Alleged failings by the Bordeaux wine council (CIVB) to protect the interests of growers and merchants alike has prompted a rebellion.

Dozens of winegrowers from the famed fine wine region have broken away from the council and formed the Bordeaux Winegrowers Action Committee (CAVB), which is hopeful it will be able to stop paying annual fees to the CIVB, reports AFP.

Speaking to the news agency, spokesperson for the new committee Dominique Techer explained: "The CIVB is a massive failure. It had a historic role but that is finished."

In particular, there is concern that the interests of growers and merchants are not being treated equally.

Earlier this month in an article for the Wall Street Journal, wine fan Jay McInerney wrote that many enthusiasts are turning away from established chateau powerhouses such as Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild, because of escalating First Growth costs.

He suggested that many US importers are considering smaller growers more often than they may have done in the past, which could work in favour of the newly formed CAVB.