27 April 2005

FRENCH WINEMAKERS MAY ABANDON STANDARDS

The wine industry of France appears to have given up the fight against New World competition as its governing bodies consider abandoning the standards which set the benchmark for winemakers the world over.
 
At a recent meeting of the European Confederation of Independent Winemakers, wine economist Patrick Aigrain, advocated disbanding the AOC system. Maurice Carroll of wine and travel website winedrive.com described as 'absolute tosh', Mr Aigrain's assertion that the AOC system cannot be used to differentiate French wines from the New World, because 'they have it too'.

"The AOC system came about because unscrupulous French winemakers were passing off inferior wines back in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. It is uniquely French and someone addressing a collective of European winemakers should have at least got his facts straight before shooting from the hip".

He added: "It is a sad day when generations wine making skills and history are dumped on the words of economists when the real issue is the industry's total lack of marketing ability. For years, the French industry has failed to counter lack of awareness with any sensible, planned marketing. No wonder the New World has run rings round them."
 

Mr Carroll also raised concerns that the president of the CEVI is also president of Vignerons Independents and a vigneron. "How can he give three different bodies fair and undivided attention? The smaller vingerons of France are paying through the nose to all these committees which do doing nothing for the industry other than destroy the attributes which set it apart from the competition.

"The French industry is suffering at the hands of a few empire builders who don't understand its problems and don't seem to care," a point he illustrates by citing plans in Bordeaux to introduce the use of oak chips to flavour wine instead of maturing it in oak barrels. "The are already proposing use of artificial additives. Will we soon be seeing French test tube wines?"

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Further Information From:
Maurice Carroll, WineDrive France
maurice.carroll@winedrive.com
Tel: +33 (0) 5 49 29 47 05