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Fri, 21 May 2004
- Americans
are finally, slowly, breaking out of their varietal rut
Americans are finally, slowly, breaking out of their varietal rut. A few decades
ago most American wines had phony foreign names that people were comfortable with,
like Chablis and Chianti. Then some visionaries insisted that if American wines were
ever going to be taken seriously, they needed to be made from fine grapes, and consumers
needed to know what they were -- Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and so on. This helped
create an important revolution in American winemaking.
AUS:
Bumper crop but wine prices rise
A bumper wine grape harvest in WA has produced a record volume of high-quality wine
but consumers could pay as much as $1 a bottle more for some varieties. The value
of the 70,000 tonnes of grapes crushed earlier this year is estimated at $500 million,
based on an average retail price of $12 a bottle.
Brazilian,
Thai viticulture has a new latitude
Frank Norel is a wine writer based in Thailand. For a talk he gave late last year
at a conference in Bangkok on the expanding world of wine, he coined a phrase which
I suspect will become increasingly familiar to us -- New Latitude Wines.
Vineyard workers
high in accident stats - ACC
It's dangerous work in Marlborough's vineyards, if Accident Compensation Corporation
(ACC) figures are anything to go by. Last year 136 people suffered injury from vineyard
work in the region, with ACC spending $135,000 on claims, up from $48,000 on 71 claims
in 2001.
CANADA:
The Return of White Wine
What was once white and then red, and is now looking white all over? The answer to
my riddle, for the pretty people who frequent spring's frothiest art openings, book
launches and congratulatory cocktail parties, is obvious. The sudden and surprising
drink du jour: white wine -- not red.
Thu, 20 May 200
- Appellation
Reform Agreed
The National committee of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO)
meeting on April 29 approved the two-tier reform proposed by their president Réné
Renou. There will now be a higher grade appellation--Appellation d'Origine Controllee
d'Excellence (AoCE) as well as the existing Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC
).
Constellation Wine
US announces opening of New Research and Development Laboratory
Constellation Wines U.S. today announced the opening of a new Research and Development
(R&D) laboratory in Canandaigua, New York. The R&D laboratory is dedicated
to new product development and quality enhancement for the company's brands. It is
affiliated with the company's main R&D facility located at the Mission Bell Winery
in Madera, CA. As part of Constellation Wines U.S., R&D works in partnership
with representatives from winemaking, operations, marketing, sales, and consumer
research, to conduct research and development for the company's three sales and marketing
companies: Canandaigua Wine Company, Pacific Wine Partners, and North Lake Wines.
US:
123 Acres of Oregon Vineyards Certified Biodynamic
Cooper Mountain Vineyards, the Northwest's first Biodynamic certified vineyard owner,
has expanded to 123 acres, all of which are certified by Demeter. The certification
makes Cooper Mountain the largest Biodynamic vineyard operation outside of California.
US: New Wine Labels
Give Low-Carb Lowdown
Ever wonder if that full-bodied wine will leave you in a similar condition? Some
wineries are tapping into consumers' low-carb cravings with new labels listing calorie
and carbohydrate counts.
Wed, 19 May 2004
- US: Jail inmates
to get wine with Communion?
Communion could become very popular in Wisconsin jails. Rev. Joseph Fisher is trying
to convince state officials to allow him to use real wine when offering offering
Holy Communion. Wisconsin law bars "intoxicating liquors" from prisons.
But Fisher says Jesus didn't drink grape juice at the Last Supper, and prisoners
shouldn't have to either.
Lion
Nathan result knocked by hotels
Lion Nathan's share price dipped yesterday after the transtasman liquor company reported
a disappointing half-year result. Lion's net profit for the six months to March 31
was A$84.1 million, down from A$109.7 million for the same period last year.
Southcorp
to overhaul strategy
Southcorp chief executive John Ballard has flagged far-reaching strategic changes,
and possible asset sales, to get the wine giant back on track. Speaking at the Deutsche
Bank New World Wine Conference in London this week, Mr Ballard said Southcorp would
unveil the changes before it announced its annual results in August.
Jacob's Creek Launches
Sparkling Wine in US
Jacob's Creek, the world's best-selling Australian wine, continues to expand its
range in the U.S. market with the arrival of Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir
BRUT CUVEE. Jacob's Creek is produced by Orlando Wyndham in the Barossa Valley, South
Australia, and is imported by Pernod Ricard USA, New York.
Australian wine
market exports slow
The Australian wine export market is slowing down, with latest figures showing a
20 per cent drop in the volume of exports for this year, compared to the same time
last year. The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation says an oversupply of red wine
and the competitive overseas retail sector are cutting the returns to winemakers
by seven per cent.
AUS:
Wine producers harvest bumper crops
Australia's wine producers are reporting a bumper 2004 vintage and playing down fears
of worsening oversupply. Evans & Tate Ltd chief executive Franklin Tate said
the record red grape crush at his company's wineries was in balance, with demand
for its big name brands. Evans & Tate crushed a total of 57,866 tonnes of grapes
in the just completed vintage at its Western Australian, Victorian and New South
Wales wineries.
US: Big names in
wine join in premium venture
A new company to produce high-priced wines is being formed by three of the most recognizable
names in winemaking - Rothschild, Constellation Brands and Quintessa Winery's Huneeus
family. If the deal is successful, the company would have $100 million in sales and
produce 700,000 cases of wine under Quintessa, Chalone Wine Group and Rothschild
labels, executives said.
Tue, 18 May 2004
- Scientists
Ponder if Wine's Good for Skin
NEW YORK -- The debate about whether a little wine is good for your health has gone
on for years and likely will continue for many more. The new question is: Is wine
-- or at least wine-based products -- good for your skin?
