August, 07, 2014 Are Wine Enthusiasts Destroying The Sommelier?

(VinePair) - “You work in wine, have you seen the movie Somm? What level of certification do you hold?” This question has become ubiquitous for almost anyone who works in wine, whether on the floor of a restaurant, with a distributor, at a wine shop, or even as a lowly writer. There is...

August, 07, 2014 Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan gets 10 years in jail

(BBC) - Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan, 37, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to pay $20m (£11.8m) for his role in selling millions of dollars worth of fake wine. He has also been ordered to pay $28.4m in restitution to victims, who include billionaire William Koch. Mr Kurni...

August, 07, 2014 Wineries Float Ideas for Treating Waste

(Wines&Vines) - As California wineries know too well, water is a valuable resource. Often it seems the industry is caught between a rock and a hard place: Water is either in short supply, or there’s a fight to keep what’s available clean so everyone—from farmers to fish&m...

August, 07, 2014 FIRST UV ENERGY TABLET COCKTAIL TO LAUNCH

(TDB) - A US entrepreneur is to launch what he claims is the world’s first “tablet cocktail mixer” producing a beverage that glows under UV lighting and boosts energy levels. XUVO is an effervescent tablet that can be mixed with alcohol, vodka or white rum, and water added...

August, 06, 2014 Russia considers restricting EU wine imports in response to sanctions

(Decanter) - Russia may restrict wine imports from the European Union in a sign that winemakers are becoming embroiled in heightened political tension between the two sides.  A spokesperson for Russian president Vladimir Putin has said officials will meet on 20 August to consider restr...

August, 05, 2014 Growth in Prosecco vineyards blamed for deaths of four people in flash floods

(Telegraph) - Deaths of four people in a flash flood in Italy's Prosecco-producing region sparks debate about whether expanding vineyards are to blame. Italy's picturesque Prosecco-producing region has been plunged into bitter acrimony amid accusations that its expanding vineyards were responsible...

August, 05, 2014 Wine Monopolies, Cracked: Entrepreneurial Insights From A Closed System

(Forbes) - In most markets across the US, independent liquor stores reflect the tastes and penchants of their owners. Enthusiastic wine drinkers know that a particular store in a particular neighborhood carries the best selection of wines from South America, say, while another store a neighborhood ...

August, 05, 2014 Rack & Riddle Toasts New Locations

(Wines&Vines) - A load of just-picked Chardonnay grapes arrived at the new Rack & Riddle location in the Alexander Valley this morning, marking the start of a new vintage and the next phase for the fast-growing, custom-crush wine company. Rack & Riddle, which carved a lucrative niche...