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| Europe |
| French wine exports drowning as growers call for help |
| 2005-05-29 |
| Note this is happening while world wine consumption is rising rapidly. French wine exports sank again in the first quarter of 2005 confirming a downward spiral which has plunged the sector into crisis and brought thousands of wine-growers out onto the streets in protest. "Global over-production in 2004, which is put at between 10 to 20 million hectolitres, is pulling prices down and adding to the problems of French wines which are being asked to become simpler in taste to meet growing world consumption," said Louis-Regis Affre, an official from the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits (FEVS). Apart from champagnes and sparkling wines, exports of French wine dropped some 13.0 percent in value and 13.2 percent in volume in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, FEVS said. This adds to the misery seen in 2004, when French wine exports lost some 9.2 percent in value, of which some 752 million euros (943 million dollars) were lost in just the first quarter. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #27 Hey, Frank, we know some great things come out of Napa and from the other non-Lib-dominated parts of California! (Thanks, France, for planting some of your best vines in American soil--those wines are very nice!) I, too, joined the French boycott back in 2003 when they stabbed us in the back in the UN even though I was the biggest Francophone before that. (I've lived in Paris and have spoken French since I was 6.) I refuse to give up my Chanel skin care (it works so well!) unless we do declare formal war against them, but I was happy to see that the latest Chanel products I bought were made in the USA. |
| Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro 2005-05-29 23:49 |
| #26 nice smear, Ptah - we're not all SF or Hollywood |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-29 22:13 |
| #25 Captain, the most likely crop that the idiotarians would be growing in California would be Pot. Wine making takes REAL WORK is my understanding. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-05-29 21:52 |
| #24 depends on whether it's a living or a hobby. Paso, et al - they have to make a living. For the cosmetics/hobby - you can tell |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-29 21:13 |
| #23 Captain: You're probably OK. California wines are mostly in the inland valleys, while the idiotarians cluster on the coastal cities. Most (not all, but most) of areas around Sonoma, Napa, Paso Robles, etc. went for Ahnold in '03 and W in '04. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-05-29 21:09 |
| #22 I stopped buying French, PERIOD! |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-05-29 19:58 |
| #21 I, too, have stopped buying French wine. I drink a lot of Austrian, Italian, and Chilean stuff instead. I sometimes get Californian, but I worry that if I'm trying to avoid giving money to left-wing peaceniks then maybe California ain't the best option. In any case, France is definitely out. |
| Posted by: Captain Pedantic 2005-05-29 16:59 |
| #20 Thanks to the French incessant attempts to backstab the US, I have boycotted thier wines. THe nice thing is: it led to my discovery of a lot of good Aussie and Chilean wines, Italian table wines, and a lot of US wines that I would not have tried before. Now, I am not specifically boycotting French wines anymore: I am simply drinking BETTER wines that have their vintage elsewhere. I suspect this is what happened: their politics led to a boycott - which gave other wines a chance to fill the gap, and which finally showed that French wines are overrated and consist more of hype than taste. The French opened the door, now they watch people leave as they go with rationality and taste instead of wine snobbery and hype. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-05-29 15:51 |
| #19 Washington state wines are awfully good. I like Columbia Crest especially their white wine. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-05-29 14:00 |
| #18 i don't drink wine but heard that south africa had some good stuff or was that south carolina |
| Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 2005-05-29 13:44 |
| #17 I don't see what the big brouhahah is about their whine. You mean to tell me that Jacko didn't mandate a bottle for each household in the EU Constitution? |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2005-05-29 12:08 |
| #16 --problems of French wines which are being asked to become simpler in taste--- ach! You simple, simple peasants/peons! |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2005-05-29 12:04 |
| #15 Maybe the frogs could just cut the "complex" wines with a bit of water for us simpletons, reducing the cost. Then they could cut the price, and then ... wait a minute ... I STILL wouldn't buy any! Mebbe they oughta hold their collective breaths until we all "sophisticate." |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-05-29 11:45 |
| #14 I used to buy Mouton Cadet bordeaux, but not since 2002. I drink Cali and Aussie wines - Costco stocks excellent ones of both |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-29 11:33 |
| #13 If you want me to buy your wines, start putting a kangaroo on the label. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-05-29 10:52 |
| #12 between 10 to 20 million hectolitres Now those people are just making words up. Silly euroweenies... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2005-05-29 10:46 |
| #11 Buy California wine - that is where the majority of french wine "comes" from today. After the devistating die-off of the french vineyards several decades ago, due to disease, California sent millions of clippings to graph/plant. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2005-05-29 10:42 |
| #10 Well, they still have the Tour de France going for them... |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-05-29 10:26 |
| #9 "Global over-production in 2004, which is put at between 10 to 20 million hectolitres, is pulling prices down and adding to the problems of French wines which are being asked to become simpler in taste to meet growing world consumption," said Louis-Regis Affre, an official from the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits (FEVS). Nitwit. We're not asking that your wines taste simpler. We're asking that your politicians get more honest, which is a hell of a lot taller order to fill. Get cracking or you'll go under to no one's regret. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-05-29 08:59 |
| #8 is pulling prices down and adding to the problems of French wines which are being asked to become simpler in taste to meet growing world consumption," yes, that's it! The problem is that the rest of the world just isn't sophisticated enough for your wine. Make it simpler in taste. In fact - why not grape juice? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-05-29 07:24 |
| #7 SPOD is right. The good producers have always sold and continue to sell in every price category, but for a long time (centuries?) a lot of crap -- often grossly overpriced -- has traded in on the whole French wine mystique. Not any more. Though the industrial Aussie junk isn't much better. |
| Posted by: someone 2005-05-29 06:29 |
| #6 Also quit buying French wine when they sided with Saddam Hussein. I also make a point of stating my disgust in restaurants when I see that they have French bottles on the wine list. Further, I have the impression there are fewer of them in restaurants, nowadays. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2005-05-29 03:12 |
| #5 SPOD, repeating it does not make it true! ;-) |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2005-05-29 02:58 |
| #4 I occasionally bought French wine prior to the Iraq war lead up, but I haven't bought a single bottle since. I'd be interested to see a sales breakdown by country and also whether the boycott got any press in France. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-29 02:46 |
| #3 Good French wine is selling, it is their crap no one will buy anymore, and they make way to much of it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-05-29 02:26 |
| #2 Good French wine is selling, it is their crap no one will buy anymore, and they make way to much of it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-05-29 02:23 |
| #1 Thank Chirac and your anti-Coalition policies, Froggies. You made it very clear you didn't like us or want to help us in any way. Why, then, should you be surprised when none of us want to buy any of your exports anymore? Payback's a mutha, copains. |
| Posted by: mac 2005-05-29 01:39 |