February, 28, 2012 Australian imports up, exports down, winemakers unfazed

(Decanter) - Australian wine imports increased significantly while exports fell last year – and there was a marked increase in the value of domestic wine sales.While the volume of Australian wine sold in the domestic market fell by 1.5%, the value of domestic sales surged by 9.8%, prompting some w...

February, 28, 2012 Petrus Vies With Ausone as Wine Sales Move to U.S., U.K.

(Bloomberg) - The most expensive Pomerol producers Chateau Petrus and Le Pin are competing with Bordeaux first- growth Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Saint-Emilion estate Chateau Ausone and top Burgundies at sales worth as much as $11 million. Five auctions are scheduled this week in London, New York...

February, 28, 2012 US: Lady Gaga Spotted in Sonoma, Eating

(NBCBayArea) - Caught in a good restaurant. Singer and pop-culture sensation Lady Gaga was spotted chowing down in Sonoma County over the weekend during a visit to wine country with boyfriend Taylor Kinney, according to a report in BiteClubEats. And why not? One of her nights out featured a cake ...

February, 28, 2012 US: PA: Looking for a wine or liquor? LCB has an app for that

(Philly) - The state Liquor Control Board, oft-criticized for being the hapless brainchild of Prohibition days, is quietly trying to join the 21st century. With little fanfare, the agency has rolled out a new, free application for the iPhone, an "app" meant to make it easier to find your favorite...

February, 27, 2012 France: Domaine Huët's Noël Pinguet Retires

(WineSpectator) - Noël Pinguet, the long-serving director of Domaine Huët, one of the Loire Valley's leading producers, has retired from his winemaking duties. His career at the estate began in 1976, when he began working alongside his father-in-law, the late Gaston Huët, before eventually assumi...

February, 27, 2012 Chinese antique wine container 'shaped like great bird' may soar to $300,000

(Paulfrasercollectibles) - Dating to the Warring States period, the antique Chinese 'bronze bird' wine container is turning heads. We've already covered what are expected to be some of the biggest sellers (both figuratively and literally) in Elite's auction of Asian antiques on March 17: Two huge el...

February, 27, 2012 How Exactly Does Alcohol Protect Your Heart?

(Everydayhealth) - What’s your poison? At the right serving size, it may not be poison at all. While red wine is most closely tied to heart health, other types of alcohol can provide the same benefits. The best-documented mechanism for alcohol’s preventive power, according to Cleveland ...

February, 27, 2012 New Zealand heading for shortage in 2012

(Decanter) - New Zealand expects a small 2012 vintage, which is likely to put the brakes on its decade-long growth spurt. The industry is predicting crops could be as much as 30% lower compared to 2011's 328,000 tonne harvest. A lighter crop could lead to a grape shortage, which marks a massive t...