Bad weather boosts grape theft in Swiss vineyards

The commune of Chamoson has set up patrols with local police to try and stop record grape thefts. Some winegrowers have lost part of their crop due to bad weather but others are doing better. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Since the start of the vine harvest in September, around 1.5 tonnes of grapes have been stolen in the winegrowing canton of Valais, police say.

Police spokesman Stève Léger told public broadcaster RTS on Friday that seven grape thefts have been reported so far.

Worst hit is Chamoson, the largest wine-producing municipality in Valais, where vineyard access has been restricted at the request of the farmers’ union.

“The winegrowers, fearing that the temptation to steal is too great, have asked the commune to take measures,” said union president Claude Crittin.

It is now forbidden to walk between the rows of vines, but the official through-paths are still open. Nightly surveillance rounds have also been introduced.

The harvest is expected to be smaller and more patchy in 2021, due to bad weather. Thefts of grapes are noted every year in the Valais vineyards, but this year they are at record levels.

Frost, hail and mildew have hit crops, but while some winegrowers have lost part of their grapes, others are currently having “good harvests”, according to the cantonal viticulture office.