Crazy Market and Outdated Practices

Lower production standards in the New World and outdated commercial practices in France are being blamed for UK sales of French wine falling behind Australia for the first time.

According to Maurice Carroll of wine and travel website, winedrive.com, pricing policy and some sales methods are driving wine lovers away from French wine. "When a buyer is obliged to take cases of a wine he does not want to secure the supplies he originally asked for, it's little wonder he many look to the New World instead."

M Régis Chaigne of Chateau Ballan-Larquette in Bordeaux, says the rising price of top Grands Crus is destabilising the whole Bordeaux market. "Customers think all Bordeaux is expensive because they read that the price of Grands Crus has increased annually by 20% to 50 % for the past 10 years, but this is just not true. Importers, distributors and retailers are upset by this crazy market and loose interest in it. That is the downside of having an exceptional name like Bordeaux"

He is also critical of the lack of support within France & Europe for its wine industries. "Customers are not always aware that production rules and definitions for wine are different in Australia. For example, using irrigation, tartaric acid or wood shavings are crimes in our AOC system, but are standard practice overseas. Government support with fewer rules and lower costs means Australia can offer better deals to UK importers with more effective marketing and free trips to Australia. In France, bureaucracy plus ever more complicated laws keep the producer in his office when he should be with his vines, in his cellar, or out selling his wines."

M Chaigne remains optimistic about a recovery of France's share of the market. "Australia is creating new wine consumers but as their tastes develop, they will look towards French wines."

But, he added, this will not happen effortlessly. The Centre Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bordeaux recently increased producer's and negociant's contributions to pay for international marketing while the independent vignerons of Aquitaine have built a new 'Maison du Vigneron' near Bordeaux where professionals can taste their wines.

According to WineDrive, the quality standard in the Bordeaux region is improving thanks to the efforts of some of the world's leading oenologists and winemaking technicians. In blind tastings, quality/price ratio of most Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur wines is outstanding. Despite the rising costs of the top name wines, there is still a majority of reasonably priced wine to be found - if you take the trouble to taste and look.

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