'I know how to help my French Compatriots!'
/sarcasm off
Posted on 01/31/2005 10:25:24 AM PST by SmithL
PARIS -- The French government announced more than $91 million in aid Monday for the country's struggling wine industry, hit by falling consumption at home and increased competition in export markets.
The government will also allow the destruction of vines in overproducing regions and apply for EU permission to distill millions of surplus bottles into alcohol, Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau said.
Bussereau said $15 million would be paid out to winemakers in extra grants and tax breaks, along with $71.7 million in loans to producers and cooperatives in financial difficulty.
The government will also pay for 500 vintners to take early retirement in 2005, the minister told a news conference after talks with winemakers' representatives in Paris.
Bussereau said the government had made a "considerable effort" to help the country's winemakers, who are caught between sharply declining consumption in France and tougher competition in export markets. Wines from Australia, Chile and the United States outpaced French exports for the first time in 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
/sarc
Shocking
I thought their whine industry has been doing great.
(I'm so sorry)
(I had to say it)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahaha! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
The same froggies who complain about our protection of the steel industry are doing it for their own 'sacred' industry. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of tarriffs/protection, but it's interesting now that the shoe is on the other foot.
Wonder if there will be an WTC complaint filed by U.S., Chile, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Italy, etc.
"We will sell no wine before its time."
I quit drinking Frog Wine many years ago; I could give a flying rat's rearend what happens to them.
Calling Bill O'Reilly: Has your boycott been working?
French whine? Isn't that stuff used as a drain cleaner by now? California, Australia, etc. makes much better wine and doesn't leave an aftertaste like French wine always has....for me anyway.
First, you take an aircraft carrier ... mix it with a ...
I have not purchased French wine since the start of Iraq-US-French negotiations began. Will never do so again, or visit the squalid country.
They can let the graps on the vine.
sharply declining consumption in France
hmmmm....could this be caused by the growing anti-alcohol Muslim population?
Why do I get the feeling that this will get more $ Euros than the Tsunami victims.
I'd say the boycott is working. Why wouldn't we all want American wine anyway? California, Washington, and New York make great wines, sadly they are blue states, but better than France. I know a lot of people don't like Bill, but I have to say he has his moments of genius and moments of stupidity. Regardless, he has lots of viewers, and his word holds a lot of weight with many of them. Don't underestimate his influence.
Heh-heh, not only do the vitners have to get permission from france to do this, but also from the EU!
I picked up some pretty pallatable Christian Moueix 2001 Bordeaux at Costco for $5 a bottle. In the same trip I picked up some California reds. Both are good in their own way, but at $5 a bottle, the Bordeaux is a steal.
Anything that brings the price of decent French wine down sounds good to me, but I'm guessing that the Francocrats are trying to make it more expensive, in which case, I'll just buy more California and less French.
Did these guys ever take an economics lesson?
The Grapes of Wrath are very sweet indeed.
'I know how to help my French Compatriots!'
/sarcasm off
Geez, not only do you buy French wine, but you bought it at Costco? Turn in your conservative credentials right now buster!
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