Vienna - As the country is locked in an intensive discussion
over teenage binge drinking, Austria's wine industry came under fire
after a controversial radio ad.
The ad lauding Austria's signature wine, Gruener Vetliner,
as an 'anti-depressant ideal against the usual Monday-morning blues,'
triggered massive criticism from politicians and medical experts
alike, the country's wine marketing organization was forced to
clarify its position on Monday.
'The Austrian wine industry deplores every kind of alcohol abuse
and its negative direct and indirect affects on society, especially
on children and teenagers,' the industry said in a 'position paper'
released on Monday.
Admitting the necessity of responsible approach to the subject,
the paper nevertheless went to great lengths pointing out the
positive effects of moderate wine consumption, the important role of
wine in Austrian cuisine and culture and its significance as an icon
of a hedonistic lifestyle.
'Restrictive or even prohibitionist tendencies (also in the sense
of advertising bans, that historically proved not successful) are
rejected by the wine industry and its representatives acknowledge the
hedonist character of moderate wine consumption.'
Wine Marketing head Willi Klinger professed surprise over the stir
the ad caused. Last year, when the ad was broadcast for the first
time, nobody had complained, he said.
In the last weeks, an increasing number of politicians had
demanded measures against the growing phenomenon of teenage binge
drinking, especially in rural areas.
After a slump after an Austrian wine scandal in the mid-1980s,
wine exports from Austria had been growing continuously. In 2006,
Austrian winemakers exported 54 million litres of wine.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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