SaligoBay Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,1154500,00.htmlHere's the beginning of the article:"France's winemakers will hold emergency talks with the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, tomorrow to demand urgent government action amid warnings that the country's most emblematic industry is plunging into crisis. The delegation of growers and merchants from France's major wine-producing areas will tell Mr Raffarin that French wine exports plummeted by nearly 10% last year, while domestic sales - with the exception of ros, helped by the exceptionally hot summer - fell by almost 5%. The average French adult drank 58 litres of wine last year, according to figures released last week by the trade association Onivins, compared with just over 100 litres throughout the 1960s. Only 37% of the French now consider themselves regular consumers, against 61% in 1980."I know it's not new news, it's just becoming "official", that's all.I'm sure I didn't drink anywhere near 58 litres of wine last year. Or did I!I wonder if the winemakers will go on strike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill<br><br>Jill (99) Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Surely the amount of French wine consumed by visiting foreigners offsets these figures even more! Do they base this on surveys of asking people how much they drink, or on the basis of how much wine is sold? 58 litres is 77.3 bottles. We've brought back more than 77 bottles from France during the last year. We brought back 66 or so in November, not to mention April and August! 58 litres is only .21 of a bottle per day! I think!!!!Or about one and a half bottles a week. I'm bound to be wrong here - so out of practice with maths! But one and a half bottles a week doesn't really seem a lot to me. I probably average one glass a day - sometimes none, sometimes two or three. Obviously with all the teetotallers, some people are consuming lots more. Is it fears of drink driving that are making the French drink less? Is it that the French are cutting their lunch hours shorter to work more like the English do, so not having time for a demi at lunchtime? Or is it that they are turning more to other drinks to relax - such as whisky etc? What about younger people - are they going in more for alcopops? Or is it just the health thing?Jill (99) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 >>>I know it's not new news, >it's just becoming "official", that's >all. >I'm sure I didn't drink anywhere >near 58 litres of wine >last year. Or did >I! Well that shouldn't affect the average - I EASILY made up for your shortfall SB (probably in less than te first quarter of the year!)>I wonder if the winemakers will >go on strike? > OH MY GOD, I HOPE NOT!!!!! Coco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 26, 2004 Author Share Posted February 26, 2004 Winemakers are taking to the streets. Quelle surprise!http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3488000.stmThey want to bring back wine advertising, because they say French wine is a vital part of French culture, and we must not lose it.The govt is reluctant, they say that a 20% reduction in road deaths in 2003 is a Good Thing, and this is due largely to a crackdown on drinking and driving. I personally like this stance, having already had a serious "meeting" with a drunk driver, and my own safety is more important to me than any number of grape-growers.So what do you think of this "culture" argument? The most pleasurable wine I've tasted in my whole life was an Australian red, and I'm keeping the name to myself because you'll only mock me!Are the French wine industry being Luddite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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