Beer over wine - Mon Dieu!

France just hit a cultural tipping point. For the first time in recorded history, beer consumption has overtaken wine in France 🍺🇫🇷

New industry data has revealed that the French consumed 22.1 million hectolitres of beer in 2025, narrowly surpassing wine at 22 million. But this isn’t just about alcohol preferences, it reflects a deeper shift in consumer behaviour. Younger consumers are drinking less overall, traditional dining occasions are declining and people are gravitating toward products that feel more casual, social and affordable

At the same time, lower-ABV and alcohol-free options are reshaping expectations around drinking culture. Wine, once an everyday staple, is increasingly becoming an “occasion” product.
What’s happening in France mirrors broader global trends: premium over volume, experience over tradition and flexibility over ritual.

For the wine industry, this is more than a headline. It’s a reminder that even the strongest heritage categories can’t rely on legacy alone - not even in markets as culturally tied to wine as France.

The bigger question is: how do heritage brands evolve without losing the identity that made them iconic in the first place?