Recently the French government made some changes in their book of winemaking rules; long-overdue changes. They were internally approved some time back but even the officials needed some time to gulp them down. Now, they have been unleashed on to the public and the reactions are mixed.
What they have done is that they have relaxed certain winemaking laws ? From the use of oak chips to the more marketing relevant use of grape names on wine labels. And suddenly it seems as if a big arrogant giant has come to rest.
Change is good, inevitable and, as the adage goes, always for the good. The use of oak chips could help entry level wines (especially those made in lesser areas or poorer vintages) by adding some complexity and depth of flavour, flavours that the wine-drinking world absolutely can?t seem to get enough of for the moment. It is not comparable to the nuances and elegance that truly controlled oak-barrel ageing costs but then neither is the cost of a few tea-bags of oak chips versus Allier or Limousin-origin oak barrels. So, oak barrels can continue for expensive wines but to combat the menace of the ready-to-drink New World soda-pop wine, a few dips of the chips should do the trick for our French winemaking brothers. Can?t lick ?em, join ?em. Works.
A more significant change is the relaxing of rules to allow the grape name to be printed on the label. Tired of having to lug an atlas around to order a wine, the consumer opted for the more convenient New World style which mentioned the grape big and bold on the label. For almost two decades the French looked the other way, avoiding the impending danger like an Ostrich. One fine day when they did pull their head out of the mud, they found that wine sales had grown exponentially and ignored them equally. Once again, they took the bullet-biting decision of incorporating a change that would help resuscitate what was now a big and hyper-ventilating flightless bird.
The change has barely been introduced and already things seem to be turning a positive shade ? general enthusiasm and PR are to blame. People are more charged now as they feel more equipped to take on the competition and beat them at their own game. The French believe that they have always had the climate and the experience and now, armed with this new ammo they could not only reinvent themselves but also reclaim their status as the best. Overall, this could be dawn of a new beginning.
But the notion that this marks the bowing of a big seemingly-unrelenting force doesn?t seem to fade. The world is seeing this very positive adoption; not just as an effort on the part of the French to keep up with the times; they are high-fiving each other as if celebrating the sounding of a French retreat.
But such is change, tough to accept or implement but always result-oriented. The French have shown that the wine world is not static; it evolves and matures with the drinking populace. What is happening today is all thanks to us, the consumers. Everyone who has ever ordered a glass of Australian wine over a French one has been a part of this metamorphosis. Wine, in that sense, is truly democratic.
In my opinion it is the New World that should feel threatened and sit down and think as to what their next move will be. Maybe it is time for them to change.