Fire has always existed, but the risk is growing careless human activity —including agricultural and forestry maintenance work— is thought to be behind more than half of all fire outbreaks. These fires can destroy parts of vineyards and leave smoke residues that compromise the quality of the wines produced. In France, while the risk has traditionally been concentrated in Mediterranean regions, it is now steadily moving northward. Several studies have shown that well-managed vineyards can play a significant role as natural firebreaks, while also providing better access for firefighting teams.

Joel Rochard, VITIS PLANET
International advisor on sustainable viticulture and oenology, specialist in wine tasting and sparkling wines.

According to a joint interministerial report, fire-prone areas in France are expected to grow by 17% by the year 2040. In Burgundy, for instance, the area at risk could rise from 30,000 to 470,000 hectares.

Rural abandonment
As outlined in the Departmental Forest Fire Protection Plan (PDPFCI) for the Eastern Pyrenees, “the abandonment of farmland and growing urban development on the outskirts of major cities — as well as in coastal tourist regions — is leading to a substantial increase in uncultivated land, which can account for more than 70% of some municipalities. This phenomenon has multiple impacts on forest fires. It contributes to:

• The disappearance of agricultural buffer zones that help segment large forest areas, and the expansion of continuous forest cover.
• The increasing frequency of major fires in non-forested areas (such as farmland) where many urban or tourist structures are present, often requiring significant firefighting resources.”

Vineyards as firebreaks
Managing interface zones between urban and natural areas plays a crucial role in protecting homes. Most reports on wildfires highlight that the greatest danger lies in the immediate surroundings of residential buildings. Effective fire protection systems depend on coordinated efforts among all local stakeholders. From a legal standpoint, the French Forestry Code requires a 50-metre cleared buffer zone around buildings located in or near forests (Article L.134-6 of the Forestry Code). Civil protection services have reported that many major fires have been stopped by vineyard plots, demonstrating the effectiveness of viticultural firebreaks.

However, poorly maintained vineyards — especially those with dense herbaceous growth between rows — can actually spread fire and undermine their protective function. Moreover, in the case of extreme wildfires, heat radiation can cause fire to spread as far as 45 metres into a vineyard, a factor that must be considered when designing protection strategies for homes and infrastructure.

The impact of wildfires on wine
When vineyards are exposed to smoke, vine leaves and grape skins can absorb volatile compounds (such as guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, p-cresol, and syringol). These compounds are initially present in free form (aglycones), but are quickly converted into glycosylated forms. During fermentation, these compounds may break down and be released again.

The sensory effects of smoke taint are usually more pronounced in red wines than in whites, largely because red winemaking involves greater contact between the juice and grape skins during crushing, maceration, and fermentation — which increases the transfer of unwanted molecules.