[RayChuang88]

They're getting hammered on the high-end big time too. They have dropped of wine lists precipitously in the better restaurants, and collectors have slowed buying Bordeaux futures and so forth. Even that Y2K Champagne nonsense cost them dearly.

Well, that does explain why French wine companies are heavily investing in California wineries. And with good reason: California grows more predictably good wines than in France, especially in the Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Paso Robles, Solvang and Lodi areas.

Another thing that is scaring a lot of French winemakers is that Gallo is now heavily investing in high-end wine production. Given Gallo's superior economies of scale, they could run rings around most French wineries fairly quickly.

[NautiNurse]

The legendary French wine producers are also well established in the Chilean wine industry.