Embattled Bordeaux winemakers see Trump’s tariffs as latest blow

The sun is shining, the grapes are ripe and a good harvest is expected but a heavy cloud is looming over Laurent Dubois’s vineyard in southwestern France.

“It’s not up to me to pay the Trump tax!” he fumes, faced with the 15 percent in customs duties that is to hit his products in US President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Trump’s long-threatened tariffs are just the latest blow to be sustained by Bordeaux winemakers, who are operating in an increasingly tough market as consumer tastes change.

The duties imposed could have been worse and on their own will not destroy the industry, winemakers emphasise, but they say they are an extra burden they could so without.

Dubois, 57, a major figure in the Bordeaux region famous for its fruity reds, exports 70 percent of his production to 25 countries, including 10 percent to the United States.

The ninth generation to lead the Chateau Les Bertrands in Reignac, north of Bordeaux, Dubois is already seeing the effects of the 15 percent levy, which is being imposed after the EU failed to secure an exemption for wines and spirits.

‘Narrow margins’

“For our last shipment, a client in Texas asked us to give him a price,” Dubois told AFP. “But I’m French, I didn’t vote for Trump. So it’s not up to me to pay, knowing that our margins are very narrow.”

The United States is by far the largest export market for Bordeaux wines, with sales of over 400 million euros ($469 million) or 20 percent of the total.

China comes next on 300 million euros and the UK on 200 million euros, according to the Bordeaux Negoce union.

Customs duties, combined with the weakness of the dollar against the euro, constitute “a double whammy” for the price of bottles on the American market, said Dubois.

He said he expects a “small drop” in his exports to the United States but remains phlegmatic: “It could have been worse because a few months ago, Trump announced taxes of 50 percent or even 200 percent.”

His opinion is echoed by Laurent Rousseau, a winegrower in Abzac, near Saint-Emilion in the Bordeaux region, for whom the US market represents 43 percent of sales.

“There will be a price adjustment but there is no expected market shutdown. After that, I don’t know what will happen in December” during the annual renegotiation of the contract with his importer, he said.

‘It’s scary’

Export difficulties have led to overproduction and a collapse in wholesale prices in recent years.

A subsidised uprooting plan has reduced the cultivated area to 90,000 hectares (222,000 acres), compared to 103,000 two years ago.

US customs duties add to these difficulties, against a backdrop of a chronic decline in wine consumption as lifestyles change in France and elsewhere.

“It’s bad news, yet again,” said Dubois. “We had to reduce our area by about 10 percent (to 130 hectares), we did the uprooting.

“And then we see a number of companies, winegrowers who are shutting down or are in receivership. It’s scary. We say to ourselves: ‘The next one will be me’.”

Further north, the vineyards of Cognac are also being hit by the customs duties, as the United States is the largest market for the famous spirit.

China — the second-largest destination for a sector that is 98 percent export-dependent — has previously imposed taxes or price increases.

Bertrand de Witasse, a winemaker who supplies the Remy Martin distillery, saw his orders drop by 25 percent during a renegotiation in May.

“We’re all affected,” he admitted. “But as they say in Cognac, ‘You’re a billionaire for one year and a poor man for 10’.

“So, the years you’re a billionaire, you have to save and avoid wasting money.”

French winemakers are far from being the only Europeans affected.

On Thursday, the Italian Wine and Spirits Federation (Federvini) expressed “its deep concern” at the lack of an exemption for “wines, spirits, and vinegars”.

“We are seeing a missed opportunity,” said Federvini president Giacomo Ponti, emphasising that “the agreement could have fully recognised the strategic importance” of our sectors “in transatlantic relations.”

Source: Embattled Bordeaux winemakers see Trump’s tariffs as latest blow

Le best of Anne Sylvestre  

Retrouvez les plus belles chansons d’Anne Sylvestre interprétées à la télévision avec : 00:03 “Maryvonne” 02:04 “Le froid” dans Fabulettes 04:13 “Depuis l’temps que j’l’attends mon prince charmant” en duo avec Boby Lapointe 07:43 “Un mur pour pleurer” 11:45 “Une sorcière comme les autres” 17:36 “Clémence en vacances” 21:40 “Les gens qui doutent”

Listen to “The French Connection” Ep. 7

This Sunday’s FRENCH CONNECTION on WRIU 90.3 FM celebrates the musical scores from four wonderful French films: Les Choristes from 2011, Amelie from 2001, Ascenseur pour L’échafaud from 1957, and Black Orpheus, from 1959.


( This program originally aired on WRIU, Kingston, 90.3 FM on Sunday, August 17 )

The French Connection 8-17-25

Notes:

Our guest in studio is mon ami Wayne Cresser, host of Picture This: Film Music on the Radio.

FIRST SET: from “Les Choristes” (2011) | Composed by Bruno Coulais; Performed by the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, with the boys choir Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc.



