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Global Wine Trends
Weekly Update
created:
16.04.2010
Critical Publics | EDOAO
Global Wine Trends
16/04/2010
Weekly Update
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .................................................................................. 2
Global Market Watch ............................................................................ 4
Wine outstrips shares as investors get the taste for liquid assets ................. 4
Second wine firm probed over scam fears...................................................... 4
Wine producer charged over sultana substitution ......................................... 5
Brits Blissfully ignorant about Wines ............................................................. 6
Women hailed as pub saviours ....................................................................... 6
Growers buy out $1 wine ................................................................................ 7
California Sparkling Wine Sales Jump ............................................................ 7
New wine buying website offers 'exclusive, interesting and quirky' range ... 8
Italy winemakers eye tweet sales with social media ..................................... 8
City Winery set to expand into Chicago.......................................................... 9
Global Industry Watch ........................................................................ 10
New Zealand overtakes Germany in UK wine sales ...................................... 10
Winemaker Constellation Brands posts 4Q loss ........................................... 10
Oyster Bay Vineyards Faces Loss as N.Z. Grape Prices Decline .................... 11
American wineries up, sales flat ................................................................... 11
Oddbins bounces back with double-digit rise in sales.................................. 12
Fine Wine Brings Cheer to LVMH .................................................................. 12
Washington State Wants Wine Tourists ....................................................... 13
Domestic Table Wines Grew By 5.3% .......................................................... 14
Large wineries continue fight against tax .................................................... 15
Wine Domain Catalysts Watch ............................................................ 16
Basset - world's best at last.......................................................................... 16
Gordon Ramsay's wise words for the wine bluffs ........................................ 16
Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch ....... 17
North America strengthens wine research and development ...................... 17
Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor ................................................. 18
Greek Wines Are No Longer a Tragedy: Here Are Five That Are Hard to
Pronounce, Easy to Drink.............................................................................. 18
A rare value chardonnay from Burgundy ...................................................... 19
Blogosphere Monitor ........................................................................... 19
Small Winery Marketing Rule #1: Know Thy Self......................................... 19
Small Winery Marketing Rule #1: Know Thy Self......................................... 20
Tony Soter sheds some weight [carbon footprint] ....................................... 21
And so it begins… Jay McInerney, wealth porn, and the WSJ ..................... 21
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Peripheral Domains Intelligence ........................................................ 22
British wine critics turn their noses up at new autobahn ............................ 22
A fashion duo dresses up a wine label .......................................................... 23
Saving Salamanders May Mean Restricting Vineyards ................................. 23
Construction Continues for UC Davis' Showcase Winery ............................. 24
South Africa launches sustainability seal ..................................................... 25
Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest ..................................... 25
Wine: Natural isn't perfect............................................................................ 25
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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 outstrips shares as investors get the taste for liquid assets
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK
14.04.10: Top-notch wine has withstood two US
recessions and beaten a benchmark shares index over
the past 13 years, according to a study by two Swissbased economists. Philippe Masset and Jean-Philippe
Weisskopf studied more than 400,000 wine prices between
January 1996 and January 2009. The period covers the
dotcom boom and bust and the credit bubble and subsequent market meltdown. Gordon
Ramsay's wise words for the wine bluffs Their general wine index beat the Russell 3000 Index
of top US shares, mainly due to wine's outperformance in the recent crisis. From mid-2008,
wine fell 17pc compared with a 47pc drop in the shares index. The economists found
that an index of first-growth Bordeaux from top vintages "hugely outperforms" their
two other wine indexes from 2005. Top Bordeaux wines include Chateau Margaux,
Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The elite wines produced a more than fivefold
return compared with the regular wine index, which more than doubled. The Russell 3000 rose
about 50pc in the same time, Bloomberg reported. "Our findings show that the inclusion of wine
in a portfolio and, especially, more prestigious wines, increases the portfolio's returns while
reducing its risk, particularly during the financial crisis," concluded Professor Masset and Mr
Weisskopf in their study, Raise Your Glass: Wine Investment and the Financial Crisis. Simon
Staples, sales director at wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, said wine started to catch on as
an investment in 1996, a top year in Bordeaux, but really took off from 2003. During the
financial crisis, investor interest continued to rise because wine, like gold, is a
tangible asset. Prices dipped after Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008
but picked up again from the middle of last year as confidence returned to the City.
Prices of top Bordeaux at Berry Bros are also being driven by huge Chinese demand. "China
has a new thirst for the top 20 brands from Bordeaux," Mr Staples said. "Lafite is going up 15pc
or 20pc a month in just about every vintage."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7588664/Wineoutstrips-shares-as-investors-get-the-taste-for-liquid-assets.html
Second wine firm probed over scam fears
THE INDEPENDENT, UK
09.04.10: A second wine company is under investigation by Scotland Yard detectives
probing a multimillion-pound investment swindle, it emerged today. Investigators
have begun examining the accounts of Finbow Wine, a company claiming to have
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offices in London and Hong Kong. The business offers lucrative returns to customers
who invest large sums in premium French vintages and large quantities of Italian
table wine. It also sold investment packages in wine to be sold in South Africa during the
World Cup football tournament this summer. But police suspect the company is simply a front
for a cold-calling con that has left dozens of investors out of pocket. Two men behind the
company, director Paul Rees and colleague Simon Dempsey, have been arrested and
questioned at a central London police station. Police are investigating whether the company is
linked to Nouveau World Wines, based in Bromley, south east London. Salesmen at that
company are suspected of duping people into handing over tens of thousands of pounds each
to invest in specialist Australian wines. Victims have accused them of using similar highpressure tactics to boiler room conmen flogging worthless shares. Once the money was
taken the investors were told the wine had been laid down in overseas vaults to
increase in value as it aged. Police are investigating if stocks were hugely overpriced and the size of potential returns exaggerated. It may be the case that no wine
was ever stored. Six people were arrested last month when officers raided offices and homes in
in Docklands, Sidcup and Bexley. Specialist internet message boards contain a large number of
comments from customers concerned they have been ripped off by either company. Detective
Chief Inspector Robin Cross, of the Fraud Squad, said two further arrests were made after the
first raids. A 40-year old woman and a 53-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of money
laundering at a central London police station last month. Mr Cross said: "This kind of
investment fraud is becoming far too common."People from all economic
backgrounds are being targeted and persuaded to invest in what appears to be a
sound financial opportunity. …
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/second-wine-firm-probed-over-scam-fears1940534.html
Wine producer charged over sultana substitution
ABC, AUSTRALIA
09.04.10: Seven years after the event, a former boss of a South Australian winery has
been found guilty of passing off sultana grapes as chardonnay.Andrew Hashim, onetime managing director of Rivers Wines in the Riverland, has been charged with
falsifying records, and falsely selling grape juice and wine as chardonnay to more
than 10 companies during the 2003 vintage. It was discovered when one buyer raised
doubts about the variety, leading to an investigation by the Australian Wine and Brandy
Corporation.Peter Simic, editor of Winestate Magazine, says the company was trying to
capitalise on the high chardonnay prices."They're doing it for money and I think during 2003 it
was the boom period for Australian chardonnay, so it was selling for $1000 dollars a tonne,
whereas sultana was of course very cheap, perhaps $200 or $300 a tonne," he says. "So there
was a big difference then."
