French government relaxes wine laws

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PARIS, May 30 (UPI) -- The French government at the highest level has opened the door for French wine makers to market so-called "mid-quality" wines, the Agriculture Ministry said.

President Nicolas Sarkozy and the French cabinet approved a five-year plan that relaxes labeling rules approved by French wine makers two years ago, The Times of London reported Friday.

French wine exports dominate the world market in terms of value -- shipping $270 billion in wine per year -- but have lost out to Italy and Spain in recent years in numbers of bottles sold.

The new laws allow a French wine makers to use wood chips, added tannin and other techniques and relaxes regional labeling laws.

"It's a way of giving new consumers a taste for wine," Jean Claude Ruet, chief sommelier at the Paris Ritz hotel said.

However, "we will not fall as low as the Americans, who make vin rosé that is sugary and fizzy like soda," he said.