Wine critic fined

last updated 8 January 2015

Lyon

A French court has ordered a magazine to pay $375,000—a sum that would put it out of business—for comparing Beaujolais nouveau to poop. Lyon Mag, a small local publication, published the offending interview with François Mauss, head of the Grand Jury of European Winetasters, last August after millions of bottles of the wine failed to sell. The prominent critic pronounced Beaujolais nouveau, a popular, young wine whose appearance each fall is hyped like the Oscars, to be nothing more than “un vin de merde.” Beaujolais nouveau makers sued and won. “By comparing Beaujolais to excrement,” the judge said, the magazine “went beyond the acceptable exercise of criticism.” Lyon Mag will appeal.