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Fri, 30 Jul 2004
- New
Pill May Help Recovering Alcoholics Stay Sober
A new pill that aims to keep alcoholics from drinking again after they have quit
could hit the shelves by the end of this year after U.S. health officials approved
the drug on Thursday.
This
is a Wine Bottle! World's Largest Wine Bottle Holds over 173 Bottles of Beringer
Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
In a record-breaking move that celebrates its own 25-year history, Morton's, The
Steakhouse has commissioned what has just been certified by Guinness World Records
as the "World's Largest Wine Bottle(TM)." With the capacity to hold over
173 standard bottles -- the equivalent of 1200 glasses -- of wine, this masterpiece
of glassmaking art was certified by Guinness World Records today at a ceremony where
the bottle was carefully filled with 130 liters of Beringer Vineyards 2001 Private
Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Thu, 29 Jul 2004
- Screwcaps instead of corks signal convenience,
not wine quality
Winemakers are embracing screwcaps as a way to eliminate the 1 percent to 10 percent
of bottles spoiled by a cork contaminated with 2,4,6 trichloroanisole (TCA). TCA,
a chemical either present in the bark of the cork tree or one that forms in the cork
during processing, strips a wine's fruitiness, making it taste dull or worse, and
imparts a wet-cardboard aroma. (It is not harmful to the wine drinker, just to the
wine). Many winemakers believe that wines bottled with a screwcap instead of a cork
taste fresher, even in the absence of TCA. The reluctance of wineries to switch entirely
to screwcaps stems from image and the remaining question of how wines bottled this
way will develop as they age.
Promote
Healthy Side of Wine, French Report Say
France should exempt wine from a law banning alcohol advertising and promote the
health benefits of drinking it in moderation to pull the industry out of crisis,
a parliamentary report said on Wednesday.
SA:
Top wine producers agree to merge
Two of South Africa's largest wine producers, Stellenbosch Vineyards and Vinfruco,
have announced that they are recommending to their shareholders a merger of equals
of the two companies.
Premium growth for
New World wine makers
Overproduction by New World wine producers has pushed down prices over the last few
years, taking a major toll on producers' margins. But a growing trend towards premium
wines could save the day, in both established and emerging markets, suggests a new
report.
Bordeaux,
Burgundy Producers Take Screw Caps for a Test Drive
Although producers in many New World regions -- including the United States, Australia,
New Zealand and South Africa -- have embraced the screw cap as a wine closure, French
winemakers have been more reluctant to make the turn. But in Bordeaux and Burgundy,
where whispers of secret screw-cap testing have echoed through the countryside for
years, some producers and négociants are finally going public with the
Stelvin closure.
Last Bordeaux mixture factory closes
La Cornubia, the last factory to produce the famous ëBouillie Bordelaise'
(Bordeaux mixture) in the Gironde, has ceased trading. The fungicide originally created
as a treatment for downy mildew ñ Plasmopara viticola ñ has
been made in the region since 1885.
US: Recommended
prices for 2004 - North Coast Wine Growers
The following charts detail our wine grape price recommendations for this year's
crop. The prices have been developed after consideration of many factors that influence
them, some of which are the previous year's crush report, bulk wine availability,
new acreage coming into production, direct discussions with winery buyers and independent
grape brokers, assessments of crop size for the year, and evaluation of overall wine
market trends. Other considerations include the costs of farming, with the expectation
that growers receive sufficient remuneration to cover their expenses, and that an
appropriate balance be struck between grower compensation and winery bottle prices.
The underlying objective entering into our recommendations is that prices are fair
to both grower and winery, given a recognition of market conditions and the basic
principle that profitability be attainable by both parties.
Snake wine bottles nabbed
A Sri Lankan passenger returning on a flight from Vietnam via Singapore yesterday
was nabbed by the Customs for trying to smuggle in four bottles of snake wine. The
wine, made from snake blood, is popular in some South East Asian countries as an
aphrodisiac.
Wed, 28 Jul 2004
- US:
Take advantage of pinot noir price
Not that long ago, it was difficult to find a decent American pinot noir for less
than $15. An abundance of good grapes and the competitive pressures of wines from
other countries have forced the prices down for many domestic red wines.
Antioxidants
in Wine
On a recent visit to the DiGrazia winery, I had a long talk with its owner, Dr. DiGrazia.
Dr. DiGrazia is a medical doctor, and has been focusing in recent years on the health
problems of older people, especially menopausal women. He spent quite a bit of time
discussing how important wine is to the health of older people. He mentioned that
any woman over 30 should take a good look at her health and begin preparing her body
for this period. Dr. DiGrazia is in fact looking into making a blueberry wine solely
because blueberries are extremely high in antioxidants, and this combination should
be extremely healthy for the drinker.
