Michel Barnier took advantage of the meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Friday 24 April 2009 to give the other 26 ministers and EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel two bottles each of traditional French rosé wine. In a letter attached to the gift, Barnier stressed the need to “preserve traditional high-quality wine-making”. He warned fellow ministers of the dangers of the decision to be taken by the EU on 19 June 2009 to authorise “fake rosé,” in other words a new way of making rosé wine by mixing white and red wines. France opposes the scam's idea of indicating on labeling when rosé is made using traditional methods. Michel Barnier recognises, however, that France is “isolated” in its position, but said the gesture was an attempt to “continue trying to win people over and hold dialogue”. The gift is intended as a goodbye gift for his colleagues while Barnier awaits the composition of the government after a cabinet reshuffle by the president, Nicolas Sarkozy. (L.C./transl.fl)