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Global Trends Weekly Update

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24.04.2009

Critical Publics | EDOAO

Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... 2

Global Market Watch ...... 5

Wine makers blame market ...... 5 Wine drinkers scale down their selections ...... 5 Wine in decline ...... 5 Wine export declines, but export market expands ...... 6 Sales of Napa Valley red come to a 'screeching halt' ...... 6 Prices Drop but Auctions Stabilize in First Quarter ...... 7 Wine sales offer opportunity for collectors ...... 7 Connoisseurs skeptical about wine in a box ...... 8 Ten Organic Wines Worth A Try ...... 8 Boost for Aust’s growing wine exports to Asia ...... 9 Pune liquor sales down. Wine suffering too ...... 9 Naked Wines founder follows his nose to simplify trade ...... 10 Fladgate ports declare 2007 ...... 10 Canadians cheer , beer ...... 10 White , Well Worth Seeking Out ...... 11 Sauce: wine ...... 11 New Zealand red wine: icons of the future? ...... 12 Bordeaux 2008: the grape escape ...... 12 Germany? A vine choice, sir ...... 13 The wines that came in from the cold ...... 14 Grape Expectations: in Austria ...... 14 Tesco and supermarket rivals go for wine tasting by moonlight ...... 15 On the bottle: ...... 16 Controversial Cancer Pamphlet Angers Industry ...... 16

Global Industry Watch ...... 16

New York to impose floor tax on wine and beer ...... 17 Wine industry 'remains under pressure' ...... 17 French producers stung by UK-based fraudsters ...... 17 150 years of Maison Louis Jadot - One name, one label one brand ...... 18 Under new ownership, Mondavi wines aren't what they used to be ...... 18 Wine company seeks originality ...... 19 Compensation possible in grape variety bungle ...... 19 Early rain may worsen grape oversupply ...... 20 Fresno Faces Changes ...... 20 Brazilian focus on quality, not quantity ...... 20 Va vintners report 25 percent larger grape ...... 21 A toast to Mexico's undiscovered wine country ...... 21 UFW wins key battle against Gallo ...... 21 French activists waste 1,000,000 bottles of wine ...... 22 AWA Wine Gains Presence in Hubei Province, ...... 22 Italians to form coalition against EU rosé proposals ...... 23

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Low Bordeaux 2008 prices 'destroy' value of past two ...... 23 Cheers! Why the credit crunch has led to a sudden restocking of cellars .... 23 Wine sales plummet in recession ...... 24 On the bottle: Bordeaux ...... 24

Wine Domain Catalysts Watch ...... 25

Reactions to my Australian article ...... 25 UK duty up yet again ...... 25 Offer of the month (Simon Hoggart) ...... 26 Ethical wine buying can leave a bad taste, says Victoria Moore ...... 26 Lamb’s on the pink (Jane MacQuitty) ...... 26 Anthony Rose: Chilean have finally realised that is perfectly suited to their soil ...... 27 Top draw ...... 27 Anthony Rose: The most fitting wine for the religious-minded this weekend is Vin Santo, Italy's holy wine ...... 28 Thankfully there's more to Italian white than pinot grigio, says Victoria Moore ...... 28

Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch ...... 29

Common Table Grapes Reduce Blood Pressure, Repair Heart Damage ...... 29 Wine drinkers 'pile on calories' ...... 29 ASEV Selects Best Enology and Papers for 2009 ...... 30 What's Wrong With Wine on the Web ...... 30 Inertia Beverage Group Gives Sacramento Businesses Taste of New Virtual Wine Distributor ...... 31

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor ...... 31

Greek wines of long lineage return ...... 31 Surprisingly charming spring wines will wake up your senses ...... 32

Blogosphere Monitor ...... 32

Sticking Up For (Again) ...... 32 Are Super-Tuscans Still Super? ...... 33 Book Review: Notes on a Cellar-Book by George Saintsbury ...... 33 Tasting the Wines of Mendocino ...... 34 Wine editorial as advertisement - from to the US? ...... 34 Changes at The Wine Advocate? Correspondence with Parker and Miller ... 35 The Rich Folks Guide to Wine Buying in a Recession ...... 35

Peripheral Domains Intelligence ...... 36

Austria takes top design prize ...... 36 Obama Disapproves of French 'Obama' Wine ...... 36 Italy's answer to ...... 37

Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest ...... 37

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Chinese Wine Culture(s): Part III ...... 38

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Global Market Watch

The global market watch outlines developments, spotted and emerging trends that define the current situation in the global wine landscape. It includes all major developments in the market including consumer trends relating to wine and marketing campaigns or approaches, as well as concerns on health and sustainability.

Wine makers blame world market

WEEKLY TIMES, AUSTRALIA

13.04.09: "Wine maker" is a dirty word in Merbein, not just among grape growers, but even on the street. Growers feel they are being victimised by corporate wine makers, as grape prices hit unviable levels. prices have slumped from $1200 a tonne four years ago, to less than $290 a tonne for contracted fruit this season. But the operators of one of the district's biggest wineries and argue the global marketplace is to blame.

Australian Vintage Limited production and wine supply general manager Neil McGuigan said there was little he or any other wine maker could do to remedy the global glut and financial crisis that have forced down wine prices. Mr McGuigan said Australia had lost many of the competitive advantages it held over the rest of the world in the early to mid 1990s, which had led to wine becoming a commodity. … But, Mr McGuigan said, the rest of the world started using makers and their technology, especially in South America.

So what's the solution? "There has to be rationalisation of wineries and vineyards," Mr McGuigan said

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2009/04/13/69035_latest-news.html

Wine drinkers scale down their selections

UPPERMICHIGANS DOURCE, USA

12.04.09: In this economy, people are looking for the best, most efficient buy possible; and that holds true for the liquor industry, especially wine. Local retailers, like the Grain 'n' Grape, say they've definitely noticed a change in wine purchases. Workers say more people are looking for the cheaper wines, instead of buying the more expensive bottles. The store is working around the new trend. Wedell says she's also seen an increase in sales in wine making supplies, saying more people are now starting to make their own wine.

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=285871

Wine in decline

IAFRICA, SOUTH AFRICA

21.04.09: As South African consumers suffer the effects of rising taxes and economic recession, wine sales have plummeted, Cape Town based Wine-Of-The-Month Club said on Tuesday. Managing director of the country's biggest direct wine marketer, Tai Collard, said that sales in the UK had also come "to a sharp halt". "This is a situation that will not change in the near-

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update term," Collard said. " ... The South African market's demand for has essentially shown zero growth for the 12 month period ending August 2008," Collard said. " ... The UK, it seems, is [also] certainly facing some tough times. Although wine sales in Britain grew by six percent to €5.6-billion the year end in March 2008, growth has now come to a standstill." This statistic, said Collard, would be a blow to UK wine retailers who enjoyed strong growth during the past few years as consumers moved from beer to wine. …

http://business.iafrica.com/news/1633760.htm

Also published:

Pop goes the global boom in wine sales – DAILY DISPATCH, SOUTH AFRICA http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=310016

Wine export declines, but export market expands

GEORGIAN BUSINESS WEEK,

13.04.09: Wine export from Georgia decreased 28.6% from 2.18m bottles to 1.566m bottles in Q1, 2009 compared to Q1, 2008. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, remains the top export market as 36.7% of goes there. But exports to this country slumped 57% from 1.347m bottles to 572 thousand bottles.

Belarus is in second place and is the third largest destination country where Georgian wine went. Georgian wine is available for the first time in wine stores in Sweden, Kyrgyzstan and China with 40 000, 39 000 and 37 000 bottles sold there, respectively. Wine was exported to 33 countries in total this year while only 22 countries were selling it a year earlier.

The wine industry is one of the most important branches of the Georgian economy. It was a top export commodity in the Soviet times but disappeared even from the top 10 list now.

Profile of Georgian wine market

Wine, vodka, liquor and brandy are the most popular beverages in Georgia. Georgian vintners mostly produce dry, semi dry, semi sweet, sparkling and aromatized wines. Semi dry wines make up 65 percent of the wine industry while 35 percent are mostly dry wines.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 218 companies are registered in the industry but less than 70 percent are functioning in reality. 35 companies export their output and Georgian wine goes to 38 countries.

Teliani Valley, Tbilghvino, , Wine Cellar, Georgian Wine and Beverage Company, Taro, Vaziani, Shumi, Khareba, Kindzmarauli and TbilVazi are the biggest producers. Most of them have state-of-the-art equipment and are oriented on exports. 90 percent of the wine goes to exports and only 10 percent is marketed locally …

http://www.gbw.ge/news.aspx?sid=72eff739-1205-46b1-bfa3-a969b60e2f6b

Sales of Napa Valley red wines come to a 'screeching halt'

DECANTER, UK

15.04.09: The economic downturn has brought sales of ultra premium Napa Valley reds 'to a screeching halt,' according to Dan Isenhart, wine buyer at Amazing Grapes Wine Store in Los

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Angeles. But whilst the high end reds have seen a dramatic fall in sales, the mid-range wines are experiencing a boost as a result of the recession. 'Every retailer I've spoken with says sales in 2009 so far are down 25%. …

Sales started dropping last November and have continued downward in 2009, resulting in the first yearly drop in total retail value of wine shipments from California in 15 years, according to the Wine Institute, the trade organization for . While sales revenue is down, the total gallons of California wine shipped in 2008 actually increased by 15 million gallons.

Sales of Argentinian wines, especially, are showing remarkable strength in the teeth of the recession - up 29% in value and 13% in volume in 2008 - while France, Italy, and Spain lost market share, the investment firm of DPEC Partners reports.

That result is undoubtedly due to the excellent quality to price ratio the Argentinian wine have shown, as well as the fact that the euro's strength against the dollar last year drove prices for European wines higher. But that is now turning around as the dollar strengthens against the euro.

http://www.decanter.com/news/280646.html

Prices Drop but Auctions Stabilize in First Quarter

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

13.04.09: After a disastrous fourth quarter in 2008, in which auction prices for fine wine plummeted and percent-sold rates plunged as low as 31 percent in the wake of the global economic crisis, a leaner—but more stable—auction market has emerged in the first quarter of 2009. Prices for wine continued to slip: The average price for wines tracked in the Wine Spectator Auction Index declined by 6 percent from the fourth quarter. And significantly less wine traded hands: In total, 11 auctions in the first quarter of 2009 brought in $22,791,490, compared with $42,628,275 from 15 auctions during the same time period in 2008.

