French winemakers are calling for nationwide demonstrations to force the government to abandon its position on wine advertising.
Last week, the General Association of Wine Production (AGPV) said if a meeting with the prime minister or minister of agriculture was not granted, they will hold demonstrations across France on October 30.
‘This is not the moment for the government to be hostile to the wine industry,’ AGPV president Xavier de Volontat, told decanter.com.
‘We ask that they abandon the idea of outlawing internet wine advertising, and abandon the idea of raising taxes on wine.’
There has been confusion over what constitutes wine advertising for some time now, but the proposed new tax on wine – a figure as high as 16% was floated in recent weeks – would be the first tax hike for over 10 years.
In a press release AGPV said a hostile government was threatening wine jobs and businesses, made worse by the difficult economic climate and low volume of the 2008 harvest.
AGPV represents 250,000 wine businesses and 500,000 people.
Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux
