France: plan pending
Dominique de Villepin is listening.
No, not in that creepy eavesdropping way that’s all the rage in Washington. He’s listening to French winemakers.
On December 20, the French Prime Minister received 14 regional representatives of the wine trade and Minister of Agriculture Dominique Bussereau. “We’re getting started right now and I think we could, in about two or three months’ time–maybe sooner–present a [restructuring] plan,” Bussereau said after leaving the meeting.
The Prime Minister’s office issued a press release after the meeting saying that it expected the imminent announcement of measures to “recover lost markets” and “make the industry adapt” in terms of quantity and quality. The communinqué underscored the 45 million euros in aid already distributed to the industry in 2005.
Although France is still the world’s largest producer of wine by value, the French wine trade has been beset by falling exports and declining domestic consumption. Frustrated wine growers in Bordeaux recently sealed the entrance to a wine trade association with bricks while disaffected growers in the Languedoc have resorted to violence, which may restart.
Denis Baro, president of the Bordeaux cooperative Rauzan, said after the meeting “at least the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture were listening to us.”
Another grower said he was “neither pessimistic nor optimistic.” Does that make his glass half-full or half-empty?
Technorati tags: wine | Wine news | French wine trade
On January 3rd, 2006 at 1:18 pm ,Jose Valera wrote:
It is good that the French government is getting involved and hope they have new strategy to compete with Spain, Australia and South and North America’s market. As the market grows they have to compromise, both the government and winemakers, a need to make changes to their tradition in wine making and their price. I personally love their wine styles, the tradition, but new wine lovers are beginning to taste the new world style of wine and price. As every market changes the French need a practical approach and expose their talented wine making to the new palate, even if tradition is touch or modified.
On February 8th, 2012 at 1:53 pm ,korg z1 wrote:
Hi, this is a great blog!