December, 23, 2011 Raise a glass to China's booming wine industry

(Telegraph) - China has lofty ambitions to become a serious wine-producing nation which could raise a cheer among investors and drinkers alike The Middle Kingdom has enjoyed a huge wine-drinking boom in recent years, as rising personal incomes have helped expand its middle class population. Analyst...

December, 23, 2011 UK drinkers favour English sparkling over Champagne, says report

(Decanter) - The nation’s domestic bubbly is enjoying ‘phenomenal’ growth and rapidly entering the mainstream, according to the new figures, which suggest that most sparkling wine consumers in the UK have tried it at least once. Meanwhile, the total market for sparkling wine in the UK has gro...

December, 23, 2011 US: Washington Wine Privatization Still Stands

(Wines&Vines) - On Dec. 21, Cowlitz County Superior Court rejected an application to halt implementation of Washington State Initiative 1183, which passed with 58.7% voter support in November’s general election, but observers said that legal status of the transition remains in flux. The initiative...

December, 21, 2011 Wine: how green is your glass?

(Theecologist) - Certification is expensive and monitoring of ingredients can be difficult so it can be hard for consumers to make an informed choice about wine. Sophie Laggan takes a look at the options ‘We have over 250 eco-labels and over 50 product stewardship bodies’ for food according t...

December, 21, 2011 Russia: Wine Culture Takes Root

(TheMoscowTimes) - Finding good wine at a reasonable price in Russia is like finding a needle in a haystack, while limited growth in demand, new alcohol consumption rules and even the changing winds of international politics have all complicated the import industry in recent years. About 190 mill...

December, 21, 2011 US: California to smash records as sales surge

(Decanter) - According to the Wine Institute of California, by the end of October US wine exports – 90%-plus of them from California – had already matched the record total of US$1.14bn for the whole of last year, boosted by a weak dollar and soaring sales in China. That represents a 23% increas...

December, 21, 2011 US: Iowa Wines to Debut VQA Seal

(Wines&Vines) - The seal of Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines has long been associated with fine Canadian wines, not with vintages from the Midwestern heartland of the United States. Starting in January 2012, however, Iowa vintners will begin using the IVQA label for Iowa-produced wines availabl...

December, 20, 2011 Are there differences in mortality among wine consumers and other alcoholic beverages?

(Eurekalert) - Wine consumers, especially in comparison with spirits drinkers, have been shown to have higher levels of education and income, to consume a healthier diet, be more physically active, and have other characteristics that are associated with better health outcomes. However, epidemiologic...