French wine and spirits reach new export levels.
2011 was a record year for exports giving a yield of €10.1 billion, second highest only behind aviation. Wines alone yielded 6.97 billion euros (increase of 11.9%). AOC wine realised 3.16 billion, while champagne was 2.13 billion, increasing 19.9% and 9.3% respectively. Figures released from FEVS (Féderation des exportateurs de vins et spiritueux de France) also state that cognac increased sales by 10.1% driven mainly by the explosive demand in Asia. Emerging countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China are contributing heavily to the increased exports. China has become the 5th highest French wine market after the UK (17.1%), USA (12.4%), Germany (9.9%), and Belgium (7.3%) and 6th place for cognac after the USA, Germany, UK, Russia and Singapore. Despite the 2011 record, globally over the past 10 years French wine exports have fallen 12% on volume. In the traditional European Union market volume exports have fallen by 13% in Germany and 38% in the UK.
About bill
Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer.
The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013.
Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI.
Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug
2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website.
But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien.
The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50.
Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea.
Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