But other indicators of consumer confidence—namely auction attendance and percent-sold rates—were up. Auction houses reported packed salesrooms and an increased interest in absentee bidding, spurred by collectors looking for relative bargains in this down market …

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5006,00.html

Wine sales offer opportunity for collectors

REUTERS, USA

21.04.09: Vintage Bordeaux, Champagne and White Burgundies are among the 613 lots of wines, including more than 200 from one client, that will go under the hammer at Christie's auction house this weekend.

Prices of fine wines have fallen since last spring and wine consultant Judy Beardsall believes the April 25 sale could be a good time for collectors. … Lower wine prices have brought out the buyers. Sotheby's auction on Saturday fetched more than $2.9 million, above its presale estimate of $1.8 million to $2.6 million.

"We continue to see many new buyers coming into the market," said Sotheby's Jamie Ritchie, adding that 22 percent of the bidders were new. Two weeks earlier, Chicago's Hart Davis Hart's

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update sale brought in just under $2.7 million, also surpassing its presale estimates of up to $2.4 million. … Beardsall has more than 200 lots from one client going under the hammer in the Christie's sale. She said her client, whom she described only as a wealthy New York family that has been collecting for more than 20 years, is entertaining less …

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE53K1NB20090421?sp=true

Connoisseurs skeptical about wine in a box

HERALD TRIBUNE, USA

15.04.09: … In fact, boxed wine's biggest consumers are upper- income, white households, specifically those earning between $70,000 and $100,000 a year, according to the Nielsen numbers. Those who drink it even prefer boxed wine over bottled. So how did boxed wine shed its downmarket reputation to forge its way into an industry that prides itself on refinery and sophistication?

First, don't call it boxed wine. "Cask wine" is the product's new nomenclature, which savvy marketers say is meant to reflect its improved taste and quality. Recently, Corbett Canyon 3L Premium Cask won best in its class at the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Competition, America's largest wine judging event. The box, which holds the equivalent of four bottles of wine, retails for a suggested price of $10.

That 3-liter size is also key. The packaging of cask wines has been downsized from its traditional 5-liter heft -- more appropriate for parties -- to a petite, price-conscious volume. … "The threshold of $18 to $22 is a lot to spring for if you're looking for bargains."

Though one may conjecture that a surge in boxed wine sales are a result of a flagging economy, the trend began as early as 2003, when Black Box and Corbett Canyon, two of the best-selling boxed wines, debuted in the wine market as the bag-in-box incarnation. Its eco-friendly packaging (resulting in 85 percent less landfill waste) appeals to green- conscious consumers.

Because it is sealed off from the air, wine in a box also has longer shelf life, once opened, than bottled wine. The six-week freshness factor makes it convenient for those like Roger Dooley, an Internet marketer from Mishawaka, Ind., to drink a glass a day to keep the doctor away. …

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090415/ARTICLE/904151003/-1/NEWSSITEMAP

Ten Organic Wines Worth A Try

FORBES, USA

16.04.09: Does ''green'' grape-growing make for a better-tasting drink, or is it just a fad? …

While there is a certification process for organic farming, there's no single standard for the methods and associated costs. But Paul Dolan, partner in Mendocino Wine in California, says that for the first few years of converting from traditional to organic grape-growing, costs rise about 5% to 10%, due in part to all the extra work that needs to be done by hand. A rough average of costs of farming an acre of vines in a premier California appellation, he says, is about $4,000 per year, and "it might cost you, in those earlier years,

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

$500 an acre more for the first three to five years." If it's a 100-acre , that's an extra $50,000 in expenses in the first year alone.

Around the world there are three major environmentally geared grape-growing practices: sustainable farming, organic farming and biodynamic farming. The schools of thought differ considerably and, many would argue, so does the quality of the wines produced under each regimen …

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/16/organic-biodynamic-wine-lifestyle-wine-organic- wine.html

Boost for Aust’s growing wine exports to Asia

FAIRFAX DIGITAL, AUSTRALIA

17.04.09: Australia’s growing wine exports to China and Hong Kong will be strengthened with two new agreements to increase cooperation and promote the trade.

Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, has this week signed two memoranda of understanding on wine exports, in Hong Kong and Beijing.

In the year to March 2009, Australian wine exports to China were worth $81.2 million - the largest Asian market for Australian wine.

In the same year, more than 5.6 million litres of wine were exported to Hong Kong, valued at $40.7 million.

Mr Burke says the China agreement will establish a single point of contact to address market access issues such as certification and labelling. …

Hong Kong is being established as a wine hub for Asia and in the year to March alone Australian wine exports to Hong Kong grew by more than 21 per cent …

http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/viticulture/general/boost-for-austs- growing-wine-exports-to-asia/1489273.aspx

Pune liquor sales down. Wine suffering too

SOMMELIER INDIA, INDIA

10.04.09: According to statistics released by the state excise department in Pune, revenue collection in terms of percentage growth over the last financial year (2007-08) for alcohol has gone down to 9% from 14%. Similarly, the sale of wine has recorded 19.52% growth -- from 3.55 lakh litres in 2007-08 to 4.24 lakh litres in 2008-09. Yet, the growth pales in comparison to the 52% registered last year over the 2.34 lakh litres wine sale in 2006-07.

There's no question that the story is losing its luster thanks to the global economic crisis. State excise superintendent Vijay Chinchalkar said that the slowdown in the hospitality and tourism sectors, besides the mainstream IT and manufacturing industry, has dealt a blow to liquor sales, particularly in the last quarter (Jan to Mar) of the financial year. …

http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2009/04/pune_liquor_sales_down_wine_a.html

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Naked Wines founder follows his nose to simplify trade

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

21.04.09: Rowan Gormley embarked on a mission to disrupt a sector 13 years ago when he set up Virgin Money for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin group. Now he’s aiming to do the same with wine. … After Virgin Money was sold, Mr Gormley set up Virgin Wines, which was later sold to wine merchant Laithwaites. But last year Mr Gormley left Laithwaites, taking 17 staff with him, to form Naked Wines, because he believes the wine world is ripe for a similar disruption.

“Wine-buying is a very expensive, complicated and unsatisfactory business for everyone concerned, except for the wine buyer,” he says. “The result is that UK consumers have a very limited choice. The big global wine groups are the only ones with the marketing muscle to negotiate in the UK market, and wine costs one-third more than it has to.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/businesstruth/5195877/Naked-Wines- founder-follows-his-nose-to-simplify-trade.html

Fladgate ports declare 2007 vintage

OFF LICENCE NEWS, UK

23.04.09: The 2007 port vintage has been declared by all three houses in the Fladgate Partnership portfolio. Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft traditionally announce their decision on St George's Day. … ” He added: “The 2007 vintage ports from Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft contain the hallmarks of their individual house style. It is a vintage which shows elegance and poise backed with impressive structure and excellent balance which will give enjoyment for many years to come. … Head David Guimaraens added: “Perfect harvesting conditions with cool nights and warm days played a vital role in the final development of the grapes.”

http://www.offlicencenews.co.uk/articles/70549/Fladgate-ports-declare-2007- vintage.aspx?categoryid=9059

Canadians cheer red wine, beer

CANADA.COM, CANADA

21.04.09: Beer, spirits or wine? It seems Canadians are saying "yes please" to all three, according to a survey released yesterday on alcohol purchasing habits nationwide. The Statistics Canada figures showed that Canadians purchased $18.8 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in 2007-2008, a 4.3 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The federal agency attributed the increase to three factors: increased sales of imports, only a slight increase in the price of liquor and the growing adult population. A case of beer still remained the top choice for Canadians, but its popularity is waning …

http://www.canada.com/life/Canadians+cheer+wine+beer/1518638/story.html

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

White Bordeaux, Well Worth Seeking Out

THE WALL STEET JOURNAL, USA

17.04.09: Now that the sun has finally reappeared and your thoughts are turning to , you really should make the extra effort to get acquainted with one of the wine store's best values: white Bordeaux.Heaven knows it's not easy. More stores these days are organized by , and these don't fit easily into any category, since they are generally made with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon in various proportions and sometimes include other grapes. Most stores have a "Bordeaux" aisle, but that tends to be in the "red" section, since 85% to 90% of Bordeaux is red. And "white Bordeaux" takes in a lot of territory, both literally and figuratively, from Entre-Deux-Mers, a large area that produces mostly drink-now wines, to well-regarded Pessac-Léognan. Not only that, but we're talking here about dry white Bordeaux, although some of the world's greatest sweet wines are made in Bordeaux, too, and from the same types of grapes. And on top of all of that, some white Bordeaux costs less than $10 while others cost hundreds of dollars. It's enough to make us run directly to the very simple "New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc" aisle.

Is it worth the trouble? After all, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc -- not to mention Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, South Africa and the U.S. -- is a consistent warm-weather treat and can be inexpensive to boot. … The result: If white Bordeaux is not a regular part of your shopping list, you really are missing something special -- especially for the price. While it's impossible to say for sure what any specific white Bordeaux tastes like -- some show mostly the punch of Sauvignon Blanc while others have the earthiness of Sémillon; some get significant and some get none at all -- we found them reliably pleasant. They're generally crisp and lively, with all sorts of tropical fruit tastes -- grapefruit, melon, lemon-lime. They have juicy acidity that's quite mouthwatering. …

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123879289360087777.html

Sauce: rosé wine

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

11.04.09: Longer, lighter evenings, at last, and the spring switch-over to fresh, summery food has started in our house. As for wine, this is just the moment to try out the young pinks on the shelves. Look for sprightly new rosés from the 2008 vintage for the perkiest, brightest styles.

This year I feel drawn to ripe, juicy pinks. Something to do with the ferociously cold winter we have come through, perhaps, and a need to taste the effects of warm sunshine on a rich, even gutsy, wine. Chile provides some impressive labels as does New Zealand, and from the more traditional French regions the vineyards of Provence have provided a good pick of classy pinks this year.

Fine balance is what’s needed in a decent rosé. Plenty of aromatic red-berry fruit, yes, but also a crisp acidity to provide a refreshing edge. And then there’s the question of sweetness. Far too many pinks are still cloying and sugary, although a more subtle, off-dry note is no bad thing, especially if pairing the wine with food.

On that subject, don’t knock a poised and elegant pink wine off balance by matching it with

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update heavy or sweet dishes. Rosé goes with seafood, white fish and salads, obviously, but it also makes a great match for lighter charcuterie, savoury pastries, classic Chinese sweet-and-sour, mild Thai dishes and sushi. Plenty there, then, to keep us in the pink. …

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5125683/Sauce-rose-wine.html

New Zealand red wine: icons of the future?

