France

Although lagging behind somewhat on the high street, France continues to dominate sales in the on-trade and although sales are still slowly declining, French wine still accounts for two out of five bottles sold in restaurants. Cheaper competitors may have taken much of the (often unprofitable) entry point market away from France, but it still remains the destination of choice for special occasion wine, as well as producing a wider range of interesting quality wine than any other country. The 2009 vintage was generally a very good one and the early signs are also promising for 2010 (albeit with volumes a little down), whilst the average quality of winemaking has never been higher. Prices for the more famous names continue to nudge upward ahead of inflation, but real value is available if you venture off-piste. If I had had just one wish for French wine, it is that the public would really experiment with the higher quality wines of the Rhône and the South of France. These are among the best (and best value) fine wines in the world and it is sad that so much joy is foregone at the altar of more famous names.