Brussels has approved plans that will see excess wine produced in Bordeaux, Burgundy and other French regions used for other purposes. French vineyards are struggling due to shifting drinking habits that have seen people consume less alcohol. Burgundy is one of the regions where excess wine will be distilled into ethanol due to oversupply. The French government has separately been subsidising vineyards to uproot vines, in an attempt to tamp down the amount of wine produced. In a statement, EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said French wine producers, the “backbone of Europe’s viticultural heritage”, were facing “unprecedented” challenges.

Source: The Irish Times April 03, 2026 06:31 UTC