Bordeaux, Dec 10: Alarmed by a steep fall in wine consumption as a result of the government's crackdown on drink driving, French restaurateurs are for the first time offering clients the chance to take home their half-empty bottles at the end of the meal.
Around 500 restaurants across the country are giving out vacuum-pumps which allow tipplers to preserve the undrunk wine in near-optimum conditions for up to two weeks, according to the Interprofessional Council for Bordeaux Wine (CIVB).
"We are trying to make the customers feel less guilty ... It's a shame to see them having to choose between leaving a half-full bottle behind on the table, and taking a real risk on the roads," said the CIVB in a statement.
According to the CIVB, the amount of wine sold in French restaurants dropped by between 10 and 15 percent last year, as a result of a high-profile and successful police campaign to bring down the death rate in motor accidents.
The experiment has been confined so far to restaurants renowned for their wine-lists, but client response has been positive and the scheme could be extended, CIVB said.

Bureau Report