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If you need a little cheery news while we remain quagMiered (which I suspect is better than being beRoved), take a look at the Bloomberg report that says French wine producers have about 838 million gallons in unsold inventory. The French share of the world market is suffering from competition (!) from Australia and California, as well as Spain and Argentina. Even the hitherto secure UK market, less French wine is being sold. Another reason for the oversupply is that the average Frenchman is drinking only half of what he was in 1960. The annual consumption has fallen to a minuscule 73 bottles per year. Government-ordered production cuts threaten unemployment for an unknown number of the 240,000 people now in the French wine industry. We must all pitch in to help this weekend. I suggest a very crisp California or Washington State cabernet, or a nice Italian barolo.