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Free wine tastings to be outlawed in France
October 31, 2008
Jane Anson, and Oliver Styles
Free wine tastings in France could be banned if a suggested amendment to the public health bill is accepted by the government.
The amendment, known as 'article 24', was tabled by health minister Roselyne Bachelot and discussed by the cabinet last week. The proposal, which outlaws all 'free alcoholic drinks with the intention of promotion', would effectively ban wine tastings in the country.
Events including the en primeur barrel tastings in Bordeaux, the Vinexpo wine exhibition, due to be held next year, and all other activities involving wine tasting would have to be paid for by the tasters.
Article 24 is set to be debated by the French parliament early next year. According to French news website nouvelObs.com, Bachelot expects the amendment to be in force by the end of January 2009.
'Of all the current constraints against the wine industry, this is potentially the most damaging,' Sylvie Cazes, president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, told decanter.com. 'France is the second biggest producer of wine in the world, but is alone in putting barriers up against its promotion. It is absurd.'
The projected law change was one of the main grievances of demonstrators who descended onto the streets of Bordeaux, Angers, Colmar, and other winegrowing centres yesterday to protest against the government's stance on wine.
As part of the controversial Evin Law regulating alcohol and tobacco advertising in France, it is currently considered illegal to use the internet to promote alcohol.
Have your say...
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I think the French utopian bureaucrats are shooting themselves in the foot by banning free tastings. Do they really think anyone would want to pay for that stuff?
Dan Friedman, NYC, USA
Despite their protestations of love of heritage, history and culture,to say nothing of their duty to guard France's economic well-being, there seems to be no end to the wish of the French authorities to kill this important part of all four. It will be interesting to see the dtailed proposals of how this is to be done. Is it to apply to tastings outside France as well as inside? Are tasters going to have to pay a minimum fee for each tasting session or for each wine, and presumably each vintage, tasted? I have many good friends who are growers and from whom I buy, are they to be banned from offering me a glass of their wine in friendship? If I then buy it, shall I have to pay, retrospectively, for those wines I choose? How is it to be controlled anyway - is a "Milice Contre les Vignerons", in plain clothes presumably, going to be created to go snooping and inciting growers to commit this heinous crime of offering God's good gifts to his people? Knowing the French well, I am sure that unless this is going to be heavily policed in some such way, they will treat this latest threat to their liberties with the contempt it deserves, but, I am driven to ask, why should they have to do so? May I suggest that every reader of Decanter, except perhaps Mr Friedman who has posted above and who clearly only wants "freebies", should write to the French Embassy in their home country to express their concern both for French liberties and the future of the French wine trade.
Tim Hartley
It is a real pity that after having spent so much time and effort to convince the world that wine should be a part of everyone's life, the French government is spending much effort to make wines and spirits the villains of French life. Indeed, France seems to enjoy doing the contrary of everyone else! It is noble to try to fight excessive alcohol consumption, but let us hope that common sense will prevail and that Prohibition is not on France's medium-term agenda.
Bernard Portet, Napa, California, USA
In the state of Massachusetts, tastings are highly regulated, but not illegal. France should consider this: Only one ounce "tastes" of wine may be poured and food must accompany the tasting event. If that doesn't work, why don't they just charge the equivalent to $.01? It's not free!
Amber Cantella, Nantucket, USA
Public health laws will end up killing us. If we are going to die, and we will, couldn't we do it while we enjoy life?
Ricardo Santos, Mendoza, Argentina
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