For the full report in the Beveragedaily.com click on this link
France jittery as wine harvest begins - by Chris Mercer
As French winemakers prepare for the annual rush to pull in this year’s grape harvest, anyone who does not own a Chateau is looking cautiously ahead at another year of problems. New export figures for French wine look rather promising for the industry. Sales of French wine and spirits abroad rose 18 per cent in value for the first five months of 2006, with notable gains in Bordeaux and Côtes du Rhône. This rise in exports has been greeted with cheer in an industry that has faced dire problems, due to falling consumption in France, overproduction and greater competition from New World wineries. To make matters worse, the wine glut has spread to the New World this year too, casting a cloud over the global wine industry. Australian wineries have seen prices tumble over the last few months, and some lower-end wines have become cheaper than bottled water.
The debate over how France can retain its wine heritage, yet also fight to keep its place in world markets continues to divide the industry. “The big companies from the New World countries sell their wine like it is Coca-Cola. Things are different here,” said Philippe Vaillé, who runs an AOC winery near Montpellier. Many winemakers with small businesses in France hope that consumers in growing markets, such as the UK and US, can learn to appreciate and explore the diversity that French wine has to offer.
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