KEY POINTS:
The storming of the Bastille 218 years ago this week is just one of the many revolts that pepper France's often heated history.
Revolutionary spirit is still strong - France's president only recently received an ultimatum that stated blood would flow if demands were not met. It came from a group of desperate winegrowers in the country's south.
CRAV (the Regional Committee for Viticultural Action) is the militant mob whose members told the teetotaller premier that if he didn't raise wine prices they'd attack the whole industry. These threats have been taken seriously given CRAV's violent track record - its members have blown up a railway line, attacked lorries transporting foreign wine and dynamited shops selling imported labels.
France is in the throes of a wine crisis. After centuries of world domination, demand for its wines is diminishing because of declining wine-drinking at home and through losing ground to new wine-producing nations abroad.
A cruel irony is inherent in France's polarised industry today. While wine buffs can't get enough of the acclaimed crus of top estates, producers of mainstream wines are experiencing a massive oversupply and plummeting wine prices.
The situation has been fermenting for some time, and the French authorities have their heads firmly stuck in the sand.
Instead of implementing the unpopular solution of grubbing up the vines responsible for the unsaleable wine, they've opted to shell out subsidies to keep their ailing vignerons afloat, which is still not enough to satisfy the likes of CRAV.
France's industry is steeped in tradition, and these problems have been exacerbated by a slowness to acknowledge the market has changed. New World countries have wooed wine drinkers with clearly labelled, well-made, fruity wines, and France has been hampered by the complacency of some of its producers and the complexity of its restrictive wine laws.
These may have protected some of its unique wine styles, but restrictive winemaking and viticultural practices, which prevent most regions from putting grape varieties on their labels, have made it hard for France to compete.
Southern France has been been suffering the most. This is despite the progress it has made in modernising its production, which has meant it has become the source of some truly exciting, and often competitively priced wines.
These issues are slowly being addressed. Plans were announced this year for a national French wine brand to give producers greater flexibility and make the wines marketed under this one simple brand easier for wine drinkers to understand.
Nevertheless, it is likely that France will continue to make too much wine. If the Government stops bailing out producers, it's the purveyors of poor-quality plonk that will fall by the wayside, allowing quality focused wineries to make a better living.
It's promotion, not protection that will save the French wine industry.
French fancies
Pretty Petit Chateaux
Chateau Nicot Bordeaux 2005
$21.90
Bordeaux is not solely the preserve of the rich, as value can still be found in the region's Petit Chateaux like Chateau Nicot. Nicot makes a classy claret, with good concentration and subtle black cherry fruit, at an extremely competitive price.
* From Glengarry.
New world meets old
Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2005 $23.50
Rare is the Frenchman who'll admit that his country is not the only place where great wine can be made, but Henri Bourgeois, who owns Clos Henri in Marlborough, is one of them. This modern example from the variety's Loire heartland is a fusion of juicy lemon, gentle herb and crunchy capsicum.
* From Maison Vauron, the Wine Vault, Point Wines.
Modern dynamics
Domaine Seguela Cuvee Jean Julien Cotes du Roussillon Villages $36
New generations, such as Trinidad and Jean-Pierre Seguela, are taking French wines to greater heights. This dynamic duo, who only recently started bottling wines from their old family vineyards under their own label, illustrate the huge potential of Southern France through this ultra rich, ripe and velvety Syrah-based blend that's like Black Forest cake in a glass.
* From Maison Vauron.