– “Les Avions En Papier”
– “Vois Sur Ton Chemin (Les Choristes)”
– “La Nuit”
– “Compère Guilleri”
– “Lueur D’été”
– “Cerf-Volanther notables”

The story of Les Choristes was inspired by the origin of an actual boys’ choir The Little Singers of Paris.

At the 77th Academy Awards, Les Choristes was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Song (the latter for “Vois sur ton chemin“)

Notably, Les Choristes was director Christophe Barratier’s first feature film.


SECOND SET: from “Amelie” (2001) | Composed and performed by Yann Tiersen

– “La valse d’Amélie”

-“Comptine d’un autre été : L’Après-midi”

-“Les Jours tristes” 

-“L’Autre valse d’Amélie”

Amélie is rated #37 among the “50 Greatest Romantic Comedies of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine, and in 2025, the film ranked number 41 on The New York Times‘ list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century.” 

Yann Tiersen is a  French- Breton musician and composer. In just two weeks, he composed nineteen pieces for ”Amelie.”

Tiersen just recently released an introspective new album called Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour.

THIRD SET: “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud” (1957) | Composed and performed by Miles Davis

– “Sur L’autoroute”

The soundtrack for Ascenseur pour Léchafaud, scored by American trumpeter Miles Davis, became an instant jazz classic, known for its atmospheric, moody, and improvisational style –  perfectly complementing the film noir mood of Louis Malle’s movie.

On December 4,1 957, Davis brought his four sidemen to a French recording studio without any practice or preparation. Once the plot of the film was explained, Miles and his band improvised what would become the classic soundtrack.

The musical ideas explored on Ascenseur pour L’échafaud paved the way for Miles Davis’s later masterpiece, “Kind of Blue”.

FOURTH SET: “Black Orpheus” (1959) | Composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Luis Bonfa

-“Manhã de Carnaval”

-“Manhã de Carnaval / La Chanson d’Orphée” performed by Pauline Croze

-“Samba de Orfeu”

Black Orpheus is a 1959 romantic tragedy film directed by French filmmaker Marcel Camus.

The film is particularly notable for its soundtrack by two Brazilian composers: Antônio Carlos Jobim, whose “Manhã de Carnaval” and “Samba de Orfeu” have become classics of bossa nova. 

Black Orpheus won the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

CLOSING SONG: Sidney Bechet “Si Tu Vois Ma Mere” (1952)

The Best Baguette in Paris

In a city where bread is both a point of pride and a daily ritual, being named the best baguette baker in Paris is a serious accolade

This year, that distinction belongs to Mickaël Reydellet, the man behind La Parisienne on Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière in the 10th arrondissement, who has once again taken home the Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française.

It’s Reydellet’s second time claiming the title – his first win was in 2016 – underlining his standing as one of the capital’s top master bakers. Now in its 30th edition, the competition is run each year by the City of Paris in partnership with the Greater Paris Bakers’ Syndicate. Open exclusively to professional bakers within city limits, the contest comes with strict rules: baguettes must be between 50 and 55 centimetres long, weigh between 250 and 270 grams, and adhere to traditional French baking criteria in flavour, texture, and appearance. This year, 187 bakers entered, with each baguette judged blind by a panel of experts and enthusiasts.

La Parisienne COPYRIGHT La Parisienne_Facebook

Reydellet’s standout baguette – beautifully golden, with a satisfying crunch and springy interior – earned him not only a €4,000 cash prize but also the honour of supplying bread to the Elysée Palace for the next year. From now on, the President’s daily baguette will come straight from La Parisienne’s ovens. It’s all right for some! For anyone else keen to taste this award-winning loaf, La Parisienne welcomes visitors every day at its friendly spot in the 10th. The award was officially presented on May 7 during the city’s annual Fête du Pain, a celebration of French baking, which is held in the shadow of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

www.boulangerielaparisienne.com

 

Source: The Best Baguette in Paris – France Today

Listen to “The French Connection” Ep. 6

This Sunday’s FRENCH CONNECTION on WRIU 90.3 FM began with a set of avant-garde French pop with electronic textures; We then played songs from a great rock band from Cabestany, Pyrénées-Orientales – The Limiñanas; ending with a set celebrating the French poet/anarchist Georges Brassens.

( This program originally aired on WRIU, Kingston, 90.3 FM on Sunday, August 10 )

Play to listen


Notes from the August 10, 2025, Episode 6

By Michael Stevenson

• Up top, we heard The Masons doing their song “Bottle of Love.” (1998). The Masons are a creation of Kraig Jordan, the Rhode Island-based musician/songwriter/producer who has collaborated with Tanya Donnelly (Throwing Muses, Belly), Mark Cutler (The Schemers, Raindogs), Bob Kendall (Blood Oranges), and other notables.


