We knew that Beaujolais has had some problems with sales, but were still slightly shocked when we saw that the surface in 20 years has decreased by 40%.
At the time, some 20 years ago, Beaujolais had 22,000 hectares of vineyards, now it has 13,000.
One reason is that nobody wants to work with the vineyards that are located on steep slopes. These vineyards are difficult to mechanise, labour is expensive and hard to find. And many growers feel that it is difficult to get the prices for their wines that they would need.
The president of the producer association Inter Beaujolais, Philippe Bardet, still feels optimistic and believes that the region has now reached a balance between supply and demand. In 2023, the area even increased slightly. Vineyards are being bought and sold right now in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations.
The price for one hectare is around 11,000 euros, which in a national comparison is quite cheap.
Inter Beaujolais are working with different strategies that will hopefully make consumers want to pay what it really costs to produce a Beaujolais wine. This juicy, refreshing wine with great drinkability should be popular among many consumer groups today.
Read more: larvf
