Prosecco Overtook Champagne in French Supermarkets for the First Time

French shoppers bought more prosecco than champagne in the country’s large retail chains over the 12 months through July 2026, a symbolic shift in one of the world’s most important sparkling wine markets.

According to Circana data cited by VinAvisen on Saturday, November 14, French consumers purchased 25.3 million bottles of prosecco in that period, compared with 25.2 million bottles of champagne. The gap was only 100,000 bottles, but it marked the first time the Italian sparkling wine from the Veneto region moved ahead of France’s best-known sparkling wine by volume in that part of the market.

The comparison does not cover all wine sales in France. It refers to the country’s big supermarket and mass retail channel rather than the full market, which includes restaurants, specialty wine shops and other outlets. Even so, the result points to a change in consumer behavior in a country long identified with champagne and is likely to be watched closely across the drinks business, where producers are competing for price-conscious buyers and trying to build volume in mature markets.

The numbers come at a time when sparkling wine is performing better than still wine in France. VinAvisen reported that sparkling wine sales in French bars and restaurants rose 6.3% in 2025, while still wine sales fell 5%. That broader trend helps explain why prosecco has been able to gain ground. French consumers are buying bubbles, but many are doing so at lower price points.

Price appears to be a major factor. Since 2019, the average price of a bottle of champagne has risen 17% to €21, according to the figures reported by VinAvisen. Over the same period, the average price of a bottle of prosecco rose 5% to €5.30. That leaves prosecco at roughly one-quarter of the price of champagne, a difference large enough to matter for everyday purchases, larger gatherings and retailers looking for fast-moving products.

Prosecco also benefits from its role in spritz cocktails, which have become popular in France as well as in other European markets. The wine is a standard base for the drink, giving it a place not only in wine sales but also in the broader cocktail and aperitif trend. For beverage companies, that crossover matters because it expands prosecco’s appeal beyond traditional wine occasions and helps it reach younger and more casual drinkers.

The sales milestone has also fed optimism among Italian producers that prosecco can open the door to wider interest in Italian wine in France. VinAvisen, citing Mulemo.com, said the stronger prosecco showing has encouraged producers to hope that consumer interest in one Italian sparkling wine could lead to more attention for Italian wines overall. That mood was visible at Wine Paris in February 2026, where 200 Italian wine producers attended to present their wines, 60% more than at the 2025 edition of the trade fair.

The result does not mean champagne has lost its place in France. Champagne remains one of the country’s most important wine categories and a product with a strong premium image, protected origin rules and deep cultural weight. But the Circana figures suggest that in high-volume retail, everyday demand is moving in a different direction. Consumers appear increasingly willing to substitute a more affordable imported sparkling wine for a domestic luxury product when the occasion does not require prestige.

That shift could have wider consequences for producers, importers and retailers. In a market where inflation and household budgets continue to shape purchasing decisions, prosecco’s advance shows how price, convenience and cocktail culture can alter long-standing consumption patterns. For champagne houses, it raises fresh pressure to defend volume at the lower end of the market while preserving their premium positioning. For Italian producers, it offers evidence that France, despite its strong domestic wine identity, is becoming more open to imported sparkling wine when it matches current drinking habits.