In crisis, the French -speaking winegrowers are looking for solutions to counter foreign competition – RTS.CH

The problem has been about for years: more. For example, more winegrowers are working below the profitability threshold and can no longer sell their stock. Similarly, Two months before the harvest, the cellars are full of grapes, which may be downgraded. Nevertheless, The succession is lacking and several operations are threatened. Similarly,

There are wines today that return to Switzerland at 0.40 euros per liter. Moreover, So large distribution, it makes much higher margins with low -cost foreign wines than with Swiss wines.

The increase in charges and the evolution of consumption habits weigh heavily. Last year, Swiss wine sales fell 8%. In 2024. 7 out of 10 bottles sold in Switzerland came from abroad, notably from Italy, France or Spain, where prices remain inaccessible to local producers.

For Alexandre Fischer, washer winemaker and founder of the group “The grapes of anger”, the market today has become unfair. The fault of wages which are not the same depending on the country.

“On our side we have much higher charges. There are wines today that return to Switzerland at 0.40 euros per liter. So large distribution, it makes much higher margins with low-cost foreign wines than with Swiss wines. That’s why it tends to go to these wines,” he deplores at the 12:30 p.m. microphone.

“Dark future” – Crisis, french -speaking winegrowers looking

The situation is critical to the crisis, french -speaking winegrowers looking point that some fear having to put the key under the door. like the winegrower Valaisan Xavier Challands. “I leave myself for a few months of reflection. but maybe I will go to another less painful profession and with a fixed remuneration,” he said at the 12:45 am microphone. “We know that we have a future, but there, the future, it is very dark.”

For an hour. a half, the French wine world put a series of economic safeguards on Monday, such as the limitation of advertising for foreign wines, tax their imports, funds to encourage large distribution to promote Swiss wine, or even soften environmental and administrative constraints.

The German Swiss would say that a entrepreneur who takes risks. if it does not work, he goes bankrupt and that’s normal

Proposals applauded by the federal elected officials who crisis, french -speaking winegrowers looking made the trip to support. But saving the winemakers is not without self-sarish, as explained by Jacqueline de Quattro, national councilor PLR Vaudoise. For her, the German Swiss is more liberal.

“He would say that an entrepreneur who takes risks. if it does not work, he goes bankrupt and it’s normal,” she said. Not to mention the culture shock linked to the promotion of a harmful to health. “Public health is a recurring problem raised by German Swiss.”

Many proposals launched on Monday need to be deepened. But a clear. unanimous claim emerges: it is necessary to double the financial aid of 2025 to guarantee certain winegrowers to spend the winter.

Thibaut Clémence/FGN