Following a 5% growth in 2024, wine has reclaimed its leading position as the alcoholic beverage of choice among the French populace. According to the 2024 SoWine Barometer, which surveyed 1,058 French adults aged between 18 and 65, wine now enjoys favor with 60% of respondents, surpassing beer’s popularity, which stood at 58% in previous surveys. Conducted online in December 2023 by Dynata, the survey aimed to capture insights representative of the population using the quota method. SoWine partners Sylvain Dadé and Marie Mascré presented the findings via video-conference on March 26, emphasizing that the study does not provide market shares or actual sales figures but rather reflects personal preferences.
A notable finding is the direct contribution of women to wine’s resurgence in popularity, with their preference for wine increasing by 7% to reach 56%. Concurrently, their interest in beer declined, while their preference for cocktails rose by 6% to 42%. Dadé highlighted the gender and generational nuances underlying these trends. While men continue to exhibit a clear preference for beer (72%), which has seen a 7% uptick, their interest in wine also grew by 3% to 64%. Notably, the preference for wine surged by 14% among individuals in their thirties (26-35 years old), while beer gained traction among the 36-49 age group, increasing by 5%. Despite a 7% increase in Champagne consumption among young adults aged 18-25, beer and cocktails maintained their overall popularity, surpassing wine. Mascré noted that beer remains the preferred beverage across different generations, despite shifting preferences.
