“Starting tomorrow, 33 distillers authorized in France will collect wine and distillate it” FranceAgriMer association wine branch representative Didier Josso said this Thursday June 4th, 2020. This exceptional measure, allowed by the European Union, will enable winegrower to empty vats before the next harvest, and replenish their treasuries following the decrease of exportation of wine abroad.
In April already, Euro-MP Eric Andrieu was worried about the situation: “the wine sector is in danger! Lockdown, closure of restaurants, bars, stores, limited access to supermarkets, billions of European wine liters will be lost, and with them the incomes of thousands of people. It is vital this wine, instead of being lost, be distillated. The European Union must financially support, with the national power, this transformation process. The goal being clear: avoiding waste and many bankruptcies”.
Thanks to this authorization, the FranceAgrimer association will compensate wine distillation with designation for €78 every 100 liters of wine (€58 for wine without a local designation). Winegrowers have until June 19, 2020 to enter the amount they wish to distillate in local distilleries. The FranceAgriMer agency will compensate distillers who will have to transmit aids for producers.
Alcohol issued by distillations will be reserved for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry, especially to produce hand sanitizer, but also to produce bioethanol. This measure is also asked by cider producers who ask for a support plan up to €22 million. They have about 20 million cider liters to exhaust, as well as 100,000 tons of cider apples to withdraw from the market.
