 The tastings organized for journalists and wine trade can continue to be held in early April as usual he feels, adding, 'Its up to the First Growths to lead the change,' according to the report in Decanter.
Prats said that the current economic climate was 'too bad' for people to be interested in buying the wines. He said if the campaign of releasing wines and prices began in Spring, 'we would hit a wall'.
'It might be quite a judicious move,' reportedly said Dominique Befve, general director of Margaux Second Growth Chateau Lascombes. 'It might be a little early to talk of this, we will have to see how the market goes.' He added that the chateaux must adapt to the distributors and customers.
Going a step further, Simon Staples of London wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd feels that 'Anything to suspend it would be good.
Staples, however, said the tastings should also occur later in the year. 'It's an instantaneous phenomenon, it generates interest,' he said. 'What's the point of tasting it in April if it's going to be sold in October?'
During his visit to India in November last year, Prats had conceded to delWine that 2008 was indeed a tough vintage and with the recession throughout the world, the organisers would have to think hard before deciding how to handle the situation this time.
The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux which organises the majority of en Primeur tastings in Spring has already confirmed that the tasting will be held from 30th March to April 3rd. |