NB: this episode contains sensitive material, given we discuss suicide - see the links on our website show notes for help and more.
Bordeaux is one of the most famous names in wine. Yet this jewel in the French wine crown has been having a wretched time of late, afflicted by a whole bunch of problems, from rampaging wildfires to plummeting consumption, land prices tanking, production plunging and general climate change chaos.
It's being described as the worst crisis for Bordeaux since phylloxera and the Great Depression - so no wonder producers are feeling the pressure, in some cases with tragic outcomes.
Bordeaux's proud vineyard is being severely pruned - down from 109,000 hectares in 2023 to 86,000 hectares in 2026, a severe contraction of more than 20% in just three frantic years. Olives, goji berries and apples are replacing vines.
'The landscape of Bordeaux is changing,' notes respected Bordeaux-based writer Chloé Cazaux Grandpierre, who has some eye-opening details to share in this episode about all these issues and more.
We also discuss how Bordeaux is responding to this crisis, including topics like the controversial new 'Bordeaux Claret' category, surprising innovations on the production front and wine tourism, in a concerted effort to craft a brighter future.
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