South West France is now country's largest exporter of red wines to the UK
The South West region of France has become the country’s largest exporter of red wine to the UK, according to French customs authorities.
While France’s larger, more well established regions such as Bordeaux are seeing exports plateauing, the Sud Ouest has bucked this trend and seen its UK bound exports leap by 32% in value, with volumes up by 36% last year compared to 2015.
One of the biggest producing cooperatives in the region is Plaimont, which has recently got a foot in the UK on-trade with its Tannat wine from Madiran, as well as in the off-trade via supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer.
“Export growth of red wines from appellations has been driven by the Saint Mont appellation in the on-trade,” said Marc Vachet, commercial director at Plaimont. “White wines from Gascony are well known, but the identity of red wines from Gascony is less well developed,” he added.
And it is red wines that are now capturing consumers’ attention. According to the Sud Ouest wine board, red wine has been resurgent in Cahors with Malbec and in Gaillac and Fronton.
While the region produces some of the best value whites in the world, the reds are now “really starting to shine and deliver excellent value for money” according to James Franklin, associate director and head of sales at British independent wine merchant Corney & Barrow.
“I think it is fair to say that in its purest form Tannat is a big grape, but modern wine making techniques and blend is resulting in reds with far more approachability and accessibility,” he told Harpers. “This for me makes the South west reds wines to watch, and as prices increase elsewhere in France, the region offers such great value for money.”
Recent climate change has led to the grapes ripening earlier, making it easier for the ancient local red varietals to reach maturity, according to Plaimont, which has more than 800 members working on over 5,000 ha.
The increasing popularity of the region’s reds lies in stark contrast to the fortunes of the whites. Most white wines from the South West are produced in the Gascony PGI, and last year regional export of whites to the UK fell by 15% in volumes and 10% in value in comparison with 2015, according to the French customs data.
At the same time, appellation produced whites plunged by 54% in volumes and 52% in value. However, the regional wine board played down this drop in exports, saying that white wine exports had already started to bounce back.