Weds, 16 Apr 2003

New Zealand: Frosts send chill through industry
The New Zealand wine industry faces worrying times thanks to pre-Christmas frosts and a rising kiwi dollar, but a jump in the average price for grapes could soften the blow for some......

Australia: Arrests over $1m wine theft
Two employees of a Barossa Valley winery have been arrested over the theft of $1 million worth of premium wine. The 39-year-old man and 30-year-old woman were arrested by police yesterday and charged with larceny as a servant and receiving $1 million in premium table wines, police said today......

US: Vineyards' code of coexistence
In the Sierra foothills town of Grass Valley, boutique wine-grape growers aren't shaving trees off hillsides to expand their trellises. They adhere to an environmental ethic rooted deep in the soil of Nevada County, limiting the size of most vineyards to five acres or less and placing trellises around old oaks instead of ripping them out.....

Freixenet in talks to buy plant from LVMH
Freixenet, the Spanish producer of cava sparkling wine, yesterday admitted that it was in very advanced talks to buy the plant owned by French group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) in Penedes, Catalonia. The group declined to reveal the details of the operation, which could amount to 10m euros.....

Sth Africa: Swartland Wineries Form West Coast Wine Exchange
An innovative move by the wineries of the Swartland region has led to the formation of the West Coast Wine Exchange (pty) Ltd., to provide value added broking services for the four largest wineries in the region. This unique project will provide the bulk commodity wine market with an effective 'one-stop wine shop' through which the bulk wines of the wineries will be marketed.......

Turin Names Vintner for 2006 Olympic Games
An Italian vintner whose bargain products are no longer carried in Utah wine or liquor stores was named Monday as the official supplier of wines and sparkling wines for the 2006 Turin Olympics.....

Court Rules North Carolina Must Change Wine Shipping Laws
North Carolina wine lovers have been fighting in the federal courts for the right to have hard-to-find wines delivered to their homes. But a recent appeals court decision did not hand them quite the victory for which they had hoped.....

US: French wine shop hit again hit by vandals
With the war in Iraq winding down, Samy Beau-Marquet assumed that his French wine shop in Northeast Seattle would no longer be a target......

Tue, 15 Apr 2003

US boycott of French wine taking effect: exporters
Nicolas Gailly, head of the company Barton et Guestier which claims to be the biggest French wine seller in the United States, admitted sales had gone down, saying American distributors were making less effort to market French products......

Southcorp dumps exclusive UK distributor
Wine group Southcorp has scrapped its exclusive on-trade distribution agreement in Britain with Matthew Clark plc, following the takeover of its competitor BRL Hardy by Matthew Clark's owner, Constellation Brands...

US: Pombo's aide defends funding to eradicate vineyard scourge
Federal Funding to eradicate the glassy-winged sharpshooter responsible for the destruction of thousands of California wine grape vineyards came under attack last week by an organization of budget hawks.....

Germans Work on New Vineyard Classification
Germany's national association of winegrowers, Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) has agreed to a proposal from the regional VDP of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer for a classification of the region's top vineyard sites.....

Mon, 14 Apr 2003

Wine Fund at fork in road, chairman claims
The International Wine Investment Fund has come to a fork in the road, the chairman of its managing company said on Thursday. Mike Terlet, who chairs Berren Asset Management, told unitholders that with the sale of the fund's BRL Hardy shares following its merger with Constellation Brands, its future has to be decided.

Calif.-Based Gallo Could Lose Distinction as Top Winery
It appears E.&J. Gallo Winery of Modesto is about to lose its distinction as the world's largest winery, but it's not surrendering the crown without a fight. Gallo, eager to increase its market presence in Europe, has signed a strategic partnership with Waverley Wines & Spirits that will place more of its wines in restaurants, bars and pubs in the United Kingdom.....

Burgundy Launches Massive Campaign
Burgundy has launched the biggest press campaign in its history, with 82 advertisements booked from March to November in French national newspapers and food and wine magazines. The BIVB hopes that the Euro 950,000 campaign will reach 20 million consumers....

Worldwide wine consumption grows
Wine sales may be down in numerous markets across the United States but wine lovers around the world are stocking up on their favorite brands.....

Sunday, April 13, 2003

Light to Moderate Drinking Improves Dementia Risk
Drinking alcohol in light to moderate amounts may help ward off degenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's for those 65 and older, according to new research released in the March 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association

Australia: Falling yields to soak up wine surplus
A looming red wine glut in South Australia has been averted by the drought and low-yielding crops for the current vintage. Industry commentators say the average 20 per cent drop in the state's wine grape yields caused by lack of rain will help clear stocks of red wine - particularly cabernet sauvignon