Annie Genevard reiterated her support for the wine industry at the national congress of independent winemakers. The congress focused on the essential development of wine tourism to sustain the value created in the French wine region.
Addressing a hundred representatives of the Independent Winemakers from all over France at their annual congress held this year at the iconic Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard expressed her support for the French wine sector alongside the president of the national federation of private cellars, Jean-Marie Fabre. Fabre emphasized the importance of continuing to carry “an optimistic vision” for the sector, as the Independent Winemakers have decided to focus all their efforts on wine tourism, the central theme of this 2026 congress.
However, Fabre pointed out that “crises are no longer adding up, they are overlapping,” and praised a minister who has responded promptly since her arrival 18 months ago, in a politically unstable French context, while the sector is going through one of its toughest periods and financial challenges from Bercy are becoming even more severe.
In a world that he describes as “truly devoid of meaning,” the vigneron from Fitou also emphasized to the minister that the Independent Winemakers’ model is “one of the French responses to the expectations of consumers worldwide who want to understand, feel, and engage.” He highlighted the role of these SME leaders in promoting an activity where “over 12 million wine tourists visit our estates each year in France, generating 6 billion euros in economic impact, a durable, unlocalized value.”
The sustainability of wine businesses to develop oenotourism activity led Fabre to strongly remind the minister about the need to address climate challenges for “our open sky businesses, moving from a policy of compensation to a policy of prevention.”
Wine is obviously not a product like any other
Highlighting that “wine is obviously not a product like any other, each drop representing a part of our identity as deep as the vine roots, each glass a chapter of history,” Annie Genevard elaborated on the importance of water in civilization construction, emphasizing the vital role it plays in agriculture today. She announced the urgent law she is preparing to present in early April at the Council of Ministers will “address the complexity of standards, in cases where they hinder production, particularly on the water issue,” as well as predation, land compensation, and income.
Recapping the extensive state support measures for the sector, Genevard emphasized “the massive crisis recovery plan announced at Sitevi last November, in addition to over a billion euros of support provided by the state to the wine sector since 2020.” She mentioned the release of an initial 6 million euros credit from the government to the MSA specific to viticulture for 2026, a fund that will be supplemented by an additional 10 million euros post-harvest.
Prioritizing Simplification
She indicated “simplification” as the top priority of her ministry, ensuring that “she does not add more complexity, but rather simplifies operators’ lives as much as the law and European framework allow.” Genevard confirmed the long-awaited drone decree on this occasion, temporarily authorizing drone spraying in Aude, Hérault, Gard, and Pyrénées-Orientales until April 30 in areas where ground treatments are not feasible.
With her support and a significant financial effort despite budgetary complexity, the agriculture minister testified to the state’s determination to sustainably save our viticulture and support its recovery. This is not an emergency plan to correct structural imbalances but an investment,” she emphasized.
Going beyond financial aspects, Genevard issued a call to “enchant the culture of wine among young people, by giving meaning to wine sharing that other festive rituals have replaced without us noticing.” She stressed that wine tourism is one of the avenues that can contribute to this enrichment.
