VINEXPO / FRANCE: Rise in organic vineyards

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 25 June 2009

The number of organic winemakers in France grew by 20% in 2008, according to newly released figures.

Around 2,300 wineries were registered as having organic vineyards in 2008, according to France's organic food and drink body, Agence Bio.

Languedoc-Roussillon continued to be the wine region with the most organic vines, reporting more than 8,000 certified vineyards.

"The qualitative gap between organic and non-organic wines is now next to negligible," said Christophe Palmowski, general manager of Vignerons Catalans, in the Vinexpo in-house news bulletin during this week's show in Bordeaux.

However, cost of production remains a deterrent, according to Palmowski, who helped to create the Fruite Catalan wine brand.

"Should we manage to balance offer and demand, consumers will not want to pay the extra 20% to 30%, and this will be a problem as organic production is more expensive," he said.

Sectors: Wine

Companies: Vinexpo