FRANCE: Growers want unsold wine turned into methylated spirit

French wine growers are calling for millions of litres of wine to be turned into methylated spirits or cooking brandy, blaming falling sales and a declining market share abroad for the unsold stock. A report by The Times newspaper claims that French growers want Paris and Brussels to purchase unsold stocks in a 1.14bn (US$159bn) rescue package, where almost 10% of France's total wine production would end up as the type to be poured over Christmas puddings or as industrial alcohol.

September 26, 2001

A report by The Times newspaper claims that French growers want Paris and Brussels
to purchase unsold stocks in a 1.14bn (US$159bn) rescue package, where almost
10% of France’s total wine production would end up as the type to be poured
over Christmas puddings or as industrial alcohol.

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