Will we ever drink wine from Belle-Ile-en-Mer (Morbihan)? For that, it would still be necessary to be able to plant vines there. However, residents and lovers of the island are opposed to the creation of a wine project to the point of inflaming the controversy at the national level in recent weeks. An online petition denouncing the "privatization of the wild coast of Belle-Ile-en-Mer" has collected more than 38,000 signatures. The association which is at the origin, the Bruyère vagabonde, asks the prefect to refuse the authorization and points the finger at a “large-scale wine-growing operation” of which several hectares are planned as a Natura 2000 site. “There is a risk of disfigurement of exceptional landscapes ”, warns its president, Gilles Smadja.
Opponents of the vineyard fear an "intensive agricultural project, user of pesticides, destroyer of biodiversity and which, to protect itself from spray and storms, will have to deploy huge tarpaulins or nets". Affirmations that make Bertrand Malossi jump, who has cherished the dream of producing good wine in Belle-Ile for fifteen years. “A lot of lies have been told and the attacks are unfair. It is a 12 hectare estate in organic farming with low yields, around 60,000 bottles per year. The plots spread over 5 sectors are on former cultivated land that has become wasteland, ”explains this lover of the island, director of the Vallongue estate in Bouches-du-Rhône. He added that "the Natura 2000 classification is not incompatible with agricultural projects".
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He convinced his boss, Christian Latouche, CEO of Fiducial and 39th French fortune according to the magazine “Forbes”, to follow him in the adventure and to invest.
Enough to fuel suspicion ... Opponents see in it "the stranglehold of private financial interests", a risk of land speculation and a nice marketing coup to develop wine tourism activities.
Bertrand Malossi replies that the choice of land was dictated by their exposure, the quality of the terroir and assures that he has done everything in accordance with the rules.
Surprised by the controversy, the 4 mayors of Belle-Ile gave him their support while restoring certain truths via a press release at the end of May. “No, this project does not lead to the downgrading of Natura 2000 sites”, and “no, the land acquired cannot be the subject of other developments than agricultural, they write. Our landscape is not a nostalgic and frozen object. It is a living heritage which must evolve while keeping its identity ”.
The establishment of the vineyard would in any case create several jobs benefiting the locals. Already, an organic market gardener from the island who could not make a full-time living from his activity, Grégory Debruyne, takes care of the first 2 hectares of vines planted in an area that does not require any authorization. “It was really bad for me to be singled out like a criminal. Fortunately, I received lots of messages from people who had signed the petition and then wanted to apologize, ”he observes. The public inquiry has been closed since June 17. The investigating commissioner is expected to deliver his findings within one month at the latest.
