Does Dry January have a real impact on winegrowers’ sales in the Béziers region ?

Au caveau de Saint-Chinian, aucun impact du Dry January n’a été constaté.

Simple trend or real change, is “Dry January” really being felt by wine estates? Here are some answers.

It's a simple trend for some, a “tidal wave” for others, the least we can say is that “Dry January” does not leave people indifferent. What about the winegrowers of Béziers, are their sales impacted during the month of January? ?

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“Dry what? What is it?”, asks Émilie Faucheron, president of the Coteaux d’Ensérune cooperative winery. The winemaker at the Domaine de La Grande Canague in Montady does not seem particularly concerned by this practice. Can alcohol-free wine meet the expectations of “Dry January” fans? “However, I have nothing against it, if the market opens up, we should not hesitate to start making it, she continues. Today, in France, it is not what wine lovers ask for first, it is more to export to other countries. On the other hand, we are increasingly asked for wines with a lower alcohol content.”

“No impact on our sales”

On the Alma Cersius winery side, there is indeed a drop in sales in January, but is it really linked ? “We can't say that we are impacted by this current, indicates Gilles Guilé, sales director. In 2024 and 2023, we had a drop in turnover in January, but it is difficult to say that this is due to Dry January. The statistics over one month in our core business do not mean much because, in 2024, we had a fairly significant increase over the year.”

Same story at the Saint-Chinian cellar: “Dry January has no impact on our sales, explains Geoffrey Boulade, sales director. There has always been a slight drop in January because people are more careful after the holidays, but it is not related.”