August, 29, 2013 China: Changyu unveils €70m Chateau Changyu Moser XV winery

(Decanter) - Leading Chinese wine producer Changyu has unveiled a new €70m winery in Ningxia province – and named it after the company's Austrian winemaking consultant. Chateau Changyu Moser XV – also the name of the estate’s flagship wine – took two years to bu...

August, 29, 2013 American oak not inferior to French

(TheDrinksBusiness) - A Rioja masterclass in London proved that, despite the greater expense, French oak doesn’t always give better results than American barrels. During an event organised by the drinks business in July called “The Building Blocks of Rioja”, a tasting was co...

August, 28, 2013 Wine Consultant Charles Curtis on Spotting a Wine Fake

(WSJ) - As the market for fine wine grows, so does the opportunity for making money from passing off a cheap blend as pricey aged Bordeaux. Wine counterfeiters "are getting really sophisticated," says Charles Curtis, a New York-based wine consultant who, through his company Wine Alpha, offers...

August, 28, 2013 California: ‘Smoke taint’ making winemakers nervous

(CE) - While smoke from the Rim Fire hangs thick in the air over the foothills, winemakers across Calaveras County may be wondering whether smoke may permeate the fruit and potentially influence the flavor of this year’s wines. Could a bold, unique smoky flavor be a hit with wine c...

August, 28, 2013 Rupert Murdoch Closing on L.A. Winery Purchase for $28.8 Million

(WSJ) - News Corp. Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch is closing Tuesday on the purchase of an estate and winery called Moraga Vineyards in Los Angeles’s Bel Air neighborhood for $28.8 million, according to listing agent Jim Kline of Surterre Properties in Newport Beach, Calif. The property wa...

August, 27, 2013 Viansa put up for sale

(PD) - Viansa Winery, the hilltop estate founded by the Sebastiani family that struggled under a series of ownership changes, is up for sale again. The winery and its 167 acres of vineyards, gardens and marshland was listed on the Sotheby’s International Realty website for $15 million. ...

August, 27, 2013 Myth: Millennials are driving fine wine sales

(Starkinsider) - We commonly hear on the Internet and across various media and analyst sites that Millennials (21 – 34 years old) are driving fine wine sales. Not so. According to Silicon Valley Bank’s Rob McMillan (an informative guy to follow if you like to stay up to speed...

August, 27, 2013 Tasting Wine Cultivars by Region

(Wines&Vines) -  Thirty-three winemakers, growers and industry researchers eschewed time in the vineyard or lab Aug. 15 in favor of attending a wine tasting in Geneva. The “Cultivar by Region” tasting provided the first opportunity to taste and compare wines made from grape cul...