Monday 24 May, 2004

NEW FRENCH REVOLUTION

Talk of another 'Revolution' is rumbling through the vineyards of France after the wine industry governing bodies put their names to proposals which could end years of tradition and quality control.

The controversial proposals to radically change the Appellation Controlée system creating a two tier AOC were put forward by Réne Renou, president of INAO. He has now been invited to put them to the vineyard owners by Monsieur Xavier de Volontat, President of Vignerons Independent.

The plans are supposed to help France fight back against wines from the New world, but Laurent Daniel, whose vineyard is in the heart of the Côtes du Rhône, warned that the consequences would be a 'war' in the French vineyards. "It would divide and weaken the French wine producers instead of helping and reinforcing us."

Mr Daniel is typical of the most respected traditional growers. His family have been vineyard owners since 1700 and successive generations have created Côtes du Rhône, Vacqueyras and Gigondas which are consistent winners of the most prestigious industry awards.

Commented Maurice Carroll of wine web site winedrive.com: "These plans ignore the real cause of the decline in sales of French wine - the fact that New World has been running rings round them for years with superior marketing.

"Changing the way grapes are grown and wine is made will not help fight the competition. Destroy tradition and quality and France will loose the major attribute which sets its wines apart."

Concerned growers across the country's wine regions have contacted Winedrive. Bordeaux producer Régis Chaigne said: "Pomerol, Cote Rôtie, or Chablis don't need to add an 'E' to AOC. Everyone knows that these wines are excellent and vignerons wanting a lower level of control can already produce 'vin de table' or 'vin de pays'.

"The new Graves de Pessac-Leognan AOC did not enhance Château Haut Brion, but it did ruin the smaller, unknown vine growers in Graves. The last thing we need now is more tinkering with the AOC system. We have had similar crises in the past and the decisions taken were seldom good.

"We must concentrate on telling the world why we are different. Behind most French labels is a man or a woman growing vines and making wine in a private cellar or a co-operative. Creating a lower AOC would destroy the image of quality and respect of terroir developed over many generations."

Maurice Carroll added that changing the way grapes are grown could take years to implement. "Meanwhile, the decline will continue. Sadly, the leaders of an industry steeped in tradition and quality seem prepared to sacrifice it all rather than address the real problems which face them in the world markets."

Added Régis Chaigne: "My plea to Mr Renou is 'please forget this idea, your children could blame you for wasting their heritage.'"

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