Bordeaux Launches Land Fund for Uprooted Vineyards

GIROND, France — A new land-buying program aimed at helping restructure Bordeaux’s struggling wine region has opened an application process for vineyard owners who want to sell land pulled from production, as officials in southwestern France try to manage the fallout from a wave of vine removals that is expected to reach 30,000 hectares between 2023 and 2026.

The initiative, called La Foncière d’Avenir en Gironde, was launched at its first steering committee meeting on May 5 and is backed by the French state, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional government, agricultural groups, the public land agency EPFNA, local chambers of commerce and agriculture, four banks and local authorities. The goal is to identify parcels made available through vine uprooting and to redirect them toward other agricultural uses, officials said in a statement from the region.

The program comes as Bordeaux’s wine sector faces deep economic strain, with many growers removing vines but lacking a clear plan for what should happen to the land afterward. Regional officials said the effort is meant to give winegrowers new options while encouraging agricultural diversification on land no longer suited to grape production.

The financing structure is split between public and private partners. EPFNA will provide an initial 10 million euros to get the program started. The full fund is expected to reach 20 million euros, including 13 million euros from the four banking partners — Crédit Agricole, Banque Populaire, Crédit Mutuel and Caisse d’Épargne — and 7 million euros from public institutions including the region, the Gironde chamber of commerce and industry, the Gironde chamber of agriculture and the state.

Officials said the first phase aims to acquire between 1,000 and 2,000 hectares using EPFNA’s initial funding. The broader project remains experimental and is being closely watched because it brings together public and private actors in a model that has not been used elsewhere in France for this purpose.

Several details remain unresolved. Authorities have not disclosed a fixed purchase price for the land. Instead, they said acquisitions would be based on market conditions and Safer reference values, referring to France’s rural land agency. Officials also said it is still unclear how many owners will respond to the call for interest.

The application window opened on May 6 and runs through June 7. It is open to owners who farm their own land as well as non-farming owners who want to sell bare land resulting from vine removal or vineyards scheduled for uprooting in 2026. Applicants must submit a form describing their proposed project in line with the program’s goals and providing details about the parcels offered for sale or exchange.

Submitting an application does not guarantee that a parcel will be purchased, according to the program documents.

After the deadline, Safer will review applications based on soil quality, potential for diversification, parcel layout, environmental considerations, compatibility with zoning rules, fit with local development plans and whether a project can help restore economic stability to farms. A second steering committee meeting is scheduled for early July to identify priority areas and select dossiers deemed most urgent.

Safer will then handle the first contracts over the summer. For parcels selected for purchase, standard rural land procedures will be used through a call for applications under France’s rural and maritime fishing code. Officials said the first sales are expected in the last quarter of 2026, with bank guarantees in place and payment made to sellers.

Information meetings for potential applicants are scheduled throughout May in Bordeaux on May 22 and in subprefectures across Gironde.