Despite high temperatures, the wines from the Costières de Nîmes region have retained their freshness, and the harvest is expected to be generous. This supports the ambitions of the appellation regarding white wines, whose development still faces commercial challenges. Mathieu Dupret from Domaine du Vistre mentions "rather early" harvests, which the low pressure of diseases allowed to spread out. Upon arrival, nice wines and nice grapes. Good vintage. All summer, they feared the heat would return to the glasses. In the cellars of Costières de Nîmes, the first tastings dispelled this legitimate fear. The whites retain their freshness, the grenaches the fruit, the syrahs the violet notes. After months of monitoring the vineyards under high temperatures, the producers discover a more balanced harvest than they had imagined. On Tuesday, October 6, at Verre des Costières, in Nîmes, the syndicate presented the first results of this 2026 vintage. The satisfaction also concerns the quantities, which have increased by 10 to 15 percent according to the estates. The wines are still young, but the harvest has yielded healthy grapes and promising musts. On Saturday, November 21, the Costières de Nîmes will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the appellation at Château Saint Louis La Perdrix, in Bellegarde. Minuit Toqué will gather 250 people during a seven-course gastronomic dinner, revisiting creations from previous editions of Vignes Toquées. Michel and Sébastien Bras, Franck Putelat, Christian Têtedoie, Serge and Maxime Chenet, Cyril Attrazic, Christian Étienne, Vincent Vergne and Michel Kayser. A selection of premium cuvées from Costières de Nîmes will accompany the plates, from the appetizer to dessert. Saturday, November 21. Château Saint Louis La Perdrix, Bellegarde. Price of 99 euros per person. Reservations at costieres-nimes.com. The abundant winter rains and those of spring replenished the water reserves before summer. The water present in the soils helped the vines to withstand. "In the vineyards, it was not as hot as in the city," says Isabel Gassier from Château de Nages and Domaine Gassier. The winemaker describes the sea breezes that temper the afternoons, especially in the south of the appellation. This result encourages winemakers without closing the chapter on adaptation to climate change. Experiments on grape varieties, rootstocks, and water management through irrigation remain necessary. This year, the replenished reserves during the rainy months weighed heavily in the success of the harvest. The white wine awaits its market. In the Costières, this freshness gives an additional argument to the defenders of white wine. The color remains minority, at 10 percent of the cellar output, compared to 6 percent ten years ago. The rosé represents 47 percent, the red 43 percent. However, some estates give it a much more important place. The producers describe digestible, refreshing wines that already find their customers among those who sell their bottles. They are planting more white grape varieties and are seeing demands appear for export. But the trade, which buys especially the wines in bulk before commercializing them, does not yet constitute a solid outlet. "We can do it individually, but we cannot do it collectively," admits Cyril Marès, president of the Costières de Nîmes syndicate. The producers adjust the volumes claimed in Costières de Nîmes to what they estimate they can commercialize. They are looking for customers, prospecting new countries, devoting more time to selling what they know how to produce. In mass retail, the syndicate notes a decline in sales in volume and value. The median price of the bottle reaches 13.90 euros, an increase of 49 percent since 2018. This harvest, qualitative as it may be, should not obscure the very important commercial aspect today. Even a good vintage must find its buyers.