Industry Professionals Share Their Predictions for French Wine & Spirits Trends in 2024

We got to thinking about which types of trends will lead the way for French wine in 2024—and as it turns out, a good number of industry professionals have some thoughts. We took to the pros to hear what we can potentially expect for the next 365 days of French wine; the results are in!

"Affordable and sustainable options. People will start gravitating more to crémant over Champagne, Beaujolais over Burgundy, rosé from Côtes du Rhône over Provence." Steven Karataglidis, resident sommelier at REIGN Fairmont Royal York. 

“We have seen a lot of segments of collectible French wines in decline during 2023; however, recently we saw some increases in the sales velocity of Champagne and Red Bordeaux, and we expect these regions to continue their positive trends in 2024. Specifically, subcategories of Grower Champagnes and Grande Marques Tête de Cuvée are showing the most promise among our Champagne sales. In Bordeaux, First Growth Châteaux are leading the recent push in sales, and interestingly, closely followed by Fifth Growth Châteaux.” 
“Concerning spirits: Among collectors, Cognac, Armagnac and rare variations of Chartreuse get the most attention. This should remain the case for 2024. Rare, old bottlings of Chartreuse are especially scarce, so average prices are highly volatile—even collectible Cognac and Armagnac are more widely available, and prices have been stable over the last several years. We expect both trends to continue.”  - Jay James, Master Sommelier and president of Benchmark Wine Group. 

“2023 being a good year overall in the vineyard, we can expect some great juices. Hopefully Burgundy prices will tend to lower to allow a more affordable experience for consumers. It could be an opportunity as well for other [regions] such as Languedoc, Savoie, and Corsica to shine internationally, as it takes time to grow their reputation even locally, and the quality of the wines is for sure in the glass. Overall, we can hope for a year with less mainstream and more discoveries.” - Jean-Benoit Issele, Head Sommelier of Aperitif in Ubud, Bali  

“We have the prices of well-known classic French wines skyrocketing, and we are all aware the temperature of the climate has gone up. The temperature rising is causing winemakers to evolve by changing their wine-making styles and the grapes they are using. I have also noticed wine consumers are becoming more and more adventurous, wanting to try grape varieties and regions that they have never experienced before. Combining all these factors is going to lead to the exponential growth of emerging wine regions as well as the redirection and expansion for well-known wine regions." - Michéala Johnson, sommelier at Le Jardinier New York 

"For the trend next year, we are witnessing a new generation of winemakers. Many are changing names and passing down the line. While natural wine used to be trendy 10 years ago, organic is becoming the new standard. Instead of being organic and sustainable, winemakers [are now] focusing more on terroir and grape characteristics.” Akio Matsumoto, sommelier and general manager of Restaurant Yuu 

"2024 should prove an interesting year for French wines. With so much focus on the mildew that affected much of Bordeaux in '23, less attention was paid to wonderful growing conditions in Burgundy and Champagne. I would look for some excellent vintages from the latter, and would expect to see a pivot away from the less-renowned Bordeaux properties, perhaps to an area like Laguedoc, where some producers such as Gerard Bertrand are beginning to garner international attention for their wines. The current generation in France seems to continue to trend away from wine and more towards cocktails; I would expect that trend to continue, while vintners look towards emerging markets (such as China) in order to meet their quotas." Adam Greer, sommelier at Blu on the Hudson 

“A trend that has continued to emerge is an increased interest among consumers in selecting wines that utilize sustainable production methods. As a result of the growing prevalence of climate change and increased awareness of wine’s overall footprint, we are finding that consumers are considering sustainability as an important buying criterion. We’re also continuing to see the emergence of wines from unique growing areas, as there is a growing interest in unconventional wine experiences that also offer more affordable priced bottles.” Xavier Thuizat, head sommelier at the Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel and Rosewood European Sommelier