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201004/s2868504.htm
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Brits Blissfully ignorant about Wines
INDIAN WINE ACADEMY, INDIA
15.04.10: Despite UK being a sophisticated and growing wine market, most of the
British wine drinkers are blissfully ignorant about wine, suggests a survey of around
2000 persons in which the researchers found that 90% Brits did not know how wine
is made and 87% did not know that more than one grape varietal could be used in
making Champagne. These people thought Champagne is made from only one grape
varietal-whereas it s usually a blend of 3 grape varieties-2 of which are red- although it can be
made from a single variety – Chardonnay (blanc de blanc), Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.Twothirds of people could not tell the difference between Sauvignon Blanc and
Sancerre- the former is the grape varietal which is used in the white wine based on
the name of the village (like our Dindori). Only one out of three knew that Sancerre
wine was made from Sauvignon Blanc grape. Same percentage said they bluffed
their way while ordering wine in a restaurant and acted as if they were following
the advice of the sommelier which in fact they did not. Another study reported in
delWine last year had indicated the Second Cheapest Wine Syndrome, where most people
preferred to order not the cheapest wine, lest they are considered cheap but the second lowest
priced wine, to sound wine-intelligent. In the current survey, one in four admitted they simply
selected the cheapest bottle on the list when eating out. About 60% said that all wines get
better with age when around 95% of world wine production is meant to be drunk young and
wine does not get any better with age.The lack of knowledge may explain why 84 per
cent of those surveyed said they had been ripped off buying wine. …
The percentage of people not well-informed about wine may not be much larger than the
number disclosed by the UK study which may be flawed due to various factors and not
statistically correct but could be a good general indicator.
http://www.indianwineacademy.com/item_1_378.aspx
Women hailed as pub saviours
THE SUN, UK
15.04.10: BOOZE guzzling women could be the unlikely saviours of pubs as research
shows they are spending more time than EVER in their local watering holes.
A study of 2,000 women showed that a THIRD went to a pub at least once a
fortnight, usually down the local boozer rather than an upmarket high street chain.
And it revealed that even more women would go to pubs if they served better quality food, had
entertainment and less televised sport. One in five women said they drank beer in pubs, just
more than those opting for spirits. Kirsty Derry, boss of BitterSweet Partnership who conducted
the survey, said: "We know the majority of women still prefer drinking wine and visiting wine
bars, but it's encouraging to see there are an increasing number of women heading down to
their local pub to sample the great beer on offer. …
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2933700/Women-hailed-as-pubsaviours.html
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Growers buy out $1 wine
WEEKLY TIMES NOW, AUSTRALIA
14.04.10: A WINE grape grower group has bought
up stocks of an imported wine selling for just $1 in
two-litre bottles. The Wine Grapes Marketing Board on
Wednesday bought the last 237 bottles of the Argentinian
wine from the Billabong Bottle Shop in the Riverina town
of Griffith. Chief executive officer Brian Simpson said the
board decided to buy the wine to "get it out of the
industry" in response to angry complaints from local wine
grape growers. The Weekly Times this week
revealed the Argentinian wine was being sold in
two-litre plastic containers in the shop for just $1.
Wine grape grower and board chairman Bruno Brombal said the sale of imported
wine for that price sent all the wrong signals to the local industry. "We have seen wine
at $2 for a (750ml) bottle before, but when you are talking about $1 for a two-litre bottle, we're
just disgusted," Mr Brombal said. "It just sends a signal to growers that there's not much hope
for them when imported wine is being sold that cheaply." Before the the board decided to buy
the last remaining bottles of the wine, Mr Simpson said it was being dumped on the market at a
time when oversupply was sending local growers to the wall. He said the board also intended to
have the wine tested to ensure it met Australian standards for minimum chemical residue limits.
"We believe the product is being dumped into our market at a time when Australian growers
are suffering," he said. "The Billabong Bottle Shop has been a big supporter of local brands over
the years and now they have this product, which I think is pretty disappointing," he said on
Tuesday. ….
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2010/04/14/176911_latest-news.html
California Sparkling Wine Sales Jump
YOUR CALIFORNIA, USA
10.04.10: A bad economy is apparently a good climate for making a
Champagne toast. The Wine Institute, based in San Francisco,
reports sales of California-made sparkling wine were up 8%
in 2009. The jump in sales helped the Golden State maintain
a 60% share of the market for sparkling wine in the United
States. The Wine Institute reports that foreign products remained
flat. Overall sales for California wines sold in the U.S. last year, were
up only 0.2%. And, of the wine sold, consumers were looking for a
lower price point. The Institute shows wines priced up to $7 a
bottle made up for much of the growth in sales. “Although
consumers were cautious in their spending last year, the underlying
consumer trends in the U.S. have kept wine on the dinner table
during this tough economy," said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute.
"The baby boomer generation has enjoyed wine for decades and now millennial consumers,
who grew up in families who served wine, are also showing an affinity for wine,” Koch noted.
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This millennial generation trend has wineries based in the Paso Robles wine growing region
eager to market toward those aged 21-30. Look for Randy White's Your California column on
this topic in the May/June issue of Central Coast Magazine.
http://www.wineindustryinsight.com/RSS//index.php/hop/latest/california-sparkling-winesales-jump-your-show/22622
New wine buying website offers 'exclusive, interesting and quirky' range
TALKING RETAIL, UK
16.04.10: A new approach to buying wine online has been launched to the UK wine
drinkers.
FindWine (www.findwine.co.uk) is the brainchild of three "self-confessed wine lovers", Mike
Howes, John Critchley and Martin Jeffery, and delivers what is described as a user-friendly and
dynamic alternative to the supermarket wine aisles.
The website, which features only 54 wines at any one time, is designed to make
wine buying less intimidating and more interesting, taking the guess work out of
selecting a wine and making it easier for consumers to choose, explore and
experiment. The range features exclusive, interesting and often quirky parcels sourced from
boutique producers with an individual approach to winemaking.
By limiting the range, FindWine is able to offer a streamlined, well thought out number of
choices, distilling the options for the consumer whilst also encouraging exploration and trial of
less well-known varieties and regions. …
"Our aim is to enthuse the wine buying public, giving them the tools to become
more confident in their purchase decisions, and to really explore the world of wine
beyond the big brands by giving them access to limited edition parcels that they
won't readily find elsewhere."
