Posted on 12/08/2004 1:42:21 PM PST by Hi Heels
French Wine Growers Protest Weak Market
1 hour, 56 minutes ago World - AP
By WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press Writer
PARIS - Wine is less a beverage than an elixir of life in France, but the country's vintners say they're vexed by a problem that threatens their livelihood — too much of a good thing and not enough people drinking it.
Pinched by overproduction, shrinking exports, advertising restrictions, an aggressive campaign against alcohol abuse and changing drinking habits, at least 6,000 growers and winemakers staged spirited demonstrations nationwide Wednesday to press the government for help.
"We are a sector in crisis," said Jean-Michel Lemetayer, the head of France's main farmer union, urging the state to bail out an industry awash in a sea of Chablis and Bordeaux.
Vintners wearing black armbands marched through Bordeaux, Avignon, Angers, Macon, Nantes, Tours and other cities in key winemaking regions to urge the Agriculture Ministry to help offset their financial losses.
Protesters from vineyards that make the celebrated Cote du Rhone reds carried a mock coffin with the inscription: "Here lies the last winemaker."
France's wine industry, which employs about 500,000 people, says exports through Aug. 31 dropped by more than 5.5 percent in volume and 9.6 percent in value. Experts say Bordeaux was particularly hard hit, with foreign sales of its signature reds down 25 percent.
Vintners say overproduction worldwide, and especially in France — which harvested a bumper crop of grapes this year — has glutted a market where French wines already face fierce competition from vintages from California, Chile and Australia.
In the past, producers of cheap table wine suffered the most when there was a surplus. Now, makers of more prestigious "appellation" wines face bankruptcy if prices keep sinking, the Confederation of French Wine Cooperatives warned.
Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau promised to meet with industry leaders next week. "The government understands these difficulties," he said.
Aggressive campaigns against alcohol abuse and drunken driving also appear to have curbed consumption.
President Jacques Chirac, determined to reduce the 45,000 deaths a year blamed on alcohol, launched a crackdown in 2002 that officials say has led to a dramatic decline in road deaths — but also has been blamed for a drop in wine sales.
"Thanks to the sword thrusts by the French state, wine is becoming synonymous with alcoholism," the Wine Academy of France, a group representing top wine makers and growers, said in a statement last week.
The industry is lobbying the government to ease tough restrictions on alcohol advertising in an effort to stimulate sales and counter the growing popularity of beer and other beverages among younger drinkers.
The average Frenchman now drinks half as much wine as in 1961. Nonetheless, France continues to rank No. 1 in the world in per capita wine consumption, with the average person putting away some 13 gallons a year.
"We just want to promote products that consumers already understand carry no risk if they drink with moderation," Lemetayer said.
He and others contend that wine — which traditionally has enjoyed special protections as a part of French culture — shouldn't be lumped with hard liquor like whiskey.
"Wine is a part of France's cultural heritage. We shouldn't demonize it," said Karine Pech, 28, who works in publishing in Paris. "It's not a strong drink, and consumed with moderation, it's a part of a good meal."
Since 1991, advertisements for alcoholic drinks in France have been allowed to contain only factual information about a product, including its name, manufacturer, alcohol content and origin.
Last month, the state-funded National Association for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction urged Chirac to oppose a move in parliament to let print or television ads also mention the color, smell and taste of wines.
But under pressure from vintners, Chirac's ruling conservatives in the lower chamber backed the push to loosen the advertising restrictions. The Senate is expected to take up the measure in January.
Gregory Lozinski, a 22-year-old businessman, said he empathizes with winemakers — even though he only drinks about a bottle a week.
"I can understand that the wine industry is anxious," he said. "I'm a partisan of freedom: If you want to get drunk and die of alcohol abuse, that's your problem."
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The market is strong, it's the French wine that's weak!!!
Now if we could just make progress on Evian water and Michelin tires...
It's been a long time since we bought French wine and do not miss it one bit. There are other sources of very good wine. I enjoy domestic wines the best.
Screw Napa and Sonoma, drink red county wines from San Luis Obispo ! Or try Temecula wines if you can find them.
The main reason for the decline is French wines is the emergence of extremely drinkable "lifestyle wines" like Yellow Tail from friendly places like Australia.
Red wine + steak = yum.
Twice as good with grass fed Argentine beef and Argentine red wine. With their parsley-garlic-olive oil sauce.
Try Canadian wine from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. A very conservative, "red" area of Canada politically.
Overproduction is the problem for the producers here, and we've had the same thing in WA state. I can go to the local state liquor store and pick up some Arbor Crest Cliff House Red for less than seven bucks a bottle, it goes magnificently with a steak, or any red meat-based food. Our supermarkets are offering fairly deep discounts on the retail prices of many fine wines. Oversupply is a great thing for the consumer!
The French government should require citizens drink, and to excess. Not only will it help dry up the wine that's no longer headed to the US, it may drive some Muslims out. It may ease the passing of those who die of heat every summer, and generally give the French an excuse for acting so French.
It needs to be re-named anyway, the french don't do it all that well.
Gee, I must have been hard on the french by not buying their vino. I guess I will go out and buy a bottle of french vino, na, I don't think so......
SLO wines are excellent too! Had...get this... LAKE COUNTY wines this year. And they were excellent as well.
Bad experience with a young woman of French origin, eh?
Your not kidding! That is called chimichurri. Have you ever been to Argentina, or is there just a good parilla near your house? There really is nothing better. I can't believe I used to eat steak with A1 sauce! Chimichurri really brings out the flavor of the meat without changing it. I love the stuff!
Its hard to beat a California or Washington State merlot. Why send your $ to France ?
If it's because of French state sword thrusts, they should be prospering beyond their wildest dreams.
I'll buy a bottle to celebrate, right after Tre Arrow gets handed over to the FBI.
French toast my four year old son of his on accord calls it yellow toast
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That's beyond outstanding. What a clever little kid! :D
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