Posted on 04/21/2005 12:45:19 PM PDT by lizol
Southern French wine growers turn violent Big News Network Thursday 21st April, 2005 (UPI)
Wine growers in southern France, hit by falling consumption, competition from other nations and lots of production from northern France, are turning violent.
A demonstration which began peacefully in Narbonne by some 10,000 growers seeking more help from Paris and Brussels erupted into a clash with police, the Independent reported Thursday.
Some 50 young wine growers plus a handful of anarchists threw Molotov cocktails, stones and flares at riot police Wednesday.
The demonstrators were angry that, having cut their production, growers in northern regions boosted theirs, thus reducing wine prices across France. They also demanded a one-year moratorium on property taxes and social charges plus more aid, specifically for southerners.
Wine growers from southern France also want the European Union to double the amount of French wine it buys each year. The EU buys hundreds of millions of gallon of wine yearly for use in industry, thus helping prop up the price of wine.
Other factors hurting southern French wine makers are declining domestic consumption and competition from other nations' wine growers.
What happened...can't put anti-freeze in their wine anymore
"The EU buys hundreds of millions of gallon of wine yearly for use in industry"
Are they serving up Coq au Vin everyday in the EU cafeterias?
Mmmm. Chicken stew.
Hee hee.
Whine, whine, whine, whine.. Tick off the US and watch your grapes wither on the vine.
Awwww. Feeling so bad for their sorry Anti-American arses. They hate our guts but want our money....This encourages me to continue to boycott all things french.
Ever since Bart Simpson exposed the whole corrupt mess, the French wine industry has not been the same. No wonder they hate Americans.
So French wine growers are more formidable than the French army. Sacre bleu!
Yep, since we quit buying Champagne and Grey Goose, I guess they are suffering... LOL(I understand France's exports are down dramatically)
Next time we ask for some support maybe they'll remember WWI & WWII!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Freaking French weasels. Can't get upset over people getting killed or tortured, but mess with their wine?
Mon Dieu! That's crossing a line!
And then they can eat all the grapes when they get the munchies
A whine - wine solution
Here's an interesting tidbit: Did you know that virtually all wine grapevines in Europe and California are grafted to rootstocks of East American origin? It's been that way since the 1870's. American vines are resistant to a small bug that kills the European plants. The bug was transported from America to Europe sometime during the 1850's when growers in Europe started experimenting with American grapevines.
le pot?
the frogs won't defend their country from threats - but at least here is one thing they do feel strongly about.
Are they tossing lit Merlot Cocktails?
My weakness was Roquetfort cheese, but then I found Maytag Blue which is much better. And it's made right here in the U.S. of A..
"Maytag Blue?"
how is it in the washer? LOL
Actually it is from the same town as the washing machines. Is it Illinois?
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