One of the most arresting images to come out of the wildfires that have threatened the Bordeaux vineyards is of horses.
The viral video shows a herd, set free to escape the fire, racing down a street in the village of Biscarosse, away from the cloud of smoke and the raging orange flames. While all the horses are safe, the scene epitomizes the drama that has been unfolding in southwest France.
Fires have burned up 103 000 acres of pine forest and small villages close to the Atlantic coast of France, sending residents and tourists fleeing and threatening the city’s outer suburbs and major aerospace and military facilities.
While there was no immediate threat to vineyards north and south of the city, in the Médoc and Graves regions, there is real concern from the smoke spread by the winds from the fires. Owners have so far reported no fire losses. Bordeaux vineyards sprawl across 233 000 acres, covering five times more ground than Napa Valley.
An optimistic Philippe Castéja, president of the Conseil des Grands Crus, points out that “no vineyard has been touched and experts have said there is no noticeable effect on the vines.” Guillaume Gonfrier at Vignobles Gonfrier in the southern Entre-deux-Mers, an hour east of Bordeaux center, told us, “I remain confident in the 2026 vintage.”
While the fires are certainly not out (that process will take months), they are contained. And while the region’s growers may still be on edge, they can breathe a sigh of relief.
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