New figures showing France drank more beer than wine for the first time last year have prompted soul-searching over changing traditions as the country rolls out a programme to pay winemakers to rip out vines to address a crisis of unsold wine.New figures from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) showed that an estimated 22 million hectolitres of wine was consumed in France last year, dipping just below the 22.1 million hectolitres of beer reported to be consumed by brewing association Brasseurs de France.“A true bombshell,” reported radio network RTL, while public broadcaster FranceInfo described it as a “small cultural revolution”.“For a country whose identity is associated with wine worldwide, this is a turning point,” reported RadioFrance.The practice of enjoying a glass of wine with a meal remains a deep national symbol in France. It is the world’s second-largest producer of wine after Italy while exporting the most by value, with €11.2 billion in sales last year.Yet domestically, consumption is on “a long-term downward trend that began several decades ago”, according to the OIV report. It has now hit its lowest level in seven decades, a shift attributed to “evolving lifestyle preferences, shifting social habits and generational changes”.The changes in domestic consumption have aggravated a broader crisis for the French wine sector, which is struggling with the impact of erratic weather patterns of climate change and a decline in demand from China and the United States.[ Le backlash: Emily in Paris effect divides French capitalOpens in new window ]Almost 28,000 hectares of French vineyards are set to be uprooted this year under a government programme that offers €4,000 per hectare to those who permanently uproot their vines.The measure is thought to have already led to the uprooting of about 20 per cent of vineyards in Bordeaux, the heartland of deep reds.A restaurant terrace in central Paris. Informal gatherings without a big focus on food are increasingly popular in France. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images The initiative was introduced to address a backlog of unsold wine that threatened to cause a price crash as supply outstripped demand, above all in red wines with the protected origin labels of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC).“It’s a generational thing,” one woman told a radio phone-in show dedicated to discussing the change. “Speaking for myself, charcuterie without a nice red wine is a sacrilege. Never beer!”“Wine is for old people,” another listener said.Among the contributing factors are thought to be the increase of meal-delivery services and a rise in single-parent families, as a 750ml bottle is a large measure to open alone.Informal gatherings on terraces without a big focus on food are increasingly popular compared to bottle-of-wine dinner parties, French media have reported, while events such as watching sports are associated with beer drinking rather than with wine.The vineyard of the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse, in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France. Photograph: Philippe Lopez/AFP National broadcaster TF1 sent its television cameras to the terraces of bars in major wine-producing region Bordeaux to try to understand what could be driving the trend.“Wine is more for special occasion dinners. When you’re drinking on a terrace, you always have a beer or soft drink,” one interviewee said.Also contributing is the international generational trend of declining alcohol consumption among the young. The lower alcohol content of beer may be part of its appeal, as overall consumption figures were bolstered by a 12 per cent increase in the popularity of non-alcoholic beer last year.Beer’s cheaper price is thought to be part of its appeal as economic pressures bite, while a perception that wine is for “connoisseurs” with deep knowledge about different regions and grapes may not help.[ How moving to France has drastically changed my Irish attitude to drinkingOpens in new window ]“Beer is more affordable price-wise,” a young woman told broadcaster TF1, her beer before her on the table. “And if you’re not very knowledgeable, it’s easier to know which beer to select because there are big brands to choose from.”