August, 19, 2014 Pinot Noir Still King in Oregon

(Wines&Vines) - The rebound in pricing for Oregon grapes during the past four years suggests that growers will see stable or slightly higher prices this season. Preliminary results from the 2013 Oregon Vineyard and Wine Production Census indicate that statewide, growers received an aver...

August, 19, 2014 Italian Harvest Starts Early as Weather Improves

(Wine-Searcher) - Italian growers have started picking grapes for what looks like a quality harvest. The Italian grape harvest is underway, with grower organizations promising less quantity but more quality from the 2014 vintage. The first grapes were picked in  Franciacorta  i...

August, 18, 2014 How to Blind Taste Wine Like a Sommelier

(WSJ) -  ONE OF THE MOST satisfying achievements of any oenophile is an ability to recognize a wine whose identity is concealed. Equal parts talent, training and luck, blind tasting is the elusive grail of the professional wine world. I've had some great blind-tasting successes—and many ...

August, 18, 2014 Canada’s wine industry may face restrictions if leaked EU trade deal is accurate

(CTVNews) - A trade deal between Canada and the European Union could restrict Canada’s wine sales by limiting the number of privately run outlets selling domestic products, if a leaked document turns out to be close to the finalized treaty. A trade deal between Canada and the European Union ...

August, 18, 2014 Napa Wineries Fear Santa Barbara-Style Casino

(Wine-Searcher) - A proposed rule change by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs could lead to new casinos in California's wine country. How would Napa Valley look with a casino and a 12-story hotel in the middle of the now-scenic horizon? That's the nightmare the county fears if the U.S. Bureau of I...

August, 18, 2014 Winemakers rally to oppose ban on new vineyards in newly-created Malibu Coast AVA

(Decanter) - Only months after the creation of the new Malibu Cast AVA, winemakers are battling with local authorities to stop a ban on new vineyard plantings coming into force. Changes approved by the California Coastal Commission in April, which include a ban all new vineyard plantings in the ne...

August, 18, 2014 Fake wine ‘arms race’ underway

(TDB) - Dubbed the “Wine Detective” by US tabloids, the expert witness in the trial of Rudy Kurniawan has said that there is an “arms race” between authorities and counterfeiters in the world of fraudulent wine. British-born wine authenticator Michael Egan captured the imag...

August, 18, 2014 King Richard III ‘drank a bottle of wine a day’

(TheTelegraph) - A study reveals that Richard III guzzled a bottle of wine a day during his last years – but he's far from the only ruler to have enjoyed a tipple. The pressures of ruling a country must be difficult – so it’s perhaps no surprise that King Richard III turned to al...