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

18.04.09: The sound of jaws crashing to the floor echoes around Pall Mall. High up in the Penthouse Suite of New Zealand House, London SW1, 30 or so UK Masters of Wine, , wine buyers and journalists have joined Rod Easthope, the young winemaker of Craggy Range in New Zealand, at a special blind tasting. The result is astonishing to say the least.

Craggy Range is based in the Gimblett Gravels, a sub-region of Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's North Island. This 800-hectare appellation is centred on the gravel of the old Ngaruroro River and local winemakers believe the soil and climate to be so exceptional that their is up there with the best to be found in Bordeaux.

The most successful wines are either straight or blends made from the classic Bordeaux varieties of , , , merlot and . Easthope is so convinced of their quality that he has brought six 2005 and 2006 blends with him to be tasted against six 2005 clarets. …

The dozen wines are poured and we set to with our browsing and sluicing. Some of Britain's finest tasters are here, including Jancis Robinson, Michael Schuster and , along with buyers from the likes of Waitrose, the Wine Society and Berry Bros & Rudd. We're all in the dark as to the wines' identities and have been asked to rank them in order of quality and – if we dare – mark which we think are French and which we think are Kiwi. … "It's a curious thing," says Easthope. "The better we make our syrahs, the less like the Rhône they taste, whereas the better we make our Bordeaux blends, the more like Bordeaux they taste." … Apart from Cloudy Bay, New Zealand is short of icon wines and these, surely, are icons of the future. But will they age as well as their French counterparts? Stash some away for a few years and see. If you can find any.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5153891/New-Zealand-red-wine-icons-of- the-future.html

Bordeaux 2008: the grape escape

THE TIMES, UK

18.04.09: Despite last year’s appalling weather, the region still managed to produce some very appealing wines

The 2008 Bordeaux vintage won’t be the no-go area that economic pessimists feared. Even the usually circumspect Christian Moueix, from Pétrus, the most celebrated and costly château in Bordeaux, felt sufficiently emboldened to declare: “If it had been a great economic period we would have said it was a great vintage.” Admittedly he quickly tempered that by saying that it was an uneven vintage and certainly not in the same league as 2005, 2000, or even 1995 or 1998. But even so.

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Having spent the best part of a week in Bordeaux tasting hundreds of the precocious ’08s, the big surprise was just how good some of the wines are. The finest 2008 clarets are attractive, deeply coloured wines with surprisingly sweet, floral and vibrant fresh red fruit ripe flavours (cherries and violets to the fore), with good alcohol and acidity levels. There were plenty of disappointments too, though. The worst were hard, hollow, watery, over- extracted wines with harsh green tannins.

Given the appalling weather last year it’s a wonder that there were not more of the latter and fewer of the former; 2008 is not a right-bank merlot success, nor a left- bank cabernet victory. Its successes are peppered throughout the region, with the finest wines being made by well-funded producers from the greatest who, crucially, took the time and trouble to leaf-pluck and crop thin and then, with nerves of steel, waited for that last mid-October blast of heat before harvesting.

How fine the slow-growing Bordeaux 2008 wines are is causing heated debate. Robert Parker, the world’s most influential , has let slip apparently that 2008 is better than the excellent 2006 and 2004 claret vintages and nudging the great 2005. Absurd. …

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6114022.ece

Also published:

Difficult for Bordeaux to swallow – FINANCIAL TIMES, UK http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a82740f8-24ac-11de-9a01-00144feabdc0.html

Germany? A vine choice, sir

THE SUN, UK

18.04.09: THIS year we all want value for money from our holidays.

The euro has had a bad Press lately because it has risen against the Pound, but it is falling again now. So why not try an exciting but under-rated destination on our doorstep?

Germany’s Rhine Valley is not just a gorgeous beauty spot, it is also home to one of the world’s oldest wine industries. … My trip started in the Rheingau region, a 12-mile south- facing slope overlooking the majestic Rhine west of Frankfurt.

Here the grape is king, producing a range of whites from steely dry with mineral undertones to astonishingly long-lived sweet vintages that rival anything France can boast.

It was from here that the “hock” beloved of Queen Victoria came. Today growers take huge pride in quality, emphasising the difference that even a few yards can make to the wine depending on which patch of slate and stone soil has supplied the grapes.

Germanic attention to detail and rigorous standards ensure consistent quality and superb value for money. These wines come in three main categories: the Kabinetts and Trockens are dry to medium-dry with steely, crisp and aromatic flavours, brilliant with food but also superb on their own.

Next are the Spatleses, rather sweeter and delicious with meals.

Sup-er tips ... host David Motion

And finally the ultra-sweet Trockenbeerenauslese wines (try saying that after a glass or

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update two). A rarity worth trying if you get the chance is Eiswein — , made in tiny quantities from grapes that have been left on the vines to freeze so that their overwhelming richness is concentrated into a wine like alcoholic nectar.

Fine wines are also made in the Mosel region next to the Rheingau. Here are fruity, bouncy wines that smell and taste of spring. … My host, genial David Motion who runs The in Maida Vale, North West London, explains the attraction of Rhine and Mosel wines: “These vintages are as good if not better than the fine French whites, and only a fraction of the cost. …

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/travel/article2382718.ece

The wines that came in from the cold

FINANCIAL TIMES, UK

18.04.09: By the end of the second week of last September, when the grape harvest is usually well under way, Bordeaux’s powerful consultant winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt genuinely thought he wouldn’t be making any wine in 2008. He was far from the only one to suspect that grapes so swollen by summer rains, ravaged by mildew and threatened by rot were unlikely to survive in any flavourful form long enough to be picked and fermented into wine.

As harvest approached, the harsh malic acid in the grapes was so high that they tasted more like cooking apples. And even after they had been turned to wine – later than in living memory – the traditional second fermentation that transforms malic into softer lactic acid was difficult to start and at times seemed impossible to complete. … In fact, most of the reds are now tasting very well, with enough but not excessive ripeness, nice fresh acidity, and tannins reassuring in quantity and not too abrasive in quality; even at less exalted levels in Pessac-Léognan, my initial exposure to the vintage. In St-Émilion, which has produced more than its fair share of exaggerated wine styles in recent years, the 2008s seemed succulent, energetic, concentrated and only rarely over-extracted. … The most thoughtful winemakers were aware that these grapes needed delicate handling without extracting too much of their charge of tannins. During a stint with Alexandre Thienpont of Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol, Mathilde, daughter of Burgundy’s Etienne Grivot, apparently said: “We know how to save the fruit from grapes like this”. Macerations were short: just 12 days. And the key everywhere was selection. Many producers sold significant quantities of substandard wine in bulk.

Certainly, there is no shortage of tannin or acidity in these 2008s and it could be that, for once, the primeurs tasting season caught the youthful fruit in these reds at an ideal point in their evolution. They may well firm up over the next year or two.

The dry whites are still chock-full of acidity and grapefruit-like aromas, which bodes well for their longevity, while the sweet whites are said to be lighter and fresher than the 2007s – aperitif ? …

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8266fb56-2add-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html

Grape Expectations: Wine tasting in Austria

DAILY MIRROR, UK

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

18.04.09: … More than 30 estates and producers had thrown open their doors for the annual Night of the Cellars – and if you had the stamina you could drop in on them all.

But one winery, St Michael-Eppan at Appiano (www.st michael.it), was determined to outshine the lot. A good-natured crowd – I bet a night based on alcohol would have been more rowdy in Britain – gathered on the lawns beside the winery’s grand art nouveau-style mansion. ...

We stopped off at Dominicus Morandell, one of the more quirky wine cellars where the owner has burrowed into the hillside over the past 32 years to create a labyrinth of tunnels leading to a circular meeting room where you can sample his wines.

They include earthy red – one of the three grape varieties native to South Tyrol, along with spicy white gewurtztraminer and light-red vernatsch.

Although this is one of the smallest wine-growing areas in Italy almost one in 10 award-winning Italian wines are made here.

Trouble is, only 1% of South Tyrol wines reach the UK, mainly to feature on restaurant wine lists, while hardly any end up on our supermarket shelves. … Another, less strenuous, visit was to the estate of Count Franz Pfeil, a winemaker and art-lover who has filled his large garden with art objects at Tscherms, about 20km north-west of the South Tyrol capital Bolzano.

Here you can get lost in a maze vines from which a guide will eventually come and rescue you.

The cool nights and sunny days – there are 300 days of sunshine a year here – mean they can grow almost any type of grape from chardonnay to , so you can sample whatever you fancy. We spent our last day in the attractive capital town of Bolzano looking at its lively, ultra-modern museum of modern and contemporary art, The Museion. … Our final visit was to one more wine cellar, the Hofstatter winery in Tramin (www.hofstatter.com) – an imaginatively-converted farmhouse which welcomes wine lovers, lets them sample their products and serves a tasty meal. …

http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/most-popular/2009/04/18/grape-expectations-wine- tasting-in-austria-115875-21286180/

Tesco and supermarket rivals go for wine tasting by moonlight

THE GUARDIAN, UK

18.04.09: Will Gau holds his glass of ruby chinon to the light and tastes. "It's strict, a little dusty, a little jagged," says the wine connoisseur. But his disappointment may not be down to bad selection or the bottle being corked but to an altogether more cosmic force: the moon.

The idea that the taste of wine changes with the lunar calendar is gaining credibility among the UK's major retailers, who believe the day, and even hour, on which wine is drunk alters its taste. Tesco and its rival Marks & Spencer, which sell about a third of all wine drunk in Britain, now invite critics to taste their ranges only at times when the biodynamic calendar suggests they will show at their best.

Marks & Spencer has gone a step further and is advising customers to avoid disappointment from the best bottles by making sure not to open them on "root" days. …

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/18/wine-lunar-calender-tesco-supermarkets

On the bottle: Spanish wine

THE TIMES, UK

19.04.09: sounds like a vegetarian option you daren’t refuse, but it’s actually a Spanish wine — super-expensive and, despite being red, ultra-feminine. We’re talking very high-maintenance here. … Ausas’s wines are subtle, gradually revealing their secrets over an evening, traditionalist but no less sensuous for that. Rodriguez’s are grab it and go, open it without much thought, but notice as it goes down that it’s really rather lovely. Ausas’s are made to be drunk very old, the best at 30 years minimum.

