Influences...

It's the question I've been asking myself often these past few days. Who has influence? Who is able to make things happen, apart from Closer, Médiapart or Twitter? Recently it seems to me that the media, newspapers, blogs and Facebook have seemed to lose their power of influence, if I take for example the idea that one has of the Bordeaux wine scene and the 2011, 2012, 2013 vintages (not that great) or our preconceptions about wines from the Languedoc and the Roussillon (alcohol and small wines).

Our, friends in Bordeaux having invested time, money and their knowledge in the South, still see these beautiful wineries treated as 'outsiders' and expect to see them treated this way for a long time to come. Although those who were treated as 'outsiders' when they first arrived in Bordeaux are now very much integrated. The ex-investors, the ex-bankers, the ex-Pied Noirs, are all in Bordeaux and now seem so very Bordelais to their very own 'outsiders'.

One has to therefore bet that that will be the case in the South in a few years. Proof of this it the idea that we all share the need for a common communication tool; a UGC Sud de France, to promote the great wines of the Languedoc and the Roussillon. Who can ignore what the Union des Grands Crus of Bordeaux has done, to be able to bring in crowds of people from the whole world, to create such a remarkable event that even though this year looks difficult, lots of people are coming to Bordeaux for the primeurs, tastings and events organised by the négoce and the chateaux?

So will there be a similar organisation in the South, a sort of UGC? Why can't 50, 100, 150 chateaux in the South put some ressources together especially if we take into consideration the ambitious political undertakings in the South already which could help finance such an organisation?


Voilà, it's said. If one day sees the creation of such a project, the 'bordelais' would without a doubt be happy to have their small place.


Monday 27/01/2014