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Fri, 16 May 2003
- US:
Simply Wine: Numbers reveal our changing tastes
I am not a numbers guy. When it comes to accounting and statistics, I turn to people
who understand this stuff much better than I do. But when it comes to wine, I do
understand the numbers. Well, the wine stats for 2002 are in, and they are very interesting......
Sweet talk
Let's get technical for a moment. When it comes to wine, there's sweet and there's
SWEET. That rich botrytis semillon you finished lunch with - now that was sweet.
Weighing in at 90 grams of sugar per litre - or more - that's one big whack of potential
tooth decay in the making. Wisely, you restricted yourself to just one glass with
the pudding. You did, didn't you?......
English
wine producers ride wave of optimism
English wine producers are preparing to launch one of the best vintages ever at the
forthcoming English Wine Week. Producers of English wine say they can now 'hold their
heads up' with the certainty that they are producing wines that are rated more and
more highly....
South Africa: The 2003 Harvest
Rounded Up
If foreign taste for South African Sauvignon Blanc continues, producers could have
bumper sales. Competitor New Zealand is reporting that spring frosts sent overall
yields down 25 per cent, and this variety has been affected. Interestingly, kiwi
harvests aren't over yet, whereas South Africa's major wine areas brought their last
grapes in weeks ago. Here's a quick look back..
Weak dollar hits
U.S. wine importers' profits
American wine drinkers may be raising their glasses a little less often this summer
as the price of European wine rises. The weak dollar may be a boon to automakers
and exporters, but it is a burden to small U.S. wine importers, who are being forced
to raise their prices as the costs of bringing European wine to U.S. drinkers rise......
South Africa: Wine body established
A prominent labour law and labour relations consultant, Nicky Taylor, has been appointed
the first chief executive officer of the Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association
(Wieta), Wines of South Africa said in a statement on Thursday.......
UK: WSA mourns death
of former director
The Wine and Spirit Association today said it was sad to announce that its former
director, Dick Insoll, died peacefully on 2 May......
Australia: Own wines,
more house-brand groceries for shelves
Coles Myer is planning a big push into house-brand bottled wine sales and an aggressive
ramp-up of house-brand grocery lines in a further blow to the beleaguered branded
wine companies.......
Kim Crawford Wines
sold to Vincor International
Kim Crawford Wines has broken new ground by selling its name and brand to a major
overseas producer without transferring ownership of any New Zealand vineyards, land
or production facilities.
Thu, 15 May 2003
- NZ:
Lion with exclusive distributor
Brewer Lion Nathan's ongoing strategy of diversifying into premium wines has taken
a step forward with the appointment of a major luxury wine marketing company to sell
its brands in the US. The exclusive distribution agreement with Illinois-based Paterno
Wines....
Sars: Chinese fair
called off but no change at Vinexpo
A major Chinese trade fair has been postponed due to the fear of Sars ñ while
Vinexpo carries on as normal and Americans honour their bookings......
Judging Begins at
US's largest Wine Competition
More than 87 of the world's top wine experts gather today for the start of the L.A.
County Fair Wines of the World competition. With more than 3,900 entries to sample,
the three-day event promises to be both a challenge and a unique opportunity for
these judges to taste an amazing selection of wines from around the world in an extensive
list of categories......
Southcorp
May Lose Investment -Grade Rating
Southcorp Ltd., Australia's biggest winemaker, may lose its investment-grade credit
rating, the cost of insuring the company's debt shows, traders in the $2 trillion
market for credit-default swaps said.......
Sth Africa: Liquor
Bill Could Hamper Industry Growth
South Africa's leading producers of wine and spirits have expressed their deep concern
that the National Liquor Bill now serving before parliament may hamper, rather than
promote, economic empowerment within the liquor industry.......
UK: Waitrose Plugs
Screwcaps
Waitrose used its recent Spring wine tasting to come out in favour of screwcaps -
but with reservations. The wine buying team gave its backing to the alternative closure
'for aromatic and semi-aromatic wine styles, both red and white, full- and light-bodied'.......
Exactly
what is a 'red table wine'?
Is a single-varietal wine better than a blended wine? That question is the crux of
one of the oldest rivalries in the wine world. In America, the majority of the wines
that we see available are single-varietal wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
But, it was not always that way...
US: Wine lovers
buy, lobby on the Web
Web wine sellers, who have seen potential revenues crushed by restrictive US state
shipping laws, continue to recruit supporters in a push for the right to send wine
to adults anywhere in the United States....
Australia:
Barrels of a different kind
For the second successive year the wine industry came to the beach to combine two
great passions-wine and surfing-in the World Cooperage Interwinery Surf Classic.....
Wed, 14 May 2003
- US:
Wine Industry Expect Price Recovery for some Grape Types
After sliding for years, experts say prices for chardonnay and some other types of
winegrapes are poised for recovery. That's good news for Lodi-area growers, who lead
the state in production of chardonnay as well as other premium wine varietals.....
Drinkers change
their favourite tipple
Eastern Europeans are drinking more champagne than the French; the French are guzzling
more scotch than the British and Singaporeans cannot get enough sparkling wine, according
to a study by Datamonitor, the research group, reports the Financial Times....
Swiss protest over
wine imports
The Swiss economics ministry is facing renewed criticism over the lifting of restrictions
on wine imports.The authorities from the main wine growing regions in western Switzerland
said the measures had led to a massive drop in demand for Swiss wines.....
