By Christophe Schmidt

Bottles of French wine are pictured at the opening of the 'Wine Show'
Click to enlarge photo
LONDON (AFP) - The French wine industry has pulled out all the stops at
the country's biggest wine fair this weekend in an attempt to win back
drinkers who have switched to bottles from the "New World".

French wine was once the tipple of choice for Brits who love a bottle.
But the simpler, more accessible labelling found on new world wines has
seen the uninitiated reach for the reds and whites from Australia,
South Africa and California.

So French wine has decided to take the plunge and
demystify its traditional labels with an easier-to-understand idea it
hopes will encourage British drinkers to give their bottles a second
chance.

The industry has invested heavily in The Wine Show which runs until
Sunday in north London, with more than a quarter of the exhibition
space devoted to wines from across the Channel.

Instead of the various regional distinctions that mark out French
wines, bottles will be rebranded by "experience" at the show.

The aim is not to baffle non-wine buffs but at the same time keep the
idea of diversity, which is one of French wine's key characteristics.

Brits -- traditionally noted for their love of beer -- have increased
their wine consumption by 25 percent since 2000 and now spend more on
the grape than the grain.

But unlike beer, the British wine industry is small and the vast
majority of the wine drunk is imported.

Although French wines are still top choice in bars and restaurants,
they have been overtaken by their Australian rivals in the retail
sector. Californian, Chilean and South African wines have also staked
their claim.

"An average supermarket line now has wines from 20 countries," said
Florence Rhydderch, from the French marketing agency Sopexa that is
masterminding the Gallic makeover.

Matt Skinner, one of Britain's best-known food critics, on Sunday
called on French producers to learn how to "communicate with the guy
who wants to spend 3.99 pounds or 5.99 pounds" (seven to 11 dollars,
six to nine euros) on a bottle in an off-licence or supermarket.

"The product has never been the issue. The challenge is how they
present it to the consumer," Australian Skinner, who said he still
prefers a good Bordeaux, told The Observer newspaper.

At wine shows, French wines are normally presented by where they come
from but if studies are to be believed, this has left consumers
scratching their heads.

In the "French Wines Experience", the specially-created "zones" will be
themed "nights in", "nights out", "dinner parties", "celebrations",
"outdoors" and "Christmas".

So instead of being bamboozled by racks of Bordeaux, there may be a
syrupy number from the Loire Valley next to a champagne or a Cote du
Rhone, helping buyers to choose for a particular occasion.

French wine experts will be on hand to guide anyone needing a helping
hand in choosing.

But all this does not mean the cherished concept of regionality has
been done away with completely, said Rhydderch.

"No other country has as varied and extensive a range of wines than
France," she said. "If we get rid of this diversity, we make it
commonplace and cease to be distinct from our foreign competitors."

Sopexa has not divulged how much the marketing drive is costing but
Rhydderch admitted it has not come cheap -- but was worth it because of
London's position as the richest and most wine-loving region of
Britain.

"It's imperative to have a sizeable and varied presence of French wines
at The Wine Show," she said.