French winemakers threatened as Brussels orders vines to be ripped out to control surplus.| Long article in the Guardian about the over-production of wine in France, and the attempts of the EU to control it. Schadenfreude special. |
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| Europe | |
| Drowning in Europe's wine lake | |
| 2006-06-23 | |
French winemakers threatened as Brussels orders vines to be ripped out to control surplus.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #18 I was talking about wine with a Master Sommelier just the other day. We should all be very glad that America's wine industry is not so fettered with archaic production and distribution laws. As a result, we produce some of the world's best wines, bar none. If you must go overseas, I recommend Australia. They have done all of their homework in advance and are now producing some exceptional wines at excellent prices. Be sure that France still makes some magnificent vintages, but not sending them any of my money just feels so right at the present moment. Finally, I urge all of you wine drinkers to please, please by a case of wine you that enjoy and lay some of it down for a few extra years. Get advice from your local wine authority as to which vintages will age well, identify one that you enjoy and then cellar it for a few extra years. The improvement is nothing short of profound. A revolting statistic is that 90% of all wine is consumed within 48 hours of purchase. This fact has forced vintners to bottle wine for immediate consumption. Such constraints prohibit them from making wines that will age particularly gracefully. I took a simple $6.00 Loius Martini red and aged for another three years and the results were spectacular. Now imagine what happened when I aged a Silver Oak (excellent label) Zinfandel for 20 years. It was like drinking fruit flavored rain water, softer than a baby's @ss and an aftertaste like the dust from a grape. I'm still holding back with a Charles Krug 1972 Cabernet. That one is either over the hill or a complete and total monster. I may open it this year. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-06-23 23:16 |
| #17 I will stick with good California and Aussie wines. But me heart is forever in the tankard with a good ale. When I was down in Homer this week I picked up a growler each of Red knot Scottish Ale and China Point Porter from the Homer Brewing Company. Ima happy mon, mon. Let 'em drown in a Euro lake debating their Mega-minutae issues. I like the simple life of high quality living. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-06-23 23:15 |
| #16 I'm inspired to help out. I'm buying another box of patriotic wine today. |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-06-23 18:11 |
| #15 #14 DMFD - don't forget the Danish Havarti. ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-23 17:35 |
| #14 I'll have to start drinking some more wine! Perhaps some world-class Napa / Sonoma and a few select Australian Chardonays. Accompanied with some nice soft brie - from Wisconsin. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-06-23 17:04 |
| #13 Good Lord, Mike, they wouldn't do that! Such behaviour would be downright rude! ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-23 16:07 |
| #12 Luxembourg is also top in total alcohol consumption. I have no idea why it's populated by lushes. How many cold turkey chimps? With a small country like that it could easily skew the numbers. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-06-23 16:06 |
| #11 Luxembourg is also top in total alcohol consumption. What else is there to do in Luxembourg on a Saturday night? Walk to the border and taunt the Belgian customs officers? |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-06-23 11:43 |
| #10 Wasn't it Reagan that said production stimulates demand? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-23 11:00 |
| #9 Any numbers on wine export before and since Iraq? |
| Posted by: Thomoque Angereque3714 2006-06-23 09:23 |
| #8 For wine lovers, the EU response is horrible news. They're pushing the commodified crap model (which, mind you, beats the un-commodified crap many make now) of the New World instead of the artisinal wine-crafting that a free market would encourage. |
| Posted by: JSU 2006-06-23 06:46 |
| #7 I took that list from Nationmaster.com Here is another list of per capita consumption in liters that includes Spain and Portugal which definitely should in the top ten. Luxembourg 63.4 France 56.1 Italy 48.2 Portugal 46.3 Switzerland 42.9 Croatia 48.2 Spain 34.1 Austria 29.6 Hungary 34.8 Argentina 31.6 Luxembourg is also top in total alcohol consumption. I have no idea why it's populated by lushes. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-06-23 05:40 |
| #6 ...Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia (and other former Yugo states), Hungary, Czech Republic are too missing, in that order, because as we move north, beer consumption becomes more prominent. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-06-23 02:41 |
| #5 Phil, where is Spain in the list? I remember wine being delivered to tapa bars in tanker trucks and the Navy guys I was with doing their best to raise the per capita numbers. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-06-23 02:11 |
| #4 FYI - Wine consumption per capita. #1 Italy 54 litres #2 France 47 litres #3 Switzerland 42 litres #4 Austria 36 litres #5 Denmark 32 litres #6 Belgium 30 litres #7 Germany 26 litres #8 Australia 21 litres #9 United Kingdom 20 litres #10 Netherlands 20 litres #11 New Zealand 19 litres #12 Sweden 16 litres #13 Ireland 13 litres #14 Norway 11 litres #15 Japan 10 litres #16 Finland 10 litres #17 Canada 10 litres #18 United States 7 litres |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-06-23 01:40 |
| #3 A couple of points. John Howard has just refused to subsidize taking vines out of production in Oz where there is a similar over production problem. The real reason behind Europe's anti-GM stance is it will make Europe's agricultural over-production much worse and likely bankrupt the CAP. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-06-23 01:30 |
| #2 Don't be silly old boy that would be downright ... American. |
| Posted by: Old Europe 2006-06-23 01:06 |
| #1 Why not just let the price drop until some producers fail and then it naturally swings back up with a fitter selection? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-23 00:36 |