by Hervé Lalau
Although he was only elected as President of Inter Sud in June, Guy Sarton de Jonchay has just handed in his resignation, ostensibly "for personal reasons". The official statement is that his employer, Les Chais Beaucairois, needs
his services; but the internecine wars within the new body, which was created in order to combine the strengths of the AOC, vins de pays and vin de table producers to insure more promotional impact, must certainly have left their mark. The role of the regional committees - CIVL for Languedoc and CIVR for Roussillon is still unclear in the new structure, nor is the balance between AOC and VP representatives.
Most major actors believe that the petty fights have already lasted too long, especially when one thinks of the tasks awaiting Intersud: building a "regional wineforce" which can compete with the tremendous battalions of new world wines on the largest export markets. Already on the on December 3rd Fitou quit the CIVL, judging that it was an unnecessary link in a chain that is far too long.
