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Global Wine Trends Weekly Update

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24.07.2009

Critical Publics | EDOAO

Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... 2

Global Market Watch ...... 4

What You're Drinking Now ...... 4 Cornell–Southern Wine & Spirits Research Highlights Strategies that Correlate to Increased Wine Sales ...... 4 ‘More for your dolla koala' wine to take on Aussie vintners ...... 5 Starbucks experimenting with beer, wine ...... 5 Some wine companies tailor their marketing to attract more men...... 6 On the bottle: the Harrods cellar ...... 6 Box Wines That Can Be A Hit ...... 7 Plastic not so fantastic for wine's shelf-life: study ...... 7 Fruit wine getting recognition it deserves...... 8 Do you want to drink a wine made by your favorite celebrity? ...... 8 still queen of world ...... 8 Summer’s Background Music ...... 9

Global Industry Watch ...... 10

No stake in Diageo says CIC ...... 10 Argentina's Ascent ...... 10 Grading Obama's Commitment to Organic Wine and Agriculture ...... 11 Is California Preparing an Internet Wine Crackdown? ...... 11 Wine Shipping Proponents To Pour For Justice ...... 12 SA wine producers take on the world ...... 13 Zut alors! French wine sales go down the drain ...... 13 Nilaya from Diageo dries up. Leaves Indian market ...... 14 DELOACH VINEYARDS ROLLS OUT BARREL-TO-BARREL WINE SERVICE .... 14 Remy Cointreau reports 4.5 percent drop in Q1 sales as Champagne sales lose their pop ...... 14 Inertia wants New Vine to survive ...... 15 Wine retailer raises £1 million ...... 15 Ice wine produced in Brazil for the first time ...... 16 AXA head to make English sparkling wines ...... 16 New Mexico produces tasty wine ...... 16 Ehrmanns acquired by Global Vintners ...... 17

Wine Domain Catalysts Watch ...... 17

Bordeaux En Primeur – First Sanity then Parker Madness ...... 17 Land of plenty ...... 18 US wine critic includes some Navarran wines on his latest issue ...... 18 Supermarket own-label wines deserve a fitting tribute ...... 19

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch ...... 20

The Claim: Is Better for You Than White...... 20 Wine May Lessen Radiation Therapy Side Effects ...... 20 Seismic Barrel Rack Shakes Up the Industry ...... 21 Lactic acid reduces off aromas, allergic reactions: study ...... 21

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor ...... 22

GREECE: In vino veritas ...... 22

Blogosphere Monitor ...... 23

Wine Signs of the Times ...... 23 The Sampler expands...... 23 The USA "would be well advised to concentrate on producing great white wines" ...... 24 Sierra missed – the saga of Sierra Carche 2005 ...... 24 How to Pitch a Wine Blogger ...... 25 Wine Bloggers and Their Readers: The Connective Tissue ...... 25

Peripheral Domains Intelligence ...... 26

Social Media Takes Stage at WITS ...... 26 Rosemount Estate Wines Announces Exclusive Wine Partnership With 'Hell's Kitchen' and Chef Gordon Ramsay ...... 26 Wine mockumentary released ...... 27 The Vine Hotel & Spa, Madeira ...... 27

Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest ...... 28

Consumers spend less on wines ...... 28

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 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.

What You're Drinking Now

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

13.07.09: Hard times can require difficult choices. Although wine consumers are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for the general economy, most have cut back on their wine spending compared with a year ago, according to the results of a recent survey conducted on WineSpectator.com.

Strategies vary as people seek to maximize their pleasure in light of newly constrained budgets. Many of those who are still drinking their favorite wines are buying less of them. Even more are seeking out value wines they haven't tried before. Others are drinking wines from their cellar instead of purchasing new ones.

"I'm spending a little less on wine today than I did a year ago," wrote one survey respondent, a man in his 20s who lives in the southwestern United States. "A lot less $30 bottles, a lot more $15 bottles. I now buy more value wines I haven't tried before. I have made it a game to find good wine for cheap." A year ago, he generally spent $21 to $50 per bottle at retail. Today, he spends $10 to $20.

In all, 61 percent of respondents said they were spending less on wine now compared with a year ago (35 percent are spending a little less; 26 percent are spending a lot less). Only 10 percent are spending more. Last year, 54 percent of respondents spent $21 to $50 per bottle at retail, and 16 percent spent more than $50. Now the largest category of respondents, 43 percent, reports spending $10 to $20 per bottle. The percentage of those spending in the $21 to $50 range has decreased to 39 percent, while the more than $50 group represents only 10 percent of respondents…

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5198,00.html

Cornell–Southern Wine & Spirits Research Highlights Strategies that Correlate to Increased Wine Sales

HOSPITALITY.NET, USA

22.07.09: A Cornell University wine research study has identified four key strategies that

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update coincide with higher wine sales in restaurants. In a newly released report, "Wine List Characteristics Associated with Greater Wine Sales," certain attributes of restaurant wine lists were analyzed by Cornell University's Sybil Yang and Michael Lynn. The research was made possible by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, partnering with Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research.

The research found that the following four wine-list tactics were involved in higher wine sales: (1) Including the wine list on the food menu; (2) Listing prices without a dollar sign; (3) Listing wines from certain wineries known for their quality; and (4) Including "reserve" wines or another special section. A fifth tactic, however, was connected with lower sales, namely, using wine style as an organizational category on the list (e.g., sweet, bold, dry)…

The report is available at: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2009.html

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4042579.search?query=wine

‘More for your dolla koala' wine to take on Aussie vintners

FORT WAYNE, USA

19.07.09: First there was Two Buck Chuck. Now, there's Three Dolla Koala.

Fred Franzia, the vintner who shook up the world seven years ago with Charles Shaw wines — nicknamed Two Buck Chuck because they sell for $1.99 in some states — has come up with Down Under, a chardonnay made of imported Australian bulk wine and priced at around $2.99 in California.

His goal is to take on popular imports such as Yellow Tail.

“It's time that the American consumer paid the correct price for Australian wine. They've been overpaying for it,” says Franzia. In Australia, John Casella, managing director of Casella Wines, which makes Yellow Tail, took the news phlegmatically.

“A lot of brands compete with Yellow Tail and this will be another,” he said.

The “three dolla koala” marketing slogan plays off the koala on the label, though in the national campaign the wine is touted as “more for your dolla koala,” since tax differences mean consumers in some states will pay more than $2.99……

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090719/LIVING/907190301

Starbucks experimenting with beer, wine

THE SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES, USA

20.07.09: Starbucks Corp. will add beer and wine to its menu of coffees, teas and snacks at one of its Seattle locations. The store has been named “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea inspired by Starbucks” and will open Friday.

