January, 19, 2016 Iran bans use of the word 'wine' and names of 'foreign animals' in books

(Telegraph) - Iran’s culture ministry has decided to censor the use of the word “wine” and the names of “foreign animals” and dignitaries from any books published in the Islamic Republic. The new rules are designed to protect Iranians from what the regime calls a &ldq...

January, 19, 2016 Study proves no wine or beer possible without wasp poop

(Examiner) - The  yeast  that is the natural source of the fermentation of  wine , beer, and bread is carried in the intestines of  wasps . The yeast called  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  can only mate in the intestines of wasps. The yeast is commonly called brewer’s...

January, 19, 2016 The Top Wine Trend Predictions Of 2016, From Expert Sommeliers

(Chicagoist) - Wine lovers can look forward to the expansion and emergence of several interesting trends this year—but what exactly are they? We asked a group of sommeliers around Chicago to look into their crystal Zalto Burgundy glasses to predict what they see as the top wine trends comi...

January, 18, 2016 French winemaker forced to pay back EU subsidies over fraud

(AFR) - One of Bordeaux's most renowned winemakers, whose bottles sell for up to £2500 ($5184) each, has been found guilty of fraud over the misuse of almost £450,000 of EU subsidies. Doubt was also cast on claims made by Loïc Pasquet, creator of Liber Pater wines, to have revive...

January, 18, 2016 The quirkage of wine bottle corkage

(MercuryNews) - Admittedly, bringing wine to a restaurant is an unusual practice. You wouldn't carry in, say, a steak and ask the chef to prepare it. Nor do you bring in beer or spirits. Just wine. Corkage comes into play when you BYOB. It's the fee that covers the costs of wine glassware maintena...

January, 18, 2016 US: State of the States Address

(Wines&Vines) - Steve Gross, vice president of state relations for the Wine Institute, reported on changes to state laws and shipping regulations at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium on Jan. 14. “It was a year with a lot of ministeps” and not many big changes, he said. Gross ...

January, 18, 2016 Vintage 2016: South Australian wine grape growers gear up for harvest

(ABC) - South Australia's multi-million dollar wine industry is gearing up for another strong vintage, with early season grapes already trickling into the state's wineries. As the nation's largest wine producer, South Australia contributes more than half of the country's annual wine volume, a commo...

January, 18, 2016 On wine: How oak barrels affect wine

(PD) - The ancient Celts were a people of the forest. They used a lot of wood in their daily lives, for housing, cookery and art. Sometime around the 5th century B.C., they came up with an ingenious new way with wood. They formed it into barrels for storing liquids such as water, ale and, when this...