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Slideshow
Top 10 Bordeaux export markets in 2016
Non-EU countries helped drive Bordeaux wines in 2016, making up 65% of exports according to the Bordeaux Wine Council.
According to the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB), despite a decline in exports to other European countries, global exports of Bordeaux wines remained stable last year with 2 million hectoliters exported (the equivalent of 270m bottles), worth over €1.7bn (a slight decrease of -3% versus 2015).
The region remained well in the lead of overall exports of French AOC still wines in 2016, representing 39% of the total volume and 46% of the total value. For all French wine exports (including Vins de Pays and Vin de France etc), Bordeaux represented just 17% of exports by volume but a still substantial 36% by value.
Breaking down the exports between EU and non-EU countries; the EU accounted for 35% of exports, totalling 95 million bottles (-10%) worth €462m (-16%), while non-EU markets accounted for the lion’s share, 65% of exports amounting to 176m bottles (+6%) and €1.3bn (+3%).
New record levels were reached or indeed re-reached in several overseas markets in 2016, China for example returned to highest level since 2012 and the US returned to levels not seen in 30 years.
Click through to see a list of the 10 biggest export markets in 2016.
*Throughout, when referring to Bordeaux’s share of French AOC wine exports by volume and value this refers exclusively to still wines, sparkling is not included.
10. Switzerland
Position by volume: 10th
Position by value: 8th
Exports by volume: 46,000hl (-6%)
Exports by value: €77m (-19%)
‘The Swiss market is particularly marked by vintage notoriety and by an export market structure favourable to high-end products,” the CIVB remarks.
Indeed, Switzerland is second only to Hong Kong in the proportion of wine costing over €9 per litre shipped there.
Around 42% of all Bordeaux wine exported to Switzerland falls in this top-most bracket and a further 37% costs €4.5-€9/l ex-cellar. Just 6% costs less than €3/l.
Bordeaux only accounts for 29% of all French AOC wines exported to Switzerland by volume but represents 45% of the value.
9. Canada
Position by volume: 9th
Position by value: 9th
Exports by volume: 59,000hl (-6%)
Exports by value: €50m (-9%)
A slight volume upturn in 2015 was followed by a 6% decline in 2016, with white wines taking the brunt of that fall, volumes down 18% to 5,000hl.
Bordeaux represents 21% of all French AOC wines exported to Canada and 25% of the value.
Even if volumes and value are not big compared to other markets, Canada is weighted more towards higher-end exports.
Some 58% of Bordeaux wines exported last year were in the €4.5-€9 per litre ex-cellar bracket and 21% cost more than €9/l.
Two-thirds of Bordeaux wines shipped to Canada are consumed in Quebec.
8. Netherlands
Position by volume: 8th
Position by value: 10th
Exports by volume: 68,000hl (-4%)
Exports by value: €40m (-3%)
After a steep decline between 2007 and 2009, exports to the Netherlands had appeared to be getting back on their feet.
Unfortunately a decline in 2015, caused by a crash in white wine imports of -32%, was continued in 2016.
On the other hand, white exports to the Netherlands rebounded last year (+37%) at least making up the volumes lost in 2015.
In terms of price per litre, the Netherlands is split between 32% of imports priced at less than €3/l ex-cellar and 32% priced €4.5-€9/l.
7. Hong Kong
Position by volume: 7th
Position by value: 2nd
Exports by volume: 76,000hl (-2%)
Exports by value: €306m (+13%)
Despite a meagre position in terms of volume exports, Hong Kong swings mightily above its weight class when it comes to value.
Importing just 76,000hl in 2016, a slight decline from 2015, the value of those imports was €306m. Bordeaux completely dominates French imports to Hong Kong, representing 71% of all AOC imports by volume and 84% by value.
A whopping 51% of all imports cost more than €9/l ex-cellar, reflecting the generally top heavy nature of the Hong Kong market.
Just 5% of Bordeaux imports to Hong Kong cost less than €3/l.
6. Japan
Position by volume: 6th
Position by value: 5th
Exports by volume: 146,000hl (-9%)
Exports by value: €107m (-5%)
This Asian market has always had a preference for Burgundy and Champagne but it remains the second biggest Asian market for Bordeaux by volume, albeit one that is also declining, and Bordeaux even accounts for 47% of French AOC wine imports by volume and 41% by value.
