Topic
The Crisis
Falling sales, vineyards pulled up, subsidies, insolvencies and the estates leaving their appellations: the hard numbers of a region in trouble.
By month
- November 202619
- October 2026119
- September 202666
- August 202686
- July 202698
- June 202696
- May 202699
- April 202684
- March 202658
- February 202652
- January 202662
- December 202533
Appellations
Saint-Émilion 50Médoc 46Margaux 24Sauternes 23Pomerol 21Pauillac 18Pessac-Léognan 14Entre-deux-Mers 9- Bordeaux AOC8
Graves 8Saint-Estèphe 7Saint-Julien 7Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 6Crémant de Bordeaux 6Haut-Médoc 6Barsac 5Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 5Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 4Listrac-Médoc 4Bordeaux Supérieur 3Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 3Fronsac 3Lalande-de-Pomerol 3Canon-Fronsac 2Côtes de Bourg 2Moulis 2Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux 2Graves de Vayres 1Montagne-Saint-Émilion 1
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Bordeaux’s new leaders confront the sector crisis
Anthony Jezegou, the new director general of the CIVB, and Sophie Martin-Hérisson, the new director of Côtes-de-Bourg, reviewed 2026 and discussed prospects for 2027 as Bordeaux’s wine sector faces an unprecedented crisis.
Their priorities will help shape how Bordeaux responds to a crisis affecting growers, appellations and the wider trade.
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Right Bank Lawyers Convene a Wine-Crisis Forum in Libourne
According to Vitisphere, 4 Bordeaux Right Bank lawyers will hold a public meeting at Libourne City Hall on November 19 with vineyard stakeholders, Grands Chais de France and insolvency administrators to discuss early legal intervention and crisis management.
The emphasis on early legal intervention signals concern about growers and wine businesses waiting too long before seeking restructuring advice.
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A family succession finds a route to market
Paul Parlange took over his family’s property in Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux during the wine crisis and launched Clos des Gommiers in 2022 at €37 a bottle. According to actu.fr, the wine secured a placement at the world’s best restaurant.
The story shows how a small producer can build demand despite the wider Bordeaux downturn and the image problems attached to less celebrated appellations. Direct commercial validation can matter as much as regional promotion for estates operating outside the prestige tiers.
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Château Thieuley to Uproot 10 Drought-Prone HectaresMarie Courselle, who runs
Château Thieuley with her sister, will uproot 10 hectares of vines in drought-prone areas of Gironde, where yields have fallen to 25 to 30 hl/ha.The decision connects climate adaptation directly to vineyard economics. For some Gironde parcels, low yields are no longer merely a vintage problem but a threat to long-term viability.
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Can younger drinkers fall for Bordeaux again?
Bordeaux retains its prestige but is struggling to renew consumer interest, particularly among younger generations, while facing overproduction.
Strong secondary-market demand for mature bottles does not resolve Bordeaux’s broader consumer problem. The region still needs to convert reputation into interest among new drinkers.
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CIVB introduces a €1,100 bulk-wine indicator
On October 20, the CIVB published an indicative minimum of €1,100 per barrel, or €1.22 per liter, for AOC Bordeaux red sold in bulk.
The measure is intended to support decent grower compensation, but its influence will depend on how buyers and sellers use it in actual transactions.
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Departing growers struggle to clear their final stocks
Retiring Bordeaux grower Lionel Lorente sent 850 hectoliters of 2023
Côtes de Bourg to a distillery on September 22 after finding no buyer, despite offering a tonneau for €500.The unsold stocks deepen the burden of leaving the sector and illustrate the severity of demand pressure at the production end of the market.
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Médoc ’s new president warns the crisis is far from overMaxime Saint-Martin says his presidency will focus on supporting people across the
Médoc as high stocks and vine pulling continue. He sees little prospect of a rapid exit from the crisis.The warning brings the human and structural consequences of Bordeaux’s contraction into sharp focus. Even the
Médoc is confronting excess stock, vineyard loss and persistent pressure on growers. -
Gironde distributor retrains staff as vineyards shrink
Gironde distributor EVV is using the APLD-Rebond program to train its 106 employees, develop work beyond viticulture and revise its distribution model across 15 stores.
The response shows how vineyard uprooting and falling revenue are affecting the businesses that supply Bordeaux growers, not only the estates themselves.
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Vinitech focuses on practical routes to recovery
Vinitech will take place from December 1 to 3 at Bordeaux’s exhibition center, with 250 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors expected and a focus on innovation, financial recovery and economic diversification, according to Vitisphere.
