One fears the natural order of things has been upended if the French are giving up their wine. But financial woes have driven many to do just that.
Over the past year, cash-strapped Parisians have handed over thousands of bottles of grands crus to the Credit municipal de Paris in exchange for cash or loans.
The city-run lender and pawnbroker of sorts has seen demand for new loans soar in recent months. To help meet that growing need, it auctioned off about 2500 bottles, bringing in nearly 200,000 euros ($NZ456,000) in fresh funds.
The auction saw a single bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus go for 950 euros ($NZ2170), a five-bottle box of 1990 Chateaux Margaux fetch 2,400 euros ($NZ5480) and six bottles of 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild sell for almost 4000 euros ($NZ9130) - prices that might convince more than a few wine-hoarders that now is the right time to sell.
