Judgment of Paris Chardonnay sells for US$11,325
Monday, July 26, 2010

A relative newcomer to wine has completed his collection of the 20 'Judgment of Paris' wines with his purchase of one of the few remaining bottles of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Jason Corcoran only began collecting wine 7 months ago after watching the movie Bottle Shock which tells the story of the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting when American wines beat their French counterparts in a blind tasting. Corcoran, a UK based software developer, thought it would be fun to collect the wines and purchased this last bottle at auction for US$11,325 (£7,419).

Corcoran had been googling Chateau Montelena for three months before he found it for sale and says he was prepared to pay a fair bit more than the price he paid. He is still on the lookout for another Chateau Montelena so that he has one to keep and one to drink.    Full Story >>

Campo off Interpol list but his conviction for fraud stands
Monday, July 26, 2010

Pancho Campo MW has been removed from Interpol's 'wanted' list after Interpol accepted a mistake had been made in issuing a warrant for Campo.

The warrant related to a complaint in 2002 brought by a former business partner of his sports and music promotion business to do with a fee paid to singer Enrique Iglesias and subsequently led to a one-year custodial sentence and deportation from Dubai. In October 2009 Campo stepped down as director of the Wine Future Rioja conference and resigned as president of the Spanish Wine Academy.     Full Story >>

Ice wine from sunny Spain?
Friday, July 23, 2010

A new appellation or Denominacione de Origen (DO) has been created in Spain to produce Spanish icewine. The region of Penedès has accepted the new DO Vino Dulce de Hielo or Vi Dolç del Fred. Its the first appellation in Europe to allow artificial freezing of grapes, forbidden in the traditional icewine regions of Germany, Austria and Canada, where grapes must be left to freeze naturally on the vine at temperature of -7 or -8 degrees.

The harvested grapes must have a minimum of 240 grams per litre of sugar and the addition of sugar is not allowed. The final wine must contain 70-150g/l residual sugar and have an alcohol content of 9.5-13.5%. The new DO will come into force from the 2009 vintage.     Full Story >>

The Home Office now in charge of drinks
Thursday, July 22, 2010

The government has confirmed that the Home Office will take over responsibility for the Licensing Act 2003, which regulates the sale of alcohol in England and Wales. The move shifts responsibility away from the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (DCOMS).

The decision brings together the responsibilities for tackling alcohol harm. These have been a long standing responsibility of the Home Office and will now incorporate the separate function for ensuring the effective functioning of the Act, which had been the responsibility of DCOMS.

The Association of Convenience Stores welcomed the move. Chief executive James Lowman said: For some time now the Home Office has been taking a leading role in alcohol policy, so this merely confirms their primacy in these areas. We have built strong relationships with Home Office ministers and officials and will continue to make the case for a fair licensing system that supports responsible businesses and tackles problem premises.

The government has set out plans to change some of the rules relating to alcohol licensing in its Programme for Government document. A consultation is expected on these issues at the end of the month.    Full Story >>

Dragon paid in grapes
Thursday, July 22, 2010

A Devon vintner has said that Duncan Bannatyne can expect to get grapes, not money after viewers watched the millionaire businessman invest £60,000 in his venture on Dragon's Den. Entrepreneur Bannatyne was impressed by Mr Bowen's pitch and came up with the full sum he was asking for, in return for a 40% stake.

Mr Bowen established his Topsham vineyard and tasting cellar, Pebblebed, in 2000, and was looking for a Dragon to help finance the acquisition of five acres of new land. He aims to add an additional arm to his existing business; making it pay by attracting further investors to buy vines on the site, in return for wine.

Mr Bowen, who gave the Dragons a taster of his business in the form of personalised bottle of Pebblebed's sparkling rosé, initially established his business by persuading 20 local families to invest in vines on half an acre of land, in return for around 100 bottles of wine a year — and the occasional hand with the harvest. Since then, the business has grown to encompass 22 acres of grapevines.

As with Pebblebed, investors who buy into the new vineyard will get bottles of wine in return for their money; with the company keeping a 50% share of the annual grape harvest.

Mr Bowen said Mr Bannatyne would have the opportunity to stock his recently acquired Shepton Mallet hotel Charlton House and his upmarket health clubs with their own-label wine. The five acres of land could yield around 20,000kg of grapes; enough to make 20,000 bottles of wine, of which the company will own half.

