"The World" (PBS) report on French wine problems

The radio show "The World" presented a 7 minute report on the French wine industry focusing on Bordeaux and wine glut problems, international competition, critics, education on French wines, etc. It was informative, and you can listen to the audio here: http://64.71.145.108/?q=node/4798
Enjoy, Jim

A very informative piece, Jim. Thanks for posting it.

I really feel for the French growers, but have no clue what their best option might be. Making economic decisions is never easy - even something as seemingly proper as reducing quantity for improved quality in the vineyard.

I was confused by one thing in that report. Why pull out 12% of the vineyards? Why not reduce the yield by that amount instead, and thereby make better wine?

I was confused by one thing in that report. Why pull out 12% of the vineyards? Why not reduce the yield by that amount instead, and thereby make better wine?

Because the people who operate the vineyards in question are not interested in making wine, only in collecting subsidies for making wine. I know it's hard to believe, but there are French farmers who really don't care about making wine at all, much less good wine. I'm assuming that most of these vineyards are planted with cinsault, which is grown not for making good wine but because it is easy to grow. If all the cinsault in the world were to disappear tomorrow, that would be okay with me. It was created for commercial purposes; when it has outlived those commercial purposes may it go to the oblivion it so richly deserves.

IIRC, it was the government suggesting ripping out 12% of the vines, and the farmers were resisting.

IIRC, it was the government suggesting ripping out 12% of the vines, and the farmers were resisting.

If you could get paid for making "wine" that you knew was going directly into the distiller, so your quality didn't matter, you'd resist, too. Farmers can plant the cheapest, highest-yielding vines, do nothing in particular to see to their quality, and still make money. It is criminal.

I can't argue with that. If that is indeed the case, then that's a bad thing.

There is a curve to relating yield to quality.

Reducing yield does not automatically mean increasing quality, even if the wine is made by the best winemaker in the world.
That is just too simplistic an analysis.

French wine is fragmented and difficult to understand.
It is also the best in the world.

Best regards,
Alex R.

There is a curve to relating yield to quality.

Reducing yield does not automatically mean increasing quality, even if the wine is made by the best winemaker in the world.
That is just too simplistic an analysis.

French wine is fragmented and difficult to understand.
It is also the best in the world.

Best regards,
Alex R.

No doubt. But increasing yield pretty much automatically reduces quality.

I suppose that would depend on where you were on the curve to start with.

David,

On what basis do you base your assertion?

I believe we are in the realm of urban myths here...

While *enormous overproduction* clearly produces thin wines, it is logical, but flawed reasoning, to assume that very low yields make tremendous wine.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Is there by any chance a general and almost pan regional tendancy towards sweeter beverages at the moment? Those of you reading here may deny this or be in denial about it, but I'd say that the youth of all nations that consume alcoholic drinks want sweeter. So can we hope that this trend is in a pendulum swing and that like disco, the pendulum will swing back to "Barnyard & Co." some day? If you feel more comfortable, substitute "buttery" or "oak" or "fruit forward" for sweetness, I would put forth the argument that the result is the same.

I think you're on to something. Around the world, kids grow up drinking Coke, and it gets them acclimated to sweet beverages. Certainly in the United States, many wine drinkers are in deep denial about their own preferences. They know to ask for "dry" wines, but what they drink are wines with relatively high degrees of residual sugar, which is to say California Zinfandel and Australian Shiraz. Hell, Yellowtail even tastes like Coke.

I personally do not expect the pendulum to swing back. I would rather not get into why I believe this is so, at least not at this time. Suffice to say that babies like sweet, and a lot of Americans seem to be hanging on to their childhood food preferences well into adulthood.

David,

On what basis do you base your assertion?

I believe we are in the realm of urban myths here...

While *enormous overproduction* clearly produces thin wines, it is logical, but flawed reasoning, to assume that very low yields make tremendous wine.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Where did I assert that low yields guaranteed "tremendous" wine? And why are you taking me to task over this anyway? The original discussion was about French "winemakers" who are basically in business to see their wine distilled into industrial alcohol.

I think Oz Clarke in his Encyclopedia of Grapes wrote a nice piece on “Yields”.

The trick is to get optimum yield and optimum ripeness of the fruit for a particular vineyard site. This of course will be dependent upon the site, variety, and vintage. Reducing your yields too low or harshly and there will not be the increase in quality to justify the reduction in quantity. Increase your yields too high or generously and eventually quality will fall faster than quantity rises as the wine becomes increasingly dilute.

Salute

I think Oz Clarke in his Encyclopedia of Grapes wrote a nice piece on “Yields”.

The trick is to get optimum yield and optimum ripeness of the fruit for a particular vineyard site. This of course will be dependent upon the site, variety, and vintage. Reducing your yields too low or harshly and there will not be the increase in quality to justify the reduction in quantity. Increase your yields too high or generously and eventually quality will fall faster than quantity rises as the wine becomes increasingly dilute.

Salute

What you say is right one, Victor. Most everyone I know on the growing side here in North Coast Wine Country has pretty much stopped talking about 'low yield', and now refer to the concept of the 'balanced vine'---that is, maintaining the balance of fruit to the vine in a particular area.

For instance, in one of our vineyards we have three Merlot vineyards growing very closely together, but each one has slightly different terrain and slightly different soil structure. We dry farm one, but irrigate the next vineyard just a few feet away. The other one we irrigate (drip) partially, and leave the rest dry. The yield for each vineyard, and from vines from within each of the vineyard, varies according to the way we balance the vine to the site conditions.

So it's not 'low yield', but what's the proper balance for the vine that dictates what our yield is. That might mean two tons per acre in one vineyard, and three tons per acre in another vineyard. Or conceivably more.

In another vineyard, we had a problem with Cabernet Franc. It had been a vigorous yielding vineyard, with lush fruit. But for some reason it starting going through a lean patch, yielding thin, tart berries. The vineyard manager trimmed it back.....way back, to just a couple of cluster per arm. By the next season, the vine was back to vigor again.

So it's all about balance. Which, of course, is what you were saying.

Dave,

Your anti-French tirade is really counter-productive if you are a wine lover...

I suggest you try to get an overview of French winegrowing which is, shall we say, just a tad more complex than you make out!

Yes, there is a need for change on the lower end of the scale. We can agree on that. But it takes a brave man indeed to make the kind of generalizations you do about the country as a whole!

Best regards,
Alex R.

Exactly Hoke! Thanks for adding to my post.

Salute