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CIVL hits back at Fitou’s departure

10 May 2023 By Arabella Mileham

Following the vote by Fitou winemakers to withdraw from the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL), the wine body has hit back, claiming the appellation withdrawn its influence from collective decisions two years ago – although it maintained that the door would “remain open” for the appellation to return.

In a statement issued to the drinks business last week, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL) said that the conciliation committee of the CIVL had put forward a series of recommendations to the main governing board after several meetings with the Fitou appellation chairman, Alain Gleyzes over the appellation’s concerns.

In response to Fitou’s claim that communications was too focussed on the generic ‘Vins du Languedoc’ banner, it said that currently, only 20% (at most) of the communications budget was used for ‘Vins du Languedoc’ activities, primarily in terms of collective communications campaigns, with75% of communications funding is used for activities that spotlight the different appellations, under the ‘Vins du Languedoc’ signature:

“On this issue, it is possible that the appellation’s absence from the various bodies within the CIVL is leading it to misinterpret the reality,” a statement from the CIVL said.

It pointed to recent comms during Wine Paris, as well as digital communications with Languedoc Wine Club, Languedoc Wine Cup, and social media, as well as trade events, education, and media.

It also told db that while the Fitou ODG’s demanded that communications be redirected towards the Chinese market and promotion in super/hypermarkets, the organisation operates on a “collective and collegial basis”, with decisions on the choice of communications strategy, target markets or distribution channels stemming from “prioritisation of activities promoting the image and reputation of the appellations collectively approved within its different bodies”.

It pointed that representatives of the Fitou appellation had not taken part in the marketing board’s bodies “for more than two years” and consequently, “the appellation has no longer expressed its opinion on the directions taken, and is no longer able to convey its requests to its peers.”

It said the governing board has stressed to the appellation of the importance for taking part in the CIVL decision-making process, but that re-directing the marketing board’s strategy “at the request of a single appellation that no longer takes part in the marketing board’s activities is not an option.”

Christophe Bousquet said it was “regrettable” that the unity of Languedoc AOPs was being “challenged by an appellation which refuses to take part in the collective and collegial
functioning of our wine council”, however he said that the door would “always remain open if the Fitou ODG wants to resume its legitimate position in our organisation”.

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