The activist wine group CRAV has issued a one-month ultimatum to Nicolas Sarkozy threatening 'action', and possibly deaths, if the new premier does not help the struggling southern French wine industry.
In what may well be the precursor to the most violent period of its recent history, the Regional Committee for Viticultural Action (CRAV) told Sarkozy he had one month to honour his electoral promises of supporting the wine industry or 'the whole industry will be targeted'.
On a pre-recorded cassette delivered to TV channel France 3 on Wednesday evening, five balaclava-clad men – 'somewhere in the Languedoc hinterland', according to the report – read out a statement addressed to the new president.
They said that if in one month nothing has changed and that wine prices have not gone up, they will go into action.
'If Sarkozy does not support the interests of the wine industry, he will be entirely responsible for what happens,' said their spokesman. 'We are at the point of no return.'
Alluding to the activities of the French resistance in the Second World War, the CRAV say that they will, 'come out of the maquis (scrub) and go into action.'
Calling on all winemakers to join them, the activists referred to the 1907 winemakers' uprising in Montpellier, issuing a call to arms and intimating that lives may well be lost.
'Be worthy representatives of the 1907 revolt where several died so that future generations could live by their profession. See to it that our children know what it is to make wine,' they said.
The CRAV has been active in different guises since 1907 when began as the Comité du Salut Viticole. The organisation has resurfaced whenever Languedoc winemakers have had their livelihoods threatened. However, one insider told decanter.com that its recent incarnation was less organised, less effective and smaller than the CRAV of the 80s.
Have your say... To post your comment on this story, email us at news@decanter.com, making sure the relevant headline is in the subject field
This is a combination of a long-standing lack of willingness of France's politicians to upset their constituency by adhering with EU directives that subsidies be diminished, of the same politicians along with France's wine establishment's unwillingness to address a changing marketplace, and growers' tunnelvision with regards to the changing habits of domestic and international wine consumption. These growers, and others like them, rather than this being something new to them have had their blows softened by the recent dumping ground for their wines by French-owned supermarkets in emerging wine markets such as eastern Europe and east Asia. Overturning and burning lorries, threatening people with violence may provide the growers an immediate outlet for their frustrations but they've only themselves and their politicians to blame.
David Furer
How can CRAV claim that Sarkozy will be "entirely responsible for what happens"? If they perform the acts, they are responsible. Their attitude is lunacy and ultimately plain, simple terrorism. I accept that they are frustrated, but surely they have to see that this campaign of agression is only making their problems worse?
All CRAV has succeeded in doing in the minds of many consumers is pointing out that by buying wine from Southern France you might be buying the product of terrorists, thus further damaging the international reputation and marketability of their products. And so another consumer sticks to his Bordeaux...
Richard Pepper, England
What's the difference between CRAV and Al-Qaeda, not much in my opinion. Threating to destroy and kill all because they can't adapt to a changing world. Maybe CRAV should start with the destruction of their own vines or at least make a wine that would be drinkable to US consumers. I hope Sarko ignores them and the French wine industry comes crashing down, I'd much rather drink cheap and crummy Bulgarian wines than expensive and crappy French ones.
Russ Spencer, San Francisco, USA
Register on decanter.com absolutely free for news alerts delivered direct to your email inbox, and our fortnightly newsletter with advance notice of what’s coming up in Decanter magazine, offers, competitions and more.
PLUS registration is a one-stop shop for the Decanter magazine Archive and Decanter Fine Wine Tracker.
This is a combination of a long-standing lack of willingness of France's politicians to upset their constituency by adhering with EU directives that subsidies be diminished, of the same politicians along with France's wine establishment's unwillingness to address a changing marketplace, and growers' tunnelvision with regards to the changing habits of domestic and international wine consumption. These growers, and others like them, rather than this being something new to them have had their blows softened by the recent dumping ground for their wines by French-owned supermarkets in emerging wine markets such as eastern Europe and east Asia. Overturning and burning lorries, threatening people with violence may provide the growers an immediate outlet for their frustrations but they've only themselves and their politicians to blame.
