Vineyard owners in Bordeaux are on high alert, monitoring wind direction and rising temperatures, as smoke from smoldering "zombie fires" threatens to damage their crops from a distance.
At Ch芒teau Malartic-Lagravi猫re, a 200-year-old estate producing classified red wines located just 10 kilometers from an evacuation zone in southern Bordeaux, workers are particularly anxious. "Some say these 'zombie fires' can reignite," remarked S茅verine Bonnie, who works at the estate known for its Pessac-L茅ognan red and white wines. "The situation remains fragile, so we are tense." These fires, which appear extinguished but continue to burn underground, are referred to as "zombie fires."
On Sunday, French authorities announced that the wildfire in the Gironde region, southwest of Bordeaux, had stopped spreading. Approximately 80,000 previously evacuated residents were allowed to return home. However, firefighters continue to battle hotspots, with officials warning that the next 48 hours are critical. Firefighters have already dug 127 kilometers of trenches and sprayed fire retardant over the affected areas.
Smoke Damages Wine's Flavor
In recent years, wildfires have become an increasing threat to French wine producers, compounding the pressures of climate change and rising temperatures. These factors contribute to shorter growing seasons, lower yields, and changes in grape flavor and quality. Earlier this month, a small wildfire in Provence on the Mediterranean coast severely impacted some growers. In the Roussillon region, a fire nearly destroyed the entire 9-hectare vineyard of owner Gilles Troullier. The scorched vines included 30-year-old Carignan grapes, a variety well-suited to the Mediterranean climate that improves with age. "This is an irreplaceable part of wine-growing heritage, and it is now gone," Troullier said. "We are on the front line of climate change, and this region is becoming semi-desert."
For wine producers, the danger is not just that fires can destroy the vines. Smoke from burning wood can damage grapes from afar, as volatile phenolic compounds are absorbed by the grape skins, releasing smoky or ashy flavors during fermentation and aging. "Wines that initially show no smoky flavor can develop a chimney-like odor during fermentation, or even during aging," said Eric Serrano, director of the French Institute of Vine and Wine. "It is like a ticking time bomb."
Statistics show that approximately 115,000 hectares of land in France have been burned this summer, moving the country toward its worst wildfire season since 1949. Currently, the Gironde wildfires are far from many of Bordeaux's most famous vineyards, including the Margaux and Saint-Julien appellations along the Gironde estuary and the Saint-脡milion region to the east, so those areas are not yet threatened. However, the Pessac-L茅ognan and Graves appellations, which are closer to the fire and smoke, will be the first to be affected. If firefighters cannot stop the fire from spreading north or east, more vineyards will be at risk. Furthermore, the longer this week-long crisis persists, the greater the potential loss of tourism revenue as people cancel reservations and trips.
In Provence, winemaker Lucie Moutonnet reported that a fire swept through 14 of the 18 hectares of vines at Ch芒teau Mercadier. With only about a month left until harvest, she must urgently test the scorched plots and grapes exposed to smoke and ash. "If these compounds are detected, I will decide to abandon the harvest," she said, noting that the yield could be reduced to one-third of normal.
Bordeaux's Pre-existing Struggles
In Bordeaux, the outbreak of wildfires comes at a time when the region was already facing difficulties. For years, weak domestic and international demand for red wine has forced producers to pull up vines. To reduce production and balance the market, the Gironde region has cleared about 21,000 hectares of vineyards from August 2023 to May 2026 through government-subsidized and non-subsidized programs. Even prestigious estates have not been immune to the downturn. According to the Liv-ex Bordeaux 500 index, the total value of the Bordeaux fine wine market has shrunk by nearly one-fifth over the past five years. Rising summer temperatures could put even more pressure on the region, which primarily produces red wine. In hot weather, red wine sales typically decline, as consumers tend to switch to chilled white wines, ros茅s, or sparkling wines.
Tourists Shift North
While the wine industry faces long-term concerns, the tourism sector in southwestern France is dealing with a more immediate crisis, as it is being directly impacted by the fires. The Gabriel family, who vacation in Bordeaux every year, visiting multiple wineries for tastings, told Yicai that they have had to change their plans this year. They are now heading to a cooler destination, such as the Rheingau region near Frankfurt, Germany, known for its Riesling wines. "Southern Europeans typically don't vacation in Germany, but our choice is evidence of changing consumer behavior under climate change," Gabriel said. "It's a practical choice; traditional European holiday destinations are now too hot."
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, France's Minister Delegate for Tourism, said tourism professionals in the southwest are pessimistic. Just as they were preparing for the peak summer season, many summer bookings at resorts have been canceled due to the fires. Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, recently noted that heatwaves are encouraging tourists to avoid summer holidays in southern Europe and instead choose destinations further north. He stated that customers avoiding persistently hot areas is the "biggest change" the airline group has observed in recent weeks. "We are seeing more and more Europeans avoiding... parts of France, Spain, and all those places hit by extreme heat or fires," he added. While many American tourists are sticking to their original plans, "the biggest shift in travel patterns" is Europeans heading to "northern Europe" this summer. Over the past week, as the continent experienced a new heatwave, wildfires ravaged parts of France and Spain, forcing the evacuation of some holiday resorts.
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