    Full Story >>

Fizz at bottom of ocean
Thursday, July 22, 2010

Shiver me timbers - a treasure trove of two centuries-old, but perfectly drinkable, champagne has been found near a shipwreck 180 feet deep in the Baltic. The wreck was located by Swedish divers just off the coast of Aaland, one of a chain of Swedish-speaking, self-governing islands which belong to Finland.

The wine has been preserved in perfect conditions - cold and dark - was said by a local wine expert to taste absolutely fabulous. The champagne was dark golden in colour and smelled of tobacco, but also grape and white fruits, oak and mead, very sweet but still with some acidity.

Experts are 98% certain that the champagne was made in the period 1772-1789 by a company that later became Veuve Cliquot. An anchor on the cork is said to be a sign that only Cliquot used to use. It is thought to belong to a consignment sent to the tsar of Russia by King Louis XVI just before the French revolution. If so, the bottles - at least 30 of them and possibly many more - could be worth millions of pounds at auction. Thus making the bottles the oldest known drinkable champagne beating the 1825 Perrier-Jouet tasted by experts in London last year.

A sample has been sent to Moet & Chandon for analysis. If the period 1772-1789 is confirmed, the wine comes from just before the period when the process of making sparkling wine was fully understood. Not so much yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum - but yo-ho-ho and a bottle of champagne!


    Full Story >>

The rise of Rosé
Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sales of Rosé wine have grown by 21.4% in value in the past year according to the Wine & Spirit Trade Association show. Volume has risen by 18.4%.

This is striking when compared to the fact that sales of other wines in bars, clubs and restaurants are down over the course of this year.

Several factors may have boosted it's popularity; 1) The recent good weather and 2) a growth in the £6 - £7 and £9 - £10 ranges suggest that whilst consumers may be cutting back elsewhere the attraction of a better bottle of wine at home is tempting the wine drinker to spend a little more.

There had also been a recovery in Champagne with the off-trade ahead by 12.5% in volume and 7.7% in value.
    Full Story >>

Amazon to sell alcohol online
Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Amazon, America's largest onine retailer, is now selling wine online. They were due to launch their wine arm in October 2008 but had to stop development blaming regulatory barriers to shipping alcholic drinks in the US.

The company have acquired a Texas-based web business called Woot. The newly-acquired company are famed for their deal-a-day selling technique.

Consumers can now choose from 22,000 grocery products online and can give a star rating to products.

The UK launch comes shortly after the company began offering fresh food and household products in Germany, the only other European market where it has introduced a grocery site so far.    Full Story >>

Fosters does about face on sale of its' wine division
Friday, July 09, 2010

Foster’s has scrapped plans to sell four Australian vineyards and a winery after reconsidering their importance to the group’s future strategy.

The company has already sold 20 of the 36 vineyards it had identified as being surplus to requirements, and confirmed that the Bailey's winery and vineyard at Rutherglen, Victoria had now been taken off the market.

The 150 hectare Guthries vineyard and 246 hectare Shulz vineyard, both on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, and the 59 hectare vineyard at Meridian Home on the New South Wales central coast, have all also been taken off the market.

The vineyards were saved after the company identified improvements in grape quality at the sites, as well as being deemed necessary for developing new products for release from next year as part of the group’s strategic brand planning.    Full Story >>

Russia continues to use trade as a political lever. This time wine.
Friday, July 09, 2010

Russia has barred the sale of tens of thousands of bottles of Moldovan wine, amid a politically charged dispute over the nations' Soviet-era history. Forty shipments of wine from Moldova totalling more than 170,000 bottles have been blocked from the Russan market since June 30th 2010.

Russia's top consumer protection official Gennady Onishchenko refused to rule out a total ban on Moldovan wine, raising the possibility of a repeat of the embargo Russia imposed in 2006.

Onishchenko cited quality concerns, saying the wine could be used to paint fences and was dangerous to drink because of toxic ingredients. He warned that control over the quality of Moldovon wine was slipping after improving when the 2006 ban was lifted, and said the Moldovon government had demonstrated its complete ineffectiveness.

Russia's 2006 bans on wine from traditional suppliers Georgia and Moldova sparked claims that Moscow was trying to punish West-leaning leaders in ex-Soviet republics by hitting at their most lucrative exports. The ban on Georgian wine remains in place nearly two years after the countries went to war.    Full Story >>

Corked wines on the decline?
Friday, July 09, 2010

The 2010 ‘world championship of wine’, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, has added further weight to evidence of a dramatic decline in cork-related wine faults.