Starbucks plans to serve alcohol at two additional stores in Seattle and is determining locations for these stores, which will open in the coming months, a Starbucks spokeswoman said. The performance of the Seattle area stores will determine if Starbucks will sell alcohol elsewhere.

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Baristas completed a certification program in Washington to serve alcoholic beverages…

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/07/20/daily13.html

Some wine companies tailor their marketing to attract more men.

KANSASCITY.COM, USA

21.07.09: Cal Dennison likes a nice cold glass of Chardonnay. And he is man enough to admit it.

That is hardly surprising since Dennison is winemaker at the Modesto-based Redwood Creek winery, but is he an exception?

Judging by some marketing campaigns, you might think so. Take the Super Bowl ad that ran a couple of years back in which men invited to a wine and cheese party sneaked into the kitchen to unpack beer hidden in a fake wheel of cheese.

It was a stereotype played for laughs — in real life lots of men like wine — but maybe one with a crumb of cultural truth. The designator for “average dude” in political campaigning last fall was Joe Six-pack, not Peter …

http://www.kansascity.com/living/food/story/1336500.html

On the bottle: the Harrods cellar

THE TIMES, UK

22.07.09: There was a time when I used to shop at Harrods for wine — not because I was rich, but because it was cheap. I paid a few pounds for thrilling French provincial reds that were perhaps too outré for the gentry. Then, disaster: prices rose and the operation moved to an opulent “cellar” within sniffing distance of the Krispy Kreme franchise.

It seemed the accountants had taken over. I now know what had really happened: Alistair Viner had arrived. Yes, he looks like an accountant; and he lives in Peterborough, an accountant’s kind of town; but behind the pinstripes he’s a true believer who trained as a chef, bummed around Southeast Asia, worked in a South African winery, and ended up at Harrods “in coffee” before switching his palate to wine, where he is the purchasing manager.

As these are recessionary times, even at Harrods, Alistair has of late had the chance to introduce more characterful bottles at affordable prices. His summer sale ends today (Sunday July 19), so if you stop reading now and log on to harrods.com/harrodsstore/find/c/foodhall and click through to the wine sale, you may be able to grab the last of the honeyed, appley Domaine de l’Aigle Cuvée du Soleil Moelleux, a brilliant southern-French take on luscious vouvray, half-price at £4.95 a half-bottle. Come back when you’ve finished as there’s more to hear about Alistair’s relevance to today’s nervous wine market…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6716070.ece

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Box Wines That Can Be A Hit

FORBES, USA

16.07.09: At DBGB Kitchen and Bar, the five-week old restaurant in downtown Manhattan from Daniel Boulud, diners can order something different for the table: a box of wine.

Call it a sign of the times that a restaurant from the chef who once gained headlines for selling a $100 truffle-encrusted hamburger is now selling box wine. But it's also a resounding endorsement for the packaging. (Boulud was an early fan of the box since he introduced his own, short-lived box wine brand DTour, in 2005.)

"The wine bottle is late-18th century technology," says Colin Alevras, sommelier at DBGB. "It's time to move on." And most diners have no problem with the packaging, he says.

In Depth: Dr. Vino's Box Wines To Watch For

The box wines sold at DBGB, made of organically grown grapes, are both Cotes du Rhones, a white and a red called From the Tank. DBGB sells both by the glass for $6, in a one-liter carafe for $25, or the whole, unbleached cardboard three-liter box can land on the table for $72 (it costs about $40 at retail)… http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/16/wine-packinging-boxes-lifestyle-wine-boxed-wine.html

Plastic not so fantastic for wine's shelf-life: study

YAHOO, USA

21.07.09: Bottling wine in recycled plastic may be good for the environment in the long-term, but not for the quality of the vintage, an Australian study shows.

The study, commissioned by plastic bottle maker Portavin, revealed the green alternative to glass was only good for wines that are drunk within a maximum of 12 months after bottling, with some wines starting to oxidize as early as 8 months.

"Simply put air travels through plastic but not through glass," Portavin's Managing Director Ian Matthews told Reuters.

"PET is fine for wine you plan to use under 12 months, but not for wines that are designed to improve in the bottle. It's highly unlike plastic will ever take over from glass because the PET format doesn't suit every style of wine."

The study aimed to assess the shelf-life of wine in 187 ml PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, bottles which Matthews said were better for the environment and manufacturing costs…

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090721/lf_nm_life/us_wine_plastic_1

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Fruit wine getting recognition it deserves

CANADA.COM, CANADA

16.07.09: Fruit wines are shedding their pop-cooler image.

Wine lovers and experts alike are starting to give them the attention and respect once reserved for traditional grape vintages.

Local vintners are among those that have proven premium fruit can produce signature wine.

A Kingsville-area fruit winery wasn't even a year old when it snagged not one but two prestigious All Canadian Wine Championships medals for its Black Bear label wines.

Wagner Estate Winery has garnered a loyal clientele for the fruit wines produced at its orchard east of Manning Road and south of County Road 42 in Lakeshore.

At Aleksander Estate, in Ruthven, visitors scoop up the popular wine along with acclaimed grape vintages.

And the Smith & Wilson Estate winery, on Lake Erie near Cedar Springs, makes a variety of fruit wines along with its award-winning grape selections.

Fruit wines provide distinctive flavours that are especially enjoyable in the summer. They also work well in salad dressings, glazes and marinades… http://www.canada.com/life/food/Fruit+wine+getting+recognition+deserves/1797502/stor y.html

Do you want to drink a wine made by your favorite celebrity?

EXAMINER, USA

20.07.09: According to Market Watch magazine, a bunch of celebrities are entering the wine business. Some own their own vineyards, while others just lend their likeness to a given blend. Here are some of the stars who are hawking wines: Tom and Dick Smothers, Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Montana, Madonna, Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil, Barry Manilow, Dan Ackroyd, Olivia Newton-John, Mick Fleetwood, Jeff Gordon, Lorraine Bracco, Larry Bird, Randy Lewis, Dave Matthews, Martha Stewart, Lil Jon, and the late Paul Newman.

Some of these celebrities don't even come off like wine drinkers... they don't make me want to rush and buy their wines. I think some of the bon vivants of the past should have put out wines, like Vincent Price, Tony Randall, or Frank Sinatra.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1493-Baltimore-Restaurant-Examiner~y2009m7d20-Do-you- want-to-drink-a-wine-made-by-your-favorite-celebrity

Chardonnay still queen of white wine world

EXAMINER, USA

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

21.07.09: Poor chardonnay took a beating a few years ago with all that ABC — anything but chardonnay — nonsense. The grand dame of white grapes doesn’t deserve to be run through the spit bucket just because trends now lean toward higher-acidity wines like pinot grigio and . Chardonnay is gorgeous just the way it is.

