More than 10% of Bordeaux vineyards devastated by hail in June

“For the vines, it is 10,000 hectares in the storms of Monday evening and 4,000 in the storms of early June in the east of the department, it is considerable“, detailed Bernard Farges, president of the interprofessional council of Bordeaux wine (CIVB) on France Bleu Gironde. “It’s a disaster for the houses, for the crops», adds the winemaker. And even if “hail is insurable», «the insurance system is insufficient in France“, he regretted. On Monday, firefighters intervened 862 times in the north of the Gironde and in the agglomeration of Bordeaux, where hailstones the size of golf balls fell. “Corn, vines, field vegetables: no production seems to have been spared” in northern Gironde, underlined the chamber of agriculture.

Localized but very significant damage was observed in the Médoc and Blayais vineyards, while the episode in early June affected the Sainte-Foy-la-Grande sector. “The succession of claims leads winegrowers to be less well insured. It is not their fault to have had several claims but they can no longer be insured as they should, so they are destitute and in great economic danger.“, underlined Bernard Farges. In this difficult context for winegrowers, also against a backdrop of sales crisis, the great festive event of “Bordeaux celebrates wineopened Friday on the banks of the Garonne after two years of absence. “This event will not raise the morale of those who are affected and very affected psychologically, but we must continue to promote wine, because the vineyard will restart and these companies will restart.“, assured Bernard Farges.

SEE ALSO – Hailstones the size of a tennis ball in the south-west of France