At Château Pré La Lande (AOC Sainte-Foy-Côtes-de-Bordeaux), in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Gironde, September 21, 2018. GEORGES GOBET / AFP
"We, the angry winemakers." That is the headline of the letter circulating throughout the Bordeaux vineyards for several weeks, partially published by the industry outlet Vitisphère and which Le Monde has reviewed. The letter claims responsibility for acts of vandalism carried out twice: first, during the night of October 12, at the winery of an organic producer in the Blayais; then, on October 16, at a château in the Médoc. This was a first in Gironde. "To stop this destruction, we took action and, with heavy hearts, opened the tanks to prevent these wines from being sold at unacceptable prices on the market and worsening our situation," the letter states.
Nicolas Carreau, president of the AOC Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux and a close associate of one of the affected winegrowers, who declined to comment, explained the situation. "He had just been placed in liquidation. His wines were auctioned off at a historically low price: 28 centimes per liter, while the average bulk price for this appellation is usually €2.39." The "angry winemakers" then forced open the doors of his cellar and emptied 1,000 hectoliters of wine onto the floor to keep it off the market, Carreau said.