Vinitech will test which technical and commercial responses producers consider viable during the sector downturn. Its emphasis is on practical options rather than scale or spectacle.
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A critique of Bordeaux’s response to its crisis
Journalist Henry Clemens argues in his book “Le Jour où… on n’a plus voulu boire de bordeaux” that Bordeaux missed an opportunity to champion a different, cleaner form of agriculture, according to Sud Ouest.
The argument connects Bordeaux’s commercial difficulties with its agricultural identity. It adds environmental positioning to the wider debate over how the region should rebuild demand.
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CIVB changes marketing leadership below 3 million hl
Ivana de la Kethulle has become marketing director of the CIVB, succeeding Florence Bossard as Bordeaux wine sales fell below 3 million hectoliters in the 2025 to 2026 campaign, according to Bouger à Bordeaux.
The appointment comes at a concrete commercial threshold for the region. The next marketing direction will be judged against Bordeaux’s continuing loss of sales volume.
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Is Bordeaux on the Brink of a Deeper Crisis?
In 2025, according to Luciano Pignataro Wine Blog, Bordeaux growers Christophe Blanc, Jonathan Mayer and Guillaume Petregne died by suicide amid severe difficulties in parts of Gironde’s wine sector. Programs underway since 2023 are expected to uproot about 30,000 hectares in Gironde, including 20,109 with state and CIVB support.
The article adds another international reading of the pressure facing Bordeaux’s producers and commercial system.
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Bordeaux evolves without losing its identity
Sud Ouest considers how Bordeaux is changing while retaining the distinctive identity of its wines.
The tension between modernization and continuity now shapes conversations about style, reputation and the region’s future audience.
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Bordeaux’s crisis becomes a question of emotion
On September 28, 2026, Pierre Taïx, who heads 95 hectares of vines in the Libournais, argued that Bordeaux should emphasize the strengths and pleasure its wines can provide to overcome the sector’s difficulties, according to Sud Ouest.
The diagnosis goes beyond pricing or distribution. It asks whether Bordeaux’s market problem is also one of communication, identity and consumer attachment.
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France’s wine harvest devastated by heatwaves as Champagne production halves
France is projected to produce 33.9 million hectolitres of wine in 2026, 6% below 2025 and 17% below its 2021 to 2025 average, after its hottest summer yet. Champagne output is expected to fall 49%, while Bordeaux is forecast to rebound 10% from 2025.
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Red Bordeaux posted a 19% export value slump in early 2026
Red Bordeaux export value fell 19% and export volume dropped 8% from January through April 2026, according to Nomisma Wine Monitor data reported by Wine-Searcher. The average value earned per unit shipped declined by about 12%.
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Value sales of Bordeaux reds down 19% amid shifting consumption
According to Nomisma Wine Monitor, value sales of Bordeaux red wine fell 19% in the first quarter, while volumes declined 8% and the average value per unit shipped dropped about 12%.
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Roberto Rockmann: The smoke over the Bordeaux empire
Roberto Rockmann's CartaCapital column takes Bordeaux as its subject, under the image of smoke over the Bordeaux empire.
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Bordeaux vineyard: vines lack nitrogen and iron
Bordeaux vineyards are seeing declining nitrogen and iron reserves, while average yields across the region’s appellations remain below 40 hectoliters per hectare, according to bougerabordeaux.com. In
Pomerol , the average is barely 30 hectoliters per hectare. -
Wildfires near Bordeaux threaten to squeeze France's struggling wine industry
Wildfires near Bordeaux have burned an area 4 times the size of Paris and driven 220,000 people from their homes. Bordeaux wine consumption has plunged as younger people choose other beverages, foreign competition grows and tariffs add pressure to producers.
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Bordeaux: The Crisis of the French Wine Industry
Bordeaux is battling a years-long decline in the wine economy as red wine falls out of fashion and growers are paid to uproot vines, according to FAZ.
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‘Worst crisis since WWII’: Bordeaux wildfires continue amid extreme heat
Wildfires in Gironde near Bordeaux are continuing amid extreme heat, creating a major environmental crisis in one of France’s most important wine regions. The fires have prompted mass evacuations and threaten vineyards and surrounding communities.