Of almost 7,000 bottles from more than 50 countries opened at the prestigious event, only one per cent were identified as being affected by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). This figure is consistent with findings from several recent wine events that have shown the incidence of cork related taint to be either at or less than one per cent.

TCA contamination usually comes from corks but can also come from barrels, other cooperage or even, apparently, from wood within the cellar including walls or beams. The term 'corked wine' is applied to all wines with TCA contamination because corks are the source of most of the problems. The wine industry estimates that as many as 3% to 7% of all wines have TCA contamination at levels that can be detected by consumers. Because most people are not trained to recognize the smell and taste of TCA, only a very small fraction of these bad bottles are ever returned to stores or sent back at a restaurant.

A great deal of work continues in the cork industry as well as at wineries to develop methods to eliminate corked wine.

    Full Story >>

Burgundy Beaujolais rules re-written
Friday, July 02, 2010

New rules governing the labelling of Beaujolais wines have been released ending a long running dispute between Burgundy and Beaujolais appellations. Under the new rules white Beaujolais may no longer be labelled AOC white Burgundy - one of the most contentious issues - and Beaujolais wines will be allowed to state the main grape on the label provided it meets the percentage criteria for that varietal. A new appellation called Côteaux Bourguignons has also been created for red Beaujolais, replacing Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire.    Full Story >>

IWC reveals Trophy winners
Thursday, July 01, 2010

111 of the world's best wines have been awarded Trophies by the International Wine Challenge. This is the final round for gold medal winning wines where the wines are tasted again alongside others in the same category. The Trophy winners are recognised as the best in class and deemed to be top quality.

And the winners are...France came first for the second year running, with 21 wines winning a trophy, followed by Japan's Sake category (14) in second place and Australia (12) in third, closely followed by Portugal (11). Camel Valley is England's champion for 2010, winning the English Trophy , with its 2008 Pinot Noir Rosé Brut, and taking the Sparkling Rosé Trophy against international competition.

For the full results visit www.internationalwinechallenge.com    Full Story >>

Brown is the new green for top fizz
Thursday, July 01, 2010

Research has shown that brown glass filters almost 100% of damaging ultraviolet light compared to green glass at 92%. But what does this mean for the wine? Brown glass gives better protection against short wavelength ultraviolet light, which can cause the release of sulphurous compounds within the wine, tainting it with what the French call goût de lumière.

So for Louis Roederer brown is the new green - the Champagne House has switched its green Champagne bottles for brown glass bottles. First to appear in the new brown bottle is Roederer's Brut Premier, which will be followed by the 2006 vintage. The introduction of brown bottles is a costly move due to smaller productions levels of brown glass but cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon described the decision as “part of our strive for perfection”.

Orange is still in vogue for Roederer’s prestige cuvée Cristal which will continue to be bottled using clear glass and wrapped in orange cellophane. The famous outer wrapping apparently achieves a 98% protection from ultraviolet penetration.     Full Story >>

Calais closes door to the booze cruise
Thursday, June 24, 2010

British retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's are to close their wine outlets in northern France, signalling the end of the booze cruise to stock up on cheap wine & beer.

The weak pound and UK supermarkets offering cheap alcohol together with the recession has put a stop to consumers visiting Calais to stock up and business at the outlets is reported to have dried up. Tesco Vin Plus has consulted with staff over the closure and Sainsbury's is to shut down its Calais Wine Store at the end of the month describing its partnership with French retailer Auchan as no longer viable.

A third large outlet, Oddbins Calais, closed earlier this year and the company has confirmed its franchise agreement had come to an end. But Majestic say they will stay in France claiming the difference in duty is still enough to attract savvy shoppers but blaming the relative strength of the euro for a 28 per cent fall in sales for the year ending March 2010 in its three northern France stores.
    Full Story >>

English & Welsh Wine Competition results
Monday, June 21, 2010

More medals than ever before were handed out this week at the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition, judged by five Masters of Wine and chaired by Susan McCraith MW. The strongest style categories were still rosés, dry whites and sparkling wines.

Six gold medals were awarded in the still rosé category with the top trophy going to Camel Valley for its Fortnum & Mason Rosé 2009. Bacchus took the lead in still dry whites with Chapel Down Bacchus 2009 winning the trophy for best commercial production and best Sparkling Wine went to Ridgeview for their Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs 2001, bottled in magnums. The wine was also voted The Wine of the Year.