What fascinates me is the fact that Rodriguez comes from just as traditional a background as Ausas. His family owns one of ’s most beautiful estates, Remelluri, where, after training in France, he made the wine for several years before breaking out on a mission to cater for cash-strapped drinkers. …

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6090699.ece

Controversial Cancer Pamphlet Angers French Wine Industry

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

15.04.09: French winemakers and grapegrowers are furious over a pamphlet published by the country's Health Ministry that directly links wine consumption to cancer. They have organized a campaign calling on the government to withdraw the publication.

In February, the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) published Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancers, a document highlighting the dangers of drinking alcohol. … The publication has upset the wine industry because it claims that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer by 9 percent to 168 percent, depending on the amount of consumption, regardless of whether the drink is wine, beer or spirits. It also says that wine offers no health benefits against cancer. According to INCa, the booklet is based upon the conclusions of 500 studies carried out by acclaimed scientists worldwide. But the conclusions have sparked a growing wave of criticism, while Raphaelle Ancellin, head of INCa's nutrition and cancer program, is currently refusing to comment …

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5011,00.html

Global Industry Watch

This section records developments and trends on both industry and individual corporation levels that form a matrix of the major issues and moves in the industry as a whole or by its critical actors and groupings, such as trade associations and regulatory bodies.

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

New York to impose floor tax on wine and beer

DECANTER, UK

15.04.09: The state of New York is to impose a 'floor tax' on all beer and wine wholesalers and retailers.

The tax – due to come into effect on May 1 – will levy a charge on all wine and beer held in stock, and, according to the New York State Liquor Stores Board, charge 'at the rate of thirty-two and seven hundredths cents per gallon based on inventory.'

It will affect all wine stores in the New York area, but will be particularly punitive for companies such as Zachys, who have some of the,largest stocks of old wines in the region. At the same time there will be a rise in excise tax to 30c per gallon … A separate battle has recently been won by wine store owners, as last week the New York State Legislature refused supermarkets such as Costco the right to sell wine, along with 19,000 new outlets, including gas stations, delis, mini-marts, bodegas, and grocery stores.

If the legislation had passed, opponents suggested that 1,000 liquor stores would have closed, costing 4-5,000 jobs …

http://www.decanter.com/news/280605.html

Also published:

Bill to allow wine in grocery stores fails – TENNESSEAN, USA http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090415/NEWS0201/90415018/1009

Wine industry 'remains under pressure'

HARPERS, UK

22.04.09: The managing director of a wine company that took its anti-duty campaign to the steps of No. 10 Downing Street has described the latest duty rise of 2% as "outrageous", but less than expected. Catherine Monhan, of Clink! Wines, organised a campaign in partnership with Harpers, Wine & Spirit and Off-Licence News to take the call for a duty freeze to the door of the Prime Minister. Monahan said the 2% duty rise unveiled by Chancellor Alistair Darling was lower than she feared, but said that thousands of jobs in the wine trade remain at serious risk. She described an intense campaign to lobby government against the move as recording "a small victory". "Buyers were telling me they expected duty to go up to £10 per case (of six). What we must do in the future is ensure that some of the £4billion in VAT and duty goes to specific organisations that facilitate progress against problem drinking."

http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/7919-wine-industry-remains-under- pressure.html

French producers stung by UK-based fraudsters

DECANTER, UK

17.04.09: Conmen posing as UK wine merchants have tricked French winegrowers into handing over thousands of bottles of stock in a copycat repeat of a scam last year which netted crooks an estimated £1m.

The ongoing fraud began in March, with producers in all the principal wine-making regions

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update targeted by bogus representatives of merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, Thorman Hunt & Co, Liberty Wines, Stainton Wines and Wine and Beer World.

The companies have notified British police and warned French winemakers to be on their guard. … 'This is a very grave loss for us, and there are undoubtedly many others out there like us,' he said. Thorman Hunt office manager Camille Relandeau told decanter.com the scam affected every major production region. 'We've received queries about these fraudulent orders from all over France, at a rate of several per day,' she said …

http://www.decanter.com/news/280960.html

150 years of Maison Louis Jadot - One name, one label one brand

SOMMELIER INDIA, INDIA

21.04.09: Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded Maison Louis Jadot in 1859. But even before then, the story of Maison Jadot had its roots in the vineyards, with the Jadot family's purchase of the Clos des Ursules, a Beaune Premier Cru, in 1826. Pierre-Henry Gagey, the President of Maison Louis Jadot, comes from a long tradition of wine himself. His family, on both sides, has been in the wine business for 200 years. Gagey runs Jadot with a team of 70 people. He was in Delhi recently when he spoke to Sommelier India editor, Reva Singh about the House of Louis Jadot.

All the wines made under the Maison Louis Jadot label are Appellation Contrôlée or AOC wines. The vineyards of Maison Louis Jadot stretch across 154 hectares of Burgundy, from the Côte d'Or to the Mâconnais and down into . They own 150 ha divided into 75 ha in -d'Or and 75 in the Crus de Beaujolais. Louis Jadot operates both their own vineyards and a négociant business …

http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2009/04/150_years_of_maison_louis_jado.html

Under new ownership, Mondavi wines aren't what they used to be

THE SEATTLE TIMES, USA

12.04.09: On my birthday last December, I opened a special bottle from my cellar — a 1969 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Robert Mondavi Winery. No man in America did more to further the quality and enjoyment of domestic wines than Robert Mondavi, and this almost- 40-year-old bottle captured his spirit and had a story to tell about the early years of his winery. … This lovely wine, from the winery's fourth vintage, drank beautifully, with frail but elegant, captivating flavors. The winery illustrated on the bottle's front label is the same even on the most recent vintages of Mondavi wines. That seems to be the only relic of the old Mondavi magic. Virtually everything else is different.

The implosion of the Robert Mondavi wine empire has been well-chronicled in Julia Flynn Siler's "The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty." The financial and family crises that caught up with Mr. Mondavi at the end of his fruitful life ultimately forced the sale of the wines, vineyards, wineries, brands and — most important — the family name.

The purchaser was Constellation Brands, recently listed as the third-largest company in America by Wine Business Monthly. The acquisition of Mondavi was part of a recent buying

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update spree that briefly included Columbia, Covey Run and Ste. Chapelle (all since dumped) and most recently added Hogue and Clos du Bois — an effort that Constellation president José Fernandez has called "premiumization." …

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2009020598_pacificpadviser12.html

Wine company seeks originality

HURRIYET, TURKEY

13.04.09: A relative newcomer to Turkey’s wine scene finds it has to offer good quality wine and introduce novel blends in order to stand out. … Some18 grape varieties have been planted in Idol vineyards.

Wine company seeks originality With a double trinity in grape and oak varieties, French winemaker Franck Peluso has set Idol apart from most Turkish wineries with its latest wine brand "Consensus."

The new wine, which brings together shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes aged in French, American, and Middle European oaks, is the latest attempt by young wineries to differentiate in the ever-growing market. The company, which has been experimenting with grape varieties and initiated organic viticulture, has found that the global economic crisis is taking a toll on the Turkish wine industry also. Peluso has made a name for himself in micro-vinification. This complex technique, which the winemaker applied for Idol in the company’s vineries in Torbalı, just outside the Aegean city of İzmir, involves introducing and experimenting with different grapes. "Just to understand how the grapes can give the best of what we want," he said …

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/finance/11417726.asp?scr=1

Compensation possible in grape variety bungle

ABC NEWS, AUSTRALIA

Grapegrowers may seek compensation from the CSIRO over a bungle that has thrown doubt on the types of grapes they are growing.

The CSIRO imported vines it believed was a variety known as albarino in the late 1980s, but it has now been identified as a grape known as .

Growers are being asked to trace the origin of their vines or get them DNA-tested to confirm their make-up.

Barossa Valley albarino grower Damien Tscharke says if he has been growing the wrong grapes, it could have huge implications.

"It's going to set us back a long way, there's a lot of value in our brand that we've lost," he said…

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/16/2544111.htm

Also published:

Critical Publics | EDOAO Page 19 of 38

Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

Aussie Albariño is Savagnin: official - DECANTER, UK http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=280606

Early rain may worsen grape oversupply

ABC NEWS, AUSTRALIA

14.04.09: South Australian grape growers say the current oversupply of some white grape varieties could be five times worse if early season rains arrive in the coming months.

Many grape growers are considering scaling back their vineyards as it becomes harder to find buyers for their fruit. Some have already resorted to picking grapes and leaving them on the ground to rot. Mark McKenzie from Wine Grape Growers Australia says rain will mean good crop levels next season, which could pose a problem with wineries buying fewer grapes. But he says better soil moisture from any rain will be welcome. …

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/14/2542005.htm

Fresno Faces Changes

WINES & VINES, USA

14.04.09: While the University of California at Davis is world famous for its enology and viticulture programs and research, California State University, Fresno (still affectionately known as Fresno State) has a reputation within the industry for producing excellent practical winemakers and viticulturists. That reputation could be challenged by funding cuts due to California's--and the world's--economic troubles. … http://winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=63723&htitle=Fresno%20F aces%20Changes

Brazilian wineries focus on quality, not quantity

REUTERS, UK

14.04.09: One winery is among the largest in Brazil and has a French winemaker partial to Italian methods, while the other is much smaller and run by a Brazilian who favors French techniques. But both share an obsession with quality.

Philippe Mevel, of Brazil's Chandon, arrived from France for what he thought was a six-month stay. Now, 23 harvests later he has five different sparkling wines, three of which he created.

"We are Chandon Brazil," Mevel insists. "We are Brazilian wines for Brazilian people," which means his creations are available only in Brazil. His sparkling wines, from a Chandon Brut to his latest, a papaya and lychee-nosed blend called Passion - are made using the Charmat method, which is faster and cheaper than methode champenoise.

Mevel said he uses Charmat for temperature control because in Brazil it would be very expensive to have cool caves like those of the Champagne region. He also lets the wines stay on the lees - the bits of dead yeast that remain after fermentation - for months at a time. The

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update results are wines that have elegance and finesse.

Mevel, who has increased the winery's sales from 950,000 bottles in 1999 to nearly 2 million bottles this year, says he is more interested in retaining the wines' freshness and lightness than in quantity …

http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE53D22D20090414?sp=true

Va vintners report 25 percent larger grape harvest

DAILY PRESS, USA

14.04.09: Virginia vintners increased their grape harvest by 25 percent in 2008, to 7,000 tons of commercial grapes.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Tuesday the state ranks No. 7 in the nation in commercial grape production.

Acres devoted to grape production are now nearing 3,000 statewide.