Perfect wines for
summertime come from Sicily
Warm summer days call for cool, flavorful wines from hot, arid climates. Some of
the best-tasting values on the market come from Sicily. This region of Italy turns
out delicious wines made from grapes most of us have tasted, like Chardonnay and
Syrah. It also produces wines made from traditional Italian grapes -- that you really
should taste -- like Grillo and Nero D'Avola.
Pink
is the perfect summer red
Although I have taught a broad spectrum of wine classes -- everything from "Intro
To Wine" to "Unpronounceable French Wines: $50 And Up" -- it's always
in the beginner classes that I personally learn the most. Beginners, because they
don't know any better, ask the interesting questions wine experts know better than
to ask.
NZ
Wine Company profit down on last year
The New Zealand Wine Company posted a 31.6 per cent fall in net profit for the year
ended June 30. The company reported net profit for the period of $739,000, compared
to $1.08 million the previous year.
Vineyard and lifestyle
block balance phoney world of TV
International television production company owner Raymond Thompson says he is looking
forward to sitting on a tractor and forgetting about actors and scripts on his new
Martinborough vineyard and farm.
AUS:
Winemaker goes screw-loose
An Australian winery will break with hundreds of years of tradition by abandoning
cork stoppers completely, instead bottling all its wines under a screw cap.
Consumers
Don't Choose by Grape Variety
New consumer research carried out by Chef & Brewer, a UK pub chain, indicates
that grape variety is not a major factor when consumers come to decide what wine
to drink.
AUS: Taylors back
screw caps 100%
Family-owned Clare Valley producer, Taylors Wines, who has been at the forefront
of screw cap closures both here and internationally since 2000, will bottle all of
their wine under screw cap from August 2004.
Finland
gets hangover from alcohol-tax withdrawal
Helsinki - The Finnish government is foregoing euro 800 000 in drink tax every day
because it slashed spirits duties by a third on March 1 ahead of neighbouring Estonia's
EU accession, Finnish press reported Tuesday. Wine and spirits sales are strictly
regulated in Finland. The state's liquor and wine shops, which have a monopoly, are
closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Tue, 27 Jul 2004
- US: 2004 North Coast
harvest begins next week
An early, hot start to the 2004 winegrape season has cultivated an early harvest
for this region, with sparkling wine and white varieties set for picking to begin
next week.
French dilemma:
Too much wine
France's agriculture minister has pledged to inject more money into the promotion
of French wines as the industry braces for a new dilemma: a bumper harvest.
AUS:
The coolest of our cool climate wine
Most winemakers chill their grape juice - Andrew Hood freezes it. Mr Hood is in the
process of making a batch of ice wine at his Richmond winery.
Mon, 26 Jul 2004
- Now,
use red wine for tightening stomach and firming breasts!
Red wine is the latest rage in the beauty salons of Buenos Aires, where it is believed
that it can tighten the stomach and firm sagging breasts.
Wines with low carbs not only for weight
loss
Are you becoming a carb crab, too? The obsession with carbohydrates in diets has
me a little grumpy. After all, nothing makes a glass of red table wine taste better
than a steaming plate of spaghetti ... or lasagna ... or pizza... or a steak with
a big baked potato. Perhaps I should write these columns after lunch.
Foreign
ownership 'good for wine industry'
Foreign ownership is a key to making New Zealand wine a global brand, a winemaker
says. Ross Spence, who founded Matua Valley Wines with his brother, Bill, in 1973,
told an innovation conference on Friday that foreign interests now owned 85 per cent
of New Zealand's wine production.
Cash
boost will help to promote Marlborough wines
Wine Marlborough intends to continue to increase the international profile of Marlborough
wines with a $28,000 boost, thanks to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Marlborough
Winegrowers Association chief executive Michelle Beckett said the regional body had
been granted the money for a clusters facilitator.
AUS: Southcorp changes
after resignation
Southcorp Ltd has appointed a new deputy chair following yesterday's resignation
of Thomas Burnet as a director and president and CEO of Southcorp Wines in the Americas.
Margaret Jackson will assume the position from 23 August. "Like many others
in the Australian business community, I've been following the fortunes of Southcorp
and believe that it is a good company with great prospects," Jackson said in
a statement.
AUS:
Change tipped for wine
About one-fifth of Australia's $10 billion in wine assets are tipped to be shifted
into sale/leaseback agreements in the next five years as they accelerate towards
becoming virtual businesses.
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