I think the initial problem with chardonnay came from decades of over- oaking in California and Australia, and aiming for ever-riper and “bigger” winemaking styles. The pretty, delicious white became flabby, woody and far too powerful, sometimes topping 16 percent alcohol. Many chards became fruit “bombs” rather than food-friendly and enjoyable. Winemakers seemingly got away from traditional chardonnay, which in places like Burgundy, France, is beautiful, subtle and always has the holistic dining experience in mind… http://www.examiner.com/x-4920-Phoenix-Drinks-Examiner~y2009m7d21-Chardonnay-still- queen-of-white-wine-world

Summer’s Background Music

INTERNATIONAL HEARALD TRIBUNE, FRANCE

21.07.09: WE are in for it now. Labor Day may as well be New Year’s Eve, and the Fourth of July, well, who can even remember that far back? It’s the heat, it’s the humidity, it’s the vast plateau in the middle of summer with no beginning and no end.

At such points on the mental calendar one of wine’s primary purposes is to offer relief from the daily bout with seasonal oppression. Like a good beach read, the wine should be engaging enough to retain interest but not heavy, entertaining at the cost of no more than idle thought, background music with an escapist overture. When the last glass is emptied, the memories will fade, leaving behind a pleasing sense of regeneration.

I don’t mean to damn with faint praise. It’s a fairly recent phenomenon to think of wine solely as the star of the table, demanding the spotlight and the attention. Wine’s long history is largely in a subordinate role, quietly smoothing the enjoyment of a meal, a conversation, a romance. The background is a place where wines often belong, but rarely one that winemakers are willing to accept.

Many wines constitutionally fill this bill. In the summer, I think not surprisingly of light, crisp whites — sauvignon blanc, for one. Not all sauvignon blancs, of course. Some can be too stimulating, like a top Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, or a white Bordeaux from Pessac-Léognan. Such wines are wasted if the aim is essentially mindless entertainment…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22wine.html?_r=1&em

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

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.

No stake in Diageo says CIC

FINANCIAL TIMES, UK

China Investment Corp, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund, is not the owner of a recently acquired 1.1 per cent stake in Diageo, the UK drinks group, as reported in the FT on Tuesday.

Diageo confirmed on Monday that China Investment Corp, established in 2007 to manage $200bn of China's foreign exchange reserves, had bought a stake worth £221m in June.

However, CIC yesterday said it was not the buyer and Diageo confirmed that the shares were registered in the name of another Chinese state entity, the People's Bank of China, the central bank. Diageo said it could not comment on whether the People's Bank of China was holding the shares on behalf of a sovereign wealth fund.

CIC is China's officially-designated sovereign fund, but the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has emerged as a de facto rival through its own purchase of stakes in large listed overseas companies. SAFE, a possible buyer of the Diageo shares in the absence of CIC, could not be contacted last night.

SAFE sits under the central bank and manages the bulk of China's reserves.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/038b8720-7722-11de-b23c-00144feabdc0.html

Argentina's Ascent

THE WINE NEWS, USA

23.07.09: Argentina has been growing vines and making wine since 1540, and commercially since the first French agronomists arrived in the 1850s. Yet with centuries of wine history, it has not been until the last decade or so that it has begun to gain international recognition. Previously, it did not export a lot of wine because the home market was huge and undemanding. Domestic consumption began to fall in the 1970s, yet producers were very slow in seeking replacement markets because their captive audience was still quite sizable. It was not until a handful of well-traveled vintners took it upon themselves to upgrade the country's wine image that change began to seep into Argentina's arid vineyards. Spurred by the elevated wines being crafted post-1988 at Catena in Mendoza and Etchart in Salta, the country's wine industry initiated a sweeping program in the 1990s to modernize and radically upgrade wine quality. Outside experts and investors were sought and, like long-struggling vines, these efforts have slowly borne fruit. With a deeper understanding of its , new vineyards and modern technology, Argentina has deftly repositioned itself to compete globally.

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

I witnessed the results of this sea change in February when I served as a judge at the Argentine Wine Awards in Mendoza. Numbers alone tell the story: It is estimated that more than half of its newer upper-tier bottlings are exported, and that the U.S. consumes one in four of those bottles.

That said, only 20 percent of Argentina's total annual production is exported. "We have a great wine tradition in this country," says Julian Orti, the export manager of Bodega Pascual Toso. "My father had wine on our table every night, as did his father before him." Like many table wines of its ilk, however, it was nondescript. "It certainly wasn't what I would consider good wine."…

http://www.thewinenews.com/current/comment.asp

Grading Obama's Commitment to Organic Wine and Agriculture

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

17.07.09: New labeling regulations for organic wine, and other programs, show the administration's commitment to change

It was the organic harvest seen 'round the world. This past month, first lady Michelle Obama and some Washington D.C. elementary school students tromped out to the White House lawn and harvested 73 pounds of lettuce, 12 pounds of snap peas and one cucumber from the Presidential mansion's new certified organic vegetable garden. Their bounty was brought inside, where Obama and the students helped White House chefs prepare lunch.

The White House vegetable garden has been an important symbol for the new administration, signaling first couple's support for local, organic and sustainable agriculture. (It was an important enough symbol that the Mid America CropLife Association, an agribusiness media group, sent the White House a letter asking the first lady to give chemical fertilizers and pesticides a fair try.)

"Now that's a commitment and a statement," said Mark Kastel, codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers. Kastel contrasted that to Ronald Reagan's order to remove the solar panels installed by Jimmy Carter on the White House roof when he took office.

But is President Obama taking more than just symbolic steps? Six months into his first term, have his policies shown a real commitment to sustainable and organic farming? And more specifically, are wineries that embrace such methods being helped by the new president?...

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5204,00.html

Is California Preparing an Internet Wine Crackdown?

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

21.07.09: The state warns wineries and direct shipping marketers that they may be breaking

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update the law

A warning from California's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) is causing concerns among some small wineries and the firms that help them sell wine online. The advisory, issued last month, could hamper the growth of online sales and direct shipping. And it could further complicate and delay Amazon.com's long-awaited entry into wine sales…

…Amazon, one of the largest online retailers in the world, is attempting to create a wine division but continues to run into delays. The company had announced it would partner with New Vine Logistics, a Napa-based direct-shipping service, so it wouldn't have to directly handle the wine. Amazon could make sales without having to acquire a license in every state. (New Vine Logistics was saved from bankruptcy recently after rival Inertia Beverage Group stepped in; Inertia is selling off many New Vine assets and has made no comment on the future of the Amazon deal.)

