The department of Hérault accounts for a large part of Languedoc’s wine production. A wine production that may be in danger if they do not increase the irrigation area, they worry. At present, almost 35,000 hectares of the vineyards here are irrigated (of a total of just over 90,000 hectares). A project is now underway to ensure that irrigation will be implemented for approximately an additional 20,000 hectares. The reason for this is that the summers in the region are becoming drier and drier. The vines are weakened and the yields decrease.
However, technical changes and improvements concerning the work in the vineyard are also planned that will make the vines better prepared for dry weather. They will also be experimenting with alternative grape varieties that are resistant to drought.
Languedoc makes a lot of IGP wine and these vineyards are allowed irrigation until August 15. Then they have to stop until after the harvest.
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Here’s how irrigation can look in real life:
