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The president of the French wine association of all AOCs (CNIV), Bernard Farges, has spoken clearly about the crisis in the French wine industry in an interview. We have to face the reality that there are 100,000 hectares too many vines in France. This corresponds to almost the entire wine-growing area of Germany. There are few alternatives to deforestation. At a conference in Paris, the association called on politicians to ensure that winegrowers receive state aid immediately after grubbing up. Bernard Farges spoke of 2,000 to 2,500 euros per hectare. The subsidy should also not be linked to replanting.
According to Farges, the association wants to boost wine consumption in France again and exports must also grow. There is still a lot of potential in the USA in particular. French wines make up only four per cent of all imports there. There is an urgent need for action to help the industry through the crisis.
Wine consumption has been declining not only in France, but in the EU as a whole for several years. According to forecasts, per capita consumption will fall by around one per cent per year between now and 2035 to around 20 litres. This is 2.4 litres less than the annual average in the years 2018-2022. According to the EU's "Agricultural Outlook 2023-2035", the downward trend in consumption will inevitably lead to a decline in European wine production. The report speaks of a decline of 0.6 per cent per year to 145 million hectolitres by 2035.
(ru / Vitisphere)