These vines were planted by his grandfather over thirty years ago. Did Lionel Dugerdil hesitate before tearing them away? “Not at all. It was that or the bankruptcy of the company, “he said facing the blaze. The Choully winemaker has spent the last few days reducing the size of his estate with the help of his farm workers. He cultivated 30 hectares; he now has 24 left. In total, 60,000 vines were thrown into the fire. Gamay for the most part, but also chasselas. “I’m pulling out because we lose more money every year. Maybe I will replant in two or three years, but I cannot afford to work at a loss this year again, “explains the winemaker, converted to organic for three years.
Harvesting vines is part of the routine work in the fields. Particularly when a foot has produced fruit for more than thirty years. But faced with the current crisis, many have not planned to replant new vines. Not far from the Dugerdil family, Jacques Pottu has set aside 1.5 of his 9.5 hectares at Malval. “It’s the first time I’ve pulled so many feet without replacing them,” he says. At Peissy, André Serex uprooted 8,000 feet of chasselas. He certainly replanted gamaret on the plot, but only 4000 units. He announces: “There are going to be big waves of uprisings throughout the canton.”
“Rejuvenate the vineyard”
With its sixty affiliated producers, Cave de Genève is no exception to the downward trend. But Jérôme Leupin, its director, prefers to speak of “renewal” of the vineyard. “In the past, producers have planted very high-yielding plants. Unfortunately, the entry-level gamay no longer matches demand. We would like to avoid too much supply in a very tight market, ”he says. Consequently, it was suggested to each supplier of the largest cellar in the canton to “rejuvenate the vineyard” in these uncertain times.
President of the cooperative that groups these winegrowers, Bernard Vulliez confirms that the grubbing-up is the fruit of a discussion with the management of the Cave de Genève. “They are done on a voluntary basis. Almost everyone is playing the game. ” By removing 1.3 hectares, Bernard Vulliez is no exception. “Gamay was very buoyant fifteen years ago; today it is out of fashion. It is no longer sold and the costs are no longer covered, ”he observes. If the winemaker has replanted syrah and chardonnay on his plots, he recognizes that the deletions of this spring 2020 are “clearly beyond” traditional uprooting.
The fall of the bulk
Falling prices and increasing imports of foreign wines: the winemakers all point to the same people responsible for the crisis they are going through. It is mainly the bulk wine (sold wholesale to merchants) that hits the bottom. To sell it, producers must agree to sell it to 80 [Insécable (espace définie)] cents per liter. A price significantly lower than the production costs of local winegrowers, who estimate they spend around 2 fr.20 to produce a liter of table wine.
In this context, the gamay – 23% of the Geneva wine-growing surface – fills the vats and does not flow, or little. Do we produce too much wine in Geneva? “I don’t think so,” replies Jérôme Leupin. The consumer drinks less, but better. The competition is fierce and we have to fight to win market share. ”
On the ground, the producers point above all another adversary: foreign wines and our large distributors who have their pallets delivered en masse. Because since 2017, the year of the frost and its major destruction in the vineyard, traders have maintained high import levels. One hundred and seventy-eight million liters were imported in 2018 (figures for 2019 have not yet been published); Italy remains the main supplier, ahead of France, Spain and Portugal. Their market shares should even increase in the coming years since the reform of the European agricultural policy provides for large subsidies to producers, as well as colossal budgets for the promotion of wines.
As for the consumption of Swiss wines, it increased slightly. But it does not measure up to that of wines from South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile, each year more numerous in the shelves of mass distribution.
Unchanged imports
Monday, a delegation of winegrowers was precisely on the Federal Square of Bern to make their claims heard. Lionel Dugerd was there. “Foreign wines are imported at too low prices while Swiss producers are dying, plague Satignote. We only ask to be able to live from our work. “
If the authorities have indeed grasped the subject, in no case will the measures relate to import quotas. For the time being, the only proposal foresees an intensification of the promotion of Swiss wines. Insufficient, according to the producers in working order against free trade.
At the local level, after a decade of relative stability, the size of the Geneva areas exploited could decrease as a result of these uprooting. The quantity produced will necessarily drop. Enough to drive prices up? In the meantime, some see it as an adaptation to the necessary demand. But no one denies that each uprooted hectare constitutes a loss of heritage.
The dry catering market
Catering: this is where a large number of Geneva producers sell their bottles. But since the appearance of the Covid-19 and its aftermath, the market has naturally dried up. “Some colleagues have shown an 80% drop in turnover,” said Bernard Vulliez, president of the cooperative that brings together members of the Cave de Genève. Beyond the closure of restaurants, the cancellation of the protests – such as the Motor Show – has dealt the sector a severe blow. There then remain sales to the private sector, a niche market which hardly compensates for the losses of those who traditionally rely on catering.
Nevertheless, “private customers play the game. We must thank them”, welcomes
Lionel Dugerdil, who, like most producers, delivers at home.
Director of AgriGenève, François Erard did not miss this wind of sympathy that blows on local products. “Direct sales are experiencing very strong growth,” he observes. But he is not naive: this phenomenon is largely explained by the impossibility of shopping in France
and the fact that customers feel more secure on a farm than in a supermarket. “I have no illusions. The population will resume its habits with the recovery, predicts François Erard. But if we manage to keep 25% of new customers, it will already be interesting. ”
L.D.S.
Created: 23.04.2020, 06:49
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