A bomb was detonated at La Baume winery in the Languedoc on Monday night, in an apparent protest against the power of large companies.
There were no injuries and no stock was affected but the blast damaged the barrel cellar and roof.
It is alleged a group called Comite Regional d’Action Viticole (CRAV) took responsibility for the attack, in the form of a scrawled message on the wall of the chai.
The bomb – a stick of dynamite – was detonated by means of a crude timing device. Tim North, UK director of Les Grands Chais de France, which owns La Baume, blamed ‘a small minority of extremists’ who had ‘not moved with the times’ and had ‘strong feelings against global companies.’
‘Many people in that part of France understand the world is changing and people are no longer content to drink cheap vin de pays. But there are others who have not moved with the times and they have strong feelings against global companies.’
Les Grands Chais de France is the country’s biggest wine exporter and its second biggest wine company. Its biggest brand is JP Chenet. In the past 12 months the company has massively expanded its portfolio.
North also said ‘one or two’ other sites had been targetted by CRAV that night.
Written by Adam Lechmere
