The percentage of people who say they drink wine only once or twice a week jumped to 40 percent in 2000 from 30 percent in 1980. The number of daily drinkers declined from 47 percent in 1980 to a mere 24 percent. Those who do drink it often limit it to festive occasions. Increasingly discerning consumers select more expensive, higher-quality vintages. Young people are looking for a more dynamic life.
Wine is a product that is considered very elitist.
There's a little bit of globalization going on. Anecdotal evidence from a cross-section of French young people seems to confirm a downward trend among men and women alike. I drink a wine to appreciate a good meal. That happens about once a week, usually on weekends. Part of the reason for the drop, she said, was a campaign against drunken driving and publicity about traffic accidents.