Changes in French winemaking
Changes will soon be made to wine production and supply in France. This is because wines from other countries, mainly in the southern hemisphere, are selling in ever larger quantities and often at the expense of the French product.
Changes will soon be made to wine production and supply in France. This is because wines from other countries, mainly in the southern hemisphere, are selling in ever larger quantities and often at the expense of the French product.
The French producers want to regain their share of the wine market and the new measures are winning general approval among winemakers, and, apparently, President Sarkozy.
Complete information on all the possible changes is yet to be made available, but what is envisaged is a three-tier system:
The Wine of France will be a classification designed for "entry level" wines. ie wines of modest price, fruity and uncomplicated. The sort of wine which would be bought by younger, less experienced wine drinkers. Party wines perhaps.
Winemakers producing these wines will be able to adopt many of the techniques used by new world producers, such as adding oak chips, tannins etc to the wines, growing the grape varieties they choose rather then the regionally approved types, using brand names for their products and stating the grape type or types on the label. They may also be able to blend wines from different regions to produce a branded product.
The second category will be a new regional one which may well include both present day Vin de Pays and Appellation d'origine Controle wines. These wines will tend to be typical of their region and depend on the flavours etc associated with the region as their selling point.
The final, and top, category will consist of Appellation d'origine Controle wines produced under very strict rules. This, one assumes, will include all France's top "names" and wines of great quality. The wines in this category are gaining, rather than losing market share at present.
So the new system will help the wine producers from less fashionable areas to produce an uncomplicated product which will be more competitative in the present maket.
These growers are unable to do this now because they are bound by France's complicated system of rules and restrictions. This has got to be a benefit to the consumer also.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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