"Now French sales are still growing but only because the market is growing rather quickly. They're losing shares in reality to the new wines because before the French had a virtual exclusivity -- and now many wine-producing regions are eyeing the vast potential of the Vietnamese market," the Vine Group's Berger said.
Anxious to join the WTO, Vietnam is making efforts to thwart the pirates. A law on the protection of intellectual property was adopted by the national assembly last November and will come into effect in July.
The Paris-based National Institute for Designations of Origin (INAO) is currently considering what measures should be taken and is pleased that operations to destroy counterfeit alcohol, in particular Cognacs, were organized in the communist nation and reported by Vietnamese state media.
"It is interesting to know that operations are being conducted even if they are still marginal," explains Veronique Fouks, head of the legal and international department of the National Institute for Designations of Origin in Paris.
"When we identify the nature of the problem for the Bordeaux wines, there will be a possibility of joint action with the Vietnamese authorities," she said.
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