Winemakers Sound Alarm! French Wine Industry Entering Its Most Critical Moment
France’s wine sector — one of the country’s three major economic pillars — is facing an unprecedented crisis, according to industry leaders who warn that up to 20% of French winegrowers may disappear without urgent government intervention.
Winemakers Sound the Alarm Ahead of Crisis Meeting
Ahead of a crucial meeting with Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard on Monday, thousands of winegrowers protested in Béziers, calling for a rescue package after one of the worst sequences of harvests in 70 years. Rising production costs, collapsing sales, extreme weather, and geopolitical tensions have left the industry “on its last legs.”
Jean-Marie Fabre, president of the Independent Winemakers’ Syndicate, urged the government to take immediate action:
“This is a battle for survival. The situation is dramatic, and the government must act. We cannot imagine France abandoning such an important sector.”
A Five-Year Storm: Tariffs, Pandemic, and Climate Extremes
Fabre highlighted a chain of blows that have weakened producers since 2019:
15% U.S. tariffs under Donald Trump
COVID-19 shutdowns and global supply chain disruptions
Heatwaves, droughts, and hailstorms devastating vineyards
Rising costs linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine
Sharp declines in domestic and international sales
In regions like Aude, winegrowers report losing up to 50% of their production due to extreme heat and drought. Over the last three years, Aude’s output has dropped from 4 million to 2 million hectolitres.
Plummeting Exports and New Trade Barriers
The crisis is felt most acutely in Bordeaux, where exports of grand cru wines to China have fallen to a 10-year low. Overall shipments to China have dropped by half since 2017. The situation worsened in July when Beijing introduced a 32.2% customs tax on many EU wine-based spirits, sparing only a handful of major French giants including LVMH, Pernod Ricard, and Rémy Cointreau.
Vine Uprooting and Wine Distillation Proposed as Relief Measures
One of the key demands from winemakers is expanded compensation for uprooting vines that can no longer be profitably maintained. Under a scheme launched last year:
27,000 hectares have already been uprooted
An additional 35,000 hectares may follow
Compensation currently stands at €4,000 per hectare
In Bordeaux alone, 12,000 hectares have been destroyed in similar restructuring efforts. Winemakers also seek support to distill unsold wine into biofuel, following Portugal’s use of the EU crisis reserve for such measures — a request French growers say has gone unanswered.
Industry at Risk: 100,000 Jobs Could Disappear
A FranceAgriMer survey revealed that 1 in 5 French winegrowers are considering shutting down, potentially eliminating up to 100,000 jobs. The wine and spirits sector generates €92 billion in annual turnover and directly or indirectly employs more than 440,000 people.
The National Association for Agriculture Employment and Training described the sector as a “pillar of the economy and a major source of jobs.”
“Last Chance” for France’s Winegrowers
Fabre, a fourth-generation producer in Fitou who bottles 80,000 wines annually at Domaine de la Rochelierre, represents 17,000 independent producers. He warns that Monday’s talks may determine the sector’s future:
“This is the last chance. People are fighting, but they are exhausted. Without support, they will have to shut. We’ve never faced such a series of crises. Cash reserves are gone — and without them, we cannot survive.”
The crisis meeting comes just before the International Exhibition of Equipment and Expertise for Wine Production, opening Tuesday in Montpellier.
