Burgundy still wine sales fell 1.3% in the year through July 2026

Sales of still Burgundy wines slipped over the past year, extending the broader slowdown in red wine demand into one of France’s most important wine regions, while Crémant de Bourgogne posted the strongest growth and helped keep overall bottle sales nearly unchanged.

According to figures reported by the Comité des Vins de Bourgogne, bottle sales of Burgundy still wines fell by 1.3% in the 12 months ended in July 2026, to 166 million bottles. When Crémant de Bourgogne is included, total sales were effectively stable, up 0.05%, with nearly 200 million bottles sold over the period.

The data point to a market that is being reshaped by changes in consumer preferences. Lighter wines and bottles seen as easier to drink are gaining ground, while red wines continue to face weaker demand. That pattern is now showing up even in Burgundy, a region long identified with some of the world’s most sought-after red wines.

White wines helped limit the overall decline. Burgundy whites, which account for 61% of the region’s production, recorded a 0.4% increase in sales between the end of July 2025 and the end of July 2026, reaching 116 million bottles. The domestic French market was weaker, with white wine sales down 1.6%, but exports offset that decline. Shipments of white Burgundy rose 4.3% to European Union markets and 1.9% to markets outside the EU.

Red wines were under more pressure. Burgundy red sales fell 4.9% over the same 12-month period. The decline reached even the Grand Cru wines of the Côte d’Or, which are often seen as insulated by scarcity and status. Sales in that segment dropped 12%, according to the committee’s figures.

Export demand for reds was not enough to make up for the weakness at home. Sales of Burgundy reds in export markets fell 0.7%, while the French market dropped 7.6%. The figures suggest that the downturn in red wine consumption is not limited to entry-level or mid-range wines, but is also affecting prestigious appellations that have traditionally been more resilient.

Crémant de Bourgogne was the clear exception. Sales of the sparkling wine rose 6.5% in the 12 months through the end of July 2026, making it the region’s most dynamic category. The appellation now represents 17% of Burgundy’s bottled sales volume. In 2021, that share was 12%, showing how quickly sparkling wine has gained weight in the region’s commercial mix.

The committee’s figures also show that inventories are falling, down 2.3% at the end of July 2026. That decline is linked in part to smaller harvests. Burgundy has dealt with lower yields for several years, and the 2026 vintage is expected to confirm that trend, according to the committee.

Before the new vintage reaches the market, Burgundy’s available stocks amount to a little more than one year of sales for white wines, a level close to the average of the past five marketing years. For red wines, inventories equal almost two years of sales, which is above the recent average. The committee said the arrival of the 2026 vintage, which is expected to come in below the five-year average, will alter the supply outlook. Existing stocks should partly offset the smaller harvest and allow producers to continue meeting demand without an immediate risk of supply disruption.

Export performance was mixed in value terms. Burgundy shipped more than 100.2 million standard 750-milliliter bottles in the 12 months through the end of July 2026, up 2.3%. But the total value of those exports fell 2.4% to 1.63 billion euros.

The United States was a major factor in that decline. Export sales to the U.S. totaled 292.4 million euros, down 21.2%. The figures indicate that a rise in export volumes did not translate into higher overall revenue, and that the drop in the U.S. market weighed heavily on the region’s foreign sales performance.

The United Kingdom, Burgundy’s second-largest market, moved in the opposite direction. Sales there rose 3% to 243.37 million euros, offering some support as the U.S. market weakened.

Italy also posted strong gains, though from a much smaller base. More than 2 million bottles of Burgundy wine were sold there in the 12 months through July 2026, up 15.4%. The value of those sales increased 21.1% to more than 37 million euros.

The combination of flat overall bottle sales, weaker red wine demand, steady white wine performance, and rising sparkling wine sales shows a region in transition. Burgundy remains supported by its large share of white wine production and by export demand in several markets, but the latest figures suggest that even one of France’s most prestigious wine regions is being pulled into a wider shift in global drinking habits.