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French wine glut heading to distillery On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 20:35:03 GMT, Bill Loftin Interesting. While the easiest interpretation of this might be relating it purely to supply-demand functions and a bountiful harvest, there could be underlying causes. Let's note first that wine consumption in the US, Oz and other regions is expanding not contracting. While a decade ago it was not uncommon to find restaurants with virtually no wine lists, today any house that is much beyond the fast-food with drive-up window is going to have a wine list and it is going to accompany the menu to every table. So, maybe the excess in France isn't because of their harvest. Let's also note the outrageousness (say that with a very Brit-based French accent like Monty Python players), of the French pricing system particularly for Bordeaux and Burgundies. Is it really a good investment to spend hundreds of $$ per bottle for first growths and premier crus which generally are not viewed as drinkable for a decade or more (and which then run roughly a 30% chance of being TCA tainted)? While many are drinking more wine, fewer are building huge long-term cellars of "investment" quality wines. Then, finally, let us note the distinct cooling of the relationship between the US and France. The rather questionable under-cutting of US policy in the UN by Devillpin (sp?) during the run-up to Iraqi Freedom, the decidedly negative pronouncements by President Chirac, and the very shady economic relationship between France and Sadaam driving their policy has been less than constructive (note diplomatic wording here) for the view of many Americans regarding French products. While I will be the first to acknowledge that a nation's producers are not directly linked to a nation's policy-makers, many consumers are not so sophisticated (nor am I very humble). Lots of folks in the US have declared a boycott of French products and one of the most visible of them is French wine. Let's say a million Americans (less than .3%) boycott French wines--it doesn't take long to have those major wine consumers generate a unsaleable backlog of 267 million bottles--that's a bottle five days a week for a year per boycotter. I wouldn't lean too heavily on the bountiful harvest explanation. Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled" www.thunderchief.org
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