March 2010 Editorial
France: going down, or fighting back? By Tim Atkin MW
France has dropped to fifth place in the pecking order of wine exporters to these islands, behind Australia, the USA, Italy and now South Africa in volume, and has just seen its exports plummet worldwide to their lowest level in ten years
You could make a case for saying that this is a blip, that the Cape's recent success is based on its strong currency and
accordingly low average price of £3.86. And you might be right. But that doesn't disguise what is happening to French wines in the
UK and elsewhere, except China. Less than 25 years ago, France dominated the market. Now it's losing share faster than
Tiger Woods is losing sponsors.
The irony of all this is that France is still celebrated as a fine wine producer. As the 2009 en primeur campaign approaches, the
excitement generated by a good and possibly great vintage in Bordeaux is felt all around the world. We saw a similar reaction to the
2005 Burgundies and the 2007 Rhônes. But top end sales aren't enough to sustain France's overall position, which is now in free
fall.
Is there a way back? There are certainly obstacles to clear - bureaucracy, in-fighting and poor marketing, for instance - but they are
not insurmountable. In a world which is increasingly interested in lighter, less oaky wines that work well with food, France
ought to be gaining market share, not losing it.
The same thing is true of diversity. With the possible exception of Italy, France has a greater array of native grapes and regional styles
than anyone. South Africa, the country that has overtaken France in the last few weeks, makes some decent wines, but no
one, not even the most patriotic South African, would argue that its wine scene is more diverse or that its quality can match that of France.
So what's the problem? Is it lack of good brands? Piat d'Or, French Connection and JP Chenet may not be the most exciting
wines in the UK, but are they appreciably worse than, say, Lindemans, Kumala or Blossom Hill? Smaller brands such as La Différence,
Dourthe Numéro Un and La Grille have shown that France can punch its weight against anyone, with well marketed,
flavoursome wines under £8.
It's not just France's brands that are improving. At every price level and in every region the quality is better now than ever. Just
look at how the Roussillon has improved in the last decade, or what has happened in Cahors, Costières de Nîmes,
Beaujolais and the Loire. A new generation of French winemakers - better travelled than their parents, but just as committed to the
notion of "terroir" - has taken the French wine scene to a new level.
What France needs to do now is communicate better. Appellations aren't the easiest of things to understand and nor is the new
distinction between IGP (ex Vins de Pays) and Vins de France (ex Vin de Table and Vignobles de France). But as UK merchants
such as Les Caves Pyrène and Terroir Languedoc have demonstrated, it is perfectly possible to sell characterful
and sometimes unfamiliar French wines.
I'm a passionate Francophile, having studied the language at university and lived in the country for a total of three years. I
want France to regain its position in the world of wine for its own sake as well as ours. Because when it's good, it's unbeatable.
Our roving bunch of five category this month is 'Wines for Spring'.
top scoring wine for March 2010
This month, one wine has topped the polls with 95-points:
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Grüner Veltliner Ried Schütt Smaragd 2008
Gorgeous nose, shimmering with minerality, white pepper and lime zest aromatics. There are subtle layers of floral and nutty
notes here too. On the palate terrific acidity and that tight, pithy orange fruit, just wrapping and constraining the whole picture, the
broader spicy base adding weight to the finish. This is brilliant, but Knoll's wines cellar well and can become almost Burgundy-like
over 10 years or more. Score: 95/100; £25.00 at Lay & Wheeler. Other stockists on
wine-searcher.com.
Just behind with 94 points came a clutch of wines, from a superior Vinho Verde at £20.00, to a gorgeous Barolo at £40.00.
