Thu, 18 Dec 2003

Scientific plan for the perfect party
"Recent research has shown that cheese, or any other salty food, acts to reduce the perception of bitterness, such as that from the tannins in red wine," the plan states.

Goodbye to 'corked' wine?
If you're one of those wine drinkers who can't stand the thought of imbibing anything that comes from a screwcap-stopped bottle, and think a wine is worthy only if it comes complete with a good old cork, then you'll be pleased by cork producer Amorim's latest initiative.

Americans' Thirst for Wine Is Rising
AMERICANS, most of whom once thought of wine as effete and elitist, might be surprised--astonished, even--to learn that the United States is the third largest wine consuming nation in the world and will almost certainly become the largest by the end of this decade.

Wed, 17 Dec 2003

Grape Skin Extract Useful in Stroke
Researchers have found that a compound in red wine or grapes may help to minimize brain damage from strokes. Many Americans have suffered from a stroke, whether it's themselves or family members.

Wine with a cause? Ducks Unlimited and Signature Wines Partner to Protect Wetlands and Wet Whistles
Monthly wine club and commemorative wine labels provide the ideal gift for those who enjoy fine wines and share a passion for conservation and the hunting heritage

Consumer Groups Want Label for Alcohol
Consumer groups asked the government on Tuesday for a uniform label on beer, wine and liquor to detail facts including alcohol content, serving sizes, calories and ingredients.

Attitudes and alcohol
'Tis the season to be jolly, but for many folks around the holidays, jolly comes in a bottle.

North American Trade Visitors Meet Producers from Around the World
This June 2004, approximately 800 wine and spirits companies from around the world will showcase their finest products at the VINEXPO AMERICAS exhibition -- the second show of its kind in the U.S.

Asconi Launches Ice Wine Production
Asconi Corporation, one of the largest Eastern European producers of wines and spirits, today announced that it has commenced production of ice wine starting with the 2003 grape harvest season

Wine in Top 10 searches by 50 million AOL users
What captivated Americans in 2003? According to America Online's community of more than 50 million users wine was the sixth most searched for Food and Beverage in 2003.

'Alcohol Facts' Label Proposed for Beer, Wine, and Liquor
A proposal for a uniform "Alcohol Facts" label was submitted today by the National Consumers League (NCL), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and others in a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

New Zealand wine industry well placed for big challenges
New Zealand wine producers face big challenges in the next few years as the industry becomes characterised by a doubling of export volumes combined with static consumption and worldwide oversupply.

Wineries not so keen on tourism
Many vineyards regard wine tourism as a hassle they don't want any part of, a Lincoln University study reveals. The findings come from a survey sent to about 300 vineyard owners, about half of whom responded.

Tue, 16 Dec 2003

Wine tomes to give or to keep
Some hefty books on wine are destined to be checked out by readers seated comfortably, taking a sip from time to time. Others get tucked into a pocket to take for consultation in the wine store.

Oak Barrels May Sweeten Red Wine's Anti-Cancer Potential
With the holidays approaching, so too come opportunities to toast the season. New research provides additional incentive to do that with red wine. Scientists writing in the December 15 issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie International describe another component of red wine that could have anticancer activity.

Napa wineries reach out to gay consumers
They were a small Napa Valley winery with a well-regarded product but a slim advertising budget. So, Merryvale Vineyards decided to try something different -- reach out to gay consumers.

US: Battle royal over wine shipped interstate
Local wine enthusiasts eager to celebrate the day when they can order wine directly from out-of-state wineries might want to leave the champagne corked - for now.

A New Blip on the Winemaking Radar
From across the vineyard, Susan Hubbard appears to be vacuuming between rows of vines at Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, Calif. But she's not interested in what's on the ground. She wants to know what's in it.

AUS: Wine body riven by glut remark
The gloves are off in the usually polite West Australian wine society. You get the feeling that things down the Caves Road from the surfing town of Yallingup ñ which takes you into one of Australia's premier wine growing regions ñ just won't be the same anymore.

US: Retailers hope Saddam news boosts sales
With 11 days until Christmas, shoppers crowded the nation's malls and stores over the weekend, their spirits buoyed by news of Saddam Hussein's capture. But it was unclear whether stores met their sales goals.

