June, 26, 2014 TRADE TALK: CHAMPAGNE AGEING

(TDB) -  The science behind Champagne ageing might be lost on the consumer but producers are striving to strike the right balance. Presently, Champagne’s top tier, prestige cuvée, is increasingly promoting pricier expressions of the same products based on the complex concept of...

June, 26, 2014 GAME OF THRONES WINES LAUNCHED

(TDB) - The global hit TV series Game of Thrones has inspired the latest must-have merchandise for fervent fans with the creation of Wines of Westeros — a series of reds and whites linked to the show’s fictional feuding clans. Created as a side project for Sydney-based advertising ag...

June, 26, 2014 Stage is set for another good Napa Valley wine grape crop

(TFP) - “It’s been a great season so far,” says Paul Goldberg, vineyard manager of Bettinelli Vineyards, Napa, Calif. “Coming off of two really good seasons, we’re all crossing our fingers for a third one. This year’s crop looks to be fairly normal in size. But t...

June, 26, 2014 California introduces 'sip and spit' bill so wine students can taste the bouquet

(TheGuardian) - If you are under 21 and want to study brewing or wine production, there's one reason to avoid California: it doesn't let you taste the stuff. The Golden State has long belied its mellow reputation by applying the legal drinking age to industry apprentices, in contrast to Col...

June, 25, 2014 Low-alcohol Wines the Way of the Future

(Wine-Searcher) - The days of alcohol-heavy wine might be numbered as new research and market demand point towards lighter wines. A new wine yeast can produce wines with lower alcohol levels, according to the research team that developed it. The result of collaborative research by Lallemand O...

June, 25, 2014 CORAVIN TACKLES SAFETY CONCERNS

(TDB) - The manufacturer of Coravin, a device which enables people to sample wine without pulling the cork, has confirmed that it plans to resume shipments in mid-July after investigating an alarming safety concern. Earlier this month the company voluntarily reported seven incidents of bottles e...

June, 25, 2014 Treasury Wine in $260m writeoff

(SMH) - Treasury Wine Estates, the maker of Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Rosemount as well as a large portfolio of Australian, US and New Zealand wines, announced this morning it would write off $260 million from its fiscal 2014 full year profit, reflecting historical prices paid for pre-demerger acquisit...

June, 25, 2014 Barolo vineyards get UNESCO World Heritage status

(Decanter) - Vineyards used to produce Barolo and Barbaresco DOCG wines in Italy's Piedmont region have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations body, meeting in Doha this week, added the 'vineyard landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monfe...