July, 24, 2014 France: More Bordeaux Wineries Change Hands

(Wine-Seacher) - It's musical chairs for some châteaux as two major Bordeaux companies move in the marketplace. French insurance company MAIF has taken over management of Château Dauzac again, after Vignobles André Lurton (VAL) stepped away from running the château to conc...

July, 24, 2014 UC Davis Launches Wine Processing Center

(Wines&Vines) - Former NASA engineer Jill Brigham’s new mission is to launch the Sustainable Wine & Food Processing Center at the University of California, Davis. The center is a joint project between the university’s Department of Viticulture & Enology and the Department ...

July, 24, 2014 First bottles of Ethiopian wine produced by French firm Castel

(TheGuardian) - The grape names – merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay – are distinctly French, but the label on the Rift Valley wines is surprising: made in Ethiopia. The French beverage giant Castel, one of the world's biggest producers of wines and beers, is raising a glass...

July, 24, 2014 Americans favour beer over wine

(TDB) - In the battle of the beverages, beer has won out over wine again in the US, with Americans favouring a pint of beer over a glass of wine or dram of whisky. According to market research company Gallup, 41% of Americans surveyed typically drink beer, while 31% prefer wine and 23% opt for ...

July, 24, 2014 Wine collector set for sentencing on fraud charges

(ModBee) - A California wine collector the government has characterized as a prolific counterfeiter who sold at least $20 million in fake wine faces at least 11 years in prison when he is sentenced Thursday on fraud charges. Rudy Kurniawan, 37, was convicted in December of mail and wire fraud char...

July, 23, 2014 Meet the Latest Wine Celebrity - the Vineyard

(Wine-Searcher) - With all the focus on critics, consultants and sommeliers, Mike Steinberger says it's easy to lose sight of the real star of the wine world – the vineyard. I’m stating the obvious here, but no country manufactures celebrities and fawns over them quite like the Unite...

July, 23, 2014 CA: Grape harvest begins early in Temecula Wine Country

(PE) - Among the many things to do in a typical July in Southwest Riverside County are free concerts in the park, Hot Summer Nights events in Old Town Temecula and leisurely visits to the more than 40 wineries that fill the countryside. This year, for the first time in memory there, is something...

July, 23, 2014 Is Climate Change Ruining Wine Corks?

(Discovery) - Wine lovers might treasure the oaky, full-bodied taste of a cabernet sauvignon or the light and fruity aroma of a pinot grigio. But if the bottle is stopped with a low-quality cork, they can kiss that meticulously cultivated flavor goodbye. Many people may only worry about corks wh...