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Bordeaux Vineyard Prices Plunged by More Than 80% in Parts of the
Médoc According to Sud-Ouest, average vineyard prices in the
Médoc fell more than 80%, from €55,000 per hectare in 2018 to €10,000 in 2025.Pauillac prices fell from €2.2 million to €1.7 million per hectare, whileMargaux declined from €1.1 million to €800,000. -
Crisis drives down the value of Bordeaux vineyards
The crisis is pushing down the value of Bordeaux vineyards.
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Crisis distillation: in France, requests for 770,000 hectolitres of wine. Bordeaux leads the ranking
French producers requested crisis distillation for 770,000 hectoliters of wine, with Bordeaux leading the ranking.
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Bordeaux vineyard values in parts of the
Médoc have fallen by more than 80%Vineyard land prices in Bordeaux's
Médoc fell by more than 80%, from €55,000 per hectare in 2018 to €10,000 in 2025, according to Vinetur. -
Bordeaux: Vineyard prices are collapsing massively
Bordeaux vineyard prices fell sharply between 2018 and 2025. In the
Médoc , the average price dropped from €55,000 to €10,000 per hectare, while sales reached 2.98 million hectoliters in the 12 months through March 2026. -
Bordeaux wine sales fall below 3 million hectolitres for the first time in decades
Bordeaux producers shipped 2.98 million hectoliters in the 12 months ending in March 2026, down 12% from the previous year and pushing annual sales below 3 million hectoliters for the first time in decades.
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Bordeaux vineyard values plunge as wine sales fall below 3 million hectolitres
Bordeaux vineyard land values fell again in 2025 as annual shipments dropped to 2.98 million hectolitres in the 12 months to March 2026, down 12% year on year and below 3 million hectolitres for the first time in decades, according to Sud-Ouest.
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Bordeaux Vineyard Prices Plummet
Vineyard prices in Bordeaux are plummeting, according to Wine-Searcher.
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Could cocktails save
Sauternes ?Sauternes vineyard prices fell by more than 90% from 1991 to 2023, according to Agreste/SAFER data.Château d’Arche is promoting its sweet wines in cocktails, including through a masterclass and cocktail week at Nektar in Bordeaux last October. -
Bordeaux reinvents itself as a destination beyond wine
Bordeaux is being transformed by urban renewal and a broader tourism strategy into a city destination designed for longer stays, according to La Revue du vin de France.
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Bordeaux is adapting to a historic crisis by turning more attention to white wine.
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Laydis vineyards turn to crowdfunding
Thomas and Élodie Laydis have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule to turn their family estate, Château Roc de Calon, into an wine-tourism destination. Based in
Montagne-Saint-Émilion , the move is presented as a diversification strategy in response to the wine sector crisis. -
Gironde vineyard land fund: 4,400 hectares up for transfer
Around 430 preliminary applications have been filed by Bordeaux growers to sell 4,400 hectares to Gironde’s new vineyard land fund. Backed by €20 million, the scheme aims to restructure a Bordeaux vineyard sector in crisis.
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On June 19, 2026, Foncière d’avenir recorded 430 applications from owners seeking to sell about 4,400 hectares of bare land created by vine removal in Bordeaux, mainly in Libournais and South Gironde, for new agricultural projects.
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Bordeaux producers leave appellation rules for more flexible Vin de France labels
An increasing number of Bordeaux producers are moving part of their production into the more flexible Vin de France category, which represented about 2% of Bordeaux production, or roughly 132,000 hectoliters, on June 9, 2026, according to Vinetur.
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A decree published in the Journal officiel extends the subsidy on non-road diesel for the agricultural and forestry sectors until the end of August. The measure matters for farmers' and vineyard operators' fuel costs in France, including Bordeaux.
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Vin de France gains ground in Bordeaux
Vin de France is gaining ground in Bordeaux.
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Bordeaux producers are shifting wines toward Vin de France
On June 9, 2026, an increasing number of Bordeaux producers moved part of their production into Vin de France, which represents about 2% of Bordeaux output, or roughly 132,000 hectoliters, according to Vinetur.
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Bordeaux winemakers increasingly shift wines into Vin de France
Bordeaux producers are increasingly moving part of their production into Vin de France, which represents about 2% of Bordeaux output, or approximately 132,000 hectoliters, according to Vinetur on June 9, 2026. The category gives producers more freedom over grape varieties, winemaking and labeling.
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Bordeaux winemakers are leaving appellation rules for freer Vin de France labels
On June 9, 2026, an increasing number of Bordeaux producers moved part of their production into Vin de France, which accounts for about 2% of Bordeaux output, or roughly 132,000 hectoliters, according to Vinetur.
