Chapoutier Swaps Vines for Agaves in the Rhône Valley as Climate Pressures Mount

Agave Cactus

In a striking sign of how climate change is reshaping European agriculture, the renowned French wine producer Maison Chapoutier has begun planting agave in place of grapes in the Rhône Valley. The company has installed 2,000 agave plants on a former vineyard parcel in the Gard department—an unprecedented move for a major French winery.

Wine Terroir Becomes Too Dry to Sustain Vines

The plot, part of the Domaine Roc Folassière, once produced a Côtes-du-Rhône Villages wine. But after years of increasingly dry summers, scorching heatwaves, and declining soil water retention, the land could no longer support viable viticulture.

“The terroir is excellent, but far too barren now,” said operations manager Carel Aubineau in an interview with La Revue du Vin de France. “The soil no longer holds water, yields have dropped to around 20 hectoliters per hectare, and alcohol levels soar to 14–15%.”

With the combination of low yields and over-ripening, the parcel had reached a breaking point.

A French First: Agave Cultivation Inspired by Mexico

The initiative, led by Maxime Chapoutier, represents what Aubineau believes is “probably the first agave planting in France.” The decision required a significant investment—about €12,000 per hectare, even without irrigation.

In June 2025, Chapoutier planted the first 2,000 agaves on a 1-hectare site in Valligières, near Remoulins. The plants were installed using Mexican-style cultivation techniques, with one-meter spacing and carefully prepared planting holes to encourage strong rooting.

“This is a crop that needs very little water. We decided to take the risk,” Aubineau said. “But we’ll have to wait 10 to 15 years before the first harvest.”

Agave as a Mediterranean Alternative Crop

Agave thrives in hot, dry regions and tolerates rocky, nutrient-poor soils—conditions increasingly common in southern France. It requires minimal irrigation and is resilient to drought, with winter frost being its main threat.

Maison Chapoutier has watched its Gard vineyards shrink from 35 hectares to 21 in recent years. Across the department, nearly 4,000 hectares of vines were pulled out in spring 2025, roughly 10% of the total vineyard area. For growers facing climate stress, alternative crops are no longer theoretical—they’re essential.

Chapoutier considered planting olive, pomegranate, or pistachio trees, but ultimately opted for agave, a crop they believe aligns more closely with their expertise in alcohol production.

Toward a New Spirit—But Not Mezcal or Tequila

The variety chosen, Agave americana, is one of around 30 species used to make mezcal in Mexico. From each plant’s piña—the central “heart”—producers can distill two to five liters of pure alcohol. While French agave distillates cannot use protected names like Mezcal or Tequila, the Chapoutier team is already joking about a future brand name.

“Maybe we’ll call it Chapoutila,” Aubineau said.

The long maturation period—often ten years or more—gives the team time to experiment, plan, and build a new product category for France.

Organic Growing, New Horizons

Like Chapoutier’s vineyards, the new agave fields will be farmed organically. The family aims to plant an additional hectare of agave each year until they reach ten hectares across their Gard holdings and the Domaine Bila-Haut in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

If successful, Chapoutier’s experiment could open a path for other winegrowers in crisis regions to diversify into heat-resistant crops.