November, 26, 2013 Why has Russia banned Moldovan wine?

(Economist) - IT IS one of Moldova's biggest exports and Russians love to drink it. But since September Russia has forbidden the import of Moldovan wine, as well as spirits. That is a big blow to Europe's poorest country, whose economy is highly dependent on agriculture and the drinks industry that...

November, 26, 2013 Microbes May Add Special Something to Wines

(NYTimes) - Terroir is a concept at the heart of French winemaking, but one so mysterious that the word has no English counterpart. It denotes the holistic combination of soil, geology, climate and local grape-growing practices that make each region’s wine unique. There must be something t...

November, 25, 2013 B.C. Researchers Test New Polyphenol Analysis

(W&V) - A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia at Okanagan recently developed and tested a new method for analyzing the polyphenolic content of wine. Completed in the spring of 2013, their work is currently available online prior to publication in the journal Analytical C...

November, 25, 2013 Shanghai set to become the most influential wine investment market

(TDB) - Shanghai is to become the next international wine hub and one of the most influential wine investment wine markets in the world, according to experts at last week’s Shanghai Free Trade Zone Wine Investment and Transaction Summit. “China has become the world’s fifth-larg...

November, 25, 2013 Future Of UN Climate Talks Hinges On 2015 Deal After Uneventful Summit, EU Commissioner Says

(AP) - After another U.N. climate conference gave only modest results, European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard says the process needs to provide a "substantial answer" to global warming in two years to remain relevant. Even if it succeeds, it's worth reconsidering whether the internationa...

November, 25, 2013 Chinese viticulture hampered by high costs

(TDB) - Viticultural conditions in China make fine wine production difficult and bulk wine production expensive, according to Li Demei, vice general secretary of the China Wine Association. Despite commenting that China “will become another big wine country” at a conference on indust...

November, 25, 2013 France: Biodynamic winemaker prosecuted for not treating vines with insecticide

(Decanter) - Emmanuel Giboulot, a biodynamic winemaker in Beaune, has been threatened with a €30,000 fine and six months in prison for not treating his vines against the flavesence dorée disease. Giboulot is being prosecuted by the DRAAF-SRAL (an arm of the Agricultural Ministry that...

November, 25, 2013 California: Crews gain on wildfires in Sonoma and Lake counties

(PD) - Winds that fanned a wildfire in northeastern Sonoma County's Geysers geothermal area finally died down Sunday, creating weather conditions that helped fire crews gain major ground against the three-day blaze, Cal Fire officials said. The McCabe fire had ballooned to 3,300 acres since it w...