An uproar that the Japanese vine growers ordered to leave France

French wine lovers revolt after a Japanese couple producing "exceptional" wine in the south of France is threatened with deportation.

More than 42,000 people have already signed a petition protesting against this "crazy, shameful and shameful decision" "

The" exceptional "red wine of Rie and Hirofumi Shoji, Pedres Blanques (White Rocks), elaborated from Grenache near Banyuls-sur-Mer in the French Catalan region of Roussillon, became an instant hit after their first harvest last year.

He has already made the cellars of the best restaurant in the world, Can Roca, just across the Spanish border in Girona, and the best Parisian restaurants have also been competing to stock up on on

Their first year of production completely exhausted, with 10,000 bottles quickly snapped up and the price rising from 12 euros ($ 14) to 26 euros.

But immigration officials said that the couple could not stay in Frank because they were not earning enough and that their trade was "not viable".

The Shojis saved 100,000 euros and took out a loan of 50,000 euros to buy their vineyard on a difficult terrain where the Pyrenees plunge into the Mediterranean.

They harvest the grapes by hand, grow them organically and add nothing to the wine.

Hirofumi Shoji, 38, fell in love with French wine when he started working for French chef Alain Ducbade Japan.

The Shojis met in France after arriving separately in 2011 dreaming of making their own wine. Both have studied and worked with some of the country's leading winegrowers in the Bordeaux and Bordeaux regions to hone their skills before getting married and buying the land together in 2016.

– "Extraordinary wine &" # 39; –

But when they tried to change The status of their employees, from "employees" to "farmers", told them that they would have to leave the country because they were earning less than 2,000 euros per year month.

Their lawyer, Jean Codognes, told AFP that he thought administrative mistake, but three days ago the prefecture confirmed his order. "

" Their wine has been a huge success and 75% of this year's production has already been booked, "he added.

had not had a penny of help from # 39; State to found their business because they were not considered strangers.

The famous local winemaker Alain Castex also came to their defense, praising Pedres Blanques as "an extraordinary wine"

are r He said on French public television

Jean L 'Heritier, organizer of a wine fair in Perpignan, capital of Roussillon, declared a "huge loss for everyone if the Shoji had to leave. The quality of their grapes, and the typically Japanese perfectionism of their winemaking "had impressed their peers," he told local newspapers, "The Independent."

Appellants at local radio stations raged at officials as " moronic ", and Twitter users Green MEP Yannick Jadot called the decision" absurd "and urged his supporters to sign the petition to save the Shoji.

Banyuls is best known for his Rich red dessert wines, often called wine.

Codognes, who appealed the ruling, said the couple were doing well compared to many other local vintners. "The average income in the region (winemaking) even with subsidies is less than 1,000 euros by Several Japanese winemakers have made a name in France in recent years, producing almost all organic and natural wines, led by Hirotake Ooka, whose wines from the Domaine de Grande Colline is the homeland.