The Alsatian wine industry is confronting a period of profound uncertainty in 2025, with falling sales impacting producers across the region.
Still wines from the Alsace and Alsace Grand Cru appellations are suffering the steepest declines, prompting sector leaders to turn toward Crémant d'Alsace—the region's sparkling wine—as both a stabilizing force and a future growth pillar.
According to the Alsace Winegrowers’ Association, overall sales for 2024 reached 900,240 hectoliters, of which 306,339 hectoliters came from Crémant. Notably, Crémant d'Alsace is the only one of the region's three main appellations (Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru, and Crémant) to maintain positive figures into 2025. In the first half of this year, while still wine sales dropped by 2.2%, Crémant sales remained steady, demonstrating the sparkling wine’s resistance to market volatility.
Strategic Shift Toward Crémant
During a pre-harvest assembly in Colmar on July 24, Gilles Ehrhart, president of the Alsace Winegrowers' Association, urged local producers to shift production volumes toward Crémant in an effort to reduce exposure to declining demand in other wine categories. Ehrhart stressed that although Crémant sales are holding up for now, preparations must begin for marketing the 2025 harvest in 2027, suggesting a longer-term structural shift.
Still, relying solely on Crémant will not be enough to reverse the sector’s downward trajectory. The 2025 harvest is forecast at 768,114 hectoliters, a historically low level compared to the region’s usual average of 900,000. Ehrhart warned that producers should prepare for long-term production levels closer to 850,000 hectoliters, signaling the need for vineyard restructuring and difficult decisions with wide-ranging human, financial, and property implications.
He also encouraged growers experiencing hardship to reach out to the MSA's support unit, which offers assistance in navigating crises.
Financial Pressures and Calls for Reform
Financial strain is already visible. On July 23, Jean Geiler Winery—which recently merged with Orschwiller and Hunawihr wineries to create a consolidated 880-hectare group—notified its 315 suppliers it would pay only 50% of their 2024 harvest. In Bas-Rhin, the Charles Wantz estate in Barr is also facing severe financial difficulties, illustrating the broader fragility of the region's wine economy.
To address these challenges, the sector has launched a strategic review. A seminar on July 7 acknowledged the lack of long-term vision in the Alsatian wine industry. Committee work—set to begin on July 28—will leave no issue off the table. Discussions will consider everything from:
- Relaxing the strict “single varietal” rule to allow 85/15% blends
- Reintroducing bag-in-box packaging formats, which were previously rejected in the 2000s
- Revising profitability models and quality control systems
- Addressing vine succession and grubbing up plans (i.e., removing underperforming vines)
This initiative signals a willingness to modernize and diversify in response to both consumer trends and structural inefficiencies.
Crémant Investments Signal Sector Repositioning
Despite the uncertainty, two major producers are investing heavily in Crémant production:
- Arthur Metz, a subsidiary of Grands Chais de France, is launching an EUR 18 million development program over three years. This includes building a new aging hall in Marlenheim, demonstrating confidence in Crémant’s commercial potential.
- Wolfberger Cooperative in Colmar is investing EUR 2 million to upgrade its production lines, aiming to boost output from 9,000 to 15,000 bottles per hour. Thanks to energy and water efficiency improvements, Wolfberger received a EUR 1.25 million interest-free loan from the Grand Est Region, repayable over seven years.
Combined, Arthur Metz and Wolfberger produce approximately 16.5 million bottles of Crémant annually, making them two of the most influential players in the sparkling wine market.
Outlook: Rethinking the Alsatian Model
The current crisis is forcing the Alsatian wine industry to reconsider long-held assumptions about formats, blending rules, and strategic priorities. While Crémant d'Alsace provides a reliable lifeline, it cannot single-handedly offset structural declines elsewhere in the region.
As the sector prepares for a smaller 2025 harvest and reevaluates its business model, adaptability and innovation will be essential. Whether the region can balance tradition with reinvention may determine its future competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.
Source: Vinetur