August, 13, 2012 Top 10 wines in the British press

(TheDrinksBusiness) - We round-up the top 10 wines featured in the British press last weekend. This week Olly Smith in the Mail on Sunday has some thoughts on Pinot Noir. “Put simply, Pinot Noir can offer some of wine’s most sublime moments,” he wrote. “When it headlines solo as a red, it...

August, 13, 2012 New Crushpad owner aims to 'rebuild trust'

(Decanter) - The new owners of the assets of beleaguered custom winemaking company Crushpad are on the hunt for new facilities as they try to rebuild trust in the troubled business. Using two newly created companies, Structural Solutions and Aspect 2, private equity business Castlegate Capital Advis...

August, 13, 2012 Usain Bolt treated to £80k fizz at Movida

(TheDrinksBusiness) - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was treated to an £80,000 bottle of Champagne on Saturday night after breaking the world record for the 4×100-metre relay. A 15l Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac Champagne, known as Ace of Spades, was brought to Bolt’s VIP table at Movida nig...

August, 13, 2012 US: 'Don't call us a cult' – Screaming Eagle

(Decanter) - Celebrated Californian wine Screaming Eagle is a Napa Valley grand cru, not a cult, according to the winery's general manager. In a rare visit to the highly secretive Oakville producer reported in September’s issue of Decanter, Adam Lechmere discovers that the c-word’s connotations ...

August, 13, 2012 Say Hello to the Wine App for 'Normal People'

(Forbes) - There are a number of great mobile wine applications out there, but most of them cater to hardcore oenophiles. For the average consumer, though, these apps tend to be a bit too bulky, confusing, and time-consuming for comfort. For the infrequent wine drinker that finds herself tarrying...

August, 13, 2012 France: Burgundy booms as fine wine index retreats

(Telegraph) - Fine wines have been hit hard by the global downturn, with the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 index down 10pc year-on-year in July according to Cellar Watch's most recent market report. But, the index compiler said the pace of declines had "notably" slowed last month and pointed to increasing ex...

August, 12, 2012 China’s alcohol imports up 58%

(TheDrinksBusiness) - China’s alcohol imports have jumped 58% from last year to $2.4 billion, according to the country’s commerce ministry. In 2011, the country imported 500,000 kilolitres of alcohol, an increase of 30% year-on-year, vice-minister of commerce Jiang Zengwei said at a press con...

August, 12, 2012 US: Grape harvest under way in Napa Valley

(PressDemocrat) - As the sun rose over Atlas Peak early Friday, speckling golden light on misty grapevines in Oakville, a crew of 30 pickers hustled ripe clusters of pinot noir grapes off the vine. The clusters were nimbly cut free and gingerly dropped into bins headed up the Silverado Trail for Mum...