It's enough to give a French winegrower a hangover. France, the epicenter of the wine industry for generations, is in danger of losing its prominence to Australia, the US, Chile and Argentina.
"The barbarians are at our gates!" cried a report written for the French agriculture ministry.
"Is the flood of wines from the New World going to sink the wine industry on the Old Continent?" asked Mr Jacques Berthomeau, the consultant who wrote the 80-page report. It expanded on data showing that "New World" producers have seized 20 per cent of the world export market, up from nearly nothing two decades ago.
France, Italy and Spain remain the top producers, together accounting for about 60 per cent of the world market. But rivals have gained ground through clever marketing, large-scale production and competitive pricing.
Not that France hasn't known this was happening for years. But Berthomeau's report, made public two weeks ago and widely covered in the French media under headlines like "Hangover in the French Vineyard," has been seen as a wake-up call for the industry.
"We should have seen this coming a while ago," said Mr Denis Verdier, president of the Confederation of Wine Cooperatives of France. "We were resting on our laurels a bit."
The biggest warning sign for French winegrowers came earlier this year, when Australia eclipsed France as the leading supplier to the growing British market.
In 2000, French wines accounted for 26 per cent of the British market down from 33 per cent two years earlier. France's share of a shrinking German market fell to 24 per cent from 27 per cent over that same period.
Mr Verdier said the problem amounts to a clash of cultures between France, where winemaking has traditionally been a family affair, and its market-savvy competitors.
Marketing is now the buzzword for French producers.
"Having a brand as strong as Gallo sure would help," said Mr Marc Brugaliere, of the French Center for External Trade. "France is typically known for its regions Bordeaux or Burgundy not brands."
French consumers seem divided over the issue.
"This doesn't please me at all," said Ms Chantal Roland, 58, buying wine at the Nicolas shop in Paris. "I think the government should fight to protect our market and safeguard our heritage. France without wines wouldn't be France."
Mr Patrick Crepien, who was also at the shop, was less concerned.
"We are untouchable in the wine market," he said. "What else do people think about when they think of France other than wine, cheese, the Eiffel Tower and berets?"