France's winegrowers head north
Worldwide overproduction and raised production costs are forcing winemakers in southern France out of business. With this year's drought adding to the crisis, some are moving north to start again. - 2026/09 / article
France's winegrowers are facing a crisis as they move north in search of new lands to cultivate. Overproduction and increased production costs, exacerbated by a drought this year, are forcing many out of business. The department of Pyrénées-Orientales, located northwest of Perpignan, has seen a significant decline in vineyards. Thirty years ago, it had 50,000 hectares of vineyards, but in early 2026, only 13,000 remain.
An additional 2,000 hectares are slated for uprooting in the coming months. There are no plans for what to do with the abandoned land.
This crisis is not limited to the Roussillon region. France's vineyards have shrunk by 6% between 2003 and 2025 due to a global overproduction crisis. The Bordeaux region, for instance, reduced its red wine output by two thirds between 2016 and 2024. Consumption has been declining since the 1950s, with only 10% of French people drinking wine daily, and half of those being over 55. The climate crisis has further worsened the situation by raising production costs, particularly in southern France.
Pyrénées-Orientales experienced very little precipitation between 2021 and 2025, with only 246mm of rain in 2023, placing it in the 'semi-arid' category. The department has had to implement water usage restrictions, reminiscent of the tanker deliveries seen in 2023 and 2024. The vines are succumbing to the lack of water, yet the local varieties are among Europe's most drought-resistant.
Despite the current challenges, some local cooperatives are adapting. The Estagel cooperative, for instance, used its concrete tanks, originally built to store wines like Muscat de Rivesaltes but now empty, to hold water reserves for the fire service during a recent heatwave. The past few summers have seen significant wildfires, with 5,000 hectares burning in the Trévillach area and 15,000 hectares destroyed in the Corbières in recent years.
While rainfall returned in winter 2025-26, a study published in 2024 warns that if global warming exceeds 2°C, some areas may face further challenges.
Written by urgent.news from Le Monde diplomatique (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
