French restructures wine industry

The battle of the bottles is about to begin with France’s new action plan designed to win back ground from the New World. With the aim of modernising the French wine industry and stemming declining sales, French farm minister Dominique Bussereau announced a restructuring package worth 80 million euros, topped up by another 12 million euros for export promotion. Under the plan, the top chateaux will be preserved, while popular mid-range wines will be marketed as wines to be enjoyed at any moment so that they can compete with New World rivals.