Howes added: "Everybody should enjoy drinking wine, instead of worrying about country, grape
variety or region – with our selection matrix consumers just have to choose which style of wine
they want to drink and how much they want to spend. Simple."…
The launch of FindWine will be supported by an integrated PR and marketing campaign across
print, online and digital media.
http://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/14891-new-wine-buying-website-offersexclusive-interesting-and-quirky-range.html
Italy winemakers eye tweet sales with social media
REUTERS, USA
13.04.10: Italian winemakers, usually wedded to
centuries-old traditions, are slowly embracing Twitter,
blogging and Facebook to boost sales that have been
hit by the global economic crisis. Italy, the world's secondbiggest wine producer after France, saw export sales drop 6
percent to 3.5 billion euros in 2009 hit by the crisis and
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advancing competition from the "New World" wines, according to industry data. "In the times
of crisis it is important to experiment with new ways of making yourself known,"
Susanna Crociani of family owned Crociani, makers of full-body red Tuscan wine
Nobile di Montepulciano (www.crociani.it) told Reuters. Crociani, who says she was the
first Italian winemaker to start a blog in 2004, said she has gained many new clients -individual wine lovers, restaurant owners and professional buyers -- after launching a Facebook
page. She has also started to use Twitter just a few months ago. "An advantage of social media
is that you don't have to pay (for making yourself known). You have to invest your time. But it
pays off," Crociani said at Vinitaly wine trade fair. Contacts through social media
have boosted Crociani's online sales with the number of orders doubled to 50-60 a
month, a considerable help for the small company which makes 60,000-70,000
bottles of wine a year, she said. Facebook and Twitter, popular among the youth,
are especially important in winning back young consumers who tend to favor beer
or other drinks over wine, Crociani said. Keeping with the new trend, consortium uniting
makers
of
the
famous
Tuscan
red
Brunello
di
Montalcino
(www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it), opened a Facebook page at the end of last year and
now lists more than 10,000 fans. Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, which has also
activated ConsBrunello profile on Twitter in March, said it was too early to evaluate the
economic impact of such innovations. Crociani said Italian winemakers lagged far behind their
U.S. rivals in understanding the growing importance of social media as new communication and
marketing tools, but first steps are being made. Crociani has helped to set up a Twitter group
"Tweet your wine" a month ago which unites a dozen of Italian winemakers. As the word
spread around, several winemakers came up to her on the first day of Vinitaly asking to join the
group, she said. In the tough times, social media community has created a kind of
safety network as fellow winemakers exchanged useful information and even
passed on clients to each other, she said. Some conservative producers prefer stick to
more traditional ways of promoting their business. Ca' del Bosco makers of bubbly franciacorta
wine are due to launch a new multimedia website (www.cadelbosco.com) in about a month
inviting clients to an interactive visit to their winery and the Franciacorta winemaking district in
northern Italy. Hardcore traditionalists reject innovative communication in favor of
personal contact with clients. "We are part of history, part of a long tradition ... We prefer
to have people visiting our winery," said Vincenzo Protti of Il Borgo di Vescine winery
(www.vescine.it) whose history dates back about 1,000 years and which now makes some
60,000 bottles of Chianti Classico red wine a year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63C1KZ20100413
City Winery set to expand into Chicago
DECANTER, UK
12.04.10: City Winery, the New York winery in downtown SoHo begun in 2008 by
music producer Michael Dorf, is set to expand, first to Chicago in 2011, and then to
other key cities. Described as a 'membership winery', Dorf and Burgundian
winemaker David Lecomte buy grapes from producers in the United States and
Argentina, then vinify on site, producing private label wines for members. City Winery
which also has a bar and restaurant is not a conventional custom crush facility, as Lecomte
takes all vinification decisions himself. It currently has around 220 members, paying between
US$5,000 and US$10,000 for a barrel. The concept is now set to expand, with a site in central
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Chicago expected to open in 2011. Lecomte recently returned from successful talks in Paris
about extending the concept there. 'The plan has always been to open City Wineries in other
key world cities,' Dorf told decanter.com. 'Chicago is a natural first step, as it is a large cultural
centre, and we mix the culture of wine with food, music and entertainment. We are interested
in bringing City Wineries to places that don't have their own vineyards, but are full of cultured
people who are interested in wine. 'We feel this cultural, inclusive approach to winemaking
could work very well in France. And why not London, Shanghai and Hong Kong after that?'
http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=296859
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.
New Zealand overtakes Germany in UK wine sales
HARPERS WINE & SPIRIT, UK
15.04.10: New Zealand is claiming to have overtaken
sales of German wine in the UK when looking at country
of origin percentage shares. It points to the latest
Nielsen data (MAT end March 2010) which shows New
Zealand has a 3.3% share of the UK off-trade market and
overtaken Germany for the first time. New Zealand's value
share shows a MAT growth of 4.6% of country of origin share up over 1% since December 2009. This makes it the fastest
growing country of origin showing volume gains of up 57% with
an average retail price at £6.05 per bottle. David Cox, New Zealand Winegrowers European
director said: "Whilst I am aware that some discount price activity has influenced some aspects
of this fantastic performance, nonetheless, our continued value growth and our high average
retail price, which has actually grown for red wines, confirm the fact that UK consumers are
continuing their affection and loyalty to the incredibly interesting wines that are being made
from New Zealand".
http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/8926-new-zealand-overtakes-germany-inuk-wine-sales.html
Winemaker Constellation Brands posts 4Q loss
THE ASSOCIATES PRESS, UK
10.04.10: Constellation Brands, which markets Mondavi wine, Svedka vodka and
Corona beer, posted a $51 million loss in the fiscal fourth quarter on slumping sales
on wine, spirits and beer.Without one-time items, the results still beat Wall Street
forecasts. The company said Friday it lost the equivalent of 23 cents per share in the quarter
ended Feb. 28. That compared with a loss of $406.8 million, or $1.88 cents per share, a year
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earlier. Sales fell 3.6 percent to $708.7 million from $735.1 million. Excluding one-time costs,
Constellation says it earned 27 cents a share. That is 3 cents a share better than average Wall
Street estimates.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jA__fIrGYUQDYvJ554a4zyycpBNQD9
EVHKTG1
Oyster Bay Vineyards Faces Loss as N.Z. Grape Prices Decline
BLOOMBERG, USA
15.04.10: Oyster Bay Marlborough Vineyards, a New Zealand producer of Sauvignon Blanc
grapes, is in talks with its bankers as it forecasts a full-year loss because of slumping prices.
The company, whose grapes are sold to Delegat’s Group Ltd. to make its Oyster Bay
wine, is seeking a waiver from its lenders because the loss may cause it to breach
the terms of its loan agreements, it said in a statement to the stock exchange. A
“supply imbalance” is having a negative impact on prices being offered by wineries, it said. New
Zealand grape growers are cutting output of all varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, the
country’s biggest wine export, to maintain quality and reduce supplies as demand slows. The
2010 harvest, which is under way in the South Pacific nation, may drop as much as 20,000 tons
from 285,000 tons last year, New Zealand Winegrowers said in February. The industry has
encouraged growers to produce less because the key element to New Zealand’s export success
is quality rather than quantity, Philip Gregan, chief executive of New Zealand Winegrowers, said
in a statement on Feb. 24. Still, prices in some regions are under pressure. …
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ae6clFIdOAvM
American wineries up, sales flat
JANCIS ROBINSON, UK
13.04.10: Wines & Vines magazine, based in California,
reports that the number of North American wineries
grew by 361 in the last year, and by 1,961 since 2005 impressive growth, indeed, for a continent without a
long tradition of winemaking or indeed wine
consumption. According to the magazine, there were 7,011
wineries in the US, Canada and Mexico at the close of 2009,
6,589 of them in the US and 3,115 in California. The significant
growth by percentage in US wineries since 2005 came from
such emerging states as Iowa (from 34 wineries to 81),
Kentucky (21 to 48), North Carolina (53 to 109) and Oklahoma (21 to 59). …
Isn't this is a sign of an evolving wine-drinking nation?