Chardonnay is the top wine produced, with 1,288 tons of grapes produced for this variety. It is followed by Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va-- virginiagrapes0414apr14,0,6096281.story

A toast to Mexico's undiscovered wine country

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, USA

14.04.09: One of the earliest casualties of the drug-related violence in northern Baja California has been its wine valleys, particularly the Guadalupe Valley, northeast of Ensenada, which has single-handedly put the country on the wine connoisseur's map and earned the moniker, "Mexico's Napa Valley." Monte Xanic, Santo Tomas and L.A. Cetto are among its best-known brands. Casa Madero winery, the oldest winery not just in Mexico … Casa Madero winery, Mexico.Casa Madero winery, Mexico.

Mind you, we have heard from legions of oenophiles who have made tasting trips in the past year without encountering any of the types of problems currently grabbing headlines, but with Baja Norte officially outside the comfort zone, this might be just the time to sample Mexico's undiscovered wine regions … Significant quantities of grapes grow in seven states, generally divided into three broad areas: North (Baja California and Sonora); La Laguna (Coahuila and Durango); and Center (Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Querétaro). Compared to the products of cooler climates, Mexico's wines tend to be spicy, full-bodied and ripe. Some purists recommend staying with reds, though improved techniques have produced respectable whites as well. Northern Baja's humid winters, dry warm summers and sea breezes produces most found north of the border …

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/04/15/mexicomix041509.DTL&type=travel

UFW wins key battle against Gallo

PRESS DEMOCRAT, USA

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

16.04.09: Nearly two years after it was voted out of E&J Gallo’s Sonoma County vineyards, the United Farm Workers union has won a key battle in its fight to continue representing nearly 300 vineyard workers.

An administrative law judge ruled last month that the July 2007 vote ousting the union from Gallo’s vineyards was unfair because Gallo failed to provide the union with an accurate list of its workers.

The case isn’t quite over. The veteran Gallo employee who has twice petitioned to oust the union, Roberto Parra, plans to appeal the decision by Monday’s deadline, said Will Collins, spokesman for the nonprofit group handling his case, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.

But the state’s Agricultural Labor Relations Board rarely overturns decisions by its administrative law judges, said Joe Wender, senior board counsel for the ALRB. It is unlikely to take any additional testimony or argument from attorneys in the case, he said. Gallo does not plan to appeal the decision, spokeswoman Loree Stroup said.

If the decision stands, the vote to decertify the UFW would be thrown out and the union would continue to represent the Gallo workers, the largest block of workers it represents on the North Coast … http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090416/ARTICLES/904169955/1339/BUSINESS?T itle=UFW-wins-key-battle-against-Gallo

French activists waste 1,000,000 bottles of wine

RADIO NETHERLANDS, THE NETHERLANDS

19.04.09: In the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon, a group of wine activists have destroyed the equivalent of 1,000,000 bottles of wine. In the third such action this week, the unknown group broke into a wine cooperative in Nîmes and emptied all the wine vats. The wasted wine was worth 600,000 euros. The activists say they are protesting against low prices and cheap imports and are trying to force the French government to do more for French wine producers.

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6264709/French-activists-waste- 1000000-bottles-of-wine

AWA Wine Gains Presence in Hubei Province, China

MARKETWIRE, USA

20.04.09: Regal Life Concepts, Inc. is pleased to announce that Guangzhou AWA Wine Co. Ltd, a portfolio investment company of Regal Life, has recently opened a franchised wine club retail location in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, the "Land of Fish and Rice" in China. This new opening exemplifies AWA Wine's dedication and progressive efforts in introducing imported fine wine culture into China.

Its GDP ranked12th in the country, Hubei is an important agricultural base and has recently established one of the newest high-tech industrial production bases in China. In 2007, retail sales in Hubei rose by 18.1% to RMB 402.9 billion and per capita disposable income of urban households reached RMB 11,485. …

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Regal-Life-Concepts-Inc-976615.html

Italians to form coalition against EU rosé proposals

DECANTER, UK

21.04.09: Rosé producers in Italy have joined forces to fight EU proposals to allow the mixing of red and white wines to make rosé.

Two Lake Garda rosé associations – Bardolino and Garda Classico – are working together for the first time since they were created in 1968. … This new way of producing wine would be damaging for the entire wine world. Not only would the European Community be legalising a false product, they would be standardising low quality products. …

http://www.decanter.com/news/281109.html

Low Bordeaux 2008 prices 'destroy' value of past two vintages

DECANTER, UK

21.04.09: The low prices of 2008 Bordeaux futures mean the 2007 and 2006 vintages are 'doomed', say UK and US merchants. But there is a difference of opinion on either side of the Atlantic, with Americans bemoaning the loss of value of these vintages, and UK merchants cautiously welcoming the fillip low prices of the 2008s have given the market. Washington, DC-based MacArthur Beverages is offering its remaining stocks of 2006 Bordeaux at half-price, selling at a loss after the pricing of the 2008s 'destroyed' the value of the 2006s. …

Christian Navarro, co-owner of Wally's Wines & Spirits in Los Angeles, also said lower prices for 2008 wines would not help. Meanwhile, in the UK, Armit CEO Ian Ronald described 2008 pricing as 'reasonably encouraging', but added that the company was unable to buy as much wine as it wanted because so little had been released so far – with some châteaux holding onto stock in the hope that prices would rise …

http://www.decanter.com/news/281129.html

Cheers! Why the credit crunch has led to a sudden restocking of cellars

THE TIMES, UK

13.04.09: You might not feel like drinking fine wine in these straitened times but, if you have the cash, it could be worth investing in a few bottles anyhow. Fine wine is slowly returning to form as an investment class and auction houses are seeing increasing numbers of buyers who are willing to pay top dollar for the best vintages.

Although the latest figures from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine show that global wine consumption fell by 0.8 per cent last year - the first fall since 2004 - people are still keen to invest in wine. A bottle of 1928 Krug recently fetched £14,300 at auction, the most ever paid for a bottle of champagne. James Reed, a director in the wine department at Sotheby's, the auction house, said: “We have had two sales this year in February and March and both were roaring successes. It is not just a case of 98-99per cent selling, often the hammer price was towards the top or even above top estimate. Both times the sale room

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update was very busy with active bidders, often new bidders.”

This has been triggered by several factors, he explains. Wine is still seen as an attractive alternative investment that is less volatile than other markets; sterling is weak although optimists believe it will gain against the euro soon; people want to buy at the bottom of the market and “there is a shortage of stock, so people jump on what there is”. … But although the credit crunch was slow to hit the wine market, it did hit, and between October and December there was a sharp fall in fine wine prices. Which might explain why buyers are returning to the market quicker than sellers. Justin Gibbs, a co-founder of Liv-ex.com, the fine wine exchange, says that the market fell 22.4per cent between June and December last year. However it has now risen 1.2per cent with prices for top vintages, from 2000 and 2005, up 5 to 10 per cent this year.

Overall, though the number of transactions has risen sharply, their value has fallen as wine merchants are buying smaller volumes to fulfil orders for private buyers rather than taking positions themselves. He says that full confidence will not be restored until merchants start buying and stocking again. … http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6082750.ec e

Wine sales plummet in recession

THE TIMES, UK

11.04.09: Wine sales have dropped dramatically in the last year, as the recession and falling value of the pound take their toll, it has been disclosed.

The amount of wine bought in pubs and clubs has shrunk by 1 per cent - the equivalent of 12 million bottles, trade magazine The Grocer claimed.

The journal said the fall was mirrored in other retail areas with supermarkets, convenience stores and garage forecourts all reporting big falls. Convenience stores and garage forecourts sold six per cent fewer bottles, while off-licences recorded a 9 per cent downturn in volume and 6 per cent fall in sales value.

The credit crunch is being blamed as one of the main reasons behind the drop in consumption with grape prices rising in some areas as the value of the pound plummets. …

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5136181/Wine-sales-plummet-in- recession.html

On the bottle: Bordeaux

THE TIMES, UK

12.04.09: I have dropped, spilt and knocked over many bottles of wine in my time; but the first was the most expensive. I was at a dinner at what was then the Public Schools’ club in Piccadilly. I was not there by right, but as a very junior small-town reporter invited to our local cathedral school’s old boys’ reunion. Nervous in such company, I sent a bottle of Lynch Bages 1959 flying.

As those whose hair is now standing on end will testify, this is one of the loveliest chateaux in Bordeaux and one of the greatest years of the 20th century. An aroma of brambles, plums and

Critical Publics | EDOAO Page 24 of 38

Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update spices arose from the crimson flood on the tablecloth. The headmaster’s stricken face has always haunted me, as has the urge to taste what I missed that evening. … Standards in Bordeaux have improved hugely, thanks to the ripple effects of a few revolutionary new winemakers; but anything good shoots up in price, while the bordelais as a whole still seem lost. Just look at the preposterous generic advertising, such as the posters of a handsome Frenchman flaunting his big bottle of Bordeaux at a dark-haired beauty.

What good Bordeaux offers is not dubious sex, but deep and intriguing flavours that enhance young red meat. Sadly, anything really enjoyable for less than £10 is extremely rare. So I strongly recommend two of the three wines I’ve earmarked below, even though one isn’t even French. Both are gems. Open them at least two hours before drinking. As for the third wine... well, it’s up to you. Just the thought of it makes me shudder with guilt.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6050991.ece

Wine Domain Catalysts Watch

This section records the most important articles written by those widely considered to be thought experts in the wine domain. These opinions are not only a valuable source of information but also provide important indications for current and evolving trends in the wine domain.

Reactions to my Australian article

JANCIS ROBINSON, UK

20.04.09: My article How Australia went Down Under two weeks ago seemed to stir up more reactions than most of what I write. (More, perhaps significantly, than my many articles about 2008 bordeaux.) The article semed to be widely circulated in the blogosphere. Australian viticulturist Dr Richard Smart wrote, 'I just read your article on Australia. I agree with the sentiments, and was about to write a similar one.' Jeremiah Josey of Boutique Wineries of Brisbane wrote, 'Great article you posted called "How Australia Went Down Under". You've got some really good points there as to what's happened to the Australian market. Too cheap and too shallow! Indeed! We have actually found a good number of our member wineries either shutting down or changing ownership, so we're seeing the results of too much price chasing and overproduction now coming home to roost.'

