In French vineyards,  global warming is in full swing. Weather hazards (winter mildness, spring frost, hail, drought, etc.) are increasing, gradually distorting the very taste of the AOPs we know . If there is a harvest, however.  Will the  specifications change?  Will French winemakers have to  borrow the grape varieties and techniques used in the New World to continue producing wine? Spoiler alert: this is already happening.

French winemaking expertise   in danger?

A winemaker from Languedoc recently contacted me to order Greek white wine. The reason? The grape varieties grown on his plots, which are typical of  the  region, are no longer suited to the climate . Repeated droughts and intense heat are starting to take their toll on his plantations, and he's looking for a solution.

Vines in danger.

Degrees too high.

Destructive spring frost  .

Hail that  destroys crops ...

Throughout France, but also in Spain and Italy, the climate is disrupting habits and traditions , first of farmers, and then by extension those of consumers. This  Languedoc winemaker , like thousands of others, is facing  drastic choices  simply to continue to exist. Because it is not only his know-how that is in danger, it is his very activity.

Keep your  PDOs?

In the future, this winemaker  could  choose the comfort of tradition and absolutely want to preserve his AOP (protected designation of origin), with their very precise criteria and specifications.

 The AOP  system is fascinating, whether in France or in any country that has a similar system. It obviously promotes a high degree of quality. But it is also  designed on conditions and  a climate that will remain fixed for eternity   . However, if the conditions change, if the degrees increase or if harvests are impossible because of calamities, then the system will eventually collapse. At least, if we refuse to evolve.

Changes are coming,  however  . For example, irrigation, once reviled, is making its appearance in certain PDOs in the south. Why not?  But  what will we do when water also runs out?  These half-measures only delay the inevitable . And what's more, it's expensive. 

Exit the AOP system?

My Languedoc winegrower client also has the choice of leaving the system to  free himself from the strict rules of the AOP .

PDO unions provide powerful support in terms of viticulture, winemaking,  and  marketing advice. They build networks, organize events, and  provide  export support. And consumers are reassured by  these  PDOs . They know what to expect when they buy their bottles.

Thinking outside the box means  going  it alone, starting from scratch.  For  regular customers, it's no problem; they know the address.  However,  finding new customers becomes complicated without the AOP argument. The best strategy is still to take it step by step by offering local wines alongside AOPs.

Mais là encore, si les clients de ce vigneron sont habitués à un certain goût, resteront-ils fidèles si le climat modifie la nature même des vins ? Encore une fois, si récolte il y a…

Explorer de nouvelles voies en s’inspirant des vignerons étrangers ?

L’immuabilité est rassurante, mais elle est dangereuse sur le long-terme, car le monde évolue en permanence, et plus vite qu'avant. Les technologies et les produits qui disparaissent ne disparaissent que parce qu’ils ne sont plus adaptés aux besoins. Autrement dit, un viticulteur qui n’évolue pas va finir par se heurter à des écueils liés au changement climatique, à l’évolution des goûts des consommateurs ou encore aux contraintes techniques et économiques.

Plus que jamais, le vigneron a besoin de devenir une marque attractive, audible, différenciante et inspirante. Le vin ne se vend plus seul. Il doit avoir une histoire, une authenticité, être marketé, être adapté au marché pour faire face à la concurrence d’autres boissons.

Et ça, les vignerons du Nouveau Monde l’ont compris dès le départ. 

En quoi serait-ce un crime de planter du Tempranillo en Bourgogne s’il s’avère que le sol calcaire de la région est adapté ? Pourquoi l’élevage en amphore n’est-il pas plus développé ? Dans quelle mesure la culture en pergola ou autre est un problème si la qualité du raisin obtenu est optimale et qu’elle renforce la biodiversité tout en protégeant des brûlures ? Qu’est-ce qui empêche de commercialiser des assemblages improbables comme le fait l'australien Chester Osborn avec son Wild Pixie (Shiraz et Roussanne) que je vends ? Rien. Enfin si : la tradition.

(Edit - 15 mars 2023) Lors d'un récent webinaire, un représentant des pépinières Mercier en France évoquait justement le travail de l'entreprise concernant la recherche de nouveaux cépages. Via le programme Nathy, la société Mercier commercialise déjà de nouvelles variétés, plus résistantes aux maladies et aux aléas, avec des caractéristiques organoleptiques très intéressantes. Problème : ces nouveaux cépages ont un goût légèrement différent de ce qui est connu ou ne collent pas forcément aux cahiers des charges des AOP. Conserver la tradition au risque de disparaître ? Ou s'adapter ? L'avenir s'annonce plein de surprises et nous promet de jolies découvertes gustatives.

Le savoir-faire n’appartient pas qu’aux vignerons français

Without exploration, without experimentation, our world is condemned to habits, to conformism, reassuring, but  utterly  bland. I campaign to promote the expertise of foreign winemakers, because  they bring that freshness and freedom of spirit that was ending up lacking in major wine-producing countries like France.

 French  winemaking expertise  has inspired (and still inspires)  many   winemakers around the world.  Their goal has never been to reproduce the same wines, but rather to draw inspiration from techniques and adapt them locally . Today , these New World winemakers excel through the quality of their products, their approach to wine, and their innovations.

They dare to go further , look to the future and innovation without forgetting where they come from, adapt to changes, and  shape  the world of wine of tomorrow. French winemakers also have their place there, provided they agree to play by these new rules.

Online wine merchants to the rescue of winegrowers?

One difficulty remains: how can consumers navigate an ever-increasing variety of products  ? The creation of appellations was intended to make it easier to understand the market, which is useful for supermarket sales. But  if PDOs as we know them today were to disappear, then consumers would have three choices:

• stop drinking wine
• spend time exploring and testing for themselves
• rely on the advice of wine explorers who humbly try, like me, to help them discover treasures with a view to an exciting taste experience

My online cellar is now one of the most diverse in Europe, with more than 30 (soon to be 40?) countries to discover. This work has only one goal: to show that it's not the country that counts when making good wine, but the passion of the winemaker, wherever they are in the world.

In Belgium,  winegrowers have already understood everything  !