The Gironde department — home to Bordeaux, one of the world’s most emblematic wine regions — continues to face an acute wine crisis.
Despite extensive measures, including thousands of hectares of vineyard uprooting, the sector remains under significant economic strain. Authorities are now considering extending state aid and implementing further grubbing-up operations to stabilize the market.
Persistent Economic Decline Despite Intervention
In recent days, Étienne Guyot, Prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde, chaired a meeting of the regional task force dedicated to viticulture. The gathering brought together representatives of agricultural, economic, and institutional bodies to review the impact of grubbing-up programs and assess the ongoing economic challenges in Bordeaux’s wine industry.
The situation remains critical. The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) reported that exports for the 2024–2025 wine year amounted to 3.25 million hectoliters, representing a 7% year-on-year decline. This downturn affects not only exports but also domestic sales through large-scale and medium-scale retailers.
Over 12,000 Hectares of Vineyards Uprooted
According to the Prefecture’s statement, a total of 12,263 hectares of vineyards are expected to be uprooted by the end of the current cycle, supported by a combined budget of EUR 49.83 million — of which EUR 16.01 million has been contributed by the CIVB.
The Gironde Sanitary Grubbing-Up Plan financed 1,242 applications covering 6,095 hectares, split between 2,669 hectares for diversification and 3,426 hectares for renaturalization, supported by EUR 20.56 million in state funding. A second wave of funding will cover 2,302 hectares through 554 applications, with EUR 13.81 million in state aid.
Additionally, under the National Grubbing-Up Plan for the Reduction of Viticultural Potential, 3,866 hectares have already been cleared in Gironde, with EUR 15.27 million paid to applicants.
Plans for Further Grubbing-Up and Sectoral Support
Prefect Guyot confirmed that he has contacted Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard to discuss extending grubbing-up aid after the Chamber of Agriculture identified the need to remove an additional 5,400 hectares of vines. The Minister has already initiated talks with the European Commission regarding the activation of the EU’s crisis reserve for the wine sector.
A working group will soon examine the creation of a public body for vineyard restructuring, aimed at facilitating the conversion of uprooted land for food production or other agricultural uses.
Financial and Social Support Measures
The State Emergency Fund has so far assisted 97 young winemakers, allocating a total of EUR 749,000. Long-term business consolidation loans, guaranteed by BpiFrance and distributed via FranceAgrimer, are available until February 2026, with a national envelope of EUR 35.1 million. In Gironde, 56 applications have been approved, and 38 are currently being processed.
Stakeholders, however, have called for raising the EUR 200,000 ceiling, extending the eligibility to cooperative wineries, and prolonging the scheme beyond 2026.
On the employment front, the Departmental Directorate for Employment, Labour, and Solidarity, together with France Travail, has reached out to approximately 700 wineries, providing guidance on options such as partial unemployment, training, and career retraining.
The MSA (Mutualité Sociale Agricole) also contributed significantly, granting 1,115 payment plans worth EUR 11 million, 1,279 amnesties on default interest (EUR 1.1 million), and EUR 2.1 million in contribution aid for 626 farm managers. Social support programs reached 321 farmers, and 135 “sentinels” were trained to recognize early signs of distress among agricultural workers.
Vineyard Diseases and Maintenance Obligations
The Prefect also addressed the growing concern over flavescence dorée, a vine disease spreading in several French regions. A new prefectural decree allows for the mandatory uprooting of uncultivated vines in affected zones. Recent legislative amendments introduce penalties for owners or operators who fail to maintain their vineyards, expediting enforcement procedures.
Call for Structural Reforms
The Confédération Paysanne de Gironde emphasized that the current measures — grubbing-up and distillation — are insufficient to restore equilibrium to the wine market. The union warned that a 50% reduction in vineyard area would have major repercussions on the local economy and rural landscape.
It proposed establishing a public land management entity (Établissement public foncier – EPF) to purchase and repurpose vineyards at risk of abandonment, preventing further economic loss. The proposal received the support of Prefect Guyot, who announced the formation of a working group to study its implementation.
A Sector at a Crossroads
Prefect Guyot concluded by acknowledging that the economic situation remains extremely unfavorable, calling for the continuation and expansion of aid programs. He announced the creation of a partnership working group involving the MSA, Departmental Council, Chamber of Agriculture, State authorities, and professional organizations to better assess individual cases of hardship.
Meanwhile, a national survey on the need for additional grubbing-up has been launched, with results expected soon. Local authorities will also intensify efforts to identify and address uncultivated vineyards, ensuring a coordinated response to the ongoing crisis.
Source: WineNews