As for sales outside the United States, in 2009 US wine exports, of which 90% come
from California, which exports about 20% of all production, fell 9.5% in value to
$911.8 million and 14.9% by volume to 417.9 million litres, or 46.4 million cases.
Nearly 42% of these exports were shipped to the European Union. Volume shipments to the EU
fell by 21% to $380 million in 2009 with sales to the EU by value falling 22%, due in part to the
continuing strategy of producers exporting bulk wine for bottling overseas to save the
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transportation costs of shipping bottles and other packaging. The next top markets were:
Canada, $242 million; Japan, $79 million; Hong Kong, $47 million; and China, $36 million.
California's man in the UK John McLaren commented, '2009 was a tough year in an already
highly competitive UK wine market, with pressure on prices, reductions in stock holdings, and
cutbacks in the number of wine offerings occurring in all sectors. Duty increases exacerbated
the situation. But despite all challenges, California, because of its adaptability and pragmatism,
held up well and maintained the number two slot [after Australia by volume].'
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201004121.html
Oddbins bounces back with double-digit rise in sales
HARPERS, UK
09.04.10: Oddbins has released a strong set of first quarter figures which show
double-digit retail sales growth over the last 10 weeks. Simon Baile, co-owner and
managing director, said footfall was up 5% and average basket price sales were up
8%. Its online sales were even more striking up 38% with strong expectations that this could
rise to 50% when the site is relaunched later in 2010. “We are seeing a significant
increase in online activity as Oddbins.com becomes more focused and more
specialized in the products it offers and we see this as a unique proposition in the
marketplace,” said Baile. In a statement Oddbins said: "It seems all too recent that the air
was thick with gloomy predictions about the imminent demise of Oddbins and journalists were
sounding the death knell for High Street wine retail. Consumers didn't know which off-licence
chains had closed and which ones were still open.....
Over the past 18 months Oddbins said it has concentrated on buying an increasing
number of wines from smaller, family-oriented producers, an approach Baile
attributed to some of its new success and is in contrast, it stressed to what is going
on in the rest of the trade. …
The last 18 months has also seen and extensive review of its French, Spanish,
Italian, Australian and New Zealand ranges bringing in a greater number of parcels
and wines made by smaller independent producers. …
Looking ahead Baile said: “We are increasingly excited about the opportunity which now exists
in the UK independent trade and see Oddbins as the leading light of High Street wine retail. The
strategy for 2010 onwards will continually focus on small growers and the quality of the
product. We see all the staff in Oddbins as an integral part of the company’s future success and
firmly believe that passion and integrity in everything we do, both now and in the future, are
essential to Oddbins’ continued growth.”
http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/8909-oddbins-bounces-back-with-doubledigit-rise-in-sales.html
Fine Wine Brings Cheer to LVMH
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BLOG, USA
15.04.10: Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), the handbags to brandy conglomerate run by
French tycoon Bernard Arnault published a forecast-beating 13% rise in comparable sales for
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the first quarter this morning. Shares surged on the news rising to 92.36 euros as investors saw
it as further evidence of a recovery in the sector. …
LVMH owns 22 wine and spirit brands, including Champagne makers Dom Perignon,
Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot as well as Krug which, having seen their sales
hammered by the recession, have now turned the corner benefiting from a renewal
in orders from distributors.The watches and jewellery division, which includes the TAG
Heuer, Hublot, Zenith, and Dior brands, also grew 34% on the back of an improvement in
consumer spending and demand for distributors replenishing their stocks. ...
http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/04/13/fine-wine-brings-cheer-to-lvmh/
Washington State Wants Wine Tourists
WINE SPECTATOR, USA
13.04.10: Leading wine industry figures in Washington state are pushing for more
fine dining and lodging options in the Columbia Valley, hoping to attract more
visitors to the heart of Washington's wine country. It's been a dilemma for Washington
for years. Napa and Sonoma lie not far north of San Francisco, Oregon's Willamette Valley runs
south of Portland. But Washington's leading wine regions lie on the far side of the Cascade
mountains from Seattle. Richland, in the Columbia Valley, is about a three-hour drive from
Seattle across the sometimes-snowy Snoqualmie Pass, while Walla Walla is about four hours
away. To counter the lack of tourist traffic, many vintners have opened up satellite
tasting rooms in Woodinville and other areas around Seattle. The head of the state's
largest producer recently argued that Washington needs an "explosion" of new fine
dining and lodging to catch up with Napa, Sonoma, Willamette and the great
European viticulture regions as a wine tourism destination. Ted Baseler, president and
CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, also believes Yakima Valley, a produce-growing powerhouse,
needs to develop agricultural tourism to draw visitors interested in the farm-to-table movement.
"No doubt we're moving in a positive direction," said Baseler, citing facilities such as the fourroom lodge at Desert Wind Winery in Prosser. "But after 25 years you'd like to see a faster pace
of development." Ideally, Baseler hopes to see a destination resort or golf-oriented business
center built somewhere between Yakima and Walla Walla, like the Silverado Resort in the Napa
Valley or the new Allison Inn & Spa in the Willamette Valley. That might draw more traffic to
Ste. Michelle's Columbia Crest winery, located along the Columbia River about 30 minutes south
of Prosser. Plenty of others think more wine tourism would boost sales of Washington wines.
"From a profitability standpoint, it's probably one of the single most important things that could
happen, especially for small wineries," said John Bookwalter of Bookwalter Winery. In 2003, he
opened a wine bar at his Richland facility, featuring light food and live music. There are only a
few wine-oriented venues like that in the Yakima Valley; Walla Walla has richer offerings. Deb
Heintz, executive director of the Prosser Economic Development Association, says that Prosser,
in the middle of the Yakima Valley, has begun offering more wine tourism attractions. Two
high-end lodging projects, however, are on hold until the economy improves. Vintner's Village, a
cluster of 14 wineries in Prosser, has been a success, and an adjacent 17-acre Vintners II is
now being built, Heintz said. …
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42518
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Domestic Table Wines Grew By 5.3%
WINES & VINES, USA
13.04.10: Domestic table wine sales through
March 21 grew at a healthy 5.3% annual rate
over the previous 52-week period, as reflected
in the latest retail data from SymphonyIRI
Group. The off-premise market for domestic wines
totaled $4.5 billion. In contrast, imports edged up
just 0.3% for the 52 weeks ending March 21,
and dipped to a negative 0.8% in the most
recent four weeks measured. Total imports were
worth $1.3 billion. Winery sales directors who
remember the early 2000s, when imports steadily ate
away at U.S. market share, might be pleased to see that domestic table wines now account for
78% of the off-premise market in dollars (after dipping below 75% in 2005). Balancing this
trend, however, are the weakened export figures for domestic wine recently reported by Wine
Institute and others.
