the role of revolution & rioting in establishing french wines’ relationship with place

• The role of revolution & rioting in establishing French wines’ relationship with place

Introduction• 2 violent historical events and their

contribution towards the development of Appellation Contrôlée law

• Modern violence: CRAV (Comité Régional d’Action Viticole) claim to re-ignite the spirit of 1907 in modern France

Underpinning Concepts

• AC Structure:The most imitated wine legislation system in the world

• French wines’ relationship with place

• The concept of “terroir”

The Origins of Appellation Contrôlée• Terroir has very firm links to

the development of AC• There are many examples

prior to the AC laws of people linking wine with geographical delimitation

• The role of Phylloxera Vastatrix “The Devastator”

The Southern Wine Revolt 1907

• Dramatic price falls 1907• Small initial meetings quickly became

mass demonstrations• The emergence of Marcelin Albert • French Premier Clemenceau first idles

and then orders in the troops • 6 deaths,many injuries and the 17th

regiment mutiny • Marcelin Albert comes face to face with

the “Tiger”

The Champagne Riots 1911

• The devastator again plays a significant role

• As before unscrupulous merchants are blamed for fraudulent practices

• Government intervention to the exclusion of the Aube in 1908

The Champagne Riots 1911

• Some devastating harvests particularly in the Marne changed things and the Marne growers protested to the government who strengthened the law in 1911.

• The Aube protested-8000 marched• The government annulled the 1908 and

1911 decree-The Aube were satisfied• However the Marne protested very

violently and 40,000 troops had to be called in to calm the situation

How 1907 and 1911 helped precipitate the modern AC system

• Fraud and adulteration of wine had become very prevalent in the early 1900s

• 1907 and 1911 are examples of events that portray the difficulty and frustration of vignerons

• Along with other shortages/price collapses they helped encourage the development of 1935 AC legislation

CRAV and their relationship with the

Southern Wine Revolt 1907

• Comité Régional d’Action Viticole

• Claims to re-ignite the spirit of 1907

• CRAV: new wave of attacks in south of France May 09

• CRAV attacks Grand Chais de France estate March 09

• CRAV resurfaces with arson attacks June 08

• Militants bomb co-ops in south of France July 07

Deaths not ruled out in CRAV ultimatum to Sarkozy May 07

• French wine activists torch supermarkets April 07

• CRAV hurls bomb through call centre window May 06

• CRAV attacks Bordeaux négociant in Aude -March06

Headlines of Articles from Decanter Magazine 2006-2009

• CRAV claim to be true to the spirit of 1907?

• You decide!

Headlines and images

A century apart

CRAV: new wave of attacks in South of

France (May 2009)

CRAV attacks Grand Chais de France Estate (March 2009)

CRAV resurfaces with arson attacks

(June 2008)

Militants bomb the co-ops in South of

France (July 2007)

Deaths not ruled out in CRAV ultimatum to

Sarkozy (May 2007)

French wine activists torch supermarkets

(April 2007)

CRAV hurls bomb through call centre

window (May 2006)

Marcelin Albert meeting in Narbonne

1907

CRAV appearing on TV

2007

Does the spirit of 1907 live on?

You decide

• The End