But growers moving north in search of more favourable conditions warn that frost, drought and extreme rainfall are already demonstrating that emerging regions will not escape the volatility of a changing climate.
France’s wine map is beginning to shift northwards as producers plant vineyards in regions historically better known for cider than Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
Normandy, Brittany and Hauts-de-France have all recorded an expansion in vineyard area in recent years, with growers increasingly considering land previously regarded as too cool for commercial wine production.
Among them is Sébastien Fricker, a fifth-generation Loire Valley winemaker who moved to Normandy after deciding that deteriorating growing conditions made it increasingly unattractive to take on another vineyard in his family’s traditional region.
“I really couldn’t see myself taking on another vineyard in the Loire,” the 36-year-old told France 24.
“That’s what led me to Normandy. I thought: perhaps it’s time to take a step back and consider what the next 50 years of viticulture might look like.”
Betting on Normandy
Fricker established four hectares of vines at Marolles in the Calvados department in 2020, around 30 minutes from Deauville.
The site, formerly home to an apple orchard, has clay-limestone soils and is now planted with four red and white varieties, including Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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