Ifop survey for Vin & Société: the French grant a unique status to wine associating it with meals and conviviality

Our French member Vin & Société unveils a new Ifop survey focusing on the relationship French people have with wine taking into consideration their different eating habits. Analysing the profiles identified by the survey, more than 7 out of 10 people consider that a qualitative meal is the best opportunity to enjoy a glass of wine. This survey recalls the special status of wine, a product that the French associate with sharing, conviviality, the pleasure of being together and confirms a trend that is in line with the Wine in Moderation guidelines.

Vin & Société undertook an anthropological analysis of French consumers through this Ifop survey, which follows an initial work of profiles categorization initiated early 2021 with the campaign “ A good wine is served with anything, but especially with moderation.". The objective of this new study? Better understand the way wine is apprehended according to the food prism of each participant, highlighting the unique relationship that our society has with this product.

• Wine consumption is firmly rooted in their eating habits

Whether they like traditional or gourmet meals, whether they love an aperitif or a quick bite of "fusion" cuisine, or whether they are meat lovers or vegetarians, more than 7 out of 10 French people on average say they consume wine (from 62% to 90% of profiles).

• Wine, a product associated with the pleasure of eating and the pleasure of being together

The pleasures of eating and conviviality are at the heart of the French’ relationship to wine, whichever their profile is:

- The 1st privileged occasion to consume wine is an "improved" meal with guests: more than 7 out of 10 people, regardless of their profile, consider that this is the best time to taste wine (from 68 % to 79%);

- The 2nd preferred occasion to drink wine is an aperitif shared with friends or family (from 46% to 64%);

- The 3rd preferred occasion to taste wine is a festive event (from 48% to 56%).

When the French choose to drink wine, they mainly do it to accompany their meal.

According to Samuel Montgermont, President of Vin & Société, « several lessons emerge from this survey. The first is that there is a real centrality of wine in our relationship to food, and in our relationship to the table, whether you are vegetarian or a fan of traditional dishes. In France, we savor wine above all during a meal, so that it goes well with the dishes that will be tasted, as shown in particular by the strong interest in food-wine pairings. Wine remains a separate product, a product that brings people together. This specific status explains the mature relationship that the French have today with wine. It is a pleasure product, which they consume in a large majority while respecting the thresholds set by Public Health France. »

Survey methodology:

Vin & Société conducted a survey with Ifop on a global sample of 5,107 people, representative of the population aged 18 and over, in order to draw a map of French "eaters" around 7 typical profiles according to their eating habits. The analysis of these 7 profiles, each bringing together 300 people, allowed Vin et Société to discover the relationship each category of eaters has with wine.