Wildfires burn Southern France and California
France is currently experiencing its largest wildfire since 1949 with one person dead and 13 others injured. Since igniting on Tuesday 5 August, the fire has burned through 17,000 ha (42,000 acres) across the Aude region of southern France. Parts of the AOP of Corbières has been devastated. Anael Payrou, director of the Cellier des Demoiselles co-op, told Vitisphere that two-thirds of their growers’ vineyards had been affected to varying degrees, with significant crop losses likely even in vineyards not destroyed by the fire as a result of smoke taint and grapes being sprayed with retardant. As of yesterday, the fire had been contained. Many winemakers in the region are blaming the rapid spread of the fire on the recent loss of vineyards – Corbières has seen 5,000 ha (12,355 acres), 7% of its vineyards, grubbed up in the last year and overtaken by scrub and brush that easily ignited. Ploughed vineyards, in contrast, acted as natural firebreaks.
While the world’s attention has been on the Aude, I nearly missed news of smaller fires in Corsica. Thank you, once again, to news listener Julio Patino for bringing this to my attention. Fires began on 2 August in two municipalities, Oletta and Poggio d’Oletta in the AOP of Patrimonio (the AOP posted photos on Instagram that I will link to). The burned area totals 50 ha (124 acres). Clos Marfisi and Domaine Leccia both lost vineyards to the fire, and an investigation into suspected arson has been opened.
Half a world away, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara are experiencing California’s largest wildfire this year. The fire began on 1 August and has burned nearly 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares). It is only 15% contained and currently threatens more than 1,200 structures. It remains to be seen if smoke taint will affect wineries in the area. The fact that wineries are located so close to the coast does tend to keep air moving – evidenced by the fact that the current US Air Quality Index in Santa Barbara is ranked at moderate.
China’s 1919 Group to close 1,500 stores
On 31 July, Vino-Joy, a wine publication devoted to China’s wine market, announced that China’s largest alcohol retail chain, 1919 Group, is planning on closing 1,500 retail locations. The cited reason is a misalignment with franchise partners. According to founder and chairman Yang Lingjiang, some franchises have gone so far as sourcing products through unauthorised channels. The company will be implementing a closed-loop procurement system. It will also be pivoting its model to ‘experience-based retail’ and plans to open more than 50 stores offering drinks and dining by early next year.
New Geographical Indication for Argentina
On 16 July Alto Agrelo was officially recognised as a geographical indication (GI) by Argentina’s National Institute of Viticulture. It is the fifth GI within Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo department alongside Luján de Cuyo, Las Compuertas, Vistalba and Agrelo – and yes that is separate from the new Alto Agrelo. Grupo Avinea – which owns the brands Argento, Otronia, Cruz da Piedra and others, as well as a 232-ha (573-acre) certified-organic vineyard within Alto Agrelo – led the campaign for the GI’s recognition.
Mining concerns in Australia and New Zealand
On 7 August Emma Jenkins MW published a piece in Decanter about the wine industry’s response to a proposed gold mine in Central Otago, New Zealand. Santana Minerals had been prospecting in the area since 2012 and, in 2024, declared that they had made the largest single gold discovery in New Zealand in four decades. They have now applied to dig an open-pit gold mine planned to be 900 m wide (more than half a mile) and three smaller pits in the Bendigo subregion of Central Otago – an area with a large number of wineries. Jenkins reports that the Central Otago Winegrowers Association (COWA) has written to New Zealand’s prime minister requesting that they be included in the process as an affected party. Growers and wineries are concerned about groundwater contamination and the possible effect the mine would have on tourism. Locals in the area are also concerned and a group by the name of Sustainable Tarras has put together a list of things that New Zealanders can do to oppose the mine.
Also on 7 August, Wine Titles, an Australia-based publication, reported that the wine industry had raised concerns over a proposed silver mine in Mudgee – a GI to the west of the Hunter Valley within New South Wales. A new report by SGS Economics and Planning highlights potential impacts of lead contamination from the mine and raises concerns of its effects on the area’s wine and tourism industries. The Mudgee Wine Association along with other local community and business groups are asking the New South Wales government to add Mudgee to the list of areas that prohibit open-cut mining. Neighbouring regions including the Upper Hunter, Gloucester and Liverpool Plains already prohibit open-cut mining. The Mudgee Region Action Group is taking signatures and donations to try to stop the mine.
Super-light wine bottle introduced
On 5 August, The Portugal News announced that the lightest wine bottle in the world – weighing 260 g – would be unveiled at this week’s Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The 750-ml lightweight bottle is made of 80% recycled glass and was developed by request of a Portuguese consortium called Embalagem do Futuro (Packaging of the Future), which worked with Santos Barosa – a glass-production facility owned by the Vidrala Group – and LiDA, the Design and Arts Laboratory of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Currently, the lightest bottle on the market weighs around 300 g.
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Photo at top of Corsica vineyards credit Vins de Corse
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