The wine industry in france is currently facing a crisis that it has never seen before. In 1999 79 million fewer bottles were exported than in the previous year. Sales of Bordeaux and Beaujolais are falling. Competition from newer wineries in America, Australia, New Zealand and Chile are hurting the export of wine for France. Experts say that French wine makers have not updated their marketing strategies and many are attributing their old fashioned behavior on the decline of the wine industry in france. Some of the vineyards have become using production techniques that have been developed in Australia and New Zealand.

A new trend for wine drinkers has been an increase in the consumption of rosé wine. Considered to be undrinkable by many French wine connoisseurs, the flavor has grown popularity in the wine industry in france. With the country's wine industry sorely needing a boost the selling of rose' wines have become attractive to young wine drinkers with its light fruity and easy drinking flavor. The majority of the customers in Bordeaux can now be found drinking a rose' instead of the regions namesake beverage.

Despite an increase of three percent in France's overseas trade, wine and other beverage exports fell by almost two percent. Even though 2004 was an excellent growing season with production up by thirty percent, the sale of French wines are not what they used to be. For many the taste of rose' is dominating where once red was king.