According to Mathew Seck, chief of the California ABC's trade enforcement unit, the advisory was released to address confusion surrounding Internet regulations. Consumers and licensed businesses had been calling in with questions pertaining to unlicensed marketing agents and websites. Seck admitted that the ABC doesn't have time for its employees to be scanning the Internet, and relies on complaints.

Seck also said the ABC has wine drinkers in mind. Unlicensed businesses that sell alcohol are unregulated. If a consumer receives a damaged product, they may not be able to pursue compensation. "[It's] a very complicated issue," said Seck. "The department is concerned about consumer protection. It's really a buyer beware situation when they purchase from non-licensed sources."…

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5213,00.html

Wine Shipping Proponents To Pour For Justice

YAHOO FINANCE, USA

17.07.09: Wine lovers who support free and fair trade will gather on August 6th to promote a change in shipping laws at the upcoming “Pours For Justice”. The fundraising and awareness-raising event is being produced by a consortium of organizations that are looking for a return to the days when Illinoisans could legally purchase wine from out-of-state wine stores…

…In 2007, the Illinois legislature stripped wine consumers of their right to purchase wine from out-of-state wine stores, severely restricting Illinoisans ability to access wine. Oddly, the same Illinois legislature allows consumers to have wines shipped to them from Illinois wine store, Illinois wineries and out-of-state wineries. Drawing of the line at out-of-state wine stores was not only arbitrary, but also a position advocated by and solely benefiting Illinois wine distributors who have contributed millions of dollars to political campaigns.

“We hope through this event and subsequent actions to draw attention to what is really an issue of good government, good lawmaking and fair trade, all casualties where wine laws and consumer access to wine is concerned,” said Neuman.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Wine-Shipping-Proponents-To-bw- 3327350416.html?x=0&.v=1

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

SA wine producers take on the world

BUSINESS REPORT, SOUTH AFRICA

19.07.09: South African wine producers, whose combined exports rose by 32 percent in volume and 47 percent in value last year to a total of $778 million (R6.3 billion), have entered an alliance with four other New World wine-producing countries to compete more effectively with those in the EU that are subsidised heavily by their governments.

The four, represented by Wines of Argentina, the California Wine Institute, Wines of Chile and Wines of New Zealand, have agreed to collaborate with the local industry to present a combined exhibition at the annual Pro Wein show in Germany next year.

Su Birch, the chief executive of Wines of SA, the generic marketing body for South African wines, said on Wednesday that this was the first time competing wine-producing countries had agreed to operate as a team.

A spokesperson said: "Although we remain competitors, we believe the potential exists to further advance the New World's share of the global wine market by sharing best practice…

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=552&fArticleId=5089840

Zut alors! French wine sales go down the drain

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

18.07.09: New figures show Britons now buy more wine from Australia and California than France. Charles Metcalfe explains why

The holidays are just about here, and the children are anchored to Facebook or reruns of inappropriate American cartoons. There must be somewhere better, sunnier, healthier, where shorts and flip-flops oust suits and shoes, restaurants cost less and wine runs freely.

Depending on priorities, the average Briton makes for Spain or France. Spain for sun, and France for quality of life (translation: brilliant food-markets, €20 three-course restaurant menus, and inexpensive, crazily drinkable wines). We love France (if not the French).

So why have we stopped buying their wines? French wine sales have dropped 6.5 per cent in the last year, says the new edition of trade magazine Off-Licence News. France is now in third place and descending, behind Australia and the USA (actually California). Italy (fourth place, up 14.9 per cent), South Africa (fifth place, up 34.9 per cent) and Chile (sixth place, up 14.7 per cent) are all vying for France's position. Australian wine sales may be down a percentage point but they look in no danger of losing the yellow jersey for a while. And the only French name in the top 25 wine brands sold here is J P Chenet, its sales (you've guessed) down by 10 per cent…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5852822/Zut-alors-French-wine-sales-go- down-the-drain.html

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Nilaya from Diageo dries up. Leaves Indian market

SOMMELIER INDIA, INDIA

17.07.09: In another sign that the Indian wine market is contracting with the global economic downturn, Diageo has decided to exit the Indian wine market. They have taken their only brand - Nilaya off the retail shelves and are focusing on their hard liquor business in the country. Nilaya was launched in November 2007 less than two years ago amid much fanfare. Shiv Singh reports.

The question is whether this is an aberration or are we on the verge of seeing a major consolidation in the Indian wine market? At the time of the launch of Nilaya Diageo India MD Asif Adil, "We are proud to present Nilaya which is a bold, unique and an interesting wine meant for a contemporary India. Nilaya exemplifies a cherished lifestyle for everyday living. Nilaya is a celebration of individuality, everyday, everywhere." Since then Roland Abella has taken over from Adi and rumors have it that the decision followed the change of guard at the top…

http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2009/07/nilaya_from_diageo_dries_up_le.html

DELOACH VINEYARDS ROLLS OUT BARREL-TO-BARREL WINE SERVICE

PR LEAP, USA

16.07.09: DeLoach Vineyards, a pioneering Russian River Valley producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and , is revolutionizing wine-by-the-glass service at premier hotels and restaurants with the introduction of its "Barrel-to-Barrel" wine program. A leader in sustainable winery practices and organic and biodynamic farming, DeLoach now offers a convenient and elegant 10-liter barrel that ensures ease-of service, improved quality of every by-the-glass pour, and reduced waste and carbon footprint --- creating a truly new "Cellar to Glass" experience…

…The wine arrives in 10L eco-bags for the price of a typical 9L case, offering the value of an extra liter of wine "up to seven more glasses" for the same cost. The bags protect the wine from oxidation for a minimum of six-eight weeks from the moment they are opened, take up minimal space in the restaurant, are easy to store, and recyclable. Made from a 100% recyclable material and housed in an equally recyclable outer box, the eco-bag fits inside the barrel and holds the equivalent of 67 glasses at a five-ounce pour, or more than 13 standard bottles of wine…

http://www.prleap.com/pr/138297/

Remy Cointreau reports 4.5 percent drop in Q1 sales as Champagne sales lose their pop

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, USA

16.07.09: Wine and spirits group Remy Cointreau reported Thursday a 4.5 percent drop in sales in the April-June quarter as the economic crisis hurt Champagne sales and customers continued

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update destocking.

The Paris-based distiller, which traces its origins to the founding of Remy Martin Cognac in 1724, said revenue in its fiscal first quarter fell to euro138.6 million ($195.27 million) from euro149.9 million a year earlier.

The Champagne division, which produces brands Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck, reported a 39 percent fall in sales to euro13.6 million

Sales in its largest division, cognac, fell 4.5 percent to euro63.7 million.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-france-remy- cointreau,0,5364055.story

Inertia wants New Vine to survive

THE NORTH BAY

18.07.09: Keeping New Vine a viable direct-to-consumer wine order fulfillment and logistics provider after a pending foreclosure sale is an ongoing concern for its lead debt holder, Inertia Beverage Group, which is seeking investors for a potential bid for New Vine assets and long-term goals of building a network of trusted direct-shipping partners.

