Vines soon to be uprooted in the Lot? The French vineyard continues to restructure and Cahors wines are no exception. 600 hectares would already be affected. The uprooting of vines is increasing: Gironde, Gers, Languedoc. The cause: a drop in consumption, overproduction and exploding costs. In the Lot, it is also and largely because of… climate change!
Two years without climatic hazards in eight years
Over the last eight years, only two have been “normal” without hail, frost, excess water and mildew in the Cahors vineyard. Lionel Séménadisse is based in Porte-de-Quercy and in 35 years, he has never seen this! “Over the last four years, I have had two years of frost, one year of mildew and hail which crossed my vineyard” says the winegrower, who adds “you must not be stronger than nature. For eight years, we force, we try to survive, to resist, but there comes a time when…”
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Produce less, but better
Of the 18 hectares he cultivates, this winegrower plans to uproot ten, more than half! It’s heartbreaking for the one who inherited the family estate: “I took over the property, I doubled the operating surface area, I planted vines, I doubled my vat room volumes to vinify 24 hectares.” It is also a choice of reasons, he is approaching retirement, the climatic hazards worry him more and more for the future. Lionel Séménadisse therefore intends to lower the sail and “wants to produce less, but better”.
A so-called “sanitary” uprooting
Uprooting is not done lightly, but it is better to have a vanished vine than an abandoned vine, explains.
Nicolas Fournier, president of the Cahors Wines appellation.“If we leave a vine like that, without being produced and abandoned, diseases can proliferate. There are also pests, insects which can be in these vines and contaminate neighboring plots.” The government’s green light is expected in the fall and grubbing operations could begin at the end of the year. Two methods will be possible: permanent uprooting with loss of rights to the vines or temporary uprooting which will allow replanting in a few years.
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In total, 600 hectares out of the 4,500 hectares of the Cahors vineyard could be uprooted. 300 during a first wave in 2024, then 300 additional hectares in 2025.
