Paris (AFP)

The Senate adopted Thursday, despite the virulent opposition of defenders of the wine industry, the tax on "premix" based on wine, such as "rosé-grapefruit", voted by the deputies in the framework of the bill of financing 2020 Social Security.

The National Assembly has extended the tax on "premix" (aromas of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages) to aromatised wines to dissuade the consumption of young people, the main target of this product.

MEPs set an interim tax of 3 euros per deciliter of pure alcohol for these products often used to sell wines of lower quality by mixing them with syrups.

The Senate voted by 245 votes to 71. But the case was not easy: several elected wine departments have indeed fought hard, in the night of Wednesday to Thursday, to try to suppress the new taxation.

"We are talking about sangria, kyr and other traditional specialties," argued Nathalie Delattre (RDSE radical majority, Gironde). "These products are not consumed by young people," pleaded Daniel Lawrence (LR, Charente-Maritime), while Vivette Lopez (LR, Gard) pointed "a risk of postponing consumption on more alcoholic products."

"This is a public health problem", replied the general rapporteur, Jean-Marie Vanlerenbergue (centrist) with "the goal of stopping the development of products clearly directed towards young people", whose "sugar masks the taste of the alcohol".

"These drinks are a gateway" in the consumption of alcohol, said Health Minister Agnès Buzyn, stressing that taxation only concerns "an excessively limited or even marginal segment of French production." IGP, AOC or AOP are not concerned, she said.

Bernard Jomier (PS app) wanted more concrete in his demonstration that relaxed the atmosphere: "If you want to talk about terroir, tell me about a Côte-roast (...) if you like what is sweet, tell me about a late harvest Tokay (...) but do not talk to me about these four most popular products: flavored red wine sangria-and not sangria-, wine rosé flavored strawberry-pineapple flavor, grapefruit flavor, and rosé flavored wine + sex on the beach + ".

"Do you believe they are aimed at elderly people living in rural areas? (...) This marketing strategy dishonours good wine," he said.

The rapporteur has withdrawn an amendment from the committee to progressively align the wine-based premix tax with the one applicable to other premixes (EUR 11 per deciliter of pure alcohol).

© 2019 AFP