Happy weekend, my friends. Let’s take a look at some of the headlines in wine this past week…
Remember how the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released a report significantly changing the recommend daily alcoholic intake, stating men should not consume more than two drinks per day and women should only consumer one? (Yeah…right…) Well, the NAWR has something to say about that. And if that doesn’t put a damper on things, it looks like tariff drama continues and its affecting wine businesses all over the world. (They really want to make it hard for us to get a drink around here, eh?)
It looks like COVID’s latest wine victim is the ancient art of food-treading. Wine Spectator reports that more and more Port producers are turning to mechanical means to make their wines this vintage.
Over in Russia there seems to be something of a wine boom, according to Wine Intelligence’s latest report. The younger generation wants to steer clear of their parents’ and grandparents’ typical imbibes (vodka) and want something “modern” and “lower in alcohol,” which for them means—wine. Which is funny, because my cohort Jim Gordon wrote a short piece for Wine Enthusiast saying that to attract U.S. Millennials, wine producers need to emphasize the health benefits of wine on their labels, calling out organic, biodynamic practices and even providing clear tasting notes. (Seems like we’re going to need bigger labels…) I have thoughts on that. What are yours?
Oh yeah! NOT wine: Sonoma has officially planted its first legal hemp farm. Not something I’m into personally, but kind of interesting how things evolve. Curious if this trend will continue.
Interesting stuff—and there’s tons more. So scroll through, and don’t forget to check out the Blogs for some independent insight.
Stay well, stay healthy. Cheers.
Wine Enthusiast: To Attract More Drinkers, Wine Needs Clearer Labels
For all the hand-wringing among marketers about how to get Millennials and Generation Z more interested in wine, most wineries are still ignoring the most obvious, simple way to attract engaged consumers: clearer education and transparency through labeling.
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Few labels tell consumers what’s really inside the bottle or what the wine tastes like. Young consumers, in particular, value transparency in the products they buy, but even Boomers like myself inspect food and drink labels to find ingredients and hints about how the product will taste. READ MORE…
Meininger’s Wine Business International: Foot treading the latest casualty of Covid-19
Port producers are turning to technology to help them produce their wines this year. Richard Woodard has the story.
Treading grapes by foot is a centuries-old feature of producing some of the highest-quality Ports of Portugal’s Douro Valley – but this traditional practice is the latest casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recognising that having a team of people treading grapes in a granite lagar is incompatible with the need for social distancing, Port producers are using modern technology to do the job instead. READ MORE…
Decanter: Dismay in Burgundy and New York as US keeps wine tariffs
Some European wines may become harder to find in the US after officials chose to maintain higher import taxes as part of a multi-billion-dollar trade dispute with the EU over aerospace industry subsidies.
A 25% import tariff on still wines at 14% abv or below from France, Spain, Germany and also the UK will continue, said the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) last night (12 August).
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American imports of French still wines fell by 35% in the first eight months of the tariffs, to the end of June, according to France’s wine and spirits export body, FEVS. That amounts to nearly €415m ($500m) in lost sales, said the group today (13 August), adding that it ‘regrets’ the US decision to retain the tariffs. It called on politicians on both sides to find a resolution. READ MORE…
Wine Spectator: Sommelier Roundtable—Wine Surprises and Discoveries in Unusual Times
Whether they’re combing through home cellars while shutdowns linger or testing out new offerings at their recently reopened restaurants, here’s what 7 wine pros are, unexpectedly, loving now
Most wine lovers relish a surprise. An unfamiliar region or style that reminds them of a favorite wine (or becomes one itself), a humble bottle that grew impressive with age or, especially, an affordable pour that tastes like something much more rarefied—these are the discoveries that keep wine exciting.
Few appreciate such happy discoveries more than the somms who want to share them, and the past few months have presented some opportunities for ferreting them out. We asked seven wine pros at Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners what unexpected bottles they’ve found themselves drinking while sheltering at home, or they’ve found their customers ordering in the early days of reopening. Here’s what they said, from sparkling Portuguese rosé to Chenin Blanc in small-town Texas. (Plus, a few disappointments.) READ MORE…
Decanter: UK’s ‘oldest organic vineyard’ for sale
Sedlescombe vineyard surrounded by picturesque countryside has been listed by Savills, offering a new option for anyone thinking of taking a leap into the blossoming English wine scene.
