by Hervé Lalau

According to Bourgogne d'Aujourd'hui, exports of Burgundy wines will break the all-time record of 104 million bottles set 1998 this year. In the first 10 months of 2007, 95.6m bottles had already been sold off shore - an increase of 25% on 2006 - for a total turnover of €589m, which averages out to a healthy price of €6.16 per bottle.

At this rate, shippers in Burgundy believe that exports could reach 115 million bottles in 2007. As production is basically stable, it is not surprising that less wine is being consumed domestically. Five years ago, only 45% of Burgundy’s annual production was exported; now it has jumped to 56%.