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| Europe | ||
| French wine-makers stirred by US losses | ||
| 2004-06-22 | ||
French wine producers need to radically rethink the way they package and market wines to US consumers if they hope to stem the decline in their share of the multi-billion dollar US wine market, a panel of industry experts said here.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #13 Actually, there are great wines coming out of Australia now. They have had time to get things right and find the right grapes and climates to produce wines that are superior to almost anything the French can make, especially when ti comes to red wines. And for everyday use, California and Italy still make great priced table wines that are better than French wines that sell for 2 times the price. The French blew it - the only thing they had going for them was years of snobbery. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-06-22 11:35:05 PM |
| #12 France? Bah. It's Spain I'm boycotting. |
| Posted by: someone 2004-06-22 10:35:14 PM |
| #11 And the world has moved on... and found love... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-22 9:06:24 PM |
| #10 The French wine industry is still mad at the US for reviewer Robert Parker. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2004-06-22 9:01:45 PM |
| #9 classic liberal... at least the French winemasters can look forward to employment in the US..where wine sales are booming. |
| Posted by: B 2004-06-22 1:47:59 PM |
| #8 "We are talking to the average consumer using a language he doesn't understand and isn't interested in," said Jean Marie Chadronnier, chief executive officer of Dourthe, a producer of premium French wines, speaking at the event late Sunday. "We have to bring something accessible . . . not thousands of brands and petits chateaux." Ah, now there's the problem. We Americans are simpletons, that's why we don't buy more of their wine. I suppose he's right in a way. One thing my simple brain has figured out is that the French collectively, and often individually, are insufferable. Here's a story that mixes French wine and US military action: circa 1991 I was visiting an Oregon winery and got to chatting with a Frenchman working as the assistant winemaster. He was insistent on telling me that US air force pilots were all heroin addicts who needed to shoot up before each mission. (With DOD supplied slag, of course.) He knew this because he did his military service at an air base in the south of France where planes going to and from Gulf War I refuelled. I never figured out if the dude actually believed this stuff or if he was just being provocative. Either way, he was being typically French. The embargo on French goods into our household will continue for the forseeable future. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-06-22 1:44:40 PM |
| #7 In general people who are sophisticated about wines dont go by the country on the label theres way to much variance among the makers, different varietals and years, etc. I havent been as into wine as a few years ago, but it used to be the sense that at mid price levels Calif and Australia were better deals for the money, esp on Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvingon Blanc. France remained superior on Pinot Noir, Gamay-Beujolais, and on high end (premier cru) Cabernet-Bordeaux. Of course more recent trends are the selling varietal Merlots. Whenever you have customers try your competitors product, youre doing your competitor a favor. Some wont like the alternative, but some will, and you wont get that customer back. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-22 1:33:31 PM |
| #6 They still have that 'French Wines - 10 to 20% off!' sign at the local package store; it's been there Air America, French wines - we need a three-fer in the schadenfreude column! |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-06-22 1:24:14 PM |
| #5 French wines have suffered one blow that is irrepairable. Prior to the spat, French wines were living on the image that being French somehow meant it was superior. Not anymore. "Made in France" no longer carries the panache it once held, and they won't get that goodwill back. It's gone. In the end, they basically ended up educating everyone that good wine is good wine - and being from France isn't a key part of that equation |
| Posted by: B 2004-06-22 12:22:17 PM |
| #4 I hosted family parties each of the past two weekends. We served three American (Bud, Yuengling and Sam Adams) and one British (Bass) beers and three Australian (a Shiraz, a Chardonnay and a Cab), one Italian (a Pinot Grigio) and one American (a Pinot Grigio) wine, as well as some excellent Italian and American meats and cheeses. The only Frog product that slipped through the nets was a small piece of brie that was deemed "not very good" by my wife. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-06-22 12:18:26 PM |
| #3 France now lags Italy and Australia in wine exports to the United States AND anti-French sentiment stemming from the fallout over the US-led invasion of Iraq 1+1=2. It always has. It always will. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-06-22 12:00:19 PM |
| #2 How could that articled not even mention that Americans boycotting frog products is also having an effect? I haven't had a drop of French wine in 3 years. And I love wine. Meanwhile, more (deserved) frog-bashing here. Hey, Frenchmen, when a second-tier gossip columnist uses all her space to bash your country, you should probably just admit that you're wrong. |
| Posted by: growler 2004-06-22 11:22:59 AM |
| #1 French wine producers need to radically rethink the way they package and market wines to US consumers "You see that label that sez Made In France?" "Oui!" "Take that label off." |
| Posted by: BH 2004-06-22 10:05:49 AM |