France's wine industry faces new threat as wildfires near Bordeaux

Wildfires raging near Bordeaux are casting a long shadow over France's renowned wine country, threatening to worsen the economic struggles of its already beleaguered wine industry and tourism sector.

Edouard le Grix de la Salle, a vineyard owner, can sometimes smell the distant fires, a scent that brings a "whiff of hardship." The blazes have consumed an area four times the size of Paris, forcing 220,000 people to evacuate and impacting tourist attractions. Patrick Seguin, president of the regional chamber of commerce, described the situation as both a "physical apocalypse" and an "economic apocalypse," warning it would be "a stab in the back for what remains of our economy."

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It's a physical apocalypse when you see all these sites where there's nothing left aside from burnt homes and forests, and then there's the economic apocalypse. It's going to be a stab in the back for what remains of our economy.

Entrepreneurs like Le Grix de la Salle are bracing for further pain. Government appeals for people to avoid the region are particularly concerning for the wine sector, where tourism has become increasingly vital. Bordeaux's legendary wine has seen consumption decline as younger generations opt for different beverages, and competition from international vineyards intensifies. U.S. tariffs previously added to winemakers' woes.

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It's incredible that they've said such a thing, especially when wine tourism is becoming more and more important.

"The wine business has been in crisis for several years now and it's worsening with the geopolitical problems, the now widespread problems of inflation and the fact that wine is falling out of fashion among younger people," Le Grix de la Salle explained. "Tourism was really the only dynamic part of the business that was still growing... And now this comes along as a brake."

While the fires have affected only a small percentage of the Gironde region's vast area, their impact on Bordeaux's reputation is significant. The region, known for its beaches, châteaux, pine forests, and historic city, attracts numerous tourists. The fires and subsequent evacuations have emptied popular spots, affecting thousands of businesses, including major defense and aerospace companies like Airbus. Even before the fires, rising energy costs were already squeezing profits.

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The wine business has been in crisis for several years now and it's worsening with the geopolitical problems, the now widespread problems of inflation and the fact that wine is falling out of fashion among younger people. Tourism was really the only dynamic part of the business that was still growing, both for us and, more generally, for Bordeaux wines. And now this comes along as a brake.