July, 26, 2013 China's wine boom of little profit to giant pandas and small farmers

(Guardian) - Vineyard growth plan for 'Bordeaux of China' raises concerns for animal habitats and livelihoods of villagers who switch to grapes. In 1985, Li Hua visited a valley in the foothills of the Tibetan plateau. The area was better known for its panda population, but the oenologist r...

July, 26, 2013 Organic Wine vs. Sustainable Wine

(Huffingtonpost) - Kevin Phillips thinks organic is a complete scam - so why is he farming one of Lodi’s most renowned vineyards organically? Bechthold Vineyards is the oldest continuously-farmed vineyard in Lodi, originally planted in 1886. It’s only 25 acres, but the grapes are ...

July, 26, 2013 Chateau Latour's Francois Pinault buys Araujo Estate in Napa

(Decanter) -  Francois Pinault, owner of Chateau Latour in Pauillac, has bought Napa's Araujo Estate. This takes the number of wine properties now owned by the French billionaire and his son Francois-Henri to four – Latour in Pauillac, Chateau Grillet in the northern Rhone, Domain...

July, 26, 2013 The Trouble with Blind Tasting

(NewWorldWinemaker) - If you’re an American in the wine industry and are within my age range (mid-twenties to early thirties, not to put too fine a point on it), you have, or are somewhere on the path toward, a Master Sommelier diploma. That is barely an exaggeration. (Some folks pursue ...

July, 26, 2013 France: Les Bannis de Pomerol loses latest court battle over vinification boundary

(Decanter) -  The appeal court of Bordeaux has ruled against a group of Pomerol winemakers, known as Les Bannis de Pomerol, who are contesting a syndicate ruling that all AOC Pomerol winemakers must vinify within the appellation from the 2018 vintage. The nine chateaux – Domaine de...

July, 25, 2013 AMORIM STEPS UP TCA BATTLE

(TheDrinksBusiness) - Amorim, the world’s largest cork manufacturer, is due to roll out its latest weapon in the battle against cork taint this September. Working in partnership with a UK firm specialising in gas chromatography analysis , Amorim is developing an industrial-scale proto...

July, 25, 2013 Margaux Second Wine Pavillon Rouge 2010 Falls to Four-Month Low

(Bloomberg) - A case of Pavillon Rouge 2010, the second wine of Bordeaux estate Chateau Margaux, sold for 925 pounds ($1,415) on Liv-ex, its lowest level for more than four months, amid muted demand for vintages from the region. The transaction yesterday was 10 percent down from the 1,030 pounds...

July, 25, 2013 UK: NEW DRINKS TO MARK THE ROYAL BIRTH

(TheDrinksBusiness) - From a “quintessentially English” drink served in tea cups to new beers and cocktails, there are already a range of drinks to commemorate the future king. This week saw the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first child, who is now third in ...