Solidarity

Someone at Winepress linked to this article about French Winemakers and the decrease in demand for their wines. One of the things they are looking into is using surplus wine to convert into bio-fuels. France already produces the 3rd most ethanol in Europe.

But it's a sad state of affairs for the French Winemakers:

"French wine growers have been in a deep crisis over the last five years when consumption in France stabilized and exports started to drop," a spokeswoman at Onivins said.

Consumption in France averages 3.5 billion liters, exports 1.5 billion liters and around 0.4 billion liters are distilled to produce brandy, she said, adding that France did not have outlets for more than 5.5 billion liters.

"And because the 2004 harvest was at 5.8 billion liters we now have a stock of 4 billion liters, which is a level we had never reached in the last 10 years.

"This year we had to distill 150 million liters, including Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhone wines to lighten the market," she added.

Bontemps said the sector had to react. "There is no reason why sales should increase so we have to find other solutions."

Courteau said the crisis was such that vintners were contemplating ripping out vines, but he did not want to see vineyards turned into wasteland.

"Also we can't exclude the possibility that young wine producers may commit acts out of total despair because of the money they have borrowed for their businesses," he added.

So, in the spirit of sharing, as the Indians and the Pilgrims did a few hundred years ago, I want to help my brothers in the winemaking industry. So to any French Winemakers who are thinking about ripping out vines, I will "dispose" of them if you send them to me. Then you don't have to worry about producing too much anymore.

It's all about helping others out.

And it has nothing to do with me getting free vines to start up my own vineyard.

Honestly.