Posted on 03/20/2005 10:22:55 AM PST by quidnunc
Not since Agincourt has there been such a threat to French culture from across La Manche. A British institution will this week rubbish France's perennial claim that its unique soil and climatic conditions are responsible for producing some of the world's finest wines.
In a move that is likely to send tremors from Burgundy to Bordeaux, two economists conclude that environmental conditions — or what France's oenophiles lovingly refer to as 'terroir' — is not important when it comes to producing memorable wine.
Olivier Gergaud, of Université de Reims Champagne, and Victor Ginsburgh of the European Centre for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, will present a paper at the Royal Economic Society annual conference in Nottingham based on exhaustive analysis of every aspect of the wine-producing process in one of France's most renowned regions of viniculture, Haut-Médoc.
The academics compared environmental conditions and wine-making techniques across 100 vineyards, including those owned by such revered wineries as Mouton-Rothschild, Latour, Lafite-Rothschild and Margaux, with the prices the vintages fetch at market.
Their findings will not make pleasant reading for those who argue truly great wine is a result of mystical synergies between the earth and the vine.
'Wine-making has become so sophisticated that it can completely shade the effect of terroir, and vines can be grown in almost any place, as long as the weather permits, and the right combination of vines is made,' the pair state before concluding with the chilling observation: 'The French terroir legend obviously does not hold; at least in the Haut-Médoc region.'
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at observer.guardian.co.uk ...
Oh no!! The earth will quit revolving!! We are doomed. French wine is no better than Kalifornia/Portugese/Chile/Oregon/Australian/etc . . . . . wines. This is hugh!! I am series.
"Millions for defense, but not a drop from France!"
I do very nicely, thank you, with wines from the USA, South America, Australia & Italy. And I will never again buy anything from Vichy.
LOL, love your tagline!
The French might want to consider poor marketing as another reason their wine sales have been declining. When I drink wine, I do NOT want to think about a Frenchman's balls. Or ever, for that matter.
It would seem that Latour or Lafitte or Montrose, for instance, could produce enough Premier Grand Cru quality wine in their foreign vinyards to drive everyone else in the world out of business if this were true.
SO9
In my experience, really good French wine is better than any other wine. But I'd say it is the result of tradition, expertise, and patience more than anything else. You could make as good wine somewhere else if you had the expertise, the patience, and the willingness to ruthlessly cull and market under another label everything but the best.
'As a result, producers are forced to sell their wine as low grade 'vin de pays', while Didier Daguenau, who produces outstanding Pouilly-Fumé wines, obtained an AOC label for his worst production, made with bad quality grapes, and which he calls "Quintessence of my Balls".'
Being French, the consumers probably can't read the label!
This truly marks the beginning of the end of France's slide into obscurity. The only thing they had left of their national pride was their wine industry. Now that it is becoming common knowledge that there are other countries' wines that are competitive there will truly be no reason for there to be a France. Now if someone else could produce a good Cognac, I would never consume another French product. Socialist countries have a knack for destroying the goose that lays the golden egg. Just look at the Cuban cigar industry. There are many cigars that retouinely receive higher ratings that are produced outside Cuba.
Do you listen to the Tom Leykis show on Sunday afternoons?
For the money, California is now making much better wine then France. I don't say that just because I don't like France. The wine being produced in the United States is just that damn good. You can get a very good bottle of California wine for less than $15 - the type of wine even the snobs can enjoy. On the other hand, anything from France under $15 is usually something even a rube like me would pour down the sink in disgust. France does make some good wine but for the same money, you can get at least twice as much California wine that is just as good. For me, it's a no-brainer.
You know, I've wondered the same thing myself. A good smooth after dinner cognac. Any entrepreneurs out there? A career awaits the industrious.
There is just one recourse left to the French in response to this terrible news; VOTE AGAINST THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION! It will be the ONLY way to reestablish the greatness of FRANCE!!!
And some of the good Aussie wines are even less expensive than California.
A few years ago I had a wine from Romania that had to have been about the best wine I had ever tasted..........I've never been able to find it again, and as I am typing this the name of it has totally escaped me. (that's embarrassing considering I haven't been drinking)
the Dominican Republic comes to mind!!!
Glad to see it in print. I don't buy french wine/cheese, etc. and on this board I kow I don't have to explain why. I agree that California, Chile, Italy and the Aussies all make excellent wines at good prices.
We need a wine forum here or a wine ping list. A way to pass on our latest finds.
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.