“We are worried about the New Vine situation because it plants seeds of mistrust that could carry on as we try to build our network,” said Inertia Chief Executive Officer Ted Jansen.

New Vine customers have expressed concerns about whether the company will still be operating after the sale, originally scheduled for last Tuesday and now set for July 27. And some companies that have been considering bids at the auction have called for more time to explore the ongoing value of the assets, which are set to be sold in bulk…

http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/11951/inertia-wants-new-vine-to-survive/

Wine retailer raises £1 million

GROWTH BUSINESS, UK

20.07.09: The Sampler, a wine retailer based in the London borough of Islington, has received funding of £1 million to open branches across the capital.

The fundraising, handled by professional services firm Grant Thornton, brings in new investors ‘from the retailing, finance and wine markets’. The Sampler plans to open branches in South Kensington and Notting Hill later this year, which like the existing Islington outlet will allow customers to try wines before they buy using special sampling machines.

Dawn Mannis, who founded The Sampler in 2006 with partner Jamie Hutchinson, says, ‘It’s our crusade to make wine non-elitist, introduce customers to wines they wouldn’t usually buy, and bring excitement and profit back to high street wine retailing.’…

http://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/news/fundraising-deals/1060162/wine-retailer-raises-1-

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

million.thtml

Ice wine produced in Brazil for the first time

DECANTER, UK

17.07.09: Ice wine is being produced in Brazil for the first time.

The Perico Winery has begun producing the ice wine and plans to sell and export it in October 2010.

The grapes used to make the wine were harvested at a vineyard located near the town of Sao Joaquim, which is about 1300m above sea level in the coastal state Santa Catarina.

In early June, temperatures there dropped to -7.5C.

'Temperatures can get very low here, so we realized that it would one day be possible to produce this,' said Jonas Nunes Tavares, a business manager at the winery.

http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=286418

AXA head to make English sparkling wines

DECANTER, UK

17.07.09: AXA wine boss Christian Seely has set up his own English venture.

Seely, managing director of prestigious estates including Château Pichon-Longueville Baron and Quinta do Noval, has co-founded Seely & Coates Wines - with business partner Nick Coates, an old friend - as an independent project.

A small parcel of wine will be made this year. Seely told decanter.com, 'We are kitting out a winery on site and will vinify the first wine this year and it will be released in time for Christmas 2011.'…

http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=286403

New Mexico produces tasty wine

THE NEWS & OBSERVER, USA

21.07.09: When we think about the great grape-growing places in the world, places like Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Rioja and the Mosel spring to mind.

One of the very last places you might think of is New Mexico. But wine is made there, and often very tasty wine at that. New Mexico has had particular success with sparkling wine.

By coincidence, I've been served a New Mexican bubbly three times in the last couple of weeks, without knowing what it was. Each time, the wine was good enough that I checked the bottle to see who made it, and was surprised each time to find that it was from one of the least likely spots I could imagine.

Maybe you'll be as surprised as I was to learn that New Mexico is actually the oldest wine-

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update growing region in the United States. Early Spanish settlers planted European-style grape varieties along the Rio Grande River in the early 1500s. A hundred years later, missionaries planted grapes for sacramental purposes, well before plantings began in California…

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1616202.html

Ehrmanns acquired by Global Vintners

OFF LICENCE NEWS

21.07.09: International wine investment fund Global Vintners has acquired Ehrmanns in a deal that will enable the new company to trade free of bank debt. The move leaves Ehrmanns’ management team free to focus on developing the business rather than servicing its debt, according to managing director Mark Chapman. “The removal of the bank debt will provide a much more stable financial platform for our customers and supply partners, and will allow greater flexibility to develop our long-term plans for the business,” he said. All on-going creditors will be paid in full and the new company will continue to work with its existing supply base, added chairman Peter Dauthieu. “The Ehrmanns board has been looking for the best way to secure the future of the business, resolve the issues with the bank and put us into a position where we can take advantage of the opportunities that are now arising in the fast changing supply side of the UK wine market,” he said. In the short-term Ehrmanns will continue to trade under the same name, although work is underway to create a new identity for the company.

http://www.offlicencenews.co.uk/articles/71264/Ehrmanns-acquired-by-Global- Vintners.aspx?categoryid=9059

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.

Bordeaux En Primeur – First Sanity then Parker Madness

SPECTATOR, UK

23.07.09: Whilst most of us cannot afford the serious prices normally charged for the top clarets, the prices in recent years have entered the stratosphere making even the most ardent collectors and wealthy investors flinch. As a result there was a great deal of posturing prior to this year’s en primeur campaign with many in the British wine trade calling for a return to sensible pricing that relates to quality.

Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW, wine buyer for Private Cellar Ltd, has provided her perspective on this intriguing bit of wine theatre in a follow up to our feature in March previewing the en primeur campaign: Bordeaux En Primeur - From Frenzy to Fiasco?

She highlights the effect of American wine writer Robert Parker’s reviews on this jittery market.

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My post-tasting commentary on the 2008 primeurs has to be split into two parts, BP and AP – Before Parker and After Parker.

BP

Almost immediately on our return from Bordeaux, 1er Grand Cru Classe Angelus released its wine to the trade at €59 a bottle – a massive reduction on the 07 which had been €100 per bottle.

However, the trade was not impressed and the sales languished – why, when they had apparently made such an effort on price? The 2004 came out at €58.5, so it was a good effort to match the pricing of the 04, however the intervening years had seen some spectacular prices (€155 in 05, €124 in 06) and there was a general feeling that we were being taken for mugs… http://www.spectator.co.uk/wine-club/features/5199548/bordeaux-en-primeur-first-sanity- then-parker-madness.thtml

Land of plenty

THE GUARDIAN, UK

19.07.09: Twenty years ago it was a poverty-stricken corner of Catalonia. Now Priorat makes Spain's most expensive reds, says Tim Atkin

There can't be many people who would pay £410 for a bottle of red wine. Even by the silly- money standards of Bordeaux, that's a huge amount of dosh. But pay it some do. The wine in question is L'Ermita, which vies with Pingus from Ribera del Duero as Spain's most expensive tinto, and is sourced from a steep, 70-year-old patch of Garnacha vines in the staunchly Catalan region of Priorat.

If you had told a local grape grower 20 years ago that a wine from this wild, isolated, poverty- affected corner of Spain would fetch such a sum in 2009, he would have died of shock, or possibly laughter. In 1989, Priorat appeared to be in terminal decline, a once famous wine region that had seen thousands of better days.

