Firstly, the use of the Internet as a legalised marketing medium in France is confirmed. This comes as a relief to wine business professionals using the Web who, since the 2008 court decision, have been living with a Damocles sword over their heads : Internet did not figure among the legal mediums specified in the Evin Law of 1991 (simply because it did not exist at the time!). Websites devoted to wine and other alcohols were therefore declared illegal last year. This new law could put an end to this anachronism. Indeed, at the end of last year, Roselyn Bachelot had declared that she was not opposed to the idea, under certain conditions (especially where young people were concerned).
Last week the National Assembly's social affairs committee prepared this amendment. And now for the bad news...Publicity via the Internet is authorized...but only for websites belonging to wine business professionals. This does not allow much scope for development in the promotion department...
The second sensitive subject dealt with in the bill is that of wine tastings : Article number 24, which concerns the prevention of alcoholism in young people, puts forward the principle of banning sales of wine "passes" or "open bars" at wine fairs and free tastings. The off-shoot effect of this ban would be to render free tastings in cellars, wine shops and at wine fairs illegal! The same goes for a tasting at a wine producer's property before choosing which bottle to buy or enjoying a glass or two at an estate during "open day" weekends in the various wine regions...
It is difficult to imagine such a stab in the back for products for which the art of tasting before purchase is often a basic principle.
This also means the end of menus with wine included or discount prices for a certain number of bottles bought.
The planned amendments to the bill, especially those proposed by the various wine regions' elected representatives, could well change all that.
César Compadre S.O. 10/02/09
In brief :
A NEW CELLAR FOR CHEVAL BLANC :
The Libourne Wine Merchants Syndicate, chaired by Gérard Milhade, celebrated its centenery today at Château Cheval Blanc, first classified growth of Saint-Emilion.
Pierre Lurton, who is the manager of this estate owned by French and Belgian industrialists Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère, took the opportunity to announce the planned construction of the château's new cellar. The architect, Christian de Portzamparc, is known world-wide and responsible for the design of the French Embassy building in Berlin and the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Tour in New York amongst others.
Building work should begin in a few months.
Author:
César Compadre
S.O. 10/02/09
Translated by Maxine Colas.