Wine Cooperatives in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Face Closures as Audits Confirm Irreversible Decline in Consumption

Wine cooperatives in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region are facing a wave of closures as wine consumption continues to decline across France. Recent audits of 21 cooperatives, funded by a €420,000 regional plan for 2025, have concluded that the drop in wine consumption is both definitive and irreversible. The findings, presented in Bordeaux on January 7, indicate that it would be unrealistic to expect a return to the consumption levels or markets of previous decades. Instead, the audits urge cooperatives to take immediate action to avoid collapse, even if that means closing or dismantling some sites.

The regional plan aims to reorganize a sector that accounts for 30% of Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s wine production. The next step is to translate these findings into a concrete action plan by 2026. Elisabeth Galineau, director of the wine section at Coopération Agricole de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, emphasized the urgency: “We need solutions for crop advances this season. This is just the start of the action plan, but it needs to move quickly—within four to six weeks we need clear measures.” She noted that all cooperatives, not just those audited, are facing similar difficulties and are now working together to improve their operations and adapt their organizations.

Although the full results of the audits have not been released due to the diversity of data collected, they have already led to a collective realization among industry leaders. According to a note from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, “the status quo is no longer tenable.” The report highlights that falling volumes are creating a “scissor effect,” with rising unit costs, worsening financial ratios, and increasing debt. The once-strong network of cooperatives has become a weakness when combined with fragmentation, overlapping facilities, and underused industrial capacity.

The region has accepted that the decline in wine consumption is largely structural rather than cyclical. “We fully share the view that we will not see a return to past consumption levels or markets,” states the regional note. “It would be illusory to build a strategy on waiting for a market rebound. Both vineyards and cooperative facilities must undergo deep restructuring.” This need for change is heightened by an upcoming campaign in 2026 for permanent vine removal, which will further reduce production and leave many cooperative facilities oversized.

The audits recommend increased pooling of resources, including possible mergers between cooperatives. However, such changes will require significant public support at the national level—restructuring debt, strengthening equity capital, and adapting industrial tools and internal organizations. The region’s approach aligns with recent national efforts, such as the €10 million aid package for restructuring French wine cooperatives announced by the Conseil général de l'alimentation, de l'agriculture et des espaces ruraux (CGAAER).

For many cooperative leaders, waiting for neighboring sites to fail before taking action is no longer an option. With financial indicators now clearly showing distress, managers are being pushed to act quickly—especially when it comes to resizing operations. One cooperative president commented that there was no need for an audit to reveal that debt was already forcing closures and dismantling: “We’re being encouraged to merge so we don’t cannibalize each other’s land and sales. It’s no longer about waiting things out—it’s about taking responsibility and bringing our boards along with us.”