Hot categories
U.S. wine categories that are particularly hot this spring in terms of dollar growth
are 3L bag-in-box wines, 500ml aseptic packs, and the most expensive price- point
of $20-plus for traditional 750ml bottles. This last development may give hope to highend boutique wineries whose on-premise sales were particularly hard hit by the recession. A
snapshot of four-week sales figures ending March 21 showed 2010 sales 5.1%
ahead of 2009 numbers for the same period -- when the U.S. was still reeling from
the financial crisis of late 2008 -- and February 2010 sales peaked higher than any
month in 2009 except for the holiday periods of November and December.
What wineries say
Still, an increase of 5% at retail is not enough to restore the previous declines in
sales for many vintners. Rather than stand by and wait for more increases through
the three tiers, Alexandra Cohn, who co-owns JC Cellars in Oakland, Calif., is
working hard on direct sales. An experiment in February using an outside telemarketing
company to contact wine club members by phone was "hugely promising," so she hired a new
direct-sales staff person to call current and former direct customers virtually full-time. "Sales
have more than doubled for the year so far, compared to 2009," she said. The SymphonyIRI
Group numbers for dollar sales trends were positive overall for California, Washington and
Oregon in the thousands of food, drug and convenience stores across the U.S., where
SymphonyIRI Group tabulates scan data. California table wine sales matched the average of
5.3% over 52 weeks; Washington managed 3.6% growth, and Oregon had the most positive
sales trend, up 6.1%. For the most recent four-week period, however, the numbers had cooled
slightly. "I think things have stopped getting worse," said David Graves, co-founder of
Saintsbury Winery in California's Carneros district. …
Washington and Oregon
Washington's fastest growth of 19.7% over 52 weeks came from boxed wines at
$2-plus per 750ml equivalent, but much higher priced wines did well also. The
state's $11-$14.99 wines grew strongly, at 10.8% during the same period. The
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hottest four-week trend was in the $15-$19.99 range, where sales increased 33.5% over the
same four weeks in 2009. Second in sales growth for the four weeks was SymphonyIRI Group's
most expensive table wine category, $20-plus, which grew 10.5% for Washington wines.
Oregon showed a similar trend, with its lowest priced and highest priced wines both putting up
good growth numbers. The state's least expensive bracket of any significant size, $5-$7.99,
surged 26.3% over 52 weeks, while Oregon wines from $15-$19.99 and also $20-plus grew at
healthy rates of nearly 8% each. By package size. A closer look at sales by package size
indicates that 3L bag-in-box wines had the best growth rate of all significant-sized package
categories. Domestic wines in 3-liter boxes grew 17.9% over 52 weeks, signaling again the
public's acceptance of the non-traditional format, and most likely their continuing search for
value. In smaller formats, wine sales in 500ml aseptic packs grew even faster, at 49.3% more
dollars than the previous year, though still accounting for a tiny 0.3% of table wine sales. Table
wine in 1-liter bottles also grew dramatically, at 29.2%. Remember the 375ml half-bottle? It
was one of only two format categories to decrease in sales over 52 weeks, dropping by 2.8%,
and plummeting at a rate of -8.9% over the most recent four weeks. …
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=73146&htitle=Domes
tic%20Table%20Wines%20Grew%20By%205.3%25
Large wineries continue fight against tax
THE STANDAR, USA
14.04.10: Grape grower Phil Tregunno predicts his industry will shrink thanks to a
pending new provincial tax. The mixed tender fruit farmer from Niagara-on-theLake wants to try and stop it. As of July 1, a 10% surtax will be slapped on Cellared
in Canada (CIC) wines sold through about 300 privately-owned wine retail shops in
Ontario. The $12 million generated from the new tax is designed to help the province's smaller
boutique wineries that make strictly Vintners Quality Alliance products made of 100% Ontario
fruit. Trouble is, Tregunno said CIC or blended wines are made of foreign and domestic grapes
-- absorbing up about half the annual grape crop in the province or 30,000 tonnes of fruit.
Because of the tax changes and future financial loss, several large wineries that own retail
shops are not renewing many grower contracts and some are buying fewer grapes. Full of wine
stock, Grimsbybased Andrew Peller Ltd. is cutting its grape purchases by 15% this year or 1,500
to 2,000 tonnes. That will put extra strain on already weary grape growers who have hit by two
years of grape surpluses, Tregunno said during an editorial board meeting Monday afternoon.
Tregunno called the tax punitive for growers and said many will not be able to keep their farms.
"What we really need is good government policy," Tregunno said. "We don't want money
from the government. We want policy that can make us thrive, and a policy that will
turn us into a sustainable industry. We want to make a living. We want to sell
grapes." …
Vincor president Eric Morham and Peller president John Peller argue shipping in grapes allows
them to produce wines of consistently good quality at a lower price that's competitive with
imports. They say the grape pricing system in Ontario and quality make it tough to produce
100% Ontario wines under $10. Morham and Peller also say the tax discriminates against
Ontario wineries. Instead they propose:
A 1 to 2% tax on all wines -- both Ontario-made and imported -- sold in the province.
Ad valorem tax -- or value based taxes. The more expensive the wine, the more it's taxed.
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As part of the government's plan, the content rules in CIC have also been changed.
While the amount of Ontario grapes in a winery's overall blended wine production
was raised to 40% from 30%, by 2014 the domestic content will be eliminated. Last
year, Vincor and Peller pulled out of the Wine Council of Ontario and created the Winery &
Grower Alliance of Ontario, which also counts Magnotta, Kittling Ridge, Colio Estates Wines,
Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits, Pelee Island Winery as members. The split was mainly due to
the surtax. Zimmerman said the growers marketing board wants to work with large wineries.
"Bottom line is we still should be sitting at the table to find a structure that puts more Ontario
wine on the shelf at the LCBO and benefits these companies because they do buy a lot of
grapes. We do want to work with them."
http://www.wineindustryinsight.com/RSS//index.php/hop/latest/large-wineries-continuefight-against-tax-st-catharines-standard/22613
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.
Basset - world's best at last
JANCIS ROBINSON, UK
16.04.10: Yesterday's final of the 13th World’s Best Sommelier
competition in Santiago de Chile was won, at the sixth attempt,
by Gérard Basset representing the UK. French-born Basset is
one of the wine world's marathon men. With great determination
and an enormous amount of work, he has managed the rare feat of
passing both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine exams. He was
already the only person alive to have achieved both of these titles and a Wine MBA from
Bordeaux University. He has been competing in sommelier competitions at international level
for years. This was the sixth time he had participated in the World's Best Sommelier
competition, the fourth time he reached the final. And, at last, he has triumphed. Very, very
well done, Gérard! …
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a20100416.html
Gordon Ramsay's wise words for the wine bluffs
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK
10.04.10: I once interviewed Gordon Ramsay, who confessed that the sort of diner who most
irked him was the man (apparently, it was always a man) who made a great show of picking an
expensive bottle of wine, then performed the whole charade of wafting the glass under his nose
and sluicing the wine around his mouth, before saying it would do.Ramsay said such people
were invariably morons who wouldn't spot a corked bottle if it was thrust up their
fundament. Truly cultivated folk, he insisted, would consult the sommelier about the wine, as
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it was "their bloody job" to know what would go best with your meal. Will they let me adopt
Joanna Lumley? I have followed Ramsay's advice ever since, giving wine waiters a vague sense
of my refinement – "red, soft, fruity, southern and lots of it" – and am rarely disappointed. But
a nation famed for its menfolk's unwillingness to ask road directions is reluctant to follow my
example. As Jilly Goolden said last week, commenting on a survey of wine drinkers
carried out for a firm called Cortexica, "we are a nation who think we know a lot
about wine, but the research reveals that we actually just bluff our way through
restaurant lists". No wonder so many lost and misdirected drinkers end up in the vino
equivalent of Milton Keynes. Or, as a friend finally confessed about the £30 bottle of grot he
forced on our table: "It's just Blue Nun with a pretty label."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/rowanpelling/7575717/Gordon-Ramsayswise-words-for-the-wine-bluffs.html
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.
