January, 30, 2012 Distilled spirits, wine make gains at beers' expense

(ChicagoTribune) - U.S. sales of spirits rose 2.7 percent in 2011, an industry trade group said on Monday, citing new products and consumers' thirst for high-end libations such as super-premium vodka. On a revenue basis, sales rose 4 percent, to $19.9 billion, restoring the industry to pre-reces...

January, 30, 2012 US: Washington Wine Licenses: No Change Yet

(Wines&Vines) - An executive session of the Washington State Legislature’s House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs this afternoon set back efforts to create two classes of wineries in Washington state. The proposed legislation—House Bill 1641—was originally introduced last year, a...

January, 30, 2012 Bordeaux 2011: Calls for price drop after 'arrogant' 2010s

(Decanter) - Bordeaux was 'arrogant' in its pricing last year, the managing director of Chateau Lafite has told Decanter.com as merchants call on Bordeaux to come down in price on the 2011s.After two acclaimed vintages, it is generally accepted 2011 is going to be fine but not stellar – and mercha...

January, 30, 2012 US: Liquor store run by Supreme Court nominee's family settles with U.S. authorities over $2M in deposits

(NJ) - A wine and liquor store run by the family of state Supreme Court nominee Phillip Kwon forfeited nearly $160,000 to federal authorities last month to settle civil charges that more than $2 million was deposited into the business’s bank account illegally, court records show. The case, file...

January, 30, 2012 US: Winery job postings up sharply in 2011

(Napavalleyregister) - Finding a job in the wine industry should have gotten a little bit easier in 2011. The number of wine jobs posted on an industry job site rose 18 percent from 2010 to 2011, WineJobs.com reported. WineJobs.com, which serves the Napa Valley as part of its national reach, sai...

January, 30, 2012 Australians see silver lining in import surge

(Decanter) - The surge in foreign imports to Australia should be welcomed not feared, Australian wine professionals say. A combination of a strong Australian dollar and aggressive discounting by Australian supermarkets has led to a drop in the price of European wines, and a surge in imports. Sinc...

January, 30, 2012 Pernod Ricard and Southern strike Washington deal

(Drinksint) - Pernod Ricard USA has announced the appointment of Southern Wine & Spirits of America as its spirits and wine distributor in the state of Washington. Martin Crane, senior vice president of sales at Pernod Ricard USA, said the move - which is effective March 1 - coincides with the â€...

January, 29, 2012 Georgian wine, reborn

(Foodepedia) - Surrounded by Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, Georgia is a melting pot of cultures, cuisines and religions. It’s east meets west meets Middle East but somehow it feels unmistakably European. Far from the bleak, austere, high-rise landscape that I was naïvely anticipating fr...