Posted on 11/27/2006 11:34:11 PM PST by MadIvan
I was in France last year at this time when the Beaujolais wine was marketed. The bottle we had at lunch wasn't very good wine! The French people I was eating with conceded that Beaujolais is more of a marketing strategy than a good wine.
For those not familiar with it, Beaujolais is released on one day in late November every year. It is done with great fan fair. There are posters all over the cities and restaurants announcing the vintage. The producers seal containers and ship to other countries with everyone getting their first taste on the same day. That is supposed to be the "hook".
Ivan, this should make the circuit on talk radio.
A very important commentary about the wonders
of free enterprise.
Only a generation ago the thought of competing with
french wines was unthinkable.
That right, Gilles. And your new islamic masters will be tearing down the rest of your vineyards in due time.
This is just too funny. A nation of winos undergoing delirium tremens en masse.
Ivan,
I think it is a real shame that the regular people are being hurt by this. These people are not anti-American like their government is. I have been to France a number of times (especially in the south) and the regular people don't have this hatred for America like the government. Just my two cents.
Bob
Yes. There are no French wines on any of the shelves in North Carolina that I've seen. I drink the Aussie stuff myself, but always check for Frog wine just out of curiosity.
Actually, it would be nice if Georgian wines replaced French for US consumption. Instead of supporting a bunch of 'winers', we'd be supporting brave people facing the Bear.
Somehow I have the feeling that that combination will be buying a round-trip ticket.
"Louis-Fabrice Latour, who heads the Louis Latour label in Burgundy, admitted a feeling of superiority had made them slow to react. "In France, we used to think we were the biggest and best and no-one could touch us," he said."
Pompous, smug, arrogant jerks. They can't sell a car in the USA either.
As for their women... After 6 months in Belgium:
Give me a California Zinfindel or Australian Sharraz any day.
Give me a California Zinfindel or Australian Sharraz any day.
Maybe. But I get the feeling I have read this before. Didn't they do this last year as well?
Either way, the Vischey dream of retiring to the idyllic lifestyle of running a vineyard has been chucked out the window. Too bad, Jacques.
"In France, we used to think we were the biggest and best and no-one could touch us," he said.
Uh-yup. We noticed. Now no one wants to touch your sorry @ss vischy crap.
As far as market demand in China? Who's to say the Chinese won't chemically deconstruct the first few bottles of expensive french wine and come out with a kool-aid based knock off that tastes better and costs one tenth of French spew inside the first week? If there's a Chinese market to be exploited, bet on the Chinese to be the ones to exploit it. Don't the French ever learn? Nah...
Ivan, I know I drink a glass or two of wine nearly every day and I haven't had a glass of french wine in a long damn time. Don't intend to either. Hope this is adding to the french winemakers woes.
Just trying to do my little part.
Calif wines are just fine thank you.
This is a function of three things:
1. Increased Muslim population. I wouldn't be surprised if pork products also have decreased. It's not just that Muslims won't drink it, but that even French people have to be sensitive to not offend Muslims so won't offer it on the menu at some events.
2. Demographics. France is rapidly aging. Older people tend to go for quality over quantity. The same is happening in German beer consumption.
3. Anglosphere competition. I think that Britain was always Frances biggest export market for wine (and the US too). But did you notice that most of the competitors are part of the Anglosphere: the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Given the choice, Anglosphere members will choose the wines from their compatriots, especially since the tariffs are usually lower.
4. France has been horrible at marketing its product and at anticipating the trends of the market. They are of the "if you ferment it, they will come" school. Obviously, this has failed.
France can't compete at the low end of the market and can't seem to increase its share of the high end. Paradoxically, the slow food/local food movement championed by the French has had the effect of reducing imports to the US. After all, it burns an awful lot of hydrocarbons just to ship some wine bottles across the Atlantic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.