North America strengthens wine research and development
THE DRINKS BUSINESS, USA
14.04.10: In San Francisco, a new Wine Centre for Wine Education and Events opens
this weekend, while in Canada, the creation of a grape and wine research centre
network has linked research institutions from opposite sides of the country. In
Ontario, Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute has joined
forces with the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in British Columbia to form the
PARC-CCOVI Wine Grape Research network. The creation of the network is thought to
advance Canada's growing wine industry, and enhances the federal government's support of
the trade thanks to its recent funding contriubtion through its Developing Innovative AgriProducts Programme.
Speaking of the PARC-CCOVI Wine Grape Research, Pat Bowen at PARC said to Wines & Vines:
"This agreement is a first for Canada and will strengthen cooperation between researchers in
Ontario and British Columbia, which in turn will advance the grape and wine industry.”Founders
of the network hope that the network will soon include other provinces, such as Nova Scotia.
Meanwhile in California, San Francisco's first ever full-time wine centre will open this weekend.
The San Francisco Wine Centre will provide a facility for events and wine education.
Classes at the centre will cover a range of topics from regional analysis to designing
your dream cellar.
The centre has appointed Catherine Falls as its director of education, one of the few female
master sommeliers in the world. The launch of the Californian centre comes hot on the heels of
the closure of COPIA in Napa, which once had designs on opening a second branch in San
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Francisco, according to winebusiness.com.
http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11090&
Itemid=66
Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor
This section presents all international publicity relating to wines from Greece.
Greek Wines Are No Longer a Tragedy: Here Are Five That Are Hard to
Pronounce, Easy to Drink
VILLAGE VOICE BLOG, USA
13.04.10: Most people's first experience with Greek wine is piney, syrupy retsina -- that country white so ancient even Homer
himself may have sipped it while composing his epics (poetry
and booze being the classic combo that it is). But the cradle of
winemaking civilization is now turning out wines that don't
require a stiff ouzo chaser. A recent tasting of several Greek
wines found good value bottlings that are easy to drink, if
difficult to pronounce. Here were five standouts:
Domaine Porto Carras Limnio 2007 ($14)
Made from the Limnio grape, the wine is made on the hillsides of
Mount Meliton in Macedonia, near Turkey, and is certified
organic. Reminiscent of a Pinot Noir with red fruit, clay notes,
and a rusty color, you can find it on wine lists at Kefi and The Hideaway.
Harlaftis White 2009 ($12)
This crisp white is made from Savatiano, the grape used to make retsina. It's clear in color, with
great acidity and a saline minerality to it. Produced near Athens, the wines are pretty much
organic, but the winery is too small to invest in the cost of certification. Sip it at Pera
Mediterranean Brasserie.
Gai'a Assyrtiko Wild Ferment 2009 ($26)
Pronounced yeai-ah, it's probably the only naturally fermented wine you're going to find from
Greece. Based out of Santorini, winemaker Yiannis Paraskevopoulos is one of the most
acclaimed in the country. The Assyrtiko grape, indigenous to the region, is known for good
acidity and the ability to age. The wine is pretty, floral, and a little wild. Look for it on the lists
at Molyvos and wd~50.
Gai'a Estate Red 2006 ($45)
Made from 100 percent Agiorgitiko (Ai-your-yee-tee-ko), the second most planted grape in
Greece, this full-bodied red is full of forest fruit and moss, but could probably use a little more
time in the bottle. Bar Boulud and Porter House stock it -- proving Greek wines don't only pair
with Greek food.
Domaine Spiropoulos Ode Panos NV ($21)
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If you like your sparklers full of yeasty breadiness, then these bubbles are for you. This 100percent Moschofilero (Mo-sko-fee-le-ro) is full of aromatic notes like candied fruit and kiwi.
Made in the Peloponnese, it's one of the first Greek wines to receive organic certification from
the USDA. Have a glass at Snack Taverna or Okeanos in Park Slope.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2010/04/greek_wines.php
A rare value chardonnay from Burgundy
THE GLOBE AND THE MAIL, USA
13.04.10: Greek wine – especially Greek red wine – gets scant attention in this country,
sometimes with good reason. But an impressive one, Skouras Saint George 2007
($16.95, No. 162321), was released last week through Vintages stores in Ontario.
Saint George is the alternative name for the ancient red grape aghiorghitiko, which
can be coaxed into a variety of styles, from light rosés to full-bodied reds. This one is
medium full-bodied, dark and reminiscent of sweet black-skinned fruits and licorice (think black
wine gums). It has a firm spine of acidity and there's even a dusting of herbs here. I could see
it pairing well with a variety of Greek dishes and lots of vegetarian fare.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/coutez-chardonnay-fans-a-rare-valuefrom-burgundy-has-hit-the-march/article1529219/
Blogosphere Monitor
In this section the most important blog entries for wine and Greek wine are recorded.
Small Winery Marketing Rule #1: Know Thy Self
FERMENTATION, USA
14.04.10: Late last month I appeared at a seminar at TASTE Washington
in which I outlined for those in attendance, "THE TEN THINGS EVERY
SMALL WINERY MUST KNOW TO MARKET IN TODAY'S WINE
MARKETING UNIVERSE." This talk led to a blog post in which I briefly
outlined those ten items on the list. Today's, and subsequent posts here
at Fermentation, will delve deeper into each of the TEN THINGS that are
critical for small and medium sized wineries to consider as they market
their way into the 21st century and toward success
RULE NUMBER ONE: KNOW THY SELF
If you and every person that works for you can’t tell me why I’m better off buying your wine
instead of your neighbor’s wine and if you can’t tell me what makes your winery unique and if
you can’t do this in 30 seconds or less, then you are going to have a very hard time surviving in
a marketing universe where you marketing efforts will be dominated by one-on-one
conversations and small group conversation with folks that have been brought up to have short
attention spans. This is the most fundamental marketing rule of our time and it is the
most overlooked marketing rule of our time. The answer to what makes you unique
and distinct from other 7000 wineries in America is going to be the foundation upon
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which you build your brand, build a following, and build every communication tool
you use to get the attention of consumers, accounts and the media. Do the exercise if
you haven’t already: In 100 words or less: What does your winery/brand stand for? Figure this
out before anything else. In some corners of the marketing world, this is called your "Brand
Proposition". Some call it "positioning". Other marketers with a more activist mindset refer to
this essential definition of your company's utility by asking, "What do you stand for"?