Ex-cellar prices are strongly concentrated in the €3-€4.5 per litre bracket – amounting to 42%.
Japan is also the largest Asian market for Bordeaux white wines, importing 18,000hl in 2016 (-8%), 13% of all Bordeaux wines in Japan and Bordeaux blanc is the second biggest category in the country after ‘Bordeaux Rouge’.
5. Germany
Position by volume: 5th
Position by value: 7th
Exports by volume: 162,000hl (-18%)
Exports by value: €92m (-21%)
After a bumper 2014 which was largely the result of “a discounter making large-scale summer purchases”, the trend for Bordeaux wines in Germany has been consistently downwards since 2012/13.
It remains the third largest European market by volume however and Bordeaux accounts for 45% of all French AOC still wines by volume imported into Germany and 48% of the value.
In terms of wines by price Germany is fairly evenly weighted, with a core of wines (37%) costing €3-€4.5 per litre ex-cellar and the <€3/l and €4.5-€9/l categories commanding 27% each.
4. UK
Position by volume: 4th
Position by value: 4th
Exports by volume: 165,000hl (-10%)
Exports by value: €151m (-26%)
Bordeaux volumes to the UK have been in uneven decline for over a decade now. In 2005 volume exports were 253,000hl, in 2015 184,000hl and volumes dipped 10% in 2016 to 165,000hl.
The CIVB states: “Since the global economic crisis (2008-2009), the level of exports to the United Kingdom has been unsteady. Bordeaux wine exports continued their downturn in 2016 in both volume and value due to a change in the export market structure to the detriment of high-end wines.” (CIVB’s bold)
Indeed, a staggering 47% of Bordeaux wines exported to the UK cost less than €3 per litre ex-cellar, a sure sign of the buying power of the powerful multiple grocers and the largest proportion by far out of the top 10 presented here.
Otherwise, 18% of exports were in the €3-€4.5/l bracket, 21% were priced between €4.5-€9/l and 14% above €9/l.
The UK is, however, the largest European market for Bordeaux white wines.
3. US
Position by volume: 3rd
Position by value: 3rd
Exports by volume: 189,000hl (+6%)
Exports by value: €196m (-3%)
“In the past,” notes the CIVB, “Bordeaux exports to the US have been marked by the success of certain vintages.”
Since 2010 however, despite a much publicised absence from the high profile world of en primeur, volume exports to the US have been growing steadily.
The market is also slewed to slightly higher value price brackets than others such as China. Only 6% of volumes exported to the US cost less than €3 per litre ex-cellar but 22% cost more than €9/l. The strongest bracket is €4.5-€9/l which constitutes 38% of exports.
The US is also the biggest market for white Bordeaux, importing 4m bottles in 2016.
2. Belgium
Position by volume: 2nd
Position by value: 6th
Exports by volume: 190,000hl (-10%)
Exports by value: €100m (-8%)
The biggest European market by volume, regaining its position as the biggest EU market from the UK in 2015, Belgium imported around 25m bottles last year and remains “crucial” to Bordeaux according to the CIVB.
Ex-cellar prices per litre are concentrated at the lower end, with just over 60% of wines costing €4.5/l or less.
1. China
Position by volume: 1st
Position by value: 1st
Exports by volume: 553,000hl (+16%)
Exports by value: €322m (+16%)
China imported the equivalent of 74m bottles in 2016, bringing volumes back to and even exceeding their heyday in 2012.
Having hit a nadir in 2014, the CIVB reports that sales have picked up over the last two years, helped by improved structures “in terms of distribution and supply”.
Despite the slump experienced between 2012 and 2014, China has remained the top export destination for Bordeaux by volume since 2011 and by value since 2015.
Its popularity is clear from the fact that Bordeaux represents 70% of all French AOC exports to China and 77% of its value.
Although China is the biggest market by value, much of that is comprised of more entry-level wines.
In total, 32% of Bordeaux wines in China cost less than €3 per litre ex-cellar, 31% €3-€4.5 per litre, 29% €4.5-€9 litres and 7% more than €9/l.
Bordeaux Rouge’ accounts for 65% of exports to China and ‘Bordeaux Supérieur’ another 13%. The biggest named AOC is Médoc and Haut-Médoc which amounts to 7%.
White Bordeaux remains a minimal presence at just 16,000hl imported in total but that was a 29% increase on 2015.