Another star of the show was Eglantine's North Star 2006 which won a gold medal in the dessert wine category. The wine is made with 100% Madeline Angevine and gained a Gold medal in France in Vinalies earlier this year.    Full Story >>

NZ welcomes smaller vintage
Friday, June 18, 2010

The 2010 New Zealand vintage has come in 19,000 tonnes smaller than in 2009, at 266,000 tonnes which is good news for grape growers and wineries who had planned for a reduced crop to adjust supply imbalances over the last 2 years. New Zealand Winegrowers’ CEO, Philip Gregan, said the vintage quality should be excellent due to lower yields combined with great weather conditions delivering superb fruit.

The 2010 harvest was lower in most of New Zealand’s key winegrowing regions. In Marlborough, the vintage was down five percent, with production of the signature variety Sauvignon Blanc four percent lower than in 2009. The Hawkes Bay crop was also down five percent, while the harvest in Gisborne reduced 21 percent from 2009. In Central Otago production was unchanged on 2009, but in Waipara, Canterbury and Northland the harvest was larger this year.    Full Story >>

Bordeaux En Primeur prices released
Friday, June 18, 2010

With many Bordeaux chateaux this week releasing their 2009 vintages for sale the early signs are that prices are reaching unprecedented levels. A low profile Margaux second growth was released at 150% higher than its 2008 price after receiving a high score from Robert Parker and a Pomerol estate tripled its 2008 price and doubled that of 2005. More major chateaux are preparing to release but none of the first labels of the First Growths have yet to lay their hand.

There's been mixed reactions to the prices with reports that wines are selling and orders are piling in for the 09 vintage while other merchants, including several in the United States, are saying there is little demand. In Hong Kong, Berry Bros is reporting that its entire allocation of Pontet Canet, a potential 100-Parker point wine sold out in less than two hours.    Full Story >>

Hong Kong wine auctions set to overtake New York
Thursday, June 17, 2010

With the Asian passion for wine intensifying, Hong Kong is fast becoming the world's leading wine auction centre. London is currently placed third but New York is the biggest auction destination.

Figures published by the South China Morning Post, showed that sales could top US$100m in 2010 after the territory accumulated wine sales of more than HK$400m (US$51.4m) in the first half of the year.

According to the newspaper, US wine auction sales slumped 36% to about US$106m last year, part of a global fall which saw receipts dip 15% to US$233.3m. The change is being driven by leading wine auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's who are increasingly switching their sales to the Far East to secure higher prices for their customers.    Full Story >>

The Mexicans are coming
Thursday, June 17, 2010

Wines of Mexico has begun its operations in the UK to establish a stronger foothold and easy access to the best Mexican wines in the market. They are exploring opportunities in London and across the UK.

The company promotes and commercializes award winning wines from Baja, Mexico's chief winemaking region. Mexican wines are rapidly becoming the next big thing according to the PR, for their unique terroir, focus on quality and a commitment to small, exclusive production.    Full Story >>

French wine region changes name to hide damaged reputation
Thursday, June 10, 2010

A French wine region that shared its name with a nuclear power plant has won the right to change its AOC designation after a two-year campaign.

The Tricastin wines of southern France will now be known as the Grignan-Les Adhemar. The Tricastin power plant was built in 1974 by EDF and hit the headlines in 2008 after a uranium leak. Although soil and water tests confirmed no radiation poisoning, the damage was done to the image of the wine region and wine producers campaigned for a new name to shake off the negative associations.

The new designation is named after the village of Grignan in the Rhone-Alpes region.    Full Story >>

William Koch advisor helps stop wine fraud
Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Bordeaux Winebank has hired Michael Egan to head up its authentication service for collectors who want their wine purchases authenticated. Egan already advises billionaire collector William Koch as an independent consultant and spent 24 years at Sotheby's.

The negociant purchases its own stock directly from chateaux but will offer an advisory service to collectors who seek both pre- and post-purchase authentication of stock they buy through other sources. Egan says the main source for counterfeiting wine is old paper stock and printing equipment used to recreate fake – but convincing – labels.    Full Story >>

BYO wine comes to London
Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Bring Your Own (BYO) Wine Club has launched in London to encourage people to take their own wine to restaurants. The club has so far signed up 45 restaurants who will let its paying members bring their wine to dinner either free of charge or for a reduced corkage fee. The BYO Wine Club was created by husband and wife team Christopher and Khadine Rose who say that while the concept had been quite a hard sell to many restaurants, several venues had embraced the idea quickly, seeing it as a chance to entice new customers through the door and encourage them to return.

