Coteaux du Tricastin changes name to avoid nuclear contamination

Coteaux du Tricastin is a relatively well known appellation in the southern Rhone valley. However, it has now changed name to Grignan les Adhémar. Within France Tricastin is better known for its nuclear power plant and the wine producers have since several years campaigned for a name change of the AOC/AOP since they think the name has a bad image attached to it because of the power plant. INAO has now, finally, approved the name change. If it will be easier to sell the wine under the hardly easy-to-remember new designation we will have to wait and see (don’t they have any help from a marketing consultant that can explain that people have to be able to pronounce and spell a name to buy it? Or perhaps they don’t care about exports?). In any case wine enthusiasts will have to learn a new name. www.straitstimes.com