Carrying a guide price of £1.95m, Sedlescombe is believed to be the UK’s oldest organic vineyard, established in 1979, said estate agency Savills.
The 6.5-hectare estate, which is also farmed according to biodynamic principles, lies close to the south coast in the High Weald area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’. READ MORE…
Press Democrat: Growers plant Sonoma County’s first legal hemp crop
Lee Martinelli Jr.’s great-grandfather started growing grapes and making wine in the Russian River Valley in the 1880s. These days, the Martinelli clan farms about 500 acres of grapes with a tasting room in a landmark red barn on River Road.
What’s brand new this year are the 1,200 hemp plants. READ MORE…
Wine Searcher: Covid Online Wine Boom Fizzles Out
The Covid-inspired online wine sales increase continues, but it is running out of steam.
The Covid-inspired boom in online wine and spirits sales appears to be on the wane, with latest figures showing a slowdown in searches for the end of July.
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While searches are rising still, the rate of the rise is leveling off. This fall-off in the rate of increase of searches is in line with broader sales data for the FMCG sector from Nielsen; after a spike in March, sales figures are mostly back within 10 percent of the corresponding 2019 figures. READ MORE…
NAWR: Statement of Wine Retailers Opposing Proposed Anti-Alcohol Federal Dietary Guidelines
The recent Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee fundamentally and significantly changes the guidelines on alcohol consumption that have been in place for 30 years: Men should not consume more than 2 drinks per day, while women should consume no more than 1 drink per day.
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NAWR opposes the adoption of the new alcohol beverage recommendation in the recently released Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. We believe the rest of the wine and alcohol beverage industry as well as consumers ought to also oppose the proposed guidelines. READ THE FULL STATEMENT…
Wine Intelligence: Russia’s Wine Revolution
In common with young people everywhere, younger Russians want to be less like the older Russians. The younger want to distance themselves from the high-alcohol drinking to show off toughness by choosing lower-alcohol drinking to show off sophistication. Strong alcoholic beverages, particularly Vodka, occupy an important space in Russian culture and are pretty much associated with tough drinking. Wine, in other hand, seems to be a logic alternative for those seeking a more cosmopolitan and international lifestyle. READ THE FULL REPORT…
Press Democrat: Rising grocery prices put financial strain on Sonoma County families
Increased consumer demand for groceries by people spending more time at home, coupled with a food supply chain upended by the pandemic, have caused many items including meat, dairy and fresh produce to get more expensive.
And retail and supply chain experts say residents should brace for further food price inflation. READ MORE…
SF Chronicle: Kamala Harris, the only major candidate who drinks booze, has great taste in wine
The vice presidential nominee is a wine club member at an excellent East Bay winery
Photo: Brittany Hosea-Small / Special to The Chronicle 2019
What kind of wine does Harris like to drink?? That question has now been answered, at least in part. Harris is a wine club member at Rock Wall Wine Co. in Alameda, the winery confirms. READ MORE…
Blogs Worth a Read
Taken from the list of Blogs I follow regularly, here are just a few posts from this past week I think are worth a read. Shoot me a note if you have suggestions of blogs to follow or want your blog included on that list.
The Pour: Wine Joins the 2020 Debate Over Privilege and Justice
An accusation involving migrant labor in Puglia leads to self-examination and, perhaps, new awareness of the treatment of agricultural workers.
In this topsy-turvy year of the Covid-19 pandemic and a national uproar over politics and racial injustice, few things are immune from the widespread cultural re-evaluation.
The wine world, too, is re-examining its business practices and responsibilities. In recent weeks, the focus has turned to the case of Valentina Passalacqua — a natural-wine producer in Puglia, the region at the heel of Italy’s boot — whom few Americans had ever heard of until recently.
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But her upward trajectory as a natural-wine exemplar took a swift nosedive in early July when her father, Settimio Passalacqua, a marble and agriculture magnate in Puglia, was placed under house arrest by the carabinieri, the national police. Prosecutors accused him of the systematic and illegal exploitation of migrant workers in his produce operation. READ MