Japan loses taste for Beaujolais

By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo

Japan has ordered nearly 1 million cases

Japan's first decline in imports of Beaujolais Nouveau in more than a decade is being blamed on new measures to fight drink-driving.

Supermarkets have stopped offering free tastings after a crackdown on drink-driving following an accident in which a driver killed three children.

The young wine goes on sale next week, on the third Thursday in November.

The wine is popular in Japan because the time difference makes it one of the first places in the world to try it.

The first of 950,000 cases that have been ordered by Japan have started to arrive.

For the last 11 years, more and more bottles have been imported each year.

But this time is different. The shipment is smaller than last year's.

The reason, according to a brewing industry journal, is a crackdown on drink-driving.

Supermarkets and retailers are more cautious about importing the wine because they have leftover stock from last year.

Some of the big chains have stopped offering samples for tasting, blaming the increase in fatal traffic accidents caused by drunken drivers.

In August a civil servant who had been drinking crashed into three young children and killed them.

As a result, many local councils and companies imposed stricter rules and punishments to try to stop their employees driving while drunk.

Police have set up more checkpoints to try to catch those under the influence of alcohol.

But campaigners say there are loopholes in the law that allow those who cause accidents when drunk to avoid being prosecuted.

That is why they are putting pressure on stores, bars and clubs to try to stop drivers drinking in the first place.