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Gironde: Vineyard prices are collapsing in the Bordeaux wine region
Vineyard land prices are falling sharply in Gironde’s Bordeaux wine region amid a crisis affecting many growers.
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French vineyard prices fall again as Bordeaux leads decline
French vineyard prices fell for the second straight year in 2025, with Bordeaux among the hardest-hit regions, according to Safer.
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Austria's magazine for wine culture:
Château Lafleur 2025 for the first time as "Vin de France"Château Lafleur released its 2025 vintage as Vin de France for the first time, rather than under AOCPomerol , according to Vinaria.at. -
The wine crisis in Bordeaux hits suppliers
In Bordeaux, at least 15,000 hectares of vineyards were uprooted between 2023 and 2026, while bottle, cork and logistics suppliers saw orders fall, according to Vinetur.
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Greg Sherwood MW: Could dry white save Bordeaux?
Dry white Bordeaux is gaining popularity as consumers shift toward lighter, fresher and more versatile wines. Greg Sherwood MW argues that Bordeaux Blanc sec is increasingly viewed as a vital lifeline for the region’s struggling wine industry, amid unsold red wine in generic appellations.
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Bankruptcy of H & A Location: Will a war break out between winegrowers and coopers?
The judicial liquidation of H & A Location, a barrel-leasing intermediary, has left Bordeaux wine estates paying rents while coopers pursue unpaid claims for barrels delivered during the 2025 harvest. Maître Olivier Nicolas says the estates may invoke their right to peaceful use of the barrels and collective-proceedings rules.
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Bordeaux launches €20m fund to tackle vineyard crisis
Bordeaux authorities have launched a €20 million land fund to buy abandoned and uprooted vineyard parcels. The measure is intended to ease financial pressure on struggling growers and help restructure the region’s vineyard base.
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Bordeaux Launches Land Fund to Buy Abandoned Vineyards
A public-private land fund launched in Bordeaux on May 6, 2026, is seeking to buy abandoned or uprooted vineyard parcels with €20 million available, according to Vinetur.
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Bordeaux unveils modernisation drive
According to The Drinks Business, Bordeaux has launched a modernization drive.
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Bordeaux wine crisis: a scheme unique in France to restructure the vineyard
The State, Safer and Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine signed an agreement to create the Foncière d'avenir en Gironde by the end of 2026 to buy distressed vineyard land, convert it and resell it for other crops, according to Sud Ouest.
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Bordeaux bets on a land fund to stop the collapse in vineyard prices
On April 27, 2026, Bordeaux moved toward creating a land-management company to buy troubled vineyard land, support producers and encourage more diverse agriculture, according to Vinetur.
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Bordeaux crisis: where have vines been uprooted?
Where vines have been uprooted across Bordeaux, as the region's wine crisis goes on.
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Bordeaux plans a land fund against the fall in vineyard prices
On April 27, 2026, Bordeaux was planning a land fund to buy distressed vineyard land, support growers and make room for more diversified farming. The plan was expected to be finalized in early May.
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Bordeaux Plans Land Fund to Halt Vineyard Price Collapse
On April 27, 2026, Bordeaux was moving toward creating a land-holding company to stabilize vineyard-land prices, support growers under financial strain and enable more diversified farming. According to Vinetur, the proposed company would initially have €20 million and buy distressed land.
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Why Bordeaux is drowning in wine
According to The Observer, Bordeaux produces around 150m surplus bottles a year, while 1,200 winegrowers negotiate debt restructuring and about 20,000 hectares of vines have been removed in 3 years.
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Bordeaux: a land company project to curb the collapse in land prices
Bordeaux winegrowers are backing a proposed €20 million land company involving banks and public authorities to prevent a collapse in vineyard land prices. The scheme would buy land, support struggling growers, and help restructure and diversify the crisis-hit Gironde vineyard area.
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Bordeaux wine: 40 million euros to save the sector
The European Union is providing 40 million euros to help Bordeaux’s wine sector remove excess volumes from the market through distillation. Applications open on April 20, 2026, and close on May 12 through the FranceAgriMer platform.
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Insolvency and collective proceedings among Bordeaux winegrowers have risen sharply, while some in the region remain cautiously optimistic and call the slump global.
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The EU rejected France’s request to renegotiate a €40 million distillation support package announced on February 24, which sets a minimum price of 33 euros per hectoliter. In Bordeaux, FDSEA33 called for 60 euros per 100 liters of AOC wine, according to Meininger.
