An Unsavory Wine Label Tests Press Freedoms

The NYT International ^ | Jan 20 2003 | Craig Smith

[ijcr]

ILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAÔNE, France, Jan. 17 — Lionel Favrot steered his borrowed BMW down a narrow road, past steep hillsides stippled with gnarled grapevines like the sides of a clove-studded ham. The fog-filled valley below, where a church bell tolled and wood smoke laced the cool evening air, was enemy territory.

"They want to kill us," he said.

Mr. Favrot, 32, is editor of Lyon Mag, a small magazine from nearby Lyon that has started a war of words here by printing a sacrilege: that Beaujolais nouveau, the fruity young wine that has won this quiet corner of France fame from Topeka to Tokyo, is a "vin de merde" — politely put, sewage wine.

[ijcr]

The court ruling set off a minor frenzy in France's national press, which repeated the scatological modifier so often it may stick to Beaujolais as stubbornly as the real McCoy, left behind by French dogs, does to the soles of so many Parisian shoes.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Ping

[Fintan]

May I suggest Liquor for the Homeless????

 

 

 

[billorites]

This is an article worth reading in the original for a couple reasons:

It's evocative of a lovely part of France.

Second, it illustrates how precious our guarantees of free speech and due process are in this country.

[ArrogantBustard]

The Froggies would not likely care for the name of my favourite brew.

[tet68]

I always loved the skit with desmond morris and dan akroyd
as the cultured winos trying to bum money for a good drink.

[Red Jones]

bump

[Rodney King]

Well, he's right. The wine is total garbage.

[.38sw]

I got suckered into buying a bottle of it a couple of years ago. Read all the hype. Eeeeuw. I thought it was undrinkable. However, for the magazine to be sued for printing this man's comments, and LOSE, and likely have to close down, is just wrong. Free press, indeed.

[Rodney King]

In New York, where I used to live, the firt batch flies in on the Concord and people pay a fortune just to be able to say they had the first batch.

[Cicero]

Beaujolais is, indeed, lousy wine. I love a good Bordeaux, but the only way anyone can afford to buy it is to get it early and put it in the cellar for 10 or 15 years. It takes a certain patience.

[IronJack]

Though I find myself in the unenviable position of defending something French, I'll rise to the defense of Beaujolais. While it's a bit fruitier than I generally like a wine, I've had some villages that complemented certain meals superbly. But then I must have a grossly unsophisticated palate, because I think most cabernets taste like cigarette butts marinaded in urine.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Have to agree with you on Beaujolais. I'm partial to reds and beaujolais is the only one I've found that complements chicken or turkey.

On the other hand, I have been known to drink Apache Red -- an "interesting" Arizona vintage. Best if not imbibed directly from the bottle, but a plastic cup is all you really need.

[ARCADIA]

Due to recent events I am going to focus 100% of my attention on California, Chile, and Australian wines. If this keeps up I may start boycotting restaurants that serve French made products. Some things are just not worth sponsoring.

[Kay Ludlow]

I bought some Chilean wine recently that was pretty undrinkable. Of course I am in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where the State choses what we're allowed to drink. Being from the center of the state, it's at least a 3 hour drive to the nearest border, making shopping in other states somewhat difficult...

[Cicero]

It depends on the Cabernet.

Our Co-op in Montpelier carries a wine called Domaine Caton which is made by French wine students under the supervision of a master Oenologist. They make a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon, and the best thing about it is that it's subsidized by the French government and sells for $4.99 a bottle, with a 10% discount by the case. We bought ten cases for my daughter's wedding last summer, and it was great. We've been drinking it all year.

Yes, it's true, I must admit, I have occasionally had a good Beaujolais, but the last time was quite a while ago.

[IronJack]

I had a local wine merchant sell me a couple of cases of Viader '95. It is the only cabernet with which I am on speaking terms. I don't like tannic wines. If that makes me a wine wuss, so be it.

I never used to like Chardonnays either. But this same nectar dealer turned me on to Goose Cross, a chard that dances on the tongue like angels.

Sadly, I've never found another vintage as good as the '95. And I've reduced my wine consumption drastically in the last few years. Alas!