Its fruity red wines were once so prized by British drinkers that crowds would race to France each November to buy the newest bottles. But now beaujolais, already struggling with falling sales, has been hit by scandal as police investigate the illegal smuggling of sugar to winemakers to artificially improve certain wines.
Four people have been arrested and bailed on suspicion of belonging to a sugar smuggling network. More than 60 producers may be questioned in the new year.
Police believe more than 600 tonnes of sugar were bought illegally between 2004 and last year by certain beaujolais winemakers seeking to raise alcohol levels. Middlemen bought the sugar from supermarkets just outside the region without receipts in order to leave no trace, then sold it to winemakers. The traffic may have been in place for up to 10 years.
Adding sugar to boost alcohol levels in certain cheaper wines is a long-established practice in northern climates lacking the sunshine to develop sufficient natural sugars.
But the practice is strictly regulated and overstepping limits is illegal. The group Inter Beaujolais, which represents winemakers in the area, issued a statement this week "very strongly condemning these illegal practices."
It deplored "the very bad impact such practices could have on the image of the region and its wines."
Beaujolais is already battling claims that it churned out cheap plonk. Despite a large Japanese market in beaujolais nouveau, world sales are falling. Last month, during the launch of this year's beaujolais nouveau, winemakers urged a boycott of French supermarkets selling the wines for as little as 1.5 euros (US$2.16) a bottle.
The French agriculture minister, Michel Barnier, yesterday opposed key sections of an EU wine reform plan to help struggling vintners compete against the new world and limit European overproduction.
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