In France, the wine industry has switched to growing agave due to drought.

In the Gard department, the French winery Maison Chapoutier has started growing agave instead of grapes due to prolonged drought. This is reported by ICI. Project manager Karel Obino said that in June 2025, 2,000 agave plants were planted on an area of 1 hectare in the community of Valliguieres, near Rémoulins. "We decided to take a risk and try a culture that requires minimal water. We will have to wait 10–15 years for the harvest," he said. According to Obino, this is one of the first agave plantations in France, created following Mexican technologies. The distance between the plants is 1 meter, and the planting pits have been carefully prepared to ensure survival. Maison Chapoutier invested in the lands of Gard in 2015, but due to climate change, part of the land has become unsuitable for grapes. "There used to be 35 hectares, now only 20 remain. The grapes are suffering from the heat, so we are looking for alternatives," explained the farmer. Agave, which naturally grows on ...