April, 01, 2011 French embrace 'le vin plastique’

French winemakers are brushing aside Gallic pride to bottle their wine in plastic to meet British demand for lighter, unbreakable plastic bottles for the summer festival season. In the Languedoc-Roussillon area, winegrowers from the Pepieux co-operative have been converted, albeit begrudgingly. â€...

April, 01, 2011 Bordeaux 2010: Alcohol is threatening Bordeaux style, say winemakers

Merlot's alcohol levels have become so high in Bordeaux that there is a danger that regional character will be lost, top oenologists say. In both the 2010 and 2009 vintages it was common to see Merlots surpass 15% alcohol, a situation Didier Cuvelier, owner of Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St Julien ...

April, 01, 2011 Protect yourself against counterfeit wine

Fake wine spottings are on the rise around the world, with the latest incident striking an area east of London in the UK. But a keen eye and a little sober investigation can save consumers from being duped under the table. Wine lovers in a borough northeast of the city have been warned to beware of ...

April, 01, 2011 In Argentina, red wine exports to balance Porsche imports

About 100 Porsches are imported to Argentina each year. Now the country wants to keep a positive trade balance by having the value of the imported luxury cars matched by red wine exports.Porsche is currently enjoying record profits after a two-year downturn, but the export-reliant company has hit a ...

April, 01, 2011 EU Clears Suntory, Castel Buy Of Covea Group Subsidiaries

(Dow Jones)--The European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition by Suntory and Castel of joint control of Grands Millesimes de France as well as the simultaneous acquisition by Castel of sole control of Savour Club and MAAF Subsidiaries, it said in a statement Friday. All target companies a...

April, 01, 2011 US: Southern Wine & Spirits eyes expansion in Union City

Southern Wine & Spirits is expanding its operations in the East Bay with a big lease in Union City. The distributor of alcoholic beverages signed a lease for 192,000 square feet of warehouse space in Union City, said agents with Cornish & Carey Commercial, a realty brokerage. "We are encourage...

April, 01, 2011 UK: Treasury Wine Estates launches rosé wine for younger females

Treasury Wine Estates latest launch Bella Vie, a rosé wine targeting young female consumers, will not be released to major multiples. The 11% abv white zinfandel rose from the Puglia region of Italy, will launch in the impulse channel only from April 18, rrp £6.99. It has been in develop...

April, 01, 2011 France: 1855.com acquires ChateauOnline wine retailer

1855 announced today that it completed the acquisition of ChateauOnline, the pioneer of Internet wine sales in France and Europe, for an amount which was not disclosed. It is known however that in 1855 acquired control of ChateauOnline with CL Financial Group, presented as “one of the largest p...