Annual membership will be £100 with a special start-up price of £75. For more information visit www.byowineclub.com.    Full Story >>

Record-breaking wine auction
Friday, June 04, 2010

The second biggest wine auction of all time took place in Hong Kong on 30 May 2010. Acker Merrall & Condit’s auction of 'The Imperial Cellar' realised an amazing HK$152 million (US$19.5 million). 'The Imperial Cellar' was owned by entrepreneur Eric Greenberg and contained over 19,000 bottles of wine amounting to 1,820 lots, of which 97.3% were sold. Over 400 of Asia’s most serious wine collectors gathered to participate in the bidding joined via internet and phone from absentee bidders from all around the world. New world records were set for the sale of Chateau Margaux, DRC Montrachet and a Henri Jayer, which realized a staggering HK$1,952,000.

This auction once again illustrated the keen demand for fine wines from buyers in Asia and particularly in China. But this sale digs up some controversy surrounding Eric Greenberg known as “The Man with The Golden Cellar” regarding the authenticity of some of his extensive wine collection. In 2007 a Federal Lawsuit was filed against Greenberg regarding some wines sold through Zachy’s to billionaire wine collector William Koch. The question mark was over 11 bottles that Koch had bought. Sotheby’s had originally been approached to carry out the earlier auction but they had rejected the offer – stating that they would only be happy to sell a portion of Greenberg’s wine, highlighting some concerns over authenticity.    Full Story >>

Keeping wine cool delays the ageing process
Friday, June 04, 2010

Research by The University of Auckland's Wine Science Programme has found that cold storage of Sauvignon Blanc can triple its shelf-life and reduce the loss of fruit aromas over time. The study shows that temperature is more important than oxidation in retaining fruity characteristics during storage. Well-managed refrigeration could help to improve the consistency of quality wines and help producers, exporters, retailers and consumers to manage their wines better.    Full Story >>

Lafite sold short by Liv-ex
Tuesday, June 01, 2010

The 'short-selling' of Chateau Lafite 2009 which has not yet been released by the chateau has divided opinions in the wine trade. Fine wine traders Liv-ex offered the latest vintage of Lafite for £11,750 a case but the actual sale went through for £10,000.

Wine merchants like Sam Gleave of Bordeaux Index and Oliver East of Farr Vintners condemn the selling of a wine that is not yet offered by the chateau as 'reckless' and irresponsible because it encourages the chateaux to increase their prices. But others including Berry Brothers' wine director Simon Staples concede that the move was inevitable but disappointing.

Liv-ex says on its blog that this sort of trading 'would not raise an eyebrow' outside the wine trade and is vital for 'price discovery' in most markets.

Other wines which are not yet released being offered or bidded for on Liv-ex include Chateau Cos d'Estournel, offered at £3,000. There are bids for Chateau Latour at £4,275, Margaux at £3,330, Mouton at £3,200 and Haut Brion at £2,525.    Full Story >>

UK drinking habits changing
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Research commissioned by the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) shows changes in drinking habits over the last 3 years amongst 1000 regular wine drinkers. The survey showed a big shift in the number of people drinking Rosé rising from 10% to 18%, while preference for white wine fell from 45% to 37% and red gained 1% to 45%. The grape variety gaining most ground proved to be Pinot Grigio, with 56% preferring this variety, vs 43% 3 years ago.

Meanwhile latest government statistics show a slight decrease in the overall consumption of alcohol in the UK with binge drinking (more than double your daily unit guideline) and underage drinking falling. There has been a surge in prescriptions for medicines to treat alcoholism but deaths from excessive drinking are rising steadily, with liver disease the most common cause.

Concerns about binge drinking and the rising costs of treating alcoholism have been moving up the political agenda in the UK and the new coalition government has pledged to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks below cost price.    Full Story >>

Fosters to separate wine from beer
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Australian drinks company Foster's has announced it will separate its wine business from its beer business over the next 12 months to give the newly-formed businesses the flexibility to develop their own strategies and policies. CEO Ian Johnston said they were increasingly seeing the benefits of operating separately and the two businesses operated in separate market segments with different strategic and operating characteristics. The timing of the demerger has yet to be decided but is unlikely to be completed until the end of the first half of 2011 at the earliest.    Full Story >>

English wine week is 29 May-6 June
Thursday, May 27, 2010

English Wine Week kicks off this week from Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June with a countrywide campaign to promote English wines. During the Week, vineyards across the country, from the Scilly Isles to Yorkshire, will be opening their doors to welcome visitors with tours, tastings and special events.

