Top wine producers fear EU free-for-all on vine plantations

Top wine-producing nations led by France want regulators to put a cork in plans to end vine-planting restrictions across the European Union.

Nine states wrote to the European Commission calling for a planned 2015 free-for-all to be halted, with a producers association warning against a glut of wine hitting markets and arguing Tuesday that the move would devalue their product.

The other eight countries are: Austria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Romania.