September, 17, 2012 BIBENDUM SELLS ARGENTO

(TheDrinksBusiness) - Bibendum Wine has sold Argento Wine Company to Argentine wine group Inversora Agroindustrial Sudamericana. The move, which was completed last week, will see the Argento increase its winery and vineyard capacity, gaining access to “some of the most prestigious vineyards” ...

September, 17, 2012 Fronsac: the bridesmaid of Bordeaux wines

(Telegraph) - Some Bordeaux names – such as Pauillac or Margaux — sound as imperious as kings and queens. Others – Pomerol, say – have the luxurious feel of lobster or fillet steak. And Fronsac? That tends to evoke no response at all. It’s the back of beyond, not just geographically but in...

September, 17, 2012 Department of Agriculture announces grants to improve housing for farm workers

(JournalNews) - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is accepting applications for technical assistance grants to develop domestic and migrant farm labor housing. "These grants will help communities submit quality applications to increase their chances of getting funding to...

September, 17, 2012 Decline in immigration felt in vineyards

(PressDemocrat) - The vineyard crew was hard at work on the grounds of B Wise Vineyards in Sonoma Valley on Friday morning. But they weren't picking grapes. Instead, the seasoned crew of vineyard workers were tackling landscaping projects: installing a switch in a lawn irrigation system, plant...

September, 17, 2012 Wine bottle decorators pour on capacity

(NBBJ) - Two major suppliers of bottle-decoration services are significantly upgrading their production capacity as more vintners turn to screen printing as a luxurious-looking label alternative. To be sure, screen printing accounts for a tiny portion of labeling for wine bottles and historically...

September, 16, 2012 CLOSURES: PART 5 ­– THE PERFECT SOLUTION?

(TheDrinksBusiness) - Penfolds may have created the perfect closure solution by doing away with a stopper altogether, although it doesn’t come cheap. In our final piece on closures we have searched for the ideal way to close a wine, having considered the most common options already on the market,...

September, 16, 2012 French winemakers concerned over 'chateau' change

(Telegraph) - French winemakers are concerned their US competitors may be given permission to use the symbolic "chateau" label on bottles exported to Europe, destroying the meaning of the term. In France, wine labelled "chateau" is associated with a product entirely made from grapes grown on a "ter...

September, 16, 2012 What you need to know about wine vintage

(Guardian) - Visit a winery at most times of the year and not all that much seems to be going on. A winemaker may periodically come to check on a barrel, a bottling line may stutter into life, and, in the larger operations, a lab technician will studiously test samples to the quiet murmur of a radio...