| The French wine industry, as well as the rest | | | | break the bank, although it probably won't be |
| of Europe is in a bit of a spin. Over | | | | as cheap as the supermarket. What you loose |
| production, together with a drop in | | | | in the financial swings you more than make up |
| consumption, has lead to millions of litres | | | | on the knowledge roundabout. In the main, |
| of French wine and others, being turned into | | | | these people are passionate about wine and |
| alcohol or vinegar and vines being grubbed | | | | will be able to give you expert advice. If |
| up.Not only that, but we are being flooded by | | | | you become a regular customer, you should get |
| wine from the USA, South America, South | | | | invited to wine tasting sessions, which is |
| Africa, Australia, New Zealand plus the stuff | | | | the best way to understand the differences in |
| from the new EU members from the Eastern | | | | the wide variety of grapes and |
| Bloc. If that is not enough, India is | | | | winemaking.There is always the internet where |
| starting to expand it's small but long | | | | buying wine is a click away and there are |
| established wineries.It has been said that | | | | many different wines available often with |
| the French wine producers have, to some | | | | tasting notes and personal revues. The latter |
| extent, brought this problem on themselves as | | | | is the key to buying on line although |
| they were resistant to change when it came to | | | | somewhat time consuming. Check through the |
| marketing their wine, preferring to remain | | | | reviews and see who is posting reviews and if |
| with their traditional labels on the bottles | | | | they are good or bad. You will need a degree |
| which featured the appellation and vineyard, | | | | of faith as you cannot be sure that it is not |
| rather than promoting the grapes used.This | | | | the proprietors' brother or wife writing the |
| new method has been used to great effect by | | | | review. |
| the rest of the world, aided and abetted by | | | | |
| the supermarket chains, where the knowledge | | | | Start with the cheapest wine and get a |
| of the products they are selling is pretty | | | | selection covering a few people, then when |
| sketchy on the shop floor.Although the new | | | | the wine arrives do a tasting and see how |
| producers are making some very good vintage | | | | much you agree or disagree with the review. |
| type wine, so good that they are beating the | | | | Don't forget to make notes as you will need |
| French at their own game, their first concern | | | | to refer back at a later date. Don't just |
| is for a product that is consistent from year | | | | take one wine as a comparison, but rather use |
| to year and so there are vast swathes of | | | | a selection so that you can build a profile |
| vines being used. That is the problem, the | | | | of those reviewers that you can trust and |
| whole magic and mystery of wine making and | | | | whose taste in wine matches yours. Then you |
| drinking is being sanitised for supermarket | | | | will be able to buy on line with a reasonable |
| profits by the big multinational | | | | certainty that if you buy the same wines, you |
| companies.Just as the artisan butchers, | | | | will not be disappointed.The absolutely best |
| bakers and the rest have been marginalised by | | | | way to buy French wine, or indeed any wine, |
| the stack'em up and sell'em cheap, so the | | | | is to get in a car and drive around the |
| winemakers are going, some might say have | | | | countryside looking at the little vineyards |
| already gone, the same way. Just look along | | | | and tasting here and there. Take some large |
| any supermarket shelf and you will see rows | | | | flagons, at least 5 or 10 litre capacity |
| of Cabinet Sauvignon, Cabernet Merlot, | | | | because some of those smaller places sell |
| Chardonay etc., coming from the USA, | | | | only to the locals who bring there own |
| Australia, Chile, Roumania, et al., and a | | | | containers.The joy of finding a great little |
| couple of the most well known areas such as | | | | French wine from a farm house tucked away out |
| Bordeaux, Rioja, Frascati, Chianti, Etc..Even | | | | of sight, talking to 'Le Patron' about how it |
| the large off-licence chains are playing the | | | | was made, what the year had been like etc is |
| same game because they are staffed by low | | | | one of the best you can get.Ian Richards |
| paid workers whose knowledge of wine is | | | | webmaster of yourpower2be.com, on line |
| woefully thin.The only place to go is to | | | | webzine . You will find beauty tips, health |
| specialist wine shops but the trouble there | | | | information, familly budget and finance, |
| is that they will be concentrating on the | | | | shopping to die for, make up, holidays and |
| pricier end of the market, that said, they | | | | travel, recipes, information on pets and |
| may have some interesting wine that won't | | | | gardening, weddings, and a whole lot more. |