Posted on 01/06/2005 6:47:18 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
BORDEAUX, France, Jan 6 (AFP) - Bordeaux wine producers announced more depressing export figures Thursday, with sales to the United States down by more than a third in a year.
Overall exports from the historic wine region of southwest France were down 10 percent in volume and 24 percent in value for the first three quarters of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003, according to the Interprofessional Council of Bordeaux Wine (CIVB).
Exports to the United States were down by a massive 35 percent in volume and 59 percent in value, and sales to Britain down by 21 percent in volume and 33 percent in value, it reported.
In all the region sold 1.27 million hectolitres in the year to October, for EUR 786 million (USD 1,037 million).
The only good news was an increase in sales to Russia and the Asian market.
French wine-makers are going through their worst crisis in decades thanks to competition from new producer countries and falling domestic consumption.
Thanks, I'll have to check them out. I'm pretty picky about Chard, since I make my own. But I buy between vintages because it's great to experience the different styles. It helps my own efforts.
There are some very good small American wineries...not only California, but Texas and Arizona both have several that are nice. Both in taste and price. Enjoy!
Case in point, Kendal Jackson artist series $75 Cabernet Sauvegnion is just about as good as the $175 Rothschild from Bordeaux. In other words not only the economical bottle from mass production is beating the French, no, even the high end California is beating the French.
I am from Montana -- we even have some very good choices of wine from Montana -- world wide award winners!
I would rather buy a Montana wine (or wine from any state in the USA) than that French crap!!!
Let them not only eat cake but drink wine!!!!
Certain French Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are the best reds in the world.
Their sauternes are also the best...not that I drink them much.
The Chautenuf de Papes are also very nice.
That said....boycotting them is fine by me but folks who try to rationalize that French wines are not the best anyhow are simply wrong in my view.
Napa area reds are quite nice but lack the complexity in my view and are actually more expensive proportional to taste.
Take Cakebread. or Caymus Reserve.. a great Kali Cab but for 125-150 bucks or more I'd rather have a good Lynch Bages or Cos de Estournel or Ducru etc.
And Petrus, Le Pen or Lafite or Margaux or a La Tache level burgundy...hell, those wines are like a Porsche...there is no substitute.
One man's opinion. The world is full of great wines but the best of the best are either Bordeaux (St Estephe, St Emilion, Pomerol, Paulliac, Marguax, St Julien) or Burgundy (Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin )
Boycott all ya'll want but don't delude yourselves. Wine is one thing the Sapos do very well at the high end....red wine speaking.
French whines!
White wine...even a Montrachet or a vintage Chateau Potelle Chard.....are still what one drinks
...before they drink real wine which is red.
blush....the horror.
I think the Spanish and Italians make the best Reds for the $$$
Did you you know that 120 is about a myth of 120 soldiers hiding from the enemy in a wine celler? When an overwheming force enter the celler all the troops could not be found.
I agree about Yellow Tail; actually not bad but the Shiraz is what puts them on the map IMHO.
I'm proud to say I've never once had French wine; well, being a teetotaler and a Mormon, I guess that's a no-brainer.
Wine sux, indeed.
BTW, John, nice to chat again.
If you must by foreign wines, buy Italian and Australian wines. Their Merlot is smooth. My wife and I buy California, Italian, and Australian Merlots. We have not been disappointed.
Agree, and I would also add Chile reds. Great for the $$$
Great!!! I just had a glass of Australian wine... No French wine here, but then again, I never did drink wine made in that vile land.
>> I'm not a wine expert, but I will say that the Chateau Lafite Rothschild '82 is by far the best wine I've ever tasted. I used to buy it for very special occasions only, given its price tag (about $1000/bottle, if memory serves).
Many wines costing 10$ to 15$ a bottle will taste as good as your $1000/bottle buys. You have convince me there is a sucker born every minute.
French wines I could always do without! But German, I could never give up ny Reislings! I have also had some very good wines from... Missouri and even Arkansas.
I tried the Aussie wines, a lil too dry for my tastes but not undrinkable :)
"French wine-makers are going through their worst crisis in decades thanks to competition from new producer countries and falling domestic consumption."
Falling domestic consumption...I wonder if that's directly related to the rising Muslim population? Working in the restaurant business, I have seen a sharp rise in demand for Italian, Australian and California wines in the last two years. Perhaps the Frogs should consider recycling their product into salad dressing.
I stopped buying bic's. I bought a Zippo.
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