Vineyards Magazine

Exports of Bourgogne wines to Canada have been growing over the last three years and in 2017, hit record numbers with 6.5 million bottles for €50 million in revenue. Detailed analysis of sales from the three main monopoly-governed provinces, which closed their accounts at the end of March 2018, confirmed the trend.

Quebec, Ontario, and British Colombia account for at least 85% of sales of Bourgogne wines to the country. The three monopolies together recorded an 8% hike in volumes of Bourgogne wines (5.5 million bottles sold), mainly thanks to white wines, which were up 12%, compared to a 4% rise in sales of reds and a 2% for Crémant de Bourgogne.

The bulk of volume and growth involved Quebec, where the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) monopoly sold 4.5 million bottles of Bourgogne wine in 2017, up 13% over 2016. This French-speaking province is the fifth-largest export market for Bourgogne wines in the world.

The Bourgogne region has profited from significant growth in white-wine drinking in the province, whilst Crémant de Bourgogne has become the leading French AOC (not including Champagne) in terms of revenue.

British Colombia continues to grow more slowly in terms of exports, up 4% in terms of volume, thanks to growth in sales of the Chablis AOC. On the other hand, sales of Bourgogne wines in Ontario have shrunk by 11% in terms of volume over the year.