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In France, in view of the increasing sales problems, surplus quantities of wine are being taken off the market and sent for distillation. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, up to 160 million euros in subsidies from the state and the EU will be made available for this purpose. In addition, state-guaranteed loans will be extended and it will be easier to set aside vineyards. This was promised by the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, at a meeting with representatives from the wine industry.
A total of about 2.5 million hl are to be distilled, which corresponds to the average annual harvest of Austria. Red wines from the Bordeaux, Languedoc and Rhône regions are particularly affected. The reasons for this are the declining red wine consumption in France and export problems, especially to China. According to calculations by the wine industry, the surplus will be as much as 3 million hl and the financial need 240 million euros. In Bordeaux, many winegrowers are demanding set-aside premiums for vineyards in order to be able to build up a new existence.
The Ministry of Agriculture has therefore called on the players in France's wine sector to "make the necessary adjustments to changing demand and climate change and to eliminate structural overproduction". The government would also offer support.
The alcohol obtained from crisis distillation can be used to produce disinfectants, perfumes or bioethanol.
(al / Source: WineNews; Photo: 123rf)