Drink potent fuel for the economy
Up to 140,000 people will today rise from their beds and travel to jobs that owe their existence to alcohol. Many will toil in the 14,500 licensed premises, others in breweries, distilleries and hospitality-related firms that rely on alcohol for survival.

Mon, 15 Dec 2003

A worm may hold clue to intoxication
After a six-year study of intoxication in laboratory roundworms, scientists at UCSF's Gallo Clinic and Research Center have found a gene that may explain why some people can handle their liquor better than others.

Riesling lives up to German heritage
Do you think Riesling is a "girlie grape," sweet and boring? If so, ask yourself, "Do Germans make "girlie stuff?" Do Mercedes Benz and Porsche produce cream-puff goods? Riesling grapes, full of steely minerals, produce finely tuned, classic wines.

Sniff, sip, consult: Ratings game rules
Wine ratings, like stock ratings, are hardly infallible measures. But they are increasingly an indicator that collectors, retailers and auctioneers cannot overlook when appraising a newly released wine's value.


US: Wine country featured on DVD
A new feature length DVD is putting the wine country of the Finger Lakes on the map. Entitled "Cayuga Lake Wine Country: Road Trip," the documentary gives viewers a 45 minute virtual trip to the fifteen vineyards along Cayuga Lake.

AUS: WA faces red wine glut
West Australian wine producers face a potentially damaging short-term red glut. Large quantities of the 2003 vintage remain in storage tanks that will soon be needed for the southern hemisphere 2004 vintage, which will being in late January.

Evans and Tate blasts wine glut claim
Western Australia's largest wine producer, Evans & Tate, responded angrily to claims of a red wine glut from the state's wine industry association, describing the claims as inaccurate and misleading.

AUS: Grape growers ordered to return payments
Suppliers to collapsed South Australian-based Normans Winery have hit out at the company's liquidators. Liquidators Ernst & Young have ordered 150 growers to return grape payments of up to $AU80,000 each, paid before Normans collapsed in 2001.

Leading Expert Turns Marketing Truths Upside Down
Australian-based wine marketing specialist Dr Larry Lockshin is in the process of turning some accepted wine marketing truths upside down. That is because he is interpreting consumer wine buying decisions in a way that differs from many of the traditional models

Sun, 14 Dec

Wine importers chafe at new anti-terror law
The new Bioterrorism Act rules are inconvenient for most food and beverage companies, but they could wreak havoc in the esoteric world of collectible wines.

How is eiswein different from ice wine?
Ice wine is the English term for wine produced from frozen grapes (or from grape juice which has been frozen). Eiswein is a particular kind of ice wine that hails from Germany.

Possible antitumor substances in red wine are formed during ageing in oak barrels
Polyphenols not only give red wine its characteristic dry flavor, they are also the basis for the recent good reputation of this stimulant as a true health drink. They are believed to prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis. French researchers working with Stéphane Quideau have now discovered more examples of polyphenols in red wine, and these could have anticancer activity.

Red Wine Maintains Immune System
According to a study published in 1999 by the University of Florida, red wine does not supress the immune system like other alcoholic beverages.

Polyphenols in Red Wine help Fight Heart Disease
It has long been known that red wine helps keep arteries clean. The question has always been, how? Was it the antioxidants in the red wine? New research at the William Harvey Research Institute, published in Nature magazine, points to the polyphenols which come from the skins of red grapes.

UK: Tesco looks to Beckham for wine range
The UK retailer Tesco is reported to be trying to persuade the Real Madrid football star David Beckham to launch a range of his own wine for its stores.

Chateau Margaux to go?
French restaurants have started offering diners a "doggy bag" for any leftover tipple to stem a drop in wine sales as drink-driving controls get tougher.

ARG: Wine exports boom in September
Argentina's wine industry enjoyed a healthy September, according to figures released on Wednesday. Wine exports rose in both volume and value for the month compared to the same period last year.

AUS: Red wine glut a headache for producers
Almost 5 million litres of Australian red wine will be poured down the drain or turned into vinegar unless sold by February. Growers are desperate to get rid of the equivalent of 7 million bottles of wine, the result of a bumper harvest last year and overplanting of vineyards, to clear the vats for next season.