds.
Wine was able to defend its lead over beer from the previous year, after beer had dethroned its competitor in 2022. However, both categories lost a total of 2% on the popularity scale – while the percentage of respondents who do not drink alcohol at all increased by 4 points to 17%. In the 18 to 25-year-old age group, on the other hand, wine was able to increase by 6% and, for the first time, ranks ahead of beer in popularity. The percentage of those in this age group who showed interest in the category increased by 13%.
Chardonnay remains top choice
Regarding the categories, white wine remained the preferred choice, ahead of Champagne and rosé, even though all three categories declined slightly. Red wine, the number four, was able to gain slightly compared to the previous year (+2%). Orange wine appeared in the statistics for the first time. It was consumed by 26% of consumers, but primarily by younger wine experts.
As for grape varieties, Chardonnay remained the favorite in France, ahead of Pinot Noir, while numbers 3 and 4 swapped places: Here, Cabernet Sauvignon has overtaken Merlot again. Positions 5 and 6 also shifted, because Sauvignon Blanc was able to gain ground this year compared to Riesling. Among the regions, Bordeaux still dominates significantly, ahead of Burgundy and Champagne.
No-Low wines increase, Influencer effect persists
The French remain open to innovations. For example, the proportion of consumers who have tasted no-low wines increased to 17% (+7%). However, only 19% stated that they also liked the wines. 37% of respondents stated that they would be willing to buy wines from old or fungus-resistant grape varieties, and 34% affirmed this for wines with low alcohol content (8–10% ABV). 19% have already tasted natural wines, but only 10% liked the wine, while 9% did not. 51% of respondents always or mostly pay attention to whether the wine carries an environmental protection seal when making a purchase, a proportion that has remained the same compared to the previous year.
Furthermore, more and more consumers followed wine brands or producers on social media. Apart from Facebook, all major platforms were able to gain ground, with Snapchat making the biggest leap forward with an increase of 8%. For the first time, TikTok became the number one wine platform in France, overtaking Instagram in 2025. The percentage of respondents for whom influencers played a role in the purchase decision increased by 1% to 39%. SP