Highlights include the Mercure Hotel Group, whose key hotels will be offering their dining guests a complimentary glass of wine from a local vineyard, and The Calfs Head in Clitheroe, Lancashire who will serve only English wine to their guests during the week and let guests try before they buy! For all events and participating outlets visit the English Wine Week Website www.englishwineweek.co.uk    Full Story >>

Oddbins launch 'Natural Wines'
Thursday, May 20, 2010

Oddbins is to experiment with a range of 'natural' wines in 10 stores and online as part of a push to increase its range of environmentally friendly wines. If successful, the line-up will expand from eight wines and be rolled out to other stores.

So you may ask what is a Natural Wine? Well, natural wine is made with as little chemical and technological intervention as possible in the vineyard and during the winemaking process. But, there is some controversy surrounding natural wines as many critics believe the term is misleading. There is no established certification body and the term has no legal status. Natural Winemakers also differ in what they consider to be an acceptable level of intervention.

Oddbins say they're offering the consumer something different but accept these wines probably won't be a massive commercial movement but are a step towards sustainable viticulture.    Full Story >>

Heritage is key with Fine Wines
Thursday, May 20, 2010

So what are the biggest motivating factors for fine wine consumers?

Latest research by Wine Intelligence revealed at the Fine Wine 2010 conference, shows that heritage and provenance of fine wines are by far the biggest motivators. Whilst ethical credentials and scarcity of fine wine were the least of their considerations.

Other factors were the provenance associated with a region followed by the hand-crafted nature of production, critical acclaim, family-owned credentials and rarity. According to Wine Intelligence there are 7 million consumers of luxury or super-premium wines and they account for 13% of the total spend on wine in the UK.    Full Story >>

IWC results out
Thursday, May 20, 2010

Good News for Tesco and Marks & Spencer who have topped the charts for supermarket own-label wines in the 2010 International Wine Challenge, the results of which were revealed this week at the London International Wine Fair.

Both Tesco and Marks & Spencer picked up 62 awards for their own-label wines, with M&S bagging five golds. The runners up were Sainsbury’s with 59 awards, Asda 56 and Waitrose 18.

Gold medals also went to two English wines: Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut and Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs.

But it was France who remained at the top of the international league table with 947 medals and 75 golds. Australia was next with 602 medals and 65 golds.    Full Story >>

White wine in plastic has shorter life
Friday, May 14, 2010

A scientific study by the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Bordeaux (ISVV) has shown that white wine in plastic packaging shows clear signs of oxidation when stored after 6 months. The study compared glass, bag-in-box, single-layer PET and small multi-layer PET.

The study featured red and white Bordeaux wine stored in laboratory conditions. Researchers analysed the levels of gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide) contained in the wine, along with its taste and colour intensity at regular intervals over a period of one year.

The study concluded that the analysis of white wine showed convincing results within six months with significantly increased penetration of oxygen into the wine and a corresponding decrease in levels of carbon dioxide. After six months, the white wine clearly oxidised in single- and multi-layer PET, as well as the bag-in-box®. It did, however, remain stable in the two glass bottles. Some initial signs were beginning to emerge in the red wine, but it was too soon to draw any definite conclusions. Further tests will continue into the second year.    Full Story >>

English wine more than doubles
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Production of English and Welsh wine more than doubled in 2009 to 2.5 million litres, up from 1 million bottles in 2008. Red production went from 300,000 bottles to 700,000 bottles, hitting an all time high. According to Julia Trustram Eve of English Wine Producers, many new vineyards came into production for the first time adding to the volume and the weather conditions in Autumn helped turn the vintage into a bumper crop.    Full Story >>

Lean + Green bottles launched
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Glass manufacturer, Owens-Illinois Inc has launched a new range of lightweight 'Lean + Green' wine bottles weighing in at less than 330 grams which is 27% less than a traditional wine bottle. The bottles will be manufactured in California and the company claims there is a saving of more than 89,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per million bottles produced. The lightweight bottles will also help decrease shipping expenses for producers and retailers. It is also making a range of bordeaux and burgundy bottles that weigh 360 grams.
    Full Story >>

US tighten imports of French Pinot Noir
Thursday, May 06, 2010

US authorities have introduced new restrictions on imports of Pinot Noir from the Languedoc following the scandal of the fake Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir in February.

The new restrictions mean that importers will have to secure a declaration from the French government stating that the wine has been produced in accordance with appellation rules and French law.