What saved it was a bizarre cuvée of eccentrics, misfits, refugees and academics, who set up a tiny cellar in the village of Gratallops as a low-tech co-operative project. At the start, they made a single wine, selling it under different labels to different markets. To their amusement, various wine critics claimed to prefer some wines to others, despite the fact that they were identical.

Those modern-day pioneers were on to something. Priorat, an area that was first developed by Carthusian monks in the 12th century, had and still has a number of things going for it: cool nights, old vines, naturally low yields and a schistous bedrock known as licorella. Taken together, these produce a wine style that is unique. The best Priorats often have 14.5% alcohol or more, but they are remarkably fresh and well balanced, showing masses of what we wine writers call "minerality"…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/19/tim-atkin-spain-red-wine

US wine critic includes some Navarran wines on his latest issue

EITB.COM, USA

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24.07.09: Robert Parker's ratings, an international influence, define modern American wine criticism and are a major factor in setting the process for newly released wines. Several wines from Navarra have been rated over 90 points in a 100-point rating system by the US wine critic Robert Parker in the lastest issue of the magazine Wine Advocate. Robert Parker's ratings, an international influence, define modern American wine criticism and are a major factor in setting the process for newly released wines. The wines rated by Parker include Finca La Cantera 2006 (García Burgos winery), Ochoa Vendimia Seleccionada 2001 and Ochoa Gran Reserva 2000 (Ochoa winery) and Señorío de Andión 2005 (Marco Real winery). Ochoa Reserva 2001, Lezaun Crianza 2006 and Artazuri tinto 2008 also received good critics by Parker. The Wine Advocate is still considered to exert a significant influence on wine consumers' buying habits, particularly in America. http://www.eitb.com/news/detail/200249/us-wine-critic-includes-some-navarran-wines-on- his-latest-issue/

Supermarket own-label wines deserve a fitting tribute

THE DAILY MAIL, UK

23.07.09: Bon Giovi down the local pub are never quite going to blow your mind with the stadium-filling coiffured power of Bon Jovi, but tribute bands are a growing phenomenon. In Chile on a recent wine-tasting tour, I witnessed the Beatles playing at a downtown Santiago bar – so good it was impossible to tell the difference from the real thing. Is it the same with wine? Can supermarket own-label vino touch the giddy heights of the branded stuff? Of course it can.

For starters, own-label wines are frequently made by the same winemaker at exactly the same winery as the more famous brands. Take Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc, lovely stuff from a Chilean brand that’s well known in the UK. The winemaker behind it also makes Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in the same winery with grapes from the same region.

What’s more, own-label wines often pick up some impressive awards. Marks & Spencer’s entire range is currently award-winning – it’s the current Decanter Awards Supermarket of the Year, and all it sells is own-label wines. I know we buy our pants and socks from M&S, but who buys wine there? Well, me for a start, because it’s generally of impeccable quality thanks to a buying team comprising both winemakers and a Master of Wine. M&S’s Ayala champagne, for instance, is made by the same company as Bollinger – not exactly the same wine, but totally the same quality control and an unmissable bargain at £24.99 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1200349/OLLY-SMITH-Supermarket-label- wines-deserve-fitting-tribute.html

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

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.

The Claim: Red Wine Is Better for You Than White

THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

20.07.09: Summer is the season for chilled white wine. But does red hold the year-round advantage when it comes to good health?

Many studies have shown that red wine has healthful compounds that are less abundant in white, including resveratrol, the heart- healthy substance derived from grape skins. Because white wine is produced with limited exposure to the skin, it contains lower levels of resveratrol, not to mention flavonoids, antioxidants, and the bitter-tasting tannins that are also linked to cardiovascular health.

According to studies, the wines with the greatest amounts of those compounds come from Sardinia, Spain and southwestern France, in particular those from the grape …

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/health/21real.html?_r=1

Wine May Lessen Radiation Therapy Side Effects

WINE SPECTATOR, USA

22.07.09: Patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer see benefits from moderate drinking

A clinical study by an Italian oncology center has found that women who drink wine while undergoing radiation treatment see fewer side effects than women who don't drink.

The Radiotherapy and Palliative Care Unit, along with the research department at the Catholic University of Campobasso, in southern Italy's Molise region, examined the extent of tissue damage on 348 women who were being treated for breast cancer. The findings are slated for publication in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology.

Radiation therapy for cancer involves bombarding afflicted areas with radiation to kill cancerous cells. A medication regiment to protect against extensive radioactive tissue damage accompanies this process. But often, the study text states, "these agents have several drawbacks, in that they are very expensive, they have sometimes severe side effects, and they have the potential to protect tumor cells as well as healthy cells from the effects of radiation." While antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E offer some protection against tissue damage in animal studies, "a diet that is radio-protective in humans has yet to be identified."

The Italian researchers looked at components of the Mediterranean diet, which they theorize is

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update protective against cancer, in order to see if one aspect or another may be helpful for those undergoing the discomfort of radiation therapy…

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,5214,00.html

Seismic Barrel Rack Shakes Up the Industry

VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT, USA

23.07.09: A winery mainstay with a new spin, the ball-bearing-equipped "seismic barrel rack," captured the attention of the wine industry and insurance underwriters during the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, CA, last January. The innovative barrel rack was created in San Luis Obispo at Cal Poly's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Designed by assistant professor Charles Chadwell and a team of students, the new barrel rack answered the wine industry's need for quake-resistant equipment. The seismic rack will keep a stack five barrels high from toppling during a magnitude 6.7 earthquake.

Equipped with ball bearings that take and diffuse the ground movement energy, the new rack has undergone rigorous testing at Cal Poly's Advanced Technology Lab (ATL). Using a full-scale shake table they can recreate past temblors, like the 1994 Los Angeles magnitude 6.7 Northridge Earthquake. During a presentation that simulated that shaker, the seismic rack allowed a four-barrel-high stack to slide back and forth while remaining steady, instead of jerking erratically and forcing the upper barrels to topple…

http://www.vwm-online.com/magazine/story2.asp

Lactic acid reduces off aromas, allergic reactions: study

DECANTER, UK

16.07.09: People who suffer allergic reactions to wine could soon be happily drinking their favourite cru classe, a study has found.

According to the study, carried out at Bordeaux University, adding lactic bacteria to the wine must could reduce the compounds – biogenic amines – that create off aromas, and induce allergies in some wine consumers.

The study evaluated 264 Bordeaux wines from the 2005 and 2006 vintages.

