As Joe Ray wrote recently about a subject dear to many of our hearts, they say it’s the worst wine crisis in France in 35 years. In Bordeaux, they say that it’s the worst in 150 years.
The problem? The numbers are down. Wine consumption within the country is beginning to lose out to beer and responsibility behind the wheel, while beyond French borders the rest of the world’s winemakers are catching up to, and even surpassing French quality standards.
Indeed, 2003 was the year the ”New World” wines collectively dethroned France in terms of the number of bottles exported. On top of that, the French themselves now consume only about half as much wine as they did 35 years ago.
To help explain the problem, Joe enlisted the help of movie-maker Jonathan Nossiter, whose film about the world wine trade was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on December 10.
Nossiter discussed the situation with members at , Idéa Vino, a gourmet wine merchant in the 11th arrondissement.
It was an example of the informal but informative events the committee is trying to organize in addition to our regular lunches, breakfasts and cocktails with news-makers. If you have