Regulatory body the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), part of the US Treasury, has circulated the new rules to wineries, bottlers, importers and wholesalers across the US.

Similar restriction were put in place against imports of Brunello di Montalcino in June 2008 and were only lifted in March this year.    Full Story >>

UK drinkers trading up when out
Thursday, May 06, 2010

A report by Datamonitor shows that UK drinkers are trading up to higher quality wines when drinking out at pubs and restaurants but trading down when drinking at home.

The research suggests that British consumers would rather splurge out on one good bottle than order two or three bottles of house wine - the upshot is they're drinking less overall and this is likely to impact on the bottom-line of the industry despite offers and price reductions to drive volume.    Full Story >>

Co-op plants its own vineyard
Thursday, May 06, 2010

The Co-op Group is planting a vineyard on its farm in Gloucestershire to produce a white English wine as part of its Grown by Us food and drink range. It will be another 3-4 years before the vines produce their first crop of Ortega grapes and bottles are available in-store.    Full Story >>

Sounds may enhance sense of smell
Sunday, May 02, 2010

Traditionally we think of the five senses as separate and independent from one another but new research suggests our hearing could enhance our sense of smell. This discovery of a new sight-smell sound, or 'smound' happened accidentally during an experiment on mice to find out how the olfactory tubercle responds to odours. In further investigation when odours were accompanied by a sound, 29% of the time the responses were either enhanced or suppressed depending on the presence or absence of the second stimulus. Scientists Daniel Weston and Donald Wilson are planning to develop useful technology relating to the findings, for example a device emitting sound to increase a dog's sensitivity to explosives. But wine lovers could have fun listening to different types of music while sipping their favourite wine to see if it improves the flavour!    Full Story >>

2009 Bordeaux prices could rocket
Monday, April 26, 2010

Several wine merchants in the USA expect prices for the 2009 Bordeaux vintage to be high following the hype surrounding the vintage so far. According to Californian merchant John Fox there's a definite feeling in the trade that the vintage will be in demand and that First Growths will be snapped up at any price. Others in the trade agree but warned caution given the economic climate in 2010 compared to 2006 when prices rocketed for the now legendary 2005 Bordeaux vintage.

Meanwhile, fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index alleged that unscrupulous traders in Shanghai had hoodwinked private customers into ordering and paying for the 2009 vintage of top Bordeaux wines before the prices had been released. Simon Staples, sales director at Berry Bros & Rudd in London, said caution was necessary in a market that has not traditionally bought en primeur. He said The next few months could easily be used, wittingly or unwittingly, by wine shops all over the world to sell bogus stock, cautioned Staples from London. Make sure that the merchant you buy from has been trading en primeur for 10 years at a minimum and will be solvent in 2012-13.

En primeur prices are slowly being released but the big names could hold out as late as the HongKong VinExpo on the 25-28 May.    Full Story >>

Moths threaten Californian vineyards
Monday, April 26, 2010

A grape-eating moth is threatening crops in the Napa Valley wine region in California and has prompted the California Department of Food and Agriculture to impose a quarantine regulating the shipment of fruit and some plants. The European grapevine moth first was detected in the Oakville area last September and traps set across the region have confirmed the moth is spreading.

The moth's larvae do the most damage, emerging in the spring to eat young clusters of grapes or flowers. Second and third generation moths eat the ripening grapes.    Full Story >>

Australia still too big say Rabobank
Thursday, April 22, 2010

A report by food and agribusiness bank Rabobank has shown that the process of removing vineyards to reduce the country's over-supply of grapes is slow and falling short of the 20% reduction (30,000 hectares) that the Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation and other industry bodies had estimated was needed to bring supply into balance with demand. According to analysts the pace of vineyard removal in the temperate climate (cooler) regions where the supply/demand imbalance is most acute, had been particularly slow. In these regions vineyard owners might have stronger non-farming income and better resources to survive in the longer term.

Its estimated that 8,000 hectares of vineyards were likely to be removed in 2009/10but that three quarters were in warm inland irrigated regions where growers' profits had been affected by drought and growers has less income from sources unrelated to farming.    Full Story >>

New legislation could halt direct selling in the US
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A bill that could stop wineries from selling direct to consumers if it goes through is being opposed by wine producers and Congressmen who represent California's key wine districts. The bill is being backed by the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a lobby for distributors.