Bordeaux University enology professor Patrick Lucas told the French publication Viti-Net that 'less than 3% of the wines contained no biogenic amines. 70% contained substantial amounts often beyond 1 milligram per litre.'…

http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=286353

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor

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

GREECE: In vino veritas

UNIVESITY WORLD NEWS, USA

19.07.09: Throughout the centuries, people everywhere found solace in the reasonable consumption of wine. In ancient Greece, the wine producing vines had their own deity - Dionysus - while Christianity found in wine a worthy symbol and a substitute for the blood of its founder. It is no wonder then that sooner or later a university survey would examine the importance of wine and its role in the Greek social life.

Such a survey has been conducted in a postgraduate programme of the agricultural economy department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The survey looked at the attitude of modern Greek consumers of wine and revealed a number of interesting findings.

The overwhelming majority of the sample (91%) said they consumed wine, which makes it one of the most popular alcoholic beverages. Just over 50% declared that they consumed wine with very high frequency.

Wine drinkers appear to show a great deal of confidence in Greek wines, preferring them (65%) while those who preferred exclusively imported wines comprised only 0.6% - a strong indication the Greek wine market has not been taken over by imported wines to such an extent as in other European countries.

A large proportion of wine consumers, 74%, had tasted imported wines and had a very informed opinion about them but did not prefer them exclusively. France appears to have the lion's share of other Mediterranean wine-producing countries while the 'new world' does not appear as a danger to the traditionally established varieties, at least for the time being.

Just over 84% of those surveyed admitted consuming up to three glasses of wine every time while 68% consumed two glasses and 16% normally consumed four glasses of wine or more.

Red wine was preferred by 48% of those asked about what kind of wine they preferred and 36% said they would prefer white. Resinated wines were preferred by 8% of the sample as opposed to 7% who liked rosé-type wines. Sparkling wines came very low in the consumers' preferences.

The sense of taste was the strongest criterion (44%) to the question "Why do you prefer to consume this particular kind of wine?" The aroma and the sweetness appeared an important consideration in the choice of a specific wine.

The 'occasion' or the particular circumstances were often the main consideration why people chose a specific wine, followed by the wine producing area. On the other hand, price did not appear to be a primary criterion and 71% of those asked said that wine prices were very reasonable.

Beer was the second choice of drink by wine consumers with 27%. Greek ouzo came second behind beer with 24% and whisky third with 16.5%.

The survey involved 400 people from all walks of life: men and women, young and old, from all social groups with different education levels and different socio-economic characteristics. The

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update method involved personal interview and the completion of a questionnaire.

The mild Greek climate is particularly favourable for the cultivation of good varieties of grapes and the country can boast some good wines with the most famous and easily recognisable those from the Ionian and Aegean wine-producing islands, from Samos Island and the famous red St George variety from Nemea in central Peloponissos.

So go on, spoil yourself! It is almost certain the world would appear a lot better and brighter after a few sips of the blessed liquid.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20090717085441299

Blogosphere Monitor

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

Wine Signs of the Times

VINOGRAPHY, USA

22.07.09: I'm not sure why, but there has been a spate of interesting developments in the wine world in the past few weeks, all of which bear paying attention to by anyone interested in where the wine industry is going these days.

I'm normally not one to simply rattle off lists news stories, but these are all so interesting that I can't pass up the opportunity to share them.

We're Talking Mainstream

The fact that Amazon.Com is getting in the wine business has been old news for a while, but two more giants of American retail just announced they were also going to make a play for wine drinkers. Starbucks will begin selling wine (albeit crappy wine) in it's new concept stores. They will be joined by Walgreens in catering to those folks who want a bottle of wine to go.

Yes, China Will Change the Wine Market

As if we needed any more proof that the Chinese market will have a profound impact on the world of wine, the Chinese government's main investment fund just invested $365 million dollars to buy a 1.1% stake in Diageo, the world's largest wine company, which itself has been investing in opening up the Chinese market for its products. Time to get Vinography translated into Mandarin for sure…

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2009/07/wine_signs_of_the_times.html

The Sampler expands

WINE ANORAK, UK

16.07.09: Good news for London's wine lovers. One of the capital's best wine shops, The Sampler, is to open two new branches - in South Kensington and Notting Hill. For those unfamiliar with this innovative shop, which allows customers to taste a range of 80 wines from its Enomatic machines, there's a write up on this site.

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

Dawn and Jamie, the owners, have raised more than £1 million funding from investors to make this expansion feasible. One of the investors, regular commentator on this blog Keith Prothero, has this to say:

"I see The Sampler as the future of wine retailing. By offering over 1000 interesting wines at all prices and styles, and enabling customers to sample the wines, the experience is fun, educational and most importantly the customer buys a bottle of wine that they know they like."

http://www.wineanorak.com/blog/2009/07/sampler-expands.html#links

The USA "would be well advised to concentrate on producing great white wines"

WINE ANORAK, UK

20.07.09: Got the second issue of TONG through today. It's a new quarterly magazine hailing from Belgium, aiming at the high end of the market (it's Euro 100 for four issues). The theme for the second issue is Terroir…

…The vine, originally found growing in Caucasian limestone, is a plant that thrives on lime-rich soils. All great red wines are produced on limestone soils and as these are relatively rare, not many places produce them ... The USA has very little limestone, and its winemakers would be well advised to concentrate on producing great white wines…

http://www.wineanorak.com/blog/2009/07/usa-would-be-well-advised-to.html#links

Sierra missed – the saga of Sierra Carche 2005

DR. VINO, USA

22.07.09: What happens when a reviewer tastes a good bottle, but some consumers buy what appears to be a completely different product? Think it couldn’t happen? Guess again and behold the saga of Sierra Carche 2005.

Last fall, Wine Library, the Springfield, wine retailer, sent out an email offering for a wine that seemed to be the wine lover’s dream: a fantastic quality-to-price ratio. The wine on offer was the Sierra Carche 2005, a blend of Monastrell with and from the off-the beaten path Spanish region of Jumilla. Jay Miller, a critic at the Wine Advocate, described it as “Inky purple, the wine offers an array of scents which jump from the glass… structured wine with gobs of flavor, terrific intensity… It will provide pleasure through 2025.” He awarded it 96 points. The suggested retail price was $40; Wine Library was offering it for $29.99. Robert Kenney, a New Jersey wine consumer, was so enthusiastic upon seeing the email that he ordered several six packs…

http://www.drvino.com/2009/07/22/sierra-missed-the-saga-of-sierra-carche-2005/

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

How to Pitch a Wine Blogger

FERMENTATION, USA

21.07.09: With the North American Wine Bloggers Conference coming up and given other issues surrounding this blog occupying my mind of late, I wanted to address the issue of Wine Blogging and Wine Bloggers from a public relations perspective. Specifically, I wanted to address the issue of How To Interact With a Wine Blogger.

