New TGV line threatens 50 Ha vineyards in the Graves

A planned TGV line between Bordeaux, Toulouse and Spain threatens 50 hectares of vineyards in the Graves appellation in Bordeaux. Ten wine castles would lose many vineyards if high-speed rail link is built. These include the domains Le Tuquet, Mejean and Saint-Jérôme in the northern section of Graves and Château du Grand Bos, Château Haut Selve and Château de Castres in the southern section. Dominique Havelan, president of the Maison des Vins des Graves, is unhappy about the planned rail link. “The Graves are the oldest vineyards in Bordeaux,” he says in Decanter. “We have already the motorway to Toulouse and now we are again threatened by the HST.” The TGV connects Bordeaux with Toulouse with a branch running towards Dax-Irun/Hendaye and so on to Madrid. The line is planned to open in 2020.