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In France today, by law, wine is considered a degrading drug, a dangerous one.
I believe wine is a civilized thing, a beautiful element of culture, a way to reach yourself and others.
Through this post, along with all other French wine bloggers today, I would like to draw your attention to this problem. If we let judges destroy our beautiful culture of wine, here’s what the world of wine on the internet in France will look like tomorrow: www.le-vin-sur-internet.fr
Wine is a beautiful thing.
We should teach people the sense of good taste, moderation and refinement – not hit with debilitating oppression. It is the responsibility of French politicians today to support the French wine industry, to stop criminalizing wine drinkers and wine lovers.
I hereby, in the name of wine drinkers from all countries, invite French politicians to amend la Loi Evin to offer a more decent legal existence to the culture of wine in France.
And thus to allow the survival of the richness and diversity of French wine production.
Yes… France as a country has become that stupid that it does not stand for its wine industry – you read well!
Je plussoie et suis 100% d’accord avec toi !
My God, that’s blasphemy! What next, a baguette-free France?
Your country is dabbling in insanity with this one. Sounds frightfully American. Let’s hope the integrity of what has become so symbolic of France/ the French lifestyle remains intact.
Lets not Americanize France. Absolutely agree with you.
What a shame! Americans are slowly trying to produce , drink and appreciate wines as the French do . In this you are our models and we are developing more refined tastes. In wines, beers, chocolate, foods… But take heart. We had prohihition of all alcohol one time; it didn’t last. Remember, politicians are wine drinkers aussi!!!
What? Is this some sort of Halloween’s Eve French joke? ’cause I don’t get it and I don’t like it either.
This doesn’t make any sense. Did this site get hacked?
I agree!!!
Olivier.. Wow, I’m sorry. I understand the original reason for the law, even how it has evolved. I understand also the need for conformity amongst EU countries for rules concerning alcohol use and abuse, advertising and taxation, etc. But this new development…it seems someone has passed around the voodoo kool aid on this one, and it’s sad your lawmakers have decided to drink it. I mean “anti-alcohol lobby” – is that not heresy in France? What happened to that spirit of individualism I so admire in your countrymen? What happened to absolute reverence for La Sang de la Terre? La nostalgie? Contemporary French writers and bloggers bring important, useful and meaningful discussion to the virtual table. It is insane (and will be near impossible) to quiet their input. I’m sorry..is this somehow our fault? Americans are easily blamed for the world’s woes.
Random… BTW, I had a nice white from the Adelaide Hills today.
Fressine… merci! Révolution!!!
Starman… tell me about it!!
Kjp… fighting for it everyday!!
Mr Ego… Thank you!! France shoudl remain France, I agree!
Nenii… no, i’m afraid thisis no joke. Just a protest movement of wine bloggers in France I sished to participate in.
Rachete… merci!
Sorry… have to run! Will respond more lengthly on this one!
but olivier, what is the point of this law? what will it achieve?
Elizabeth… glad to see you here! well, this beautiful spirit is indeed threatened. Wine is not trendy and fashionable; neither are traditions in France today. The law was poor enough not to offer an amendment for wine. But now, judges have decided wine publicity should be banned of the ‘french’ internet. When judges start making the rules, I believe it’s time for politicians to step back in.
Bonnie-Ann… hey!! well, the law has been existing for more than 15 years. What it has achieved amongst more positive things is a dramatic drop in wine consumption in France. For the records, wien consumption went down 60% in the last 40 years!!
I still don’t get what this has to do with the blog. So “fighting stupid laws” is something Parisian like? Isn’t it something everyone likes? And the post itself is about why the law is bad, not about why Parisian like fighting bad ones.
Sarah… you’re right. I highjacked my own blog. Thispost had nothing to do with the rest of the blog. It’s just that i’m a Parisian myself and this evolution of France society annoys me. So I wanted to be a part of this wider online movement on that one day. Back to normal in a few hours!!
olivier: the unwritten and sacred rules of blogging are: it is *your* blog and you can write whatever the hell you please on it.
so my lovely illusion of the parisian way of casual and relaxed alcoholic socializing rather than the american puritanical and frowned upon socializing form of drinking (you have seen the way i socialize) are actually one and the same? wine is bad for us? drinking is bad for society? socializing is for the lazy and weak?
allors!
i am lazy, weak and bad for society. my dream has come true.
Gotta love Politicians, we put them in office for the good of our people, home and country, and they go crazy with “the power”.
It is a world wide epidemic but fear not…… they can be taken OUT of office at the next election. Judges are a little harder to crack. It’s just up to the people, everywhere, now, to demand what is broken to be fixed! Bravo to you Olivier!
Bonnie Ann – Thx, as you know, i’m still a rookie! Now, it’s not because French lawmakers suck that all french people do too. Some of us do keep the tradition alive. But it’s true that a bad legal environment has long term consequences on the habits of a country. Hence the need to resist!
As you said Olivier, this law has been existing now for more than 15 years. Reducing the consumption (in quantity) of alcohol has had good effects.
But I think we should add an amendment to this law to authorize people to communicate about the quality, about the way to appreciate a product that is good for health (of course in small quantities).
We are in a situation where the wine producers have more and more difficulties to live with their production. I hope the addition of the economic crisis will put pressure on the lawmakers to change their view. Just remind that almost each french region has its wine producers (even Paris).
Vive la gastronomie française and wine is part of it !
Your country is dabbling in insanity with this one. Sounds frightfully American. Let’s hope the integrity of what has become so symbolic of France/ the French lifestyle remains intact.