In case anyone needs reminding, and I doubt anyone in or around the wine business does, media relations are those activities that a company or individual undertakes to inform media outlets of there existence, their mission, their product, the value of their product to a medium's readers/viewers/listeners, or news associated with their activities. Companies and individuals do this not because it is their duty, but because they hope to see their message delivered to the end user of their product...the customer. And in the process, they hope to sell more. I hope this information doesn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Blogs are, decidedly, media outlets. Some folks may not have the same respect for them that they have for more traditional or longstanding media outlets and some folks may question their utility as conveyors of information, and some bloggers themselves may see themselves as different and new animals, but this is beside the point primarily because these folks are misinformed. I mention this only to set the stage.

How then, if you want to deliver your message to customers via blogs, should you interact with wine bloggers? Let me suggest the following: …

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

Wine Bloggers and Their Readers: The Connective Tissue

FERMENTATION, USA

22.07.09: The 2009 North American Wine Bloggers Conference will be upon me and my blogging colleagues in couple days, a circumstance that has continued to inspire me to think about the wine blogging genre and my own interest in it. More specifically, I've been thinking about the impact that blogging has had on me personally.

Last night I sat with a magnificent friend in a restaurant in Napa. We shared a lovely meal, the two of us. My Sazerac, Manhattan, savory food and the company put me in a mood part melancholy, part elated. Perfect! But somewhere along the way exterior reality intruded. Past, present and future issues of mine and theirs were placed on the table alongside the cassoulet and crusty bread. After coming home I had time to think about this intrusion while I sat in my office for a while. I began to think how absurd it is to expect any circumstance, personal or professional, to exist and settle in around me without influence from moments and experiences exterior to the current frame of mind. We are simply not emotional islands.

Not an astounding revelation this. But as I sat in my office contemplating this little nugget, thinking about the evening and also staring at this blog on my computer screen and thinking, for whatever reason, about the past five or so years of my blogging history and what it would take to keep it all going, I did have a little revelation that amounts to more than a nugget:

If bloggers, including wine bloggers, don't allow their personal and intimate reflections to make

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update their way into their blogging, they will never last at this blogging business…

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.

Social Media Takes Stage at WITS

WINES & VINES, USA

20.07.09: The multi-voiced conversation that represents the current state of social media took center stage at the fifth annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium in Napa on July 16 and 17. Speakers advised the 300-plus people in attendance that they need to not just use the influential new platforms, but also take control of the conversations about their brands.

On Friday morning Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of digital strategic services at Nielsen Online, reviewed the current marketing landscape in his keynote address, "Dancing and Drinking with Megaphones." Few winery websites have actually graduated to Web 2.0, he said; by failing to adapt and become fully interactive, wineries have yet to take advantage of the "new media" and its ability to incubate conversation…

…In monitoring online dialogue about wine, and "mapping conversations," Nielsen uncovered dueling influences, Blackshaw said, in which public relations and paid advertising in traditional media such as Wine Spectator, for example--are battling with the non-traditional, multi-platform "new media" of Gary Vaynerchuck and his Wine Library, where the New Jersey wine retailer leveraged his website as a launching pad…

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=66171&htitle=Social %20Media%20Takes%20Stage%20at%20WITS

Rosemount Estate Wines Announces Exclusive Wine Partnership With 'Hell's Kitchen' and Chef Gordon Ramsay

YAHOO FINANCE, USA

21.07.09: Rosemount Estate wines is pleased to announce a one-year exclusive wine partnership with Hell's Kitchen, the enormously popular reality series in which aspiring young chefs are put to the ultimate culinary challenge, and Gordon Ramsay, world-renowned celebrity chef and star of the long-running FOX series.

As part of the agreement, the wines of Rosemount Estate will be prominently featured on Hell's Kitchen Seasons Six and Seven with both product integration and appearances by Rosemount Estate brand ambassadors. The much-anticipated Season Six of Hell's Kitchen premieres with a special two-hour episode tonight Tuesday, July 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and continues in its regularly scheduled time period Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) beginning July 28…

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Rosemount-Estate-Wines-prnews- 3636125190.html?x=0&.v=1

Wine mockumentary released

DECANTER, UK

21.07.09: A new film that ridicules the world of wine is set to be shown in San Francisco next month after receiving positive reviews from previous screenings.

The film, called 'Corked!', is a low-budget spoof documentary, or 'mockumentary', which follows the travails of four different wineries and the people associated with them.

Characters in the film include Jerry, the independent winemaker ('eventually, I'll be the hospitality host – if I ever get a tasting room'), the marketing boss ('I certainly don't have to drink wine to sell wine'), Donald, the PR director of a large winery ('this is our provincial Italian courtyard - many people feel it evokes Tuscany...I like to think of it as a French chateau') and Dane, a vineyard manager with a 120dB bird scarer…

http://www.decanter.com/news/286558.html

The Vine Hotel & Spa, Madeira

THE TIMES, UK

22.07.09: … EXPERIENCE After changing into a grey bath robe in the small but light changing room I am led by my therapist, Manuella, up a dark, dark corridor and into a dark, dark room - a large dark contemporary treatment room. This is the biggest spa treatment room I think I’ve ever laid down in, it is bigger than my living room at home. Aside from the treatment couch, there is a hydrotherapy bath and a large shower in the room – and still plenty of room to dance about, should you want to.

Manuella, doesn’t want to dance, she wants to explain the “Ritual de Banho Divine” or red wine bath treatment that I am about to have. The hotel has taken the vine as it’s theme because of Madeira’s viniculture history - so I am a little surprised when Manuella explains that she will be using TheraVine products from Stellenbosch in South Africa rather than anything from Madeira’s own vineyards. These wine- based products have antioxidant and anti-ageing properties she explains. I need no further encouragement and resolve to drink nothing but red wine from now on…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/good_spa_guide/article6721607.ece

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Global Wine Trends 24/07/2009 Weekly Update

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 aspects as those appear in the current setting.

Consumers spend less on wines Recent studies have shown that the global financial crisis has taken a toll on the wine industry. Consumers are spending less money on wine and they can be divided in two main categories:

ƒ Consumers that are drinking the same amount of wine - These consumers search for value wines that have not tried before, seeking cheaper alternatives to their favored brands. Wines from South America are preferred because of their low price and good quality; Argentinean wines especially, hence the country was the only to record a rise in wine sales. Younger wine drinkers opt more to try new wines.

ƒ Consumers that drink less wine – In this category the consumers stay loyal to the wine brand but have decreased the number of bottles bought per month. Wine drinkers who have stocked up their cellars are drinking more from their assets as a way to reduce expenditures.

The buying patterns for both categories are changing as the number of consumers that buy wines from online stores is increasing, seeking to take advantage of the lower prices. Visits to wine shops are becoming rarer but the consumer may purchase more if there is a significant discount.

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