Is
beer better than wine?
You'd think in this relatively enlightened age it wouldn't happen, but it does. You're
at a well-known Thai place. Your friends are perusing the wine list and saying that
since we're eating Asian tonight, we'd better steer clear of the heavier reds - so
how about that 2003 Clare Valley riesling?
A small breakthrough
for Chenin Blanc in South Africa
While a lot of effort has been made to improve the quality of Chenin Blanc by using
existing old vineyards, not much consideration has been given to new plantings in
more appropriate cooler areas. Every exciting new vineyard development has Sauvignon
Blanc or anything other than Chenin thrust upon it. A single hectare of Chenin was
planted on the Springfontein farm near Stanford, Hermanus in 1999. The vines have
found their feet in this truly unique environment of active limestone soil 6 km from
the sea.
Bordeaux
Vintners Bring a Little Poetry to Argentina's Winemaking
Argentina has lured in a wave of large-scale foreign investment in recent years,
even with the devaluation crisis of 2002. Yet in Mendoza, the country's prime winegrowing
area, there are numerous, small, old-vine vineyards in need of tender loving care.
These sites fly below the radar of big companies looking for high-volume production,
but they provide a unique opportunity for smaller, boutique-scale ventures. Poesia
is just that.
Argentinian boom
prompts investment
Argentinian wine exports are expected to increase between 20% and 30% this year,
in a boom which is prompting a rash of new investments. The figure for the 2004 harvest
was nearly 3m kg, 15% higher than that of last year. The National Institute of Viticulture
also reported an increase in grape quality as well as quantity.
Beringer
Vineyards Introduces Bilingual Label for America's Top-Selling Bottled Wine
Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating winery and the producer
of America's most popular wine, is introducing a bilingual label for its award-winning
Beringer White Zinfandel. The addition of Spanish on the label and on point-of-sale
in retail outlets is indicative of Beringer's commitment to the growing Latino market
in the United States.
US:
Chalone Receives a Buyout Offer
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Winemaker Domaines Barons de Rothschild, a minority owner of
Chalone Wine Group Ltd., said on Monday it offered to take Chalone private in a deal
with Constellation Brands Inc. and a winemaking family.
Mon, 17 May
- French wine producers
outraged at TV criticism of industry
Until recently, any mention in France that its beloved wine industry is in crisis
was met with a relaxed indifference borne out of years of being the world's number-one
producer. But now a French-made documentary has sent ripples of unrest across the
country, because it claims that the industry is failing to recognise and react to
a looming upheaval.
UK: Vines thrive
on poor soil
The answer, as some old buffer on BBC gardening used to say, lies in the soil. And
a fascinating aspect of vine cultivation is that it thrives best on poor agricultural
ground, where other choosier crops cannot survive. One of the significant strengths
of vine growing - viticulture - is that while the trained vine may be only a metre
or so high, above ground, under the soil it's roots may stray for maybe another 30
metres or so, seeking nutrients unavailable at the upper level.
Australia
stands firm on wine 'subsidy'
The Australian Government will not withdraw the tax rebate it has given its wine
producers, says its Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer. New Zealand ministers are
questioning whether the rebate breaches the Closer Economic Relations (CER) pact
between the two countries, because it disadvantages New Zealand wine exports to Australia.
AUS:
Medal abuse taints wine show integrity
Winegrowers and judges may soon taste from the same bottle. Robert Wainwright reports.
Hunting for a bargain red or white? Impressed by a cluster of gold, silver and bronze
medals across the labels of that $10 bottle? Well, look carefully before you buy,
because if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
AUS: Foster's wine
chasing two-buck chuck in US
It's no secret that California's Beringer Blass Wine Estates division of Foster's
Group is underperforming. The company admitted as much at its February half-year
results and is in the middle of an internal wine trade review. But now analysts are
offering suggestions to help it shape up.
Wine movie to be uncorked at Cannes
Mondovino, a documentary about the good, the bad and the ugly in world wine is to
be uncorked in Cannes, after becoming a surprise last-minute addition to the field
competing for the film festival's prestigious Palme d'Or.
Syrah
or Shiraz, it's a great wine
In France, it's called Syrah. But if you ask any Australian about their most famous
wine and widely planted vine, they will tell you it is Shiraz. Syrah or Shiraz, the
name refers to the same red grape. Presenting a sunny disposition, Shiraz, or Syrah,
epitomises summer with its aromas and ripe, sumptuous flavours of plum, spice and
herbs.
Brit growers say
their wine is no joke
England -- A drizzly wind blows and heavy gray clouds hang low over the sprawling
Denbies Wine Estate as workers in tall rubber boots and rain jackets wind vine after
vine around guide wires. It's hardly perfect weather for grape-growing.
CANADA:
'Reserve' may not mean better wine
Factor in a soft economy, an overabundance of grapes and an increasingly finicky
consumer and you'll understand why competition among winemakers is fierce. One way
to make your product stand out from the rest is to put the word "Reserve"
on the bottle in an attempt to mark it as something worthy of more attention.
US: Wine in translation
Ladies, here's an offer you can't refuse, at least according to Francis Ford Coppola:
wine in a can. With a straw. Sofia Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine, named after the
filmmaker's famous filmmaking daughter, aims to lure women away from cocktails, and
Napa Valley is watching to see if it succeeds."We need to shed that musty image,"
says Erle Martin, president of the Niebaum-Coppola winery. Oenophiles agree that
Sofia could be a welcome makeover for wine. "People can smile about [wine] and
not think it's something unbelievably precious," says Ronn Weigand, one of the
country's most distinguished wine critics.
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