Ideally, that idea that defines your brand and products and services will be unique from your
competitors. …
http://www.fermentation.typepad.com/
Small Winery Marketing Rule #1: Know Thy Self
FERMENTATION, USA
14.04.10: Recently in Washington State at TASTE Washington I gave a
talk on ""THE TEN THINGS EVERY SMALL WINERY MUST KNOW TO
MARKET IN TODAY'S WINE MARKETING UNIVERSE." That talk was
summarized in an earlier blog post here at FERMENTATION. This is the
second post in a series that expands on that earlier post.
RULE # 2: LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION
The single biggest change in wine marketing that has occurred in the
past 20 years is that consumers are talking about wine—and they are
doing it publicly and for the whole world, including winemakers, to see. What this means is
that by listening to these conversations about what wines they like, how they like to
drink it, where they like to drink it, what they like to pay, etc, etc, you have the
opportunity to learn precisely what you need to do to attract consumers to your
wines. Listen to these conversation. Read the on-line wine bulletin boards like
eRobertParker and WineBerserkers, scan the reviews at CellarTracker and Vinfolio,
read comments on blogs, observe discussions taking place on Facebook and Twitter,
scan Yelp reviews. You may not agree with or like what you read but you will gain an
advantage that winemakers 20 years ago did not have: regular access to the intimate and
revealing thoughts of your customer.
Consider the impact of not taking advantage of the public conversations that are taking place
on-line. First consider not listening to what consumers are saying about YOUR wines. Consider
the impact of not reading a spat of negative comments about customer experiences in your
tasting room. Visitors rarely express their disappointment directly to the folks pouring the wine
behind your tasting bar. But they will slam you on Yelp, via Twitter, in discussion forums at
TripAdvisor and at other venues. Reading carefully what they have to say offers the opportunity
to fix what might be a problem costing you thousands of dollars is lost revenue.
….
http://www.fermentation.typepad.com/
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Tony Soter sheds some weight [carbon footprint]
DR VINO, USA
15.04.10: Tony Soter shed some unnecessary weight from one year to the next–in his bottles.
The Oregon vintner shipped his 2007 Pinot Noirs in bottles weighing 900g, more
than the 750g of wine in the bottle. But for his 2008s, which are being released
soon, the bottles will weigh 600g (both bottles, pictured right). Needless to say, the
reduced packaging mass greatly reduces the carbon footprint of the wine.
“The time has passed that you can try to impress people with the substance of the bottle as
opposed to what is in the bottle,” he said. …
http://www.drvino.com/
And so it begins… Jay McInerney, wealth porn, and the WSJ
DR VINO, USA
12.04.10: The Wall Street Journal formally introduced their new
duo of wine columnists, Jay McInerney and Lettie Teague, on
Saturday (even though rumors had been flying on the internets for
months). They replace John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter who left the
paper in December after writing the column for 12 years.
McInerney files his first column and it is about Prosecco rosé
Champagne. Not only does it contain a sidebar with $635 of
wine recommendations, but the piece also compares Dom
Pérignon to both the Porsche 911 Carrera and the 911 turbo!
There’s talk of maxing out credit cards to buy bubbly! The piece
also justifies the price of one bubbly by comparing it to the tasting
menu at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas! The only place he really leaves
the reader hanging is whether the pink bubblies taste better out of a white gold encrusted
Jerobaum.
He has met Hugh Hefner, natch. And he just saw “mature” Julianne Moore on the street and
the rosé Champagne made him think of her again! …
http://www.drvino.com/
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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.
British wine critics turn their noses up at new autobahn
THE GUARDIAN, UK
08.04.10: A group of prominent British wine critics has joined the fight to reverse the
construction of a four-lane motorway which threatens to destroy the world's best
riesling vineyards. Veteran champions of riesling such as Hugh Johnson, author of The World
Atlas of Wine, and Jancis Robinson, who have helped to give the white wine an international
standing, are calling on German politicians to halt construction at the site along the Mosel river
which they say could ruin the region's unique microclimate, which is highly sensitive to change.
The future of world-renowned vineyards such as Wehlen, Graach, Bernkastel and
Zeltingen, famed for their intense but light wines, is at stake if the project continues
to build the motorway and accompanying 525ft high (160m) bridge which would
span the Mosel river and connect two mountain ranges. Digging at the site has already
begun.Vintners say the construction will damage the vines by blocking the sunlight and
affecting the delicate system of water distribution. The Mosel valley is considered ideal for the
late-ripening grape because its brittle slate slopes soak up the sun's warmth by day and release
it by night. In a delicately-balanced system which has served the wine-growing region well for
over 2,000 years, the slate stores moisture in winter while, in summer, it drips down the slope
to vines.Robinson, who writes a popular wine column for the Financial Times and advises the
Queen on the contents of her wine cellar, said the project threatened "one of the wine world's
very few unique wines".She said: "The style of the Mosel riesling has an unparalleled
delicacy and vibrancy and crucially each wine really does express exactly where it
comes from – the essence of the place is in the bottle. We don't now want to be
capturing the essence of four-lane autobahns, thank you very much."Hugh Johnson,
the world's best-selling wine author whose Pocket Wine Book is published annually, said:
"Those who advocate the construction of the highway say it will only affect 12km out of a
240km stretch but that bit that is under threat happens to be the plum on the cake, the best
stretch."The whole of the Mosel has a style of lightness and intensity which suits the riesling
grape incredibly well … it can come in at 8% alcohol but always has a wonderfully fresh flavour
and a featheriness and delicacy that doesn't go to your head. And, unlike a burgundy or a
bordeaux, it is impossible to imitate."Manfred Prüm of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard,
whose wine sells for between £17.50 and £26 a bottle, says he, along with other local vintners,
is fearful for the future quality of his wine and those of the region."We have a cultural heritage
to protect which could be on the verge of being destroyed," said Prüm, 75, whose family has
been cultivating wine along the Mosel river for several centuries.
…
Johnson has already gone head-to-head with the "vineyard minister" of the state of RhinelandPalatinate, who also happens to be the minister for transport, Hendrik Hering. In a letter to
Johnson, Hering accused him of elitism and told him to concentrate on reporting on the highquality wines of the local vintners rather than "changes to the landscape".
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"I sent him a complete snorter in response, I was so angry," Johnson said.
Politicians and wine critics will come together on Sunday for a "protest wine-tasting" session at
a Berlin restaurant, at which the wine experts will attempt to convince the politicians to do an
about-turn. "I think it could well end in a punch-up," said Johnson.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/08/wine-germany-riesling-autobahn
A fashion duo dresses up a wine label
FINANCIAL TIMES, UK
10.04.10: Napa Valley, the seat of California’s wine industry, is not exactly a
fashion mecca. The pastoral towns dotted around the vineyards are more
Buddh-ist than Burberry, more caps-’n’-culottes than Chanel. So slightly tipsy
heads turned from cellars to catwalks when it was recently announced that
Basso & Brooke, British designers known for their use of fabric decorated with
pornographic prints, had been appointed “designers in residence” to Turning
Leaf, E&J Gallo’s traditional wine brand. The partnership is the latest
example of the hottest trend among young fashion houses: engaging
in cross-industry collaborations to boost the bottom line. While it is not
a huge conceptual leap to imagine why a fashion designer might be a good goto person for, say, a rug company, a hotel or even a car, a supermarket wine
brand seems a particularly strained variety of mixing and matching.