• Next, we heard Bertrand Belin performing “Hypernuit”. A brilliant storyteller, Bertrand Belin’s lyrics depict a character seeking vengeance on a village that wronged him. 

“He surrounds the house – the one aptly named the Beast…”. 

“Hypernuit” is from Belin’s third album, of the same name. Belin is currently touring in support of his latest album, Tambour Vision with upcoming concerts in France and Switzerland.

• Camille Hardouin , also known by the stage name “Demoiselle Inconnue”, is a French musician and illustrator. Her song “J’veux Pas” (“I Don’t Want To”) from her 2017 album Mille Bouches.. 

• Next, we heard Rodolphe Burger with  “Les Danses Anglaises” –  from his collection of remote concerts recorded by Burger and his musician friends from their homes during the Covid confinement.

Guitarist/singer/songwriter , Rodolphe Burger has been performing music for 30 years, as a solo artist, and also fronting the band Kat Onoma. As summer comes to a close, Burger is busy with his role as the artistic director of the annual Festival C’est Dans la Vallée, which takes place each October in a geographical triangular region—where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. 

Burger’s friend, Bertrand Belin, begins the spoken song, with Sarah Murcia contributing additional backup vocals later on. Burger’s guitar work utilizes fuzz effects to create that gritty texture. He was greatly influenced by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, and has recorded a tribute album to that band.

• Next, we heard the song “Pas Dupe” (“Not Fooled”) from Jeanne Balibar 2006 album Paramour. Again, that’s the well-traveled sessionman Rodolphe Burger on lead guitar. Balibar was born in Paris, raised in an intellectually stimulating environment. (She’s the daughter of a prominent Marxist philosopher and a mother a physicist.)

Balibar has recorded two excellent solo albums of music, but she’s best known for her work in movies, having some 87 acting credits in films. Her latest is in Let Me Go, a drama about self-discovery set in the Swiss Alps.

• The Limiñanas are a French rock band from Cabestany, Pyrénées-Orientales, in the southwest of France. The couple have been making records since 2009. Lionel and Marie Limiñana met during high school, fell in love, opened up a record store, and eventually formed a band. He plays guitar, she drums. The ghost of Serge Gainsbourg and ’60s era Yé-Yé music is felt most keenly in their first song “Votre côté yé-yé m’emmerde”, a softly spoken-word litany of cultural icons and celebrities. Not hero worship, but more of an eye-roll, the title translates to something like, “Your yé-yé views really annoy me”.

The Liminanas

We next heard Lionel and Marie perform “Migas 2000” from the band’s album Trouble In Mind.

 The Limiñanas are currently promoting their latest album, Faded, which features collaborations with artists like Bobby Gillespie (The Jesus and Mary Chain) and Bertrand Belin.

• Georges Brassens is widely considered to be one of the most important voices in post-war France.

He was a self-proclaimed anarchist who used his songs to express anti-authoritarian sentiments, often criticizing hypocrisy in society, including religious figures, the wealthy, and all those in power.

First, we heard Brassens singing “Mavaise Réputation” (1952) with lyrics that confirm his image as a rebel against societal norms.

• After that, we heard two versions of a classic Brassens’ song “Lovers on Public Benches” – first sung in French by Montreal singer Elizabeth Sheperd, and then with an English translation, performed by Pierre de Gaillande.

Georges Brassens
Brassens

In an interview with NPR’s Scott Simon, Gaillande (born in France, now living in Brooklyn) says Brassens’ message is simple: 

“It’s not about money,” he said. “It’s not that ‘God told me to do this’, it’s not about ‘I’m stronger than you.’ (The real message is ) We’re all in it together; let’s eat a great meal and have a bottle of wine.”

• Next : two songs that display the “joie de vie” side of Brassens, we heard “Les Prénoms Effaces” followed by “J’ai Connu de Veux.” The two songs are from the album Chante les Chansons de sa Jeunesse. Released in 1982, it is a nostalgic look back at Brassens’ musical influences, including the great Charles Trenet, who wrote “J’ai Connu de Veux”. 

• Finally, we hear one of Brassens’ most famous songs, “Gorriile,” in this LIVE concert version by the French duo who call themselves “Mountain Men.”

The song “Gorille” tells the story of a gorilla who escapes a local zoo, and once on the “outside” mistakes a judge for a female gorilla and rapes him, leading to the memorable refrain, “Gare au gorille!” (Beware the gorilla!). The concert-goers recorded on the track were clearly rooting for the gorilla, not the judge.

• Closing our episode numero six of THE FRENCH CONNECTION, we leave with mon homme, Francis Cabrel singing the country-tinged “Quand j’aime une fois j’aime Pour Toujours,” from the singer’s classic Double Live album (1999.) The song was written by the Québécois folk singer and film director Richard Desjardin.