Most French wine has come from specific regions which have strict rules governed by the appellation system. It has been compulsory to label any wine that is a blend of wines from different regions as vin de table, and the makers were never allowed to show any details of grape or vintage on the bottle.

The French approach has been to make the best wine from their vineyards, using regional methods, and then finding a market for it. Whereas in, say, Australia, they think about what people want to drink and then model their wines on it. French wine growers have historically been more reluctant to think like this because they didn't want to lose their Appellation d'origine contrôlée authenticity. So a white burgundy, such as chablis, must be made from chardonnay grapes, but they couldn't put that on the bottle.

Looking at wine with a different approach may mean that the French can produce some successful brands of wine - as has been the case in Chile or Australia — without diluting the great tradition of winemaking in France.

Under the new legislation a merchant will be able to come up with a marketable blend because he won't be restricted by area. If a wine from the South is too rich, then it can be blended with a crisper wine from the North. The merchant can market the blend and give it a name.

Companies such as Jacob's Creek have been so successful in their branding that the British do not see them as New World wine. They just think of it as Jacob's Creek. The French could benefit from developing some branding as recognisable as that.

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