9/10 Gabrielle Vizzavona: Pen and Palate in the Service of Wine

The vineyard and the climate challenge

• You travel a lot and have ties to several wine regions around the world. How is the wine industry adapting to climate upheaval?

Climate change is not a new phenomenon — the history of the vine is full of changes. But the current acceleration is unprecedented in scale, and at times it overwhelms us. What is striking is that the responses all converge towards the same horizon: a return to ancestral growing methods, a rediscovery of nature as a system, as an ecosystem we had ignored for too long. There is real, in-depth reflection going on, and it is heading in the right direction.

What I also observe is vineyards shifting northwards and to higher altitudes. In Europe, climate change has paradoxically helped some regions reach ripeness levels they couldn’t achieve before — Alsace reds, German reds, Champagne Pinot Noir. These wines, which used to be marginal, are gaining interest. And north-facing slopes, long considered the least favourable, are now the most sought after. Mountain vineyards are booming — and that’s no coincidence.

For New World countries already at the limit of what is tolerable in terms of heat — Australia in particular — the situation is more worrying. Some winegrowers have long used acidification or dealcoholisation to rebalance their wines. These tools exist and are used. But a European palate can tell: added acidity hovers slightly beside the wine; it doesn’t integrate in the same way as natural acidity. A wine loses its charm as soon as it is over-manipulated. It’s a very fragile balance.

Changing consumption

• Is the decline in wine consumption a global and lasting phenomenon? How can it be explained?

“You need a long memory to understand what we’re living through today. Before the 1960s, wine was an everyday product — consumed for its calories, just like milk or butter. There’s a major French magazine that has regularly photographed the average French family’s shopping basket since 1948. In the first photo, there were three rows of wine bottles. In the latest, taken in 2018 or 2019, they had dwindled to almost nothing. Wine has slipped from a staple to a luxury product, from an everyday item to an occasional one. Comparing today’s consumption with yesterday’s means comparing two things that are no longer comparable.

What I see around me — and the sommeliers I know confirm it — is that wine at lunch has almost disappeared. What was once a social glue, a convivial moment in a professional setting, is now viewed with suspicion. People no longer dare order a glass at lunch for fear of looking like an alcoholic. And this phenomenon doesn’t only affect young people — I see it in people aged 50 or 60 who have absorbed a very strong health message.

Because that is the heart of the matter: the health argument has become central, and it affects every generation. Young people in particular — Gen Z — are the first generation for whom sobriety has been valued since adolescence, promoted by highly followed pop-culture figures. Bella Hadid, for example, says publicly that she hasn’t drunk for five years. That kind of message influences millions of people. And the old want to look like the young, not the other way round — a human reality borne out in every luxury advertisement.

There is also a new transparency about what we put into our bodies. Consumers now know that a wine can be acidified, dealcoholised or have additives put into it. This information circulates. At the same time, the explosion of food supplements, the rise of wellness and the emphasis on preventive health all create a context in which alcohol, even in reasonable amounts, is being questioned.”

• Is this shift leading towards rarer, more expensive wine?

“I think the bubble has to burst. If prices keep rising without correction, we’ll discourage consumers even more and break a chain of transmission — the one through which older people introduce younger ones to wine. If that transmission breaks, a whole culture crumbles. Some estates won’t survive economically; that’s already happening. And we’ll see a concentration around a few very expensive wines, reserved for a handful of players.

What interests me is that winegrowers have also contributed to this shift. Some prices have been multiplied by five in fifteen years. In Burgundy, increases have sometimes reached 25% from one year to the next, and when volumes recover, prices don’t come down. It’s a very price-sensitive market, and when consumers think both that it’s bad for their health and that it costs far more than before, the maths is quickly done.

That said, if you step outside the big appellations, there are still plenty of affordable wines — in France and around the world. The current shift can also be an opportunity for lesser-known regions and for winegrowers who have kept prices reasonable. The Bordeaux crisis illustrates this: hasty price rises without a massive correction plunged an entire region into difficulty. It’s a warning for everyone.”

• What place is there for alcohol-free drinks in this changing landscape?

I’ll be honest: I’m perhaps not the best person to judge, because I love wine and, in a restaurant, drinking water doesn’t satisfy me. But I understand that others have reasons — medical, religious, personal — not to drink alcohol, and we need to be able to cater for them. These drinks help maintain beverage revenue, which is essential to an establishment’s economics.

As for dealcoholised wines specifically, I’ve tasted quite a few. The taste results are still very uneven. There’s a real advantage — very few calories — and for people who want to cut down on alcohol occasionally, it can make sense. But it’s no longer really the same product: leave a bottle open for a few days and you’ll see. I’m all for freedom — everyone does as they please — but personally, I’m not convinced that dealcoholisation is the future of wine.

The future of the profession and training

• How do you see the sommelier’s role evolving in the face of all these changes?

“The sommelier’s advisory role is being strengthened, not weakened. Consumers are more curious and want more transparency — they want to know how wine is made and what it contains. The sommelier is the vehicle for this transmission, for this knowledge. It’s a great opportunity.

The profession is also adapting to a wider offering. We long forgot that a sommelier’s expertise also covers mineral waters, teas, infusions — all the drinks that accompany a meal. These skills are coming back to the fore, driven by demand for alcohol-free options. It’s a natural and welcome development.”

• What would you advise someone who wants to train in wine today?

“I recommend starting with general training and then specialising. Specialisation is important to enhance your skills and stand out in the job market. Many courses exist today — online, in person — with very varied levels of recognition. Because the industry is perceived as being in crisis, most programmes unfortunately have fewer students than ten years ago. Yet there is everything to be done — this is precisely the right time to position yourself.”

Final words

• What quality do you think is essential to be a sommelier tomorrow?

“Curiosity, above all. You learn by listening, not by talking. I’ve seen young people who thought they already knew everything — that’s a dangerous illusion in a field as vast and ever-changing as wine. Even the greatest experts can’t know everything. You have to know how to listen to those with experience, recognise what you don’t yet know, and move forward with humility. Wine always rewards those who approach it with sincerity and without ego.”