Exports of Burgundy rose 0.7% by volume in 2017 versus 2016. The lack of Chablis and Petit Chablis hampered further gains as, if Chablis is removed from the equation, exports of Burgundy by volume rose 6%. Exports by value rose a rather more significant 10.7% to €906 million.
The Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), said in a statement: “This growth in terms of revenue can be explained by a shift in sales towards more lucrative markets for Premium and Super Premium appellations. Since 2009, Bourgogne wines have lost ground in certain markets looking for high volumes and which can be difficult in terms of pricing (notably Germany, Sweden and the UK). The low volumes of red wines have, in parallel, led to a reorientation of efforts towards markets favouring white wines (USA, Canada, Japan).”
On this latter point, it was noted that white wines account for 65% of the volumes exported (and 49% of the value) but that this was a slight drop on the average.
The shortage of Chablis which makes up almost 40% of Burgundy’s white wine exports was a factor in this. The wines of the Mâconnais, which exported 14.8m bottles worth €80m in 2017, experienced respective rises of 13.2% and 13.5% by volume and value on 2016.