May, 19, 2014 French MW compares GM vines to 'weapons of mass destruction'

(Decanter) - A heated debate at this year's Masters of Wine symposium pitched scientists against winemakers over the possible use of genetically modified grapevines to combat climate change and disease. Swiss geneticist and author  José Vouillamoz  told the four-day meeting of...

May, 19, 2014 US: The trouble with truffles

(GT) - On a rainy spring day in the Coast Range foothills of southern Polk County, three women armed with assorted gardening implements and accompanied by two dogs leave their cars and hike out onto a commercial tree plantation to hunt for truffles. One of the women leans over to give her dog a ...

May, 19, 2014 4 glasses of wine is enough to harm your health, scientists say

(NZHerald) - Unwinding in the pub on a Friday night could be wrecking your health - just four glasses of wine is enough to cause lasting damage, scientist have found. A single alcohol binge causes bacteria to leak from the gut, leading to increased levels of toxins in the blood, according t...

May, 19, 2014 CHINESE PRODUCERS SQUEEZED BY FALLING DEMAND

(TDB) - Falling demand for wine in China both domestic and imported is apparently putting pressure on Chinese wine producers. With the slowdown in China’s wine scene being felt by producers around the world who are operating in the country, there have been second hand reports of sales fall...

May, 19, 2014 French court clears anti-GM vine protesters

(Decanter) - More than 50 protestors who destroyed a field of genetically modified grapevines being trialled in Eastern France have had their convictions quashed, to the annoyance of the country's national research body. A court of appeal in Colmar this week repealed the convictions of the 54 pr...

May, 19, 2014 Napa County meeting Tuesday to weigh winery impacts

(NVR) - The Napa Valley wine industry has become increasingly reliant on a direct-to-consumer sales model, which requires bringing customers into winery tasting rooms to drink the wines — and drink in the Napa Valley experience — before deciding whether to buy. Napa County adopted a ...

May, 14, 2014 BORDEAUX HEADING FOR ‘COLLECTIVE SUICIDE’

(TDB) - One of Bordeaux’s most respected Sauternes producers, Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, has warned that Bordeaux is heading for “collective suicide” if it continues with its current pricing strategy. In a letter to négociants, Saluces, owner of Château de Fargues (...

May, 14, 2014 California Bill Would Let Underage Students Sample Wine In College Courses

(CBS13) — A bill that would allow underage students to sample wine as part of their studies is a step closer to passage. Students taking a course in winemaking currently can’t taste the fruits of their labor, but UC Davis is out to change the rules by co-sponsoring a new bill. &ld...