French vineyards are moving north

As temperatures warm, the vineyards of France are moving north. The newspaper Le Monde reports that plantings are now underway in Brittany. The first harvest on the peninsula of Quiberon should take place, unless setback, in 2024. In the long term, it is a question of cultivating three to four hectares, to vinify locally and to "prove that one can make good wine in Brittany".

Ten years ago, such an ambition, in a region devoid of professional vineyards, could have aroused sarcasm. The effects of climate change, in addition to certain regulatory changes, are changing the game. In Brittany, we must speak of "return" and not "appearance" of the vine. Archaeological evidence shows viticultural practices in the far west of Gaul from the dawn of our era. The Bretons have subsequently concocted wine for centuries.

A vineyard of the Braden domain in Quimper (Finistère). GALIVEL / ANDIA.FR

Already two wine growers, Bernard Tardivel and Jean-Pierre Vivier, produced their first red wine in Saint-Suliac, a small village in Brittany. The wine is made from a grape variety that originates from Portugal called Rondo, specially chosen for its robustness and longevity. “We really have a little paradise here. The weather is always mild in Brittany," Vivier told the 20 Minutes newspaper.