I was sent several Australian wines to taste as a result - notably from Palandri, the Margaret River winery to which I alluded in the article, how owned by a Chinese businessman whose holding company is called 3 Oceans. Here are my notes on the three wines I was sent …

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a200904181.html

UK duty up yet again

JANCIS ROBINSON, UK

22.04.09: The UK Wine and Spirit Trade Association probaly had this press release ready weeks ago in anticipation of yet another rise in duties on alcohol in our beleaguered country. 'The WSTA condemns today's announcement by the Chancellor that he intends to proceed with plans to raise taxes on alcohol this year. The news brings further misery to hard-pressed consumers and threatens more job losses in a sector already facing

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update record numbers of business failures, pub closures and worsening trading conditions. 'Today's Budget set in train a 2% above inflation tax escalator on alcohol which, combined with last year's 17% leap in excise duty, will raise duty on alcohol by around 40% by the time of the London Olympics. 'In its first ever [surely shome mishtake ? JR] joint budget submission the major drinks industry trade associations warned a total of 75,000 jobs would be at risk if the plans to increase taxes further went ahead …

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a200904221.html

Offer of the month (Simon Hoggart)

SPECTATOR, UK

11.04.09: Simon Hoggart presents the Spectator Wine Club's offer of the month for April 2009 ...

Our merchants are doing stalwart work keeping their prices down, and though it can’t last forever, they are still producing great bargains which will allow us to dull the pain of the recession. Mark Cronshaw of Wheeler Cellars is offering us the chance to pre-order the latest vintage of the celebrated Château Musar, which will arrive on these shores the last week in May. He has also offered some generous discounts for our regular offer, which I think is beautifully judged for spring and summer drinking. …

http://www.spectator.co.uk/wine-club/offer-of-the-month/3527501/offer-of-the-month- april-2009.thtml

Ethical wine buying can leave a bad taste, says Victoria Moore

THE GUARDIAN, UK

11.04.09: An ethical approach to buying wine isn't straightforward. A recent phone call from chef Allegra McEvedy, of G2 and Leon fame, asking for my thoughts on Fairtrade wine left me mumbling into the receiver. Fairtrade does not just safeguard good working conditions, minimum prices and terms of trade, all of which help to protect smaller producers. It also invests in development projects, building schools and universities, improving drinking water... So it feels churlish to admit the reason I rarely mention Fairtrade wines is that I've rarely enjoyed drinking one.

My conversation with Allegra coincided with War On Want's report Sour Grapes. This generated headlines such as "Cape wine workers paid less than £4 a day", and blamed "the power of the few supermarkets that dominate the UK" for squeezing "suppliers to ensure lower prices".

But this is far from the whole story. Apart from the fact that more than half the price of a £4 bottle of supermarket wine goes in taxes to the British government, the report cited only one (clearly reprehensible) example of a farm paying workers below the national minimum wage. …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/11/victoria-moore-wine

Lamb’s on the pink (Jane MacQuitty)

THE TIMES, UK

11.04.09: Everyone wants to find a good-value bottle or two to toast the coming of spring and

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update this year the Easter bunny has brought a cracking selection. Unlike everyone else, I don't drink pink wine all the year round. For me spring and summer is the time for that, and Easter is the earliest moment that my tastebuds welcome a wine that lacks the fruit and body of a red and the crisp, mouthwatering elegance of a white. The best spring rosé, when winter's chill still lingers and palates still crave big food, is the wondrous Lawson's Dry Hills Pinot Noir Rosé from New Zealand. The musky, strawberry-scented 2008 vintage (Majestic Wine, £9.99, or buy two for £7.99 each until April 27) is as crunchily delicious as its predecessors and comes with a pretty rose-pink colour and a 12 per cent slug of alcohol. Anyone going home for Easter Day lunch with a bunch of daffodils and several bottles of this will be greeted warmly.

Pink-wine-haters are rare but if you are among them go for a good sparky Chablis, whose tart, leafy, lemony fruit is spring in a glass and makes a great apéritif or fishy first-course wine. … Beaujolais is always the safest bet with new-season lamb because its delicate red fruit and silky texture marries so well with the tender, rosy- pink meat. …

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6072923.ece

Anthony Rose: Chilean winemakers have finally realised that syrah is perfectly suited to their soil

THE INDEPENDENT, UK

18.04.09: The last time I saw Alvaro Espinoza, Chile’s leading organic winemaker landed me in a mountain of steaming dung on the estate where he makes Emiliana’s wines in Chile’s Colchagua Valley. I can’t imagine it was on purpose because his four-wheel drive had to be pulled out by a tractor. I wondered if Charles and Camilla might suffer a similar fate when they stepped on Viñedos Emiliana Organicos’ sod (the vineyard, that is) in Casablanca recently. No such luck. Pictures showed a buttoned-up Prince and well-coiffed Duchess shaking hands with the charismatic winemaker for whom a tie had apparently been purchased to wear for probably the first and last time. ‘I’m now monarchist and Anglican’ (sic), he told me afterwards, presumably having refrained from sharing the earthier bits of his sense of humour with the Duchess. … History tells us that the map of France’s Rhône Valley is well mapped out, syrah becoming more elegant and spicy the further north it’s planted. Australia too is well down the road of stylistic discovery, with the more elegantly peppery shiraz from cooler Victoria and the more powerful, chocolate and blackberry-rich styles from further south. Chile is just embarking on this voyage, but what’s already emerging is a similar division based on climate between elegance and spiciness in the cooler, Pacific-influenced valleys of San Antonio, Casablanca, Limarí and Elqui and bigger, richer styles from warmer Colchagua, Cachapoal and Aconcagua.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/anthony-rose-chilean- winemakers-have-finally-realised-that-syrah-is-perfectly-suited-to-their-soil-1668554.html

Top draw

THE OBSERVER, UK

12.04.09: The late Brian Clough, never a man lacking in self-belief, was once asked if he was the best football manager in the country. "I don't know about that," he replied, "but I was in the top one." I was reminded of Clough's bon mot on a recent trip to Spain, where two regions, Rioja and , both consider themselves the numero uno of the Iberian wine

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update scene.

Which of them is right? Rioja is certainly bigger and better known, but it's Ribera that commands the higher prices, not to mention the journalistic accolades these days. The intense, still youthful 2004 Pingus (14.8%), the most celebrated vintage from a bodega that released its first red as recently as 1995, currently sells for around £700 a bottle thanks to a perfect 100 point rating from an American wine writer. …

Pingus isn't the only big name in these parts. Vega Sicilia, a wine that is said to be King Juan Carlos's favourite tipple, is Spain's most famous and established red, a position it has occupied for more than half a century. Where Pingus is as modern as modern can be, Vega is proudly traditional, releasing its top wine, the modestly-named Unico, as much as a decade after the harvest. … Rioja and Ribera are different in other respects, too. Rioja is mostly made from a blend of grapes and tends to be fairly approachable in style, whereas Ribera is nearly always made from one, Tinto Fino (as is known locally), and has a freshness and austerity that reflect its cooler, high altitude climate. Some people are trying to produce super-concentrated Riberas with indecent amounts of alcohol and new oak, but their wines verge on the undrinkable to me. …

Ribera doesn't produce as much wine as Rioja at the less expensive end of the market, which is why it's hard to find examples for less than £8 here. The region doesn't make anything to compare with the juicy, unoaked Riojas that are a feature of tapas bars in Logroño, but we shouldn't worry too much about that. At its best, Ribera makes wines that combine the rigour of Bordeaux with the perfume and finesse of Burgundy. And the winner? Well, the top Riberas are Spain's best reds, but Rioja makes a greater number of affordable, well- made wines. I'd call that a one-all draw. …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/12/wine-spain-rioja-ribera

Anthony Rose: The most fitting wine for the religious-minded this weekend is Vin Santo, Italy's holy wine

THE INDEPENDENT, UK

11.04.09: What did you give up for Lent? Work? Religion? Giving things up? If you gave up wine, having duly purified mind and body, you will doubtless have been looking forward to easing yourself into wine's answer to a luxurious bubble bath. I'm not much of a fan of the stuff, but if there is a right time for demi-sec champagne, then Easter is it. … The most fitting wine for the religious-minded this weekend is Vin Santo, Italy's holy wine, aka visanto in Greece. …

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/anthony-rose-the-most- fitting-wine-for-the-religiousminded-this-weekend-is-vin-santo-italys-holy-wine- 1666038.html

Thankfully there's more to Italian white than pinot grigio, says Victoria Moore

THE GUARDIAN, UK

18.04.09: "I thought I hated Italian white wine," said my friend. "Then I realised it's not all pinot grigio." Fortunately it is not all , either, though sometimes, as it vies for the title of Italy's most widely planted white grape, it feels like it. Trebbiano is even more innocuous

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update than pinot grigio, and I don't mean that in a good way.

This realisation that Italy has other whites may not quite be up there with Archimedes' eureka moment, but it is a joyous one. Go south and you'll find fiano, , falanghina, inzolia... I could go on, but I promised Iain Noble, who wrote a while ago, that come spring, "as a rest from sauvignon blancs, pinot grigios and chardonnays", I'd look at the sort of crisp, characterful whites for when the sun starts shining, so I'll focus on wine from the north-west. Piedmont is famous for its barolo - tannic, acidic, austere. And red. But it also makes glorious whites from , favorita and (which is responsible for Gavi), while, just to the south, Liguria, with its rocky shorelines and tiny beaches, specialises in . ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/18/wine-victoria-moore

Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch

This section captures the developments in the scientific research landscape in terms of technological breakthroughs and emerging research covering both R&D from companies but also research from academia and institutional bodies. These are essential elements of future trends or cumulatively combined indicators of future market trends and consumer awareness as well as industry practice development.

Common Table Grapes Reduce Blood Pressure, Repair Heart Damage

NATURAL NEWS, USA

13.04.09: The consumption of regular table grapes may lower blood pressure and improve heart health better than drugs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor, and published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences.

Researchers fed a powdered combination of green, red and black table grapes to lab rats there were consuming either a high- or low-salt diet. After 18 weeks, the cardiovascular health of these rats was compared to rats that had eaten either an equivalent diet supplemented with the blood pressure medication hydrazine rather than powdered grapes, or rats that had eaten the diet without any additions. All rats in the study were genetically predisposed to develop high blood pressure when fed a high-salt diet. The researchers found that among the rats who were fed a high-salt diet, blood pressure was significantly lower among those whose diet had been supplemented with either hydrazine or grape powder …

http://www.naturalnews.com/026029.html

Wine drinkers 'pile on calories'

THE PRESS ASSOCIATION, USA

16.04.09: The average wine drinker consumes more than 2,000 calories a month from alcohol alone, Government research suggests.

