Confédération française des vins de pays (CFVDP, an association for French Vin de Pays-producers) had a congress earlier this June and they discussed among other things the discontinuing of subsidies to enrich wines with concentrated grape must (MCR).
La Vigne reports that CFVDP are against the subsidies being discontinued (big surprise…) and that it finds it difficult to accept the suggestions given by the French authorities, to switch to a cheaper alternative, that is chaptalisation with sugar. In southern France, according to CFVDP, they do not like chaptalisation.
Fine. Then do not chaptalise. And do not enrich with MCR if you cannot afford it.
Because the obvious question is: why do these producers have to enrich their wines, be it with beet sugar or concentrated grape must?
Over 80% of all French vin de pays (now IGP) is in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, thus in a region that is normally warm enough to give grapes with enough natural sugar. And also, nowadays consumers are increasingly looking for wines with a reasonable or even low alcohol level.
Enrichment in southern France should not be allowed and come to think of it, it should not be allowed anywhere at all (or at least make it compulsory to mention it on the label).