Admittedly, Basso & Brooke are not the first to venture into the bottle arena.
Matthew Williamson has designed for Coca- Cola, Jade Jagger for Belvedere
vodka, and Jean Paul Gaultier for Piper-Heidsieck champagne. Yet the relatively
sober, non-bubbly wine industry, where even a minimalist label can seem
radical, had until now not indulged in such flights of fancy, especially on this
scale. As designers in residence (though they’re not moving to Napa;
it’s an honorific), Basso & Brooke will create the wrapping for 2,000
bottles, curate a blog, design some limited-edition umbrellas and a retail installation
for a London department store. Turning Leaf could use the help. “This isn’t seen as a
fashionable wine, at least in the UK,” admitted Christopher Brooke. The winemakers clearly
hope that working with Basso & Brooke will change all that. For their part, Brooke says, it’s
more about profile-raising and “the press aspect than making it commercially available”.
….
Subscription based
Saving Salamanders May Mean Restricting Vineyards
WINE SPECTATOR, USA
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Weekly Update
09.04.10: In a move likely to affect vineyard
development in Sonoma, San Luis Obispo and Santa
Barbara counties, the California Fish and Game
Commission voted last month to list the California
tiger salamander as an endangered species under
the California Endangered Species Act. The
commission argued that although the salamander is already
protected by federal endangered status in Sonoma and
Santa Barbara counties, the existing federal regulations are
inadequate to ensure its survival. The new ruling
extends protection to several other counties where
salamanders are found. What does this mean to California grapegrowers? It means
development, including new plantings, could be limited. "If you want to change land
use, you've got to prove there is no tiger salamander on the land," said Nick Frey, president of
the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. "You have expensive studies and permits to be
done and potential mitigation. You are limited as to what you can do with your land." Under
current federal protections, a grower risks a potential $50,000 fine and a year in jail for
endangering a tiger salamander through plowing or planting. At the state commission hearing,
Tim Schmelzer, who handles regulatory issues for the Wine Institute, spoke on behalf of a
coalition of wine and building industry groups, arguing that the state has no conclusive evidence
that the salamander's numbers are critical and its habitat in danger of total loss. The
salamander spends much of its life underground, living in burrows, but comes up to
breed in the ponds and pools that once abounded in California's Central Valley.
Today, six distinct populations of tiger salamanders remain in California, but two populations in
particular, located in Sonoma's Santa Rosa Plain and Santa Barbara County, are especially
threatened and were listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2004.
The salamander has been living in what is now California for millions of years, but much of its
habitat has disappeared in just a few short decades, mostly due to urbanization and agricultural
development. ….
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42509
Construction Continues for UC Davis' Showcase Winery
WINES & VINES, USA
14.04.10: The new teaching winery
now in the final stages of
construction at the University of
California, Davis, will be a vast
improvement over the school’s
present antiquated facility, and it
will be far more than a modern
science lab for students. It is being built as a site for research to raise wine quality, improve
production processes and demonstrate and enhance techniques that will preserve resources,
meet upcoming regulations -- and save money. It is also providing a vehicle for members of the
wine community to demonstrate their appreciation for the school’s work, although the biggest
plum remains unclaimed -- the name on the door. Andrew Waterhouse, chair of the Viticulture
and Enology Department at UC Davis, recently gave Wines & Vines staff an intimate look at the
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Global Wine Trends
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Weekly Update
new facility. The winery under construction is part of the hands-on side of the Robert Mondavi
Institute of Wine and Food Science; classrooms and offices have already been built and are in
use. The winery shares a building with a teaching brewery funded by Anheuser-Busch and food
sciences laboratories including a dairy and new artisanal cheesemaking operations. The whole
facility is designed to meet the tough Platinum LEED classification, the highest standard
bestowed by the United States Green Building Council. …
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=73196&htitle=Constr
uction%20Continues%20for%20UC%20Davis%27%20Showcase%20Winery
South Africa launches sustainability seal
HARPERS, UK
12.04.10: The South African wine industry claims to have launched the world's first
sustainability seal that guarantees eco-friendly production and bottle provenance.
Intended for bottled wines only, the seal which is issued by the Wine and Spirit
Board has a tracking system that can now trace bottle contents back to source at
every stage of the supply chain. The seal is a continuation of the local wine industry’s
pioneering approach to sustainable wine growing and winemaking and further aims to confirm
the integrity of production by giving each seal a unique number, through which the wine's
provenance can be tracked from vine to bottle. The seal is the result of collaboration
between the Wine & Spirits Board, IPW, as well as the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative
(BWI) and Wines of South Africa (WOSA) with the generic marketing body
responsible for the worldwide launch of the concept as part of its Brand South Africa
campaign. Effective from 2010, the voluntary system is available to those wineries to have
passed the accreditation of the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) set of sustainable
principles, at farm, winery and bottling levels. Wines of South Africa, chief executive officer, Sue
Birch said it is expected to give another boost to the country's already widely recognised
international lead in the production integrity of wine. "Although other countries are introducing
similar initiatives on a limited scale, at this stage South Africa is the only country to have the
means to implement and certify the concept across the entire wine industry. Regular spotchecks by independent auditors will be conducted to ensure guidelines are complied with at all
levels.
http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/8911-south-africa-launches-sustainabilityseal.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
aspects as those appear in the current setting.
Wine: Natural isn't perfect
THE WASHINGTON POST, USA
14.04.10: Wine is not immune to political correctness or polemics. (Readers who merely desire
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a simple glass of fermented grape juice to enjoy with dinner might want to turn to the editorial
page now.) The latest battlefront in wine is whether that juice you're drinking is
"natural." The natural-wine movement has been sweeping France for a few years
now, with stylishly dressed millennials in trendy wine bars in affluent urban
neighborhoods celebrating the peasant vignerons who defy globalization in defense
of terroir.
There's a Gallic defiance of the European Union's standardization of regulations, which is seen
as undermining France's strict defense of tradition and quality as the homeland of fine wine.
And there's more than a soupçon of resentment against New World (read "American") wines
and their flirty fruitiness that renders them wines of the masses rather than wines of character.
The movement has reached the United States, with wine bars in San Francisco and
New York featuring natural wines from France, Italy, Spain and even California.
Importers such as Louis/Dressner Selections and Jenny & François Selections in
New York and Williams Corner Wine, based in Charlottesville, specialize in natural
wines.
Simply put, natural wine is an extension of organic and biodynamic viticulture, two approaches
to winemaking that focus on the vineyard. The natural-wine movement pays attention to
winery practices as well, rejecting cultivated yeasts in favor of those indigenous to
the vineyard or winery. It rejects the practice of adding sugar or acid to correct
balance or enzymes to aid fermentation, as well as other manipulations such as
filtering and fining the wine to remove potential impurities (and flavor). Natural wine,
its proponents argue, is a true wine of place. "Enologists at UC-Davis set the standard of what
wine should be, and they defined it by identifying faults and how to correct them," said Nicolas
Mestre of Williams Corner Wine. …
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/story/2010/04/13/ST2010041302620.html
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