Bordeaux wine tasting -

ric Risberg / AP / SIPA

"Particularly impacted" in their profession by the loss of taste or smell caused by the coronavirus, the union of oenologists of France called on Tuesday in a press release, "a priority vaccination" for wine professionals.

This request echoes the promise made on Tuesday by President Emmanuel Macron to further accelerate vaccination, in particular by extending it to teachers from April.

"The risk of no longer being able to exercise their profession"

"The health and education professions and the whole famous" front line "deserve priority vaccination, but we believe that the tasting professions, above all oenologists and sommeliers, are particularly impacted in their professional activity, by anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste) ”, declared Didier Fages, President of the Union of Oenologists of France.

“The Covid-19 induces for oenologists and sommeliers the risk of no longer being able to exercise their profession.

Vaccination is the only possible preventive action ", he added, asking for" special attention "vis-à-vis these professions.

Disabling disease

The Union of Oenologists of France underlines that its unprecedented study carried out in the summer of 2020 on 2,625 wine professionals in 37 countries including France, delivered “overwhelming results”: nearly 38% of wine professionals having lost their taste or smell because of Covid-19 declared to have been disabled to exercise their profession.

Among professionals infected with Covid-19 (i.e. 2.7% of those questioned), 68% had lost their sense of smell and 56% suffered from taste disorders.

During the presentation of this survey, on March 10, the Union recommended in particular the recognition of anosmia and ageusia as disabling diseases and the "priority vaccination of wine professionals".

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