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On March 29, 2026, the Amblevert nurseries in Sainte-Florence, Gironde, marked 4 generations producing vine plants for growers and began making wines under the Oze brand. The nursery produces 1.2 million plants from 30 grape varieties each year.
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Bordeaux's Cité du Vin faces the wine crisis and holds firm
Bordeaux's Cité du Vin is facing the wine crisis and holding firm.
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According to terredevins.com, Terre de Vins reassessed the 2023 dry and sweet white wines after 2 years of élevage: promising potential detected in spring 2024 was confirmed, while some weaknesses remained. The selection covers Bordeaux blancs, IGP Atlantique, Vin de France and Francs-Côtes-de-Bordeaux.
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Bordeaux vineyard: the Chamber of Agriculture unveils 35 measures for the 2030 horizon
The Bordeaux Chamber of Agriculture has unveiled a plan with 35 measures to restore the competitiveness and ambition of the Gironde vineyard toward 2030.
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Remunerative prices: initiatives from the Bordeaux vineyard still run up against Paris's inaction
Efforts in the Bordeaux wine sector to secure remunerative prices are still blocked or slowed by inaction in Paris.
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Bordeaux’s most secret wine: Enthusiasm for L’Enthousiaste
Colin Hay unveiled L’Enthousiaste, a rare Vin de France from a 0.5-hectare parcel on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, created through an alliance between a Left Bank winegrower and a Right Bank enologist.
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Bordeaux takes the debate to Paris
Terre de Vins reports on the launch of the Cella Talks in Paris, organized with the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux. The first discussion will focus on the question: "Bordeaux, crisis or renaissance?"
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5,800 applications for the new vine-pull plan
According to terredevins.com, France received 5,824 applications for subsidies to pull about 27,929 hectares of vines under a new crisis-response plan, with most requests coming from the South-West and Occitanie, including Gironde.
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Château du Tertre partners with Ulysse Cazabonne to launch ‘iconoclastic’ white blendChâteau du Tertre and Ulysse Cazabonne launched Alba by Tertre, a white Vin de France from a 2.5-hectare plot inMargaux . The 2024 blend contains 46% Chardonnay, 38% Sauvignon Blanc and 16% Viognier, with a first release of 2500 numbered bottles. -
Winemakers of France's Bordeaux region forced to adapt to survive
According to France 24, Bordeaux winemakers are adapting to declining consumption and overproduction by distilling surplus wine and developing sparkling and alcohol-free products amid France’s vineyard grubbing-up scheme.
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An obstacle course for young farmers
In Gironde, 26-year-old winegrower Pierre Planiol is set to receive 3 hectares of mainly white-wine vines and 27 hectares of prairies from his father in a few months, while working at another vineyard for slightly more than minimum wage.
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Macron defends removing vineyards to tackle France’s wine crisis
President Emmanuel Macron said some vineyards will need to be removed to address France’s wine crisis driven by oversupply, falling demand, competition, and export difficulties. He discussed potential measures during a visit to the Wine Paris fair.
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A European support plan for the wine sector
MEPs approved an EU support plan for the wine sector in crisis, allowing more flexibility for vine-pull measures and encouraging development of no-alcohol wine. The text follows a prior agreement between the European Parliament and EU member states reached in early December.
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Trade war drags down wine and spirits exports
French wine and spirits exports fell 8% in value in 2025 amid geopolitical and trade tensions. New US tariffs and rising trade barriers are highlighted as major drivers of the downturn.
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Macron backs ripping up vines as French wine sales dive
French President Emmanuel Macron said uprooting unprofitable grape vines is necessary to revive France’s struggling wine sector. A €130-million government fund offers subsidies to owners who remove loss-making vines, particularly in areas such as Bordeaux and Languedoc.
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Bordeaux launches a collective call in the face of the crisis
Bordeaux wine and agricultural organizations issued a joint “Appel de Bordeaux” on January 14, urging the government to act urgently on the viticulture crisis through 5 measures, including aid, Egalim law changes and market-clearing distillation.
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EU warns of decade-long wine downturn
The EU is warning that the wine sector could face a prolonged downturn lasting up to a decade, citing structural demand weakness and market pressures. The outlook implies continued challenges for major producing regions and their exports, including Bordeaux.
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Details of the European plan to support viticulture
The European Union's new plan to support viticulture sets out financial and regulatory measures for winegrowers in crisis, and how the funds and tools will be spread across member states' wine regions, including France.
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