The Bordeaux wine region in France is facing significant challenges, driven by extreme weather and shifting consumer preferences.
These difficulties have led some winemakers to either cease production or seek government compensation, with data showing 584 compensation requests for nearly 5,000 hectares of vineyards between June and July this year.
Agricultural engineer Sylvie Courselle from Château Thieuley predicts a reduction in Bordeaux’s vineyards over the next five years due to climate impacts like hailstorms, frosts, and droughts.
Climate change is worsening these conditions, making water access a growing concern for wine production. Additionally, changing consumer tastes are contributing to the region’s woes.
German and U.K. wine industries thrive amid challenges, with production and sales rising.As French consumers increasingly choose beer and lighter wines over traditional red Bordeaux wines, the number of active brewers in France has surged from 322 in 2009 to 2,500 in 2021.
Concurrently, wine sales in France have fallen by over a third from 2000 to 2020, while beer sales have risen by 7%. France’s wine exports also declined by 5% in 2022, as reported by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
Conversely, German wines are thriving under similar climate conditions. According to Ernst Büscher of the German Wine Institute, the warming temperatures have generally been advantageous for German vineyards.
Despite some frost issues, the hot, dry growing season in Germany led to a 6% increase in wine production last year. The U.K. is also seeing a rise in wine production, with vineyard hectares quadrupling since 2000 and wine sales increasing by 31% in 2021, largely driven by a boom in sparkling wines.