Flaming row about wine in EU

The European Union head office proposed a drastic overhaul of the continent's wine sector to face up to increasing competition from abroad and eliminate a huge surplus of unmarketable produce.

Under the plan, EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel
wants to dig up 200,000 hectar vineyards, allow profitable producers to expand
and market European quality wine better in emerging markets such as China and
India.

Wine producers have criticized the plan as caving in to
crass commercialism and globalization while turning its back on centuries of
tradition. The plan is to be assessed by the 27 EU member states and the
European Parliament before a definitive decision is taken, possibly later in
the year.