Thierry's Dominique Vrigneau on what French election means for wine

Dominique Vrigneau, buying director at Thierry's Wine Services offers his view on which French presidential candidate offers the best choice for the country's wine industry.

With the final vote for the French presidential election fast approaching, it appears that Francois Hollande is making real progress in convincing France that he holds the key to the country's future.

Could a change in president open up new opportunities for the French wine industry?

It is well documented that President Sarkozy is a teetotaller whilst Francois Hollande is happy to be photographed with a glass of wine in his hand. Hollande has visited several wine regions and growers during his electoral campaign and seems to be interested in what growers have to say.

Whereas Francois Hollande has already declared that he would not repel the "loi Evin", which strictly regulates the promotion and advertising of alcohol in France, he fully supports a means of promoting wine as a integral part of a way of life and as a cultural identity for France.

If he is elected, it will be interesting to see how the French wine industry decides to communicate with him and how well he responds to its concerns. I do think that the industry has a better chance to be heard and understood than ever before.

• Harpers Says...