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The Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) is discussing the clearing of an additional 4,000 hectares of vineyards by the end of 2025. This would mean that the viticulture of the region would abandon almost 20 percent of the vineyard area. The reason for the clearings is the declining wine consumption.
"It is obvious that we cannot produce more than we can sell. That is not tenable," explained CIVB President Allan Sichel at the association's general assembly. The clearing plan approved in 2023 originally called for 8,000 hectares. At that time, applications from winemakers for this area were submitted, and work began in August 2023. By December 2024, the enlarged clearing area encompassed 14,000 hectares. 10,000 hectares had already been cleared by that time. Thus, the Bordeaux vineyard area has been less than 100,000 hectares since the end of last year.
According to the prefecture of the Gironde department, winemakers are now to name the areas that they believe should be cleared additionally. Their extent could significantly exceed the 18,000 hectares mentioned by the CIVB. Didier Cousiney, spokesperson for the winemaker group Viti 33, estimates: "In reality, over 30,000 hectares would need to be cleared in Bordeaux, considering the decline in consumption, unsold wine stocks, and the critical situation of many winemakers."
However, it is still unclear who will finance the further clearings. All subsidies allocated for this purpose have already been exhausted, and the CIVB has stated that it has no more money for this.
(cs / Vitisphere / La Tribune / Terre de Vins)
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