A wine-growing center to support the industry's transition

Thus, last December, Renaud Muselier, the president of the Région, laid the foundation stone of this Pôle Viticole, a major project for the future of rosé. The future Pôle Viticole of Var is a structuring project designed to consolidate the position of Provence as the world leader in rosé wine. The event was, moreover, an opportunity to praise the mobilization of an entire industry and to pay a warm tribute to one of its key figures.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

The future center is structured around two main buildings designed to be "a strategic center for research, innovation, and technical transfer to the vineyard." Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the site will host public and private research and development projects aimed at addressing the major challenges facing the industry. The Région Sud is supporting this major project with €1.35 million. It comes in a complex context for the wine world: "Decline in consumption, climate change requiring adaptability and resilience, tensions in international markets, threats of surtaxes, rising production costs...," listed Renaud Muselier. Despite these headwinds, the Provence industry is showing robust health. As the third largest national vineyard by area, it represents the leading agricultural production in the region, with 5,361 farms and 12,410 jobs. As the world leader in AOC rosé, Provence accounts for 8% of world production and 42% of French production.

REGIONAL STRATEGY

Faced with these challenges, the Région has built a support policy in close partnership with professionals, based on three pillars. The first is research and innovation, with €300,000 per year, to adapt the vineyard to climate change through the choice of more resistant grape varieties or the fight against emerging diseases. The second axis concerns promotion and wine tourism, with an annual budget of €500,000 to strengthen the international influence of Provence wines and develop sustainable tourism around the wine heritage. Finally, securing water resources is a vital issue. The Région is investing €6 million per year in modernizing water networks and mobilizing significant funding, particularly European, to meet irrigation needs estimated at more than €800 million over ten years. "Today, we celebrate a symbolic step with the laying of this foundation stone which will make the wines of Provence shine even brighter, protect our terroirs, support the transition of the entire industry, and stand alongside our winegrowers," concluded Renaud Muselier.