At the end of Prohibition in 1933 the Constitution's 21st Amendment gave each state full control over regulating alcohol inside its borders. But the Commerce Clause gave Congress the power to regulate commerce between the states and in 2005 a ruling was made that each state must allow out of state wineries to ship directly to customers if their own state wineries did the same. These sales by-pass the regulatory three-tier System under which producers must sell to middlemen, who sell to retailers. In the words of the WSWA, the aim of the new legislation is to ensure that states retain their constitutional power to regulate the distribution of alcoholic beverages and are able to fend off litigation, which serves to destabilize or destroy that authority.


    Full Story >>

Villa Maria & Palliser now CEMARS certified
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Villa Maria and Palliser Estate are the first wineries to achieve Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) certification in New Zealand. The scheme represents the first two steps of the internationally recognised carboNZero programme, enabling businesses to measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in compliance with ISO 14064-1*, understand their carbon liabilities and put in place plans to reduce their emissions. The wineries were 2 of just 10 New Zealand businesses to be accredited.    Full Story >>

NZ bigger than Germany in the UK
Friday, April 16, 2010

According to latest data for the year ending March 2010 New Zealand has overtaken Germany in sales to the UK off-trade market (supermarkets and retail outlets). The data shows New Zealand has a 3.3% share by value and grew by 4.6% over the year with an average retail price of £6.05 per bottle. David Cox of New Zealand Winegrowers conceded there had been some price discounting which had influenced the performance of New Zealand wine but that consumer loyalty in the UK was a key factor in the growth.    Full Story >>

Oz wine company in fake Chardonnay scam
Friday, April 16, 2010

A former boss of Rivers Wines in Adelaide has been found guilty of selling Chardonnay adulterated with Sultana grape juice. Andrew Hashim was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying records and in 2007 Rivers Wines pleaded guilty to 97 counts of the same charge.

The scam was first uncovered in 2003, when grape juice was quarantined by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation after winemakers suspected foul play. One of the buyers was Hardys who brought the matter to the attention of the authorities. At the time, Chardonnay grapes were selling for $1000 a tonne, while Sultana grapes were worth $250 a tonne.

Rivers Wines faces a maximum penalty of AUD $1.4 million, while Hashim could be fined up to AUD $102,000.    Full Story >>

Gerard Basset is world's best waiter
Friday, April 16, 2010

A competition to find the world's best wine waiter has been won by Gerard Basset who owns the hotel Terrafina in Hampshire and was the founder of Hotel du Vin. He was awarded the title of World's Best Sommelier this week in Santiago, Chile. It was Basset's 6th time in the competition and fourth time in the finals.

The prestigious competition, held every three years, sees 12 finalists go through a gruelling series of tests, including a timed written paper which has to be completed in another language. It covers all aspects of sommeliers' work including beer, spirits, tea, coffee, cigars and water as well as wine.

    Full Story >>

Oz Clarke joins IWC as co-chairman
Friday, April 09, 2010

Wine expert and TV personality Oz Clarke is joining this year's International Wine Challenge (IWC) judging panel as a co-chairman sitting alongside the senior team of Tim Atkin MW, Sam Harrop MW, Charles Metcalfe, Derek Smedley MW and this year’s overseas co-chairman Victor de la Serna from Spain.

The IWC is now in its' 27th year and has over 400 judges selecting the best wines submitted from 46 countries around the world.     Full Story >>

Denbies to plant SB
Friday, April 09, 2010

Denbies in Dorking, Surrey is about to expand its portfolio by planting three hectares of Sauvignon Blanc. England’s largest vineyard says the strategy is to focus on more premium dry white wine styles rather than going down the route of sparkling wine, as others have done.

The vineyard has chosen Clone 108 on Gravesac rootstocks due to their early ripening and limestone tolerance. Although three hectares is small in reltaion to Denbies overall size it is larger than the average English vineyard and the site has been chosen to ensure the grapes achieve their full ripeness.    Full Story >>

VinItaly heading for Hong Kong
Friday, April 09, 2010

VeronaFiere, the organizers of wine exhibition VinItaly, has signed a key partnership with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to promote Italian wines in China. According to VeronaFiere Italian wine exports to Hong Kong are up 33% on the previous year and predicted to continue growing at this rate. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council see Hong Kong positioned as the wine capital of Asia since the HK government abolished taxes and duties on wines and spirits in 2008 and demand took off. Italy has also been named official partner country to the 2011 edition of the Hong Kong International Wines & Spirits Fair.    Full Story >>

Next Page >>