'The
Unauthorized Guide to Wine Spectator' - Report
Wine Spectator, one of the USA's leading wine publications, can make or break a wine
with one of its 50 to 100 point ratings. The Spectator's ratings have become an influential
and important tool used by wineries in marketing their products to consumers, restaurants,
and retailers.....
Wireless
sensors are revolutionizing agriculture
At the first sign of frost, he won't be rousing field workers out of bed to save
crops from nature's sting. Instead, water sprinklers will automatically be turned
on to spray the vines to form a protective layer of ice over them......
NZ: More American
visitors wanted
Some $15 million of taxpayer money will be spent trying to lure more rich Americans
to visit New Zealand. The money will be spent as part of New Zealand's 100% pure
campaign and will include billboards in Los Angeles and San Francisco, magazine ads
and marketing at wine festivals......
Tue, 13 May 2003
- Study
Shows Even Small TCA Levels Suppress Fruit Character
Ongoing results of the Australian Wine Research Institute's research on the performance
of wine bottle closures show that low levels of TCA may have a greater affect on
a wine's taste than previously realized......
US: Wine Institute's
new leader is a true Washington insider
California winemakers return home this weekend having mastered politics in a world
about to change. Some three dozen vintners and associates of the San Francisco-based
Wine Institute cultivated Capitol Hill for a week. They lured hundreds to a reception
inside the Library of Congress. They scored valued time with top lawmakers. They
hooked up with Hollywood for a cozy evening......
Australia:
Wine giant to drop $12.8m into the red
Profits have withered at winemaker Southcorp, with managing director John Ballard
forecasting a full-year pre-tax loss of $12.8 million. Shares in the company plunged
almost 25 per cent during trade yesterday as investors reacted angrily to the worse-than-expected
announcement and news that Southcorp was scrapping its final dividend.....
Drinking
May Cause Rectal Cancer, Scientists Say
Drinking large quantities of alcohol may increase the risk of rectal cancer, although
wine appears to be less of a threat than beer or spirits, scientists said on Tuesday......
1976 Paris Wine
Tasting - California Trumps France
Up until the mid 1900s, French wines were thought by many to be the best on the planet.
The White House served French wines from the days of George Washington right up through
Lyndon B. Johnson. It wasn't until Johnson took office that the decree was made -
only American wines would be served at the White House......
Zachys
breaks US$4m barrier
In its fourth independent wine auction at Restaurant Daniel in Manhattan from 8 to
10 May, Zachys grossed US$4,042,647 (with commissions), selling 93% of over 2,000
lots. The highlight was an extraordinary 50-bottle lot of wines rated 100 points
by Robert Parker.....
NZ: Wine-lovers
will pay for bad yield
Mother nature has dealt a savage blow to the New Zealand wine industry with the 2003
vintage about 45% down on last year's total volume. Just recently I helped pick chardonnay
in a highly-rated Martinborough vineyard and the bunches were so few and far between
that I ended up picking individual berries on occasions......
Sun, 11 May 2003
- Big Changes at California
Wine Giant
Allied Domecq continues to shake things up at its California wine division, consolidating
all seven of its brands under a single executive winemaker. Taking on that job is
Nick Goldschmidt, who is leaving Simi Winery after 14 years as winemaker.....
NZ:
Bleak predictions for Hawkes Bay wine industry
As a challenging Hawke's Bay's vintage limps to a close, Winegrowers says it now
expects the regional harvest will be 60 percent or more down on last year's bumper
crop.......
Starr helps wine
industry plot court fight
With famed attorney Kenneth Starr as their guide, proponents of direct-to-consumer
wine shipping Friday launched their march to the U.S. Supreme Court......
French Split On
Varietal Wines
Denis Verdier, president of ONIVINS, has predicted that the volume of French varietal
wine will double over the next five years (reports French drinks review VSB) But
French producers are deeply divided over the concept, and over which categories of
wine (AOC or vin de pays) should be allowed to mention grape varieties on labels....
Amid
a Wine Glut, Efforts to Court Black Consumers
Historically, winemakers and wine retailers have paid scant attention to black consumers,
who make up 11 percent of the adult population in the United States but less than
3 percent of wine drinkers. If Mac McDonald has his way, that will change soon........
Wineries send workers
to aid sharpshooter hunt
Sonoma County wineries, worried about budget cuts in the glassy-winged sharpshooter
inspection program, are sending their workers to help agricultural biologists scout
for the vineyard pest......
Spain's
wine trail less-travelled
Pilgrims have travelled through Navarre for centuries, en route from France to Galicia
in northwest Spain, the burial place of St. James the Apostle. Nowadays, the region's
rural wineries, or bodegas, welcome travellers with tours and tastings.......
UK:
Vintage era of cut-price wine about to dry up
For 20 years Britain has been a paradise for the bargain-hunting wine enthusiast
- but not, it seems, for much longer......
A
Bordeaux for all tax brackets
One of the hallmarks of Bordeaux's 2000 vintage is that high-quality red wines were
made in most areas of this vast region, and at all price levels. If you don't want
to spend $75 to $1,000 for one of the famous bottles from Pomerol, the Médoc
or Saint-Emilion, you can be reasonably confident of finding pleasure, even at the
$15-$30 level........
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