SADIRAC, France (AP) 鈥� From his vineyards in Bordeaux wine country, Edouard le Grix de la Salle can sometimes smell far away. The smoke brings a whiff of hardship for the region’s economic fortunes.
that have burned an area four times the size of Paris and and some of the region’s tourist attractions promise to sting France’s already squeezed economy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a physical apocalypse when you see all these sites where there鈥檚 nothing left aside from burnt homes and forests, and then there鈥檚 the economic apocalypse,鈥� said Patrick Seguin, president of the regional chamber of commerce, his voice choking with emotion in a phone interview.
It’s 鈥済oing to be a stab in the back for what remains of our economy.鈥�
Le Grix de la Salle is among entrepreneurs bracing for pain. French government appeals for people to avoid the region are causing consternation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible that they鈥檝e said such a thing, especially when wine tourism is becoming more and more important,鈥� Le Grix de la Salle said.
Bordeaux鈥檚 legendary wine has seen consumption plunge as young people turn to other beverages and competition from vineyards abroad has grown. U.S. President 鈥檚 tariffs have given winemakers 鈥� and much of the global economy 鈥� an added hangover.
鈥淭he wine business has been in crisis for several years now and it鈥檚 worsening with , the now widespread problems of inflation and the fact that wine is falling out of fashion among younger people,鈥� Le Grix de la Salle said.
鈥淭ourism was really the only dynamic part of the business that was still growing, both for us and, more generally, for Bordeaux wines,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd now this comes along as a brake.鈥�
His family’s Grand Verdus wine estate is roughly 35 kilometers (20 miles) from the fires that have raged since last week on the other side of the Garonne River that runs through Bordeaux. Bordeaux’s Gironde region is mainland France鈥檚 largest by area and the fires have hit only a small percentage of it. But the mark on its reputation is sizable.
鈥淗ow did they not think about protecting that sector? And the cultural sector, too. There鈥檚 so much to visit in Bordeaux. There are so many museums, there are ch芒teaux. It鈥檚 unbelievable,鈥� Le Grix de la Salle said.
The region in southwest France is replete with vacation spots for tourists lured by soft-sand beaches, winemaking ch芒teaux, some of France’s largest pine forests and the historic city of Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The oyster-rich Arcachon Bay draws foodies. But the fire and evacuations have emptied some prime spots.
The chamber of commerce says 39,000 businesses have been affected in the region that’s a hub of defense and aerospace industries, including Airbus, Dassault and Thales.
Even before the fires, the chamber of commerce said rising energy costs were squeezing profits. Some 94% of businesses responding to a poll of regional enterprises in mid-July said they face difficulties.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting more and more calls from heads of small- and medium-sized businesses, tiny businesses and craft businesses that are calling for help and saying, 鈥榃hat am I going to do tomorrow?鈥欌�� Seguin said.
Two commercial courts in the cities of Bordeaux and Libourne reported a 37% increase in business liquidations from June 2025 to the same month this year, he noted.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said some restaurateurs told him that reservations have plummeted. He is pushing back against other officials’ pleas that people avoid the region. He repeatedly has noted that the city hasn’t been evacuated and isn’t closed for business.
鈥淭he museums are open, the cafes and restaurants are open,鈥� he said. 鈥淟ife also goes on in our beautiful city.鈥�
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Keaten reported from Lyon, France, and Leicester reported from Paris.
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