Regards, Ivan
They better not hold their breath. Their Beaujolais Nouveau marketing splash in Japan this year was a complete flop from what I could gather speaking with Japanese friends while I was in Japan. The marketing push was non-existent in China, even in the four-star hotels and five-star restaurants I went to in cosmopolitan Shanghai.
When the most Westernized portions of Japan and China turn up their noses at Beaujolais Nouveau, it is pure delusion to think these markets will save the French wine producers in general, and Beaujolais Nouveau in particular (the one cited in the article). In China and Japan, beer is what the vast majority of restaurant goers drink, with various domestically-produced cheap wines (think stuff like rice and plum wines selling for $8 USD per 750 ml) coming in second place, and anything over $10 USD per 750 ml simply reserved for special occassions.
I think wouldntbprudent's observation was very perceptive; French producers didn't perform their market research diligently enough. It is true that there are people who can distinguish a qualitative difference between wines produced in France and other nations. Furthermore, it is true that there are such people who prefer French wine at almost any premium markup. Those people are not who pay for the majority of the French wine industry's output. Those people might be influencers, but the crucial marketing insight the industry missed is that those influencers by and large are listened to after a decision is made to drink French wine, not before a decision is made to drink wine at all. Yet it is these same influencers who the industry spends an inordinate amount of energy and resources courting.
My guess is the French wine industry can rebound if they replace the mystique that only French wine is worth the experience of wine with another mystique that recognizes the vast majority of their output is bought by people who want to have a good time, but not necessarily a good time that revolves solely around the wine.
Of course, that's not French either.
I've developed a tasted for North Carolina wines, too, particularly Duplin winery's revival of the last-century muscadine and scuppernong styles...these are made from grape stocks (Vitis rotundifolia) native to the carolinas, and have a distinctive flavor.
I suspect if I were restricted only to the wines made in my own state, I would not suffer overmuch. Then again, I'm just a journeyman drinker of wines, not an oenophile.
I know that in our home, we only buy wines/spirits from willing members of the Coalition, especially Italy and Australia.
I don't how much people really "boycott" French wines, but I purchase a fair amount of wine, and I hardly ever wander over to the French aisle. I'm in the reserves and the PX has this awesome deal on a California wine called Searidge for $3.95 a bottle. My palate tells me its in the 10-12 dollar range.
If the French made a good one of those I might consider buying one for $20 or $30 a bottle.
The best Zenfendel Port I ever had was from a California winery, Ledson.
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.
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
Do we get French cheese with this whine....
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.
I have noted much lower wine prices lately at the supermarket.
"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."
Muslims don't drink wine.
The boycott probably has some effect; but as someone who lived the past 5-years in Chile, I can say that Chilean and Argentinean wines are having a big impact on the world market. Chilean and Argie wines are very good and very cheap. I seek them out at local markets and would never consider a European wine over a good Chilean wine.
Also, France's production costs are way higher than the "New World" producers. I recently read that in France, one worker tends 2-hectares of vineyard, where in Australia and Chile one worker tends about 10-hectares. The French just can not compete economically. I toured a two-year old winery in Chile earlier this year and it was a world-class facility...everything state of art, owned by one of the wealthies families in Chile. The Chileans are doing joint-ventures with North American producers and are aggresively marketing their wines world wide.
Regards
Hey France - you suck - Muslims won't drink your wine but that's who you are stuck with.
Yes, but I hear the Euro is doing really, really, well against the dollar..... whatever.... the french, renalt, airbus, wine.... what else sucks about france... is air bus even owned by france or does it just suck so bad I associate it with france?