In 2025, more beer than wine was consumed in France for the first time: 22.1 million hectoliters of beer, 22.0 million hectoliters of wine. This is remarkable in the homeland of wine, even if the difference is minuscule.
Less Wine
The wine figures come from the OIV report on the state of the wine sector in 2025, presented in mid-May by the International Organization of Vine and Wine. Wine consumption in France is following a long-term downward trend that began decades ago. Still, 77 percent of the French drink wine at least once a year, though less frequently and from fewer bottles.
Beer Is Also Losing Ground
Beer isn’t faring much better. Here, too, volumes are declining—by about 5 percent, according to the brewers’ association Brasseurs de France — while wine consumption is down by 6 percent. There’s a simple reason why beer is ahead: wine consumption is falling faster.
If drinking less, then alcohol-free
The real shift is happening in the non-alcoholic beverage sector. In France, 60 percent of those who choose non-alcoholic options opt for non-alcoholic beer; only 24 percent choose de-alcoholized wine. These figures come from the 2026 Sowine Barometer.
The brewing industry embarked on the path to non-alcoholic products earlier and has managed it better than the wine industry. A good non-alcoholic pilsner appeals to many connoisseurs today. A compelling de-alcoholized Bordeaux is still the exception, partly because strict appellation rules leave winemakers little leeway when it comes to non-alcoholic wine.
Price is a deciding factor
Then there are the costs. Rising living expenses are driving many people to choose the cheaper option—and that’s beer. In a country that cherishes and nurtures its wine culture so deeply, this is a remarkable development. Trinquons à ça, avec une bière.
Source: inside.beer, „France: Beer Consumption Overtakes Wine for the First Time"
Photo: wegro communications
Text: Birgit Rieber
