February, 15, 2016 France grapples with definition of natural wine

(Decanter) - French wine bureaucrats at the country's appellation office have resolved to create a definition for natural wines, in what is likely to provoke strong debate among producers. Members of the national appellation body, INAO, met last Thursday (11 February) to discuss ways to develop ...

February, 14, 2016 West Australian wine industry begins 2016 harvest after mixed growing season

(ABC) - Harvest for the 2016 vintage is underway in Western Australia with producers grateful for strong finish to the growing season. Winemakers say recent hot weather across the south west of the state has been a gift, after heavy rains threatened the start to harvest. The  heavy rain ...

February, 14, 2016 Sparkling Wines Seen Driving World Consumption Growth to 2019

(Bloomberg) - Sparkling wines are poised to lead growth in the global wine market from 2015 to 2019, with rose wines and premium labels also driving expansion, according to the Bordeaux-based international wine and spirits exhibition Vinexpo. While worldwide wine consumption looks set to rise 1....

February, 14, 2016 Water Management Key to Growth in Washington

(Wines&Vines) - Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is the biggest vintner in Washington state, a home-grown legend that’s won the right to dream big. Its partnership with Ernst Loosen helped make Washington state a notable source for premium domestic Riesling, with a 51.4% share of the marke...

February, 14, 2016 Bulgarians Mark Both Love and Wine Days on Sunday

(Novinite) - Two major celebrations are taking place on February 14 in Bulgaria, with  Valentine's day  coinciding with the national feast of wine and vine. Since the fall of Communism in the late eighties, the internationally practiced exchange of love messages in Catholic countries b...

February, 14, 2016 Why you should crack open a bottle of the wine that’s ‘indestructible’

(WP) - America once had a love affair with Madeira. Our Founding Fathers hoisted glasses of this fortified wine to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and it was a favorite tipple at dinner tables throughout the young nation. “About 75 percent of all wine consumed in the ...

February, 14, 2016 What The Heck Is Natural Wine? Here's A Taste

(NPR) - If you follow the vast world of fermented grapes, you may have noticed an influx of so-called natural wines. I fell under their spell a few years ago. Apparently, I'm not alone. There's something of a natural wine cult blooming in shops, bars and restaurants around the U.S. Natural wines...

February, 12, 2016 California: State wine grape harvest shrinks but still is abundant

(ModBee) - The state’s wine grape harvest declined for a second straight year in 2015, but drinkers still have plenty of choices from wineries in Modesto and beyond. The 2015 crop came in at 3.7 million tons, compared with 3.9 million in 2014 and the record 4.2 million the year before, the...