Margaux, overrun
“France is the crossroads of Europe.” This used to be a common refrain in France before Europe shifted east. Nonetheless, the Medoc might become a pit stop between Paris and Madrid.
The Ministry of Transportation in conjunction with the regional planning authority wants to build a new road axis running from Spain to Northern Europe. Three of the five proposals in the Bordeaux region would run over or around Margaux and other growing areas of Bordeaux. They would connect to a new bridge spanning the Gironde estuary.
Since planning for the new highway is still in the early stages, the growers syndicate of Margaux has put up an online petition to collect signatures against the proposal. I was signature 5,414.
Although prime vineyards can survive when surrounded by the city, as a satellite image of Chateau Haut Brion in Pessac-Leognan shows, and Bordeaux has a surplus of wine anyway, I signed for two reasons. First, why there? These vineyards are an international treasure and if it’s possible to re-route the autoroute, so much the better.
Second, making information available on the internet in France has been excruciatingly slow. In fact the wine trade in general has confronted the internet with unease and confusion. This sort of activism is a perfect fit to harness the power of the internet. I applaud that effort.
If you want to sign, click here
See the regional authority’s site for the proposal
And a close-up of proposed routes in Margaux (pdf)
tags: wine | Bordeaux | development | internet activism
On June 13th, 2006 at 10:32 pm ,tedo wrote:
There is always a delicate balance between keeping the traditions of the past and exploring the future, but this is exploiting it…at some point we as a society have to stop and ‘smell the roses’ so to speak and realize what we are giving up and what we are threatening when we, or our governments, chose to do these sort of things….ok off the soapbox and yes of course I will sign.
Thanks doc.