That is the equivalent of 38 roast beef dinners or almost 184 bags of crisps a year, according to the Department of Health.

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More than four out of 10 (42%) women surveyed for the Government's Know Your Limits campaign said they had no idea a glass of white wine had the same calories as a bag of crisps - and when it came to men, four out of 10 (40%) were unaware that a pint of lager had as many calories as a sausage roll. … Two large glasses of white wine contain around 370 calories, which is almost a fifth of a woman's daily calorie allowance. It also pushes her over the recommended alcohol intake for one day.

The NHS recommends that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day while women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day … http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hhE4MfFN61kef52yox1XkuaWf QUA

Also published: Middle-class drinkers to be targeted – THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5168105/Middle-class-drinkers-to-be- targeted.html A glass of wine has as many calories as four fish fingers: Government to target drinkers in calorie counting campaign – DAILY MAIL, UK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1170783/Did-know-glass-wine-equals-fishfingers- Government-target-middle-class-drinkers-calorie-counting-campaign.html

ASEV Selects Best Enology and Viticulture Papers for 2009

WINE BUSINESS, USA

17.04.09: A team of researchers examining the alteration of anthocyanin in Merlot grapes and authors of a paper on transporter genes in yeast wine strains were designated by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) to receive the best paper awards for viticulture and enology, respectively. … The top viticulture paper, "Berry Temperature and Solar Radiation Alter Acylation, Proportion and Concentration of Anthocyanin in Merlot Grapes," was authored by Julie Tarara of the USDA-ARS at Washington State University, Prosser, Washington; Jungmin Lee of the USDA-ARS at the University of Idaho; Sara Spayd of North Carolina State University (previously of WA State University), and Carolyn Scagel of the USDA-ARS at Oregon State University. They tested the effects of sun exposure on anthocyanin composition in Merlot and separated out the effects from increased berry temperature and solar radiation …

http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=63812

What's Wrong With Wine on the Web

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA

11.04.09: Wine on the Web is beginning to drive us crazy. Wine merchants are increasingly splitting into those who take online shopping seriously and those who don't -- with an increasing number, unfortunately, falling into the latter category. … We first wrote a major article about wine on the Web three years ago, soon after the Supreme Court struck down some interstate-shipping laws and everyone sensed that a new world of online wine shopping was dawning. Since then, some Web sites have simply gotten old and tired while others have become so hyperactive that navigating them is like running a race. Some

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stores have clearly decided that the online thing is too much trouble and are starving it. At far too many, customer service is nonexistent and delivery is a joke.

This is a shame because online wine shopping can be a joy. Sites that are intuitive and robust can be as relaxing and fun as browsing in a good wine store. For people who live in areas where interstate shipping is allowed, online shopping means access to all sorts of interesting, unusual wine -- and aggressive price comparisons, too. For stores, online shopping can be a big part of their business: At Astor Wines & Spirits in New York, for instance, it's 15% and growing. And generally, in terms of the future of the wine industry, young adults increasingly buy all sorts of stuff on the Web and the wine industry shouldn't want to fall behind with them. Indeed, successful sites tell us that their online customers tend to be younger than average wine consumers …

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123939668806909355.html

Inertia Beverage Group Gives Sacramento Businesses Taste of New Virtual Wine Distributor

YAHOO, USA

14.04.09: … Recently launched, WineREvolution.com allows restaurants and retailers to purchase hard-to-find wines not commonly distributed via traditional wine wholesalers. Over 60 brands and hundreds of wines are available for purchase at www.winerevolution.com. Retailers and restaurants in 12 U.S. states can register at the website, browse the portfolio and make their purchase. …

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Inertia-Beverage-Group-Gives-bw-14918998.html

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor

This section presents all international publicity relating to wines from Greece.

Greek wines of long lineage return

OREGON LIVE, USA

14.04.09: Spring is in the air. It's the season for renewal. New beginnings. So let's start fresh with two words that you might not think go together: "."

Clear your mind of all of that associative clutter -- amphorae, jugs, ouzo, retsina, "opa!" -- and focus instead on the notion of unique and sophisticated sippers, as tasty as anything from Western Europe but more affordable. "I think of Greece as being a very old wine producer with a very new wine industry," says Mimi Martin. A wine educator and co-owner of The Wine & Spirit Archive, Martin has traveled extensively in Greece and taught classes on Greek wine.

Greece was a prolific wine region in classical times, exporting its wine as far as its ships could sail. But under subsequent rulers such as the Byzantines and Ottomans, commercial went "into hibernation," Martin explains. Wine became a homemade commodity,

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update hand-traded by the jug between rural farmers.

Then, when Greece joined the European Union in 1981, the children of rustic village vintners traveled to France to learn modern methods of winemaking. They returned to their home vineyards with French grape varietals such as merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and began making, barreling and bottling serious wines.

Now that Greek winemakers are comfortable with the quality of their work, they have returned to indigenous grape varieties, making the same sorts of alluring wines that Aristotle and Alexander the Great once sipped.

A big, fat Greek label lesson

The good news first: The Greek alphabet has largely been banished from the high-quality table wines exported to the United States. Now the bad news: No one can agree on how to spell Greek wine terms using the Latin alphabet. So -- unless you're a journalist -- forget about trying to spell the titles of Greek wines. Instead, focus your energy on properly pronouncing them. … http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2009/04/greek_wines_of_long_lineage_re.ht ml

Surprisingly charming spring wines will wake up your senses

THE STAR, AUSTRALIA

18.04.09: This spring I find myself looking for something different: slightly edgy, upscale without being too expensive, wines that wake up my senses and take them in new directions. Wines that surprise with their charm. … The Tsantali Metohi is a Greek cabernet sauvignon and native limnio blend, grown on Mount Athos, that mesa of stunning ancient monasteries. Tsantali has an arrangement with the surviving monks to grow grapes here, and when I visited, the field workers had huge callouses on their hands that looked like horns, from pruning the buds and canes for decades. Premium quality Greek reds seldom grace our shelves because they do not sell well here. This red gives a glimpse of the greatness possible from the best Greek vineyards. …

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/618432

Blogosphere Monitor

In this section the most important blog entries for wine and Greek wine are recorded.

Sticking Up For Sauvignon Blanc (Again)

THE POUR, THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

14.03.09: My wine-writing colleague Mike Steinberger published an article in Slate a few years ago called “White Lies: Why Sauvignon Blanc Is Overrated.’’ Basically he thinks the sauvignon blanc grape, and the multitude of wines made from it all over the world are about as interesting as a three-day seminar on life insurance.

I won’t debate the merits of Mike’s article except to say that I disagree with him – but I’ve said that before, about a year ago, when I wrote about

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California sauvignon blancs. Now, I’m calling attention to his article again because my column this week is about the pleasures of the 2007 vintage.

Perhaps I’m over-using a tactic that wore itself out the first time, but I can’t help thinking about his column every time I really enjoy a good sauvignon blanc wine. Except for white Bordeaux from Pessac-Léognan, which is another sort of wine entirely, many of the greatest sauvignon blanc wines in the world come from Sancerre, and its neighbor across the Loire, Pouilly-Fumé …

http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/sticking-up-for-sauvignon-blanc-again/

Are Super-Tuscans Still Super?

THE POUR, THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

13.04.09: Fascinating article in the current issue of “The World of Fine Wine,’’ a glossy, erudite and, alas, very expensive British wine quarterly that always has many things worth reading. This article, by Kerin O’Keefe, a wine writer based in Italy, suggests that the Super- Tuscan category, which has attracted so much attention in the last 35 years, may have run its course.

If so, it’s not a moment too soon. For too long Super-Tuscan, a brilliant marketing term, has been essentially a license to charge too much money for wines that far too often are impeccably made bores. Let me qualify that briefly, because there are certainly some exceptions to my categorical statement.

The term Super-Tuscan — many are willing to take credit for inventing it — was originally applied to wines that were not made according to the rules governing production in Tuscany’s various wine appellations. Those wines generally fell into the category vino da tavola — — a term theoretically reserved for wines that fell below the Tuscan standards. But the Super-Tuscans were made by producers who felt that meeting the Tuscan standards would drag down the quality of their wines. This resulted in a reverse snobbery toward vino da tavolas that was captured perfectly by the term Super-Tuscan …

http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/are-super-tuscans-still-super/

Book Review: Notes on a Cellar-Book by George Saintsbury

VINOGRAPHY, USA

19.04.09: If you love to drink wine, and love a good read, you have to get ahold of this book.

The dust jacket for this re-issue and annotation of English wineophile George Saintsbury's famous Notes on a Cellar-Book describes it-- correctly--as "one of the greatest tributes to drink and drinking in the literature of wine." It's also the quirkiest, the most baffling and inscrutable, and the most flagrantly opinionated.

Writing in the 1920s, Saintsbury (1845-1933) was more than an avid drinker and collector; he was a legendary professor of literature in the British Isles, the author of something like 80 books and innumerable articles, and an unregenerate Tory who once staged a demonstration to keep classical Greek as a requirement for undergraduates. So when he

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update pulled together these reflections on what he had recorded over the years about his alcoholic beverage inventory and how it had been consumed, he naturally sprinkled it with an amazing thicket of literary allusions, asides, quotations, things in quotations for no apparent reason, tirades against Prohibition in the US, and much, much more.

Thankfully, this edition comes with a fine road map to the mind of George Saintsbury in the form of an introduction and extensive annotations by Thomas Pinney, author of the definitive two-volume A In America, himself a retired literature professor. If Saintsbury's egregious references to Charles Lamb, Trollope,Tennyson or Moliere aren't immediately accessible, or antique terms make you scratch your head, Pinney is there, doing the best he can. …

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2009/04/book_review_notes_on_a_cellar-.html

Tasting the Wines of Mendocino

VINOGRAPHY, USA

14.04.09: The wine regions of California are in various states of evolution when it comes to marketing themselves as a region. The best known areas, namely Napa and Sonoma, have been long organized and motivated to promote their regions as a whole, marketing their geographies like brands, with great success. This success derives from both their maturity as wine regions, as well as the concentration of wineries (and therefore funding for such initiatives) in each.

Other wine regions of California continue to evolve, of course, and are doing their best to increase their visibility and identities in the minds of wine consumers and the wine industry alike. Hence the first annual Taste of Mendocino wine tasting that was held last week in San Francisco for members of the trade and the media.

