'Charbonnay' wine thrives in France amid warming climate

STORY: France is producing ‘Charbonnay’ wine from coal mining waste

It’s a new climate change-induced activity in one of the country's coldest areas

Vines are planted in piles of accumulated spoil - waste material removed during mining

Spoil tips

Location: Haillicourt, France

(Olivier Pucek / Winemaker, co-founder of Haillicourt Vineyard)

"Heatwaves aren't very good for us, but heat is good. In the Pas-de-Calais department, what was a problem and what was mainly holding back the planting of vines was the climate, which is one that's not very advantageous. Today, we can consider that this aspect has changed, the summer heat has become more compatible with working the vineyard."

‘Charbonnay’ is a play on words, combining the traditional grape variety of chardonnay

with the word ‘charbon’ which means ‘coal’ in French

The first bottles were sold in 2018, mainly to locals and small stores

Due to increasing temperatures, the vineyard’s production is expected to triple from 2021

(Henri Jammet / Winemaker, co-founder of Haillicourt Vineyard)

"I'm sure this makes the people who have worked in the mines proud, knowing that we can produce wine - and good wine at that - on these spoil tips that are part of the area's history and that have left a mark on numerous people. Everyone has a father or a grandfather who has worked in the mines, a lot of people do."