Winegrower vandalises vines belonging to CAVB boss

A Burgundy winemaker who vandalised vineyards that belonged to the head of the Confederation of the Appellations and Winegrowers of Burgundy (CAVB) has turned himself in. According to local reports in the French press, Thiébault Huber, who  found that around 30-40 vines in his vineyard in Meurseult had been vandalised. Huber, who has headed up the CAVB  since 2018, is the owner of family estate Domaine Huber-Verdereau. Last week he found that around 30-40 four year-old vines in a plot north east of the town, at  Les Dressolles, had been severely damaged, the trunk having been cut through just below the head, which is enough to destroy the vine. He posted a video on Linkedin, saying he was “disgusted” and that if people disagree with him in his role for the CAVB, they should meet with him and discuss their point of view. “To get to the point where you come and cut vines, I think that's scandalous," he said. Before the culprit came forward, Huber had already noted that it was likely to be a vineyard professional behind the damage, as they clearly knew what they were doing and none of his neighbours vineyards had been touched. "I am convinced that they wanted to attack the president of the CAVB more than the winemaker. When you represent 4,500 winegrowers, inevitably, you can't get everyone to buy into your decisions," he said.  In a statement to the press, the BIVB unanimously expressed its support for Huber and “denounce[d] this act in the strongest possible terms”. Following the widespread condemnation of the vandalism across the region, the culprit apparently came forward in a local winegrowers meeting and has since handed himself into the police. Recently, Huber has voiced his support for the changes to France’s inheritance tax laws that aim to boost the ability of Burgundian vigneron to pass on their estates to the next generation without incurring huge inheritance taxes. The changes, which have now been rubber-stamped have, among other things, significantly raised the exemption ceiling for family-run estates, thereby enabling them to pass them onto the next generation without triggering inheritance tax. Whereas before the exemption was only available for family-run estates worth up to €500,000, the level has been raised to €20 million, which will go a long way to protect Burgundy's viticultural heritage, the senator for the Côte d'Or said.