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| Britain |
| Britons sniff at French wines |
| 2004-09-07 |
| Mon dieu! No more weasel juice for dear old Blighty... The British are losing their taste for French wines, turning instead toward New World offerings from Australia, South Africa or California, according to a marketing survey cited Friday by the Independent. Indeed, not a single French wine ranked among the ten best-selling labels in Britain in the first part of this year. Just 15 years ago, all ten wines on the list were from France and other countries in continental Europe. Australia unseated France in 2002 as the single largest source of imported wine to Britain. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #4 my impression has always been that low end French wines were way over priced, middle range ($12US to $30) were slightly overpriced but bargains could be found, and that France was really only still dominant in the high end. Sounds like France is losing market share in the UK in the middle range, where theyd long since lost share in the US. Note also, I think this is about wine and economics, not politics. RSA is NOT part of the coalition of the willing, but their wine industry is definitely on the upswing (of course I doubt many of the West Cape grape farmers are ANC voters :) ) |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-07 11:20:23 AM |
| #3 A very small portion of French wine is worth buying. Most real wine drinkers know that. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-07 3:53:31 AM |
| #2 I always thought the French spelled it "whine" |
| Posted by: Anonymous6339 2004-09-07 3:09:24 AM |
| #1 There was no love lost between Britain and France long, long before they stabbed Bush and Blair in the back over Iraq in the UN. But, having lived there twice, I know that the Brits know their wine (even better than the French know their own stuff, where I've also spent some time). If the British are choosing ABF=Anything but French, we should follow their lead. |
| Posted by: GreatestJeneration 2004-09-07 1:54:45 AM |