French winemakers hit back at health minister accused of wanting to turn nation teetotal
The embattled French health minister Agnès Buzyn is fighting to save her job after she was accused by the country’s wine industry of trying to turn the nation teetotal.
Sixty four of the country’s most famous vineyards signed a letter saying she was a “threat to the nation’s soul” in the wake of her plans to make it obligatory for winemakers to put enlarged health warnings on wine bottles, advising pregnant women not to drink, and recommending that children do not imbibe either. In a country where children regularly sip diluted wine, such a warning is seen as a break with tradition.
The article suggests that Buzyn’s underlying intention was “the abolition of all alcohol consumption in France. Next, they’ll be slapping photos with cancer victims and saying wine is to blame.”
Given the might of the French wine lobby, the attack has raised speculation that Buzyn could lose her job in the next government reshuffle.
President Emmanuel Macron has said in the past he drinks wine for both lunch and dinner and is said to be siding with the chateaux.