Posted on 11/27/2006 11:34:11 PM PST by MadIvan
MORE than eight million litres of this season's production of Beaujolais wine is being turned into near-pure alcohol for use in disinfectants, cleaning products or fuel additives, as French vineyards face up to a massive overproduction crisis.
A chronic wine glut, falling domestic consumption and fierce overseas competition have converged to create a wine crisis on an unprecedented scale. With "lakes" of unsold wine threatening to undermine prices, the European Union has resorted to paying vintners to destroy some of their stock each year, distilling billions of bottles of perfectly drinkable wine into pure alcohol.
Sceptics say the measure, which cost EU taxpayers 150 million (£100 million) last year alone, is merely a quick fix that does not get to the root of the problem - which is that Europe simply produces too much wine for too few consumers.
A new plan aims to fix at least the production side by downsizing Europe's wine industry by ripping out huge swaths of vineyards. Some 100,000 acres of vines, more than 10 per cent of Europe's total, could be lost over the next five years across Spain, France and Italy.
But as more wine is distilled each year - reaching 2.8 billion litres in 2005 - even the most virulent opponents of the EU plan acknowledge that something has got to give. "For years, we shrugged the crisis off as a temporary downturn," said Gilles de Longevialle, who heads a group representing the vintners of Beaujolais. "But we're beginning to see it's here to stay."
Until last year, so-called "crisis distillations" were considered only for the cheapest table wines. Now, quality wines are also boiled away in large quantities.
So for the second autumn in a row, Philippe Terrollion, director of the Beaujolais Distillery in central-eastern France, sent out a fleet of lorries to pick up an expected 8.5 million litres of unbottled, unsold Beaujolais. That's enough to fill about 125 swimming pools.
"For vintners, the decision to distil is a hard one," Mr Terrollion said. "But in the end, they have to do it to get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new."
With funds from the EU and local authorities, Mr Terrollion paid vintners the EU-fixed price of about 35 cents (24p) per litre - about one-fifth of the average price paid by wholesalers for bottled wine sold for consumption.
The problem is, the wine just doesn't sell. European vintages are languishing on the shelf as consumers around the globe reach for bottles from New World producers in the likes of Chile, Australia and South Africa. Louis-Fabrice Latour, who heads the Louis Latour label in Burgundy, admitted a feeling of superiority had made them slow to react. "In France, we used to think we were the biggest and best and no-one could touch us," he said.
The wine-makers warn against tearing out vineyards, saying that would effectively tie their hands and prevent them from adapting to a changing world market. They point to India and China - where an emerging middle-class is beginning to acquire taste for wine. "When the Chinese really get into wine, demand for our product is going to explode to the point where if we cut back today, we might not be able to fill it," Mr de Longevialle said.
But with distilleries working overtime, nearly everyone admits the status quo is not viable. "It's clear we can't go on like this," Mr Terrollion said. "But we can't just snuff out wine-making, especially in a region like ours. Wine runs in our veins."
• WINE consumption is down across Europe, with Italy and France leading the decline.
In 1980, the French and the Italians each consumed about 5 billion litres of wine a year, according to the European Commission. By 2005, yearly consumption in both countries had dipped to roughly 3 billion litres.
Many French vintners blame tougher laws aimed at curbing drinking and driving for the country's precipitous decline in wine consumption. In 1960, the average Frenchman drank 3.1 bottles of wine per week. Today, the average intake is 1.4 bottles per week and falling, according to Michel Baldassini, who heads the main Burgundy wine growers' association.
Once a French dietary staple as fundamental as bread or cheese, wine is increasingly regarded, and treated, as a luxury product, Mr Baldassini said.
The change is hurting middle market regions like Beaujolais while favouring the vineyards of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy - the prestigious regions on which Europe is betting its winemaking future.
Virginia wines are still too expensive for what you get.
According to the managers of the biggest wine discounter in N California, the French Boycott has continued. Also, many former French Wine Winos have discovered American, Australian, Chili and other wines. These alternatives often taste better and are usually cheaper than the French snob wines.
I have a hard time boycotting frog wine, I never really drunk it that much, ever. I mostly drink beer now days, but when I drink wine I drink American or occasionally Australian.
They really got screwed in the oil-for-food program when they didn't include their wines in the deal :-)
Speaking for myself, it certainly has. I used to buy 12-15 bottles of French wine a year. Over the past 3 1/2 years or so, I've bought exactly one, and that was an accident. Anecdotally, I've also noticed that the shelf space devoted to French wines at the grocery store I frequent is well under 50% of what it used to be, while the Chilean, Argentinian, Australian and New Zealand space have all increased.
Does this mean all of the "EU" has to bail out France?
Sounds like easy money from the Government also
Sounds like a good product for the Russian market.
Do we get French cheese with this whine....
on a side note, Argentine wine is very good as well...particularly some of thier Merlots...
don't forget the Kountry Kwenchers!
Could be.
I occasionally drink wine.
I will not purchase a French wine ever again.
If I want a Beaujolais Nouveau, there are several American ones that are just as good.
Is there an American boycott of French wine? People who prefer French wines continue to buy them here, and there isn't a noticeable downturn. They are just awfully good.
Same here.
I never purchased very many French items save for the occasional bottle of Beajolais Nouveau, real Dijon Mustard or a 6-pack of Evian water.
After the Iraq water, I stopped buying those things...period!
Although my resolve may be crumbling soon. I am in need of some Dijon mustard and I gotta be honest with you. The Americanized versions aren't the same.
New York wines, from the Finger Lakes region, are excellent.
I have noted much lower wine prices lately at the supermarket.
“My wife and I have boycotted "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" wines since the bastards cut us off at the knees pre Iraq war. The White Flag country has there lips firmly pressed against their Muslim Imam's butts and this country boy won't finance their cowardice.”
I have to laugh because we did the same thing. We have 4 kids, and we do not get a chance to go out very much, so my wife and I have participated in a wine club for years. The club delivers about 2 to 4 bottles of wine per month. The wine is excellent, based on research by those who run the club.
Back when France betrayed us, we called the wine club and stated that we would not pay for any French wines. If the club could not meet our request, we would cancel our participation. What I found amusing is that the club was more than ready to accommodate because of the large number of other participants that requested the same ban on French wines. Now, we no longer receive or pay for French wines, and we have not missed them because the wines from Chile, Argentina and Australia have been wonderful!
Not only would I not buy French wines for political reasons, but the beaujolais is just a marketing ploy layered over an already backward industry.
Hey France! Look outside! The world left you behind!
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