France: The winemakers of France are sounding an urgent alarm as a succession of crises pushes one of the country’s most iconic industries to the brink. Vineyard owners say they are facing the toughest period in decades, with collapsing harvests, rising costs, and falling demand, leaving many producers struggling to survive.
Ahead of a crisis meeting with the agriculture minister on Monday, winemakers warned that the sector is in critical condition. According to Jean-Marie Fabre, president of the independent winemakers’ syndicate, as many as one in five winegrowers are now at risk of shutting down.
Fabre said growers have been hit by an unprecedented series of setbacks over the past five years. Tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on wine and spirits imports, the economic fallout of the pandemic, extreme weather, the surge in production costs linked to the war in Ukraine, and a sharp drop in domestic and international sales have all taken a heavy toll.
Winegrowers staged a major protest in Béziers last weekend, calling for an urgent rescue plan. They warn that France’s wine production is hovering at some of its lowest levels in 70 years. The agriculture ministry expects output this year to be around 3.6 billion litres, matching last year’s poor figures.
Producers say the decline is being felt across regions. In Bordeaux, exports of top-tier wines to China have fallen to their lowest level in ten years, reflecting a broader slump in demand. Beijing’s decision to introduce a 32.2 percent customs tax on imports of certain wine-based spirits has compounded the pressure.
Climate impacts have been especially severe. For the Aude region, repeated heatwaves and drought have slashed harvests. Local growers say production has dropped by nearly half in the past three years.
As part of their demands, winemakers are asking for increased financial support to uproot failing vineyards and convert unsold wine into biofuel. More than 27,000 hectares of vines have already been removed under an existing scheme, and producers say much more land may need to go. They are also calling on the government to tap into the European crisis reserve, similar to the support provided to Portugal last year.
A recent survey by FranceAgriMer found that 20 percent of winegrowers are considering shutting down. If this happens, industry groups warn the impact could threaten up to 100,000 jobs across a sector that contributes nearly €92 billion to the French economy each year.
Fabre, who represents 17,000 independent winemakers, said many producers have exhausted their financial reserves. He described Monday’s crisis meeting as a final chance to stabilise the industry before widespread closures begin.
