Exports of Loire Valley wine rose 5.9% by value in 2024, reaching €200m and marking a record since 2000, according to data from trade body InterLoire and French customs.
The increase in value has been attributed to a rising demand on the export market for higher-value bottles, particularly in the sparkling and white wine categories which together made up 80% of the export value last year. Chenin Blanc stood out as particularly popular abroad.
Five countries – the US, Germany, the UK, Belgium and Canada – represented 70% of export value last year, while the strongest growth markets were areas which currently have far lower levels of Loire wine representation: the Baltic States, Italy, the UAE and Finland.
The positive trend for the region was also reflected in a 5% rise in volume from 2023. Last year it exported 55 million bottles, representing 22% of total Loire wine sales.
‘Exports are a true growth driver for our sector. We are proud of the strong results achieved in 2024, which have allowed us to be among the most dynamic French wine regions abroad,’ said Camille Masson, president of InterLoire.
‘We are taking another step towards the ambition set out in our Loire 2030 plan, which is to reach 30% of volumes exported by 2030,’ Masson added.
Sparkling and white wine exports also fared well by volume, recording 12% and 4% respective growth year-on-year. Volumes of red and dry rosé, however, fell by 5% and off-dry rosé by 2%.
More than half of the overall export by volume was accounted for by German, US and Belgian markets, all three of which experienced growth.
Exports of French wine fell 3% to €10.9bn in 2024 as foreign consumers sought out less expensive alternatives to costly Bordeaux and Champagne. While higher-value Loire wines have been popular on the export market for the past 20 years, these largely remain lower in cost-per-bottle than wines from some other major French regions.