More than 250 wines from Mendocino county and its various overlapping American Viticultural Areas were poured by scores of vintners, offering a unique opportunity to get a snapshot, of sorts, as to what is going on in the region …

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2009/04/tasting_the_wines_of_mendocino.html

Wine editorial as advertisement - from France to the US?

DR. VINO, USA

21.04.09: For enophiles, one of the great travesties of the past few years has been the rise of a new puritanism in France. Yes, the country perhaps most associated with wine has, paradoxically, also seen increasing amounts resistance to wine from some parts of society. In my book Wine Politics, I’ve compared this (French?) twist with America and how the two countries seem to be headed in opposite directions; many others have also commented on these changes.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping of the actions relates to wine and the internet. A French court ruled early last year that Heineken’s web site was illegal to display in France, which sparked fears and confusion among wine web sites and Microsoft pulled wine ads. Also, in another decision last year, a court fined the newspaper Le Parisien €5,000 for a champagne review article claiming that it was no different than an advertisement and should run the disclaimer: “Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health.” That could never happen here, right?

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http://www.drvino.com/2009/04/21/wine-editorial-as-advertisement-from-france-to-the- us/

Changes at The Wine Advocate? Correspondence with Parker and Miller

DR. VINO, USA

16.04.09: Robert Parker set an admirably high standard for ethics in wine journalism. In the introduction to the latest edition of his Wine Buyer’s Guide, he emphasizes the need for wine critics to avoid potential conflicts of interest and lays out the ethical guidelines that he believes they must adhere to. Among other things, he says that is “it is imperative for a wine critic to pay his own way. Gratuitous hospitality in the form of airline tickets, hotel rooms, guest houses, etc., should never be accepted either abroad or in this country. …

In his correspondence with eRobertParker.com moderator, Mark Squires, Mike Steinberger brought up the “Weekend at Bern’s,” a road trip to the Tampa Bay wine mecca, Bern’s. The Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller, whose editorial ambit includes reviewing the wines of Spain, Australia, and Argentina, was among the attendees. Also there were three importers whose Spanish wines Miller reviews: Eric Solomon, Patrick Mata, and Jose Pastor. Miller’s participation in this purely social event would seem to be distinctly at odds with Parker’s stated policy regarding interaction with the trade.

This isn’t the only example of Wine Advocate contributors deviating from Parker’s guidelines. Last year, Mark Squires, who reviews the dry wines of Portugal as well as the wines of Israel, Greece, Lebanon, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania for the Advocate, went to Israel on a trip, in his words in the forum, “”paid by the Israeli government…approved by Bob in advance.”

To the best of my knowledge, Parker has not given any indication, in print or online, that he has relaxed the Wine Advocate’s ethical standards. But in light of these examples, and given that so much of Parker’s authority derives from the perception that his integrity is beyond reproach, it seems fair to ask if the Wine Advocate has changed its policies regarding gratuitous hospitality and interaction with the trade. So I put the question to Robert Parker via email and post his reply here. I also sought clarification from Jay Miller. Further down, I post our exchange …

http://www.drvino.com/2009/04/16/changes-at-the-wine-advocate-correspondence-with- parker-and-miller/

The Rich Folks Guide to Wine Buying in a Recession

FERMENTATION, USA

14.04.09: All wine lovers are reacting to economic down turn in different ways: Fear, apprehension, taking advantage, slowing down.One thing is for sure, though. If you can afford to buy wine, now has never been a better time. Lots of deals out there to choose from and great price/quality ratios across categories. The thing is, no one thinks of the Rich Folk's interests in time like this. So I thought I might put together a quick "Rich Folk's Guide to Wine Buying in a Recession."

The one thing the Rich Folk need to do right now is start acting like Rich Folk and start representing those deep pockets. It's time for you guys to step up and start to carry the rest of us until we can get back on our feet. That's right. It's time you guys used those savings and

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update assets to pick up some great deals on great wines; but it's also time you stepped in and put some vigor into the mid and high end of the market. And I have some suggestions along those lines …

http://www.fermentation.typepad.com/

Peripheral Domains Intelligence

This section covers developments from associated domains such as Greek food, taste and culinary trends, as well as any other significant information that has an impact on or derives from the global wine domain.

Austria takes top design prize

HARPERS, UK

16.04.09: and spirit producer, Esterhazy Wein, has walked away with the top prize from the 2009 Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review Design & Packaging Awards. The Burgenland-based company picked up the Best Overall Design trophy to go with the Best Spirits Range prize for its re-designed spirits range at the event, which honours the best new wine and spirit launches from the past 12 months.

Other trophy-winners included Austrian/Swiss joint venture wine brand Heimspiel (Best Wine), Croft Pink (Best Fortified), Gruppo Coltiva’s Quanto Basta (Best Wine Brand), Kingsland Wine & Spirits’ Balance (Best Innovation), West Eleven Cocktails (Best RTD) and Cono Sur Sparkling (Best Sparkling).

International brand and design agency, The Brand Union, was declared Design Agency of the Year for its work with Diageo’s malt whisky range.The awards, now in their tenth year, were judged by a panel of industry experts including Sid Russell (head designer, Bartle, Bogle, Hegarty), Angela Mount (Mount & Paul Consultants), Lee Sharkey (Publisher, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review), Lynne Whitaker (Winebrand Consultants) and David Williams (freelance drinks writer).

http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/7887-austria-takes-top-design-prize.html

Obama Disapproves of French 'Obama' Wine

THE WASHINGTON POST, USA

16.04.09: As fabulous as his reception was in France earlier this month, President Obama is none too pleased to hear that a French winemaker is creating a cuvee in his name. French vintner Angela Bousquet-Keita, who is originally from Africa, has created the Obama vintage to celebrate the election of the first African-American to the White House, according to Spiegel Online International.

The German magazine writes:

Bousquet-Keita, who believes she is the only black female winemaker in the entire country, described how she felt a "moment of ecstasy" when Obama won the election. "It was the advent of a world that I had always dreamed of for my children," she told the French daily Le Monde. She reportedly intends to charge $198 for three bottles of the wine. But she claims all profits will go to an NGO working to save Darfur. But Bousquet-Keita may be disheartened to

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update learn that Obama doesn't approve. The White House is treating her the same way it has other entrepreneurs who have tried to make a buck off the new internationally popular president. White House spokesman Ben LaBolt explains the objection is an institutional one. "The White House has a longstanding policy of disapproving uses of the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes," he told the Sleuth via email.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/04/as_fabulous_as_his_ eception.html?hpid=news-col-blog

Italy's answer to champagne

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

11.04.09: Bellavista may not be cheap, but it's infinitely more complex than your average prosecco … Prosecco is often spoken of as the "champagne of Italy", but this is misleading since the grapes and method of production differ from those of northern France. I prefer the description given by Gianluca Bisol, whose family has been making the stuff for five generations. "Since there is no question in my mind that champagne is the king of the bubbles, I like to think of prosecco as the prince," he once told me.

A worthy prince to be sure, but not one in the same league as , to whose voluptuous charms I have just recently succumbed. I have barely given prosecco or champagne a backward glance. Fickle, me?

This tantalising sparkler from the southern banks of Lake Iseo in Brescia in Lombardy is the true candidate for title of "champagne of Italy", not least because – unlike prosecco – its price ain't far off that of a fancy Grande Marque.

"Franciacorta is the only in the world apart from champagne whose name refers not only to the wine itself, but also to the method and to the region of its production," explains Mattia Vezzola, winemaker at the largest producer, Bellavista. "Although we look to champagne for our inspiration we don't want to imitate it. I am Italian and I want to make . We are as different from the French as mozzarella and oil are from foie gras and butter."

Still wines – mainly red – have been made in Franciacorta for centuries, but it is only since the Sixties that sparklers have been produced. DOC status was granted in 1967 (specifying that the wines should be made in the Champagne method, using only hand-harvested chardonnay, pinot nero and – in an Italian twist – pinot bianco rather than ) with DOCG following in 1991.

In 2003, franciacorta became the only wine in Italy to be exempt from putting this appellation on its bottles. As with champagne – which similarly doesn't declare its AOC status – the word franciacorta is deemed enough to guarantee quality and place of origin. … http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5120093/Italys-answer-to-champagne.html

Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest

This section presents those global, macro and micro trends that affect or potentially affect the wine domain. Comprehensive fusion and distillation of the above publicity parathesis concludes to the most important

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Global Wine Trends 24/04/2009 Weekly Update aspects as those appear in the current setting.

Chinese Wine Culture(s): Part III

ENOBYTES, USA

21.04.09: … Bottled importation of wine is barely fifteen years old as a market in China. Some wine importers have come or gone – or reinvented themselves – but it’s still a young market, obviously. Out at the front are Aussino and ASC battling for dominance in an environment unlikely to admit monopoly influence for any company in the long term. Other importers like Torres China – of the great eponymous Spanish wine family – Summergate, DT Asia, East Meets West, among many others, occupy a more middle ground. Then you have smaller specialist merchants and importers like Ruby Red Fine Wines, Globus Fine Wines and The Wine Republic who are serving to diversify the market. Companies traditionally stronger in Hong Kong and Macao, such as Watson’s Fine Wines and Links Concept, are now also active in the Chinese mainland.

This diversification is more than welcome and has yielded the odd surprise or two. Who would have thought, for example, that or domaine Burgundy (outside of DRC) would find a market, albeit small, in China and so soon? Although the global economic situation has slowed the market for bottled imports in China – and has certainly affected the higher end of the F&B industry – perhaps international wineries will turn to China as a new destination for wines proving a tougher sell in other parts of the world. Well, we live in hope at least.

As in other immature markets, high-end Chinese consumers gravitate to France and to Bordeaux especially. … But Australia and Chile are not far behind France in carving up significant chunks of the import scene, helped by beneficial trade agreements. What is more surprising is the possibility of turning novice Chinese palates on to wines that some industry insiders thought impossible to sell (like those grower following on the heels of the Grande Marques). … Not that the Chinese can’t drink: they can! It’s the northern Chinese who consume the most alcohol, whilst some southern Chinese struggle to produce alcohol dehydrogenase, or at least enough of this enzyme to process alcohol effectively (hence the ‘pink-face-after-a-glass’ routine).

So if Chinese wine drinkers are keen to try different international wines – sometimes irrespective of the ‘French is best’ mantra – we should also expect to see more diversified and more ‘regional’ preferences emerging, i.e. in terms of what wines sell well in different parts of the country. …

http://enobytes.org/wine_blog/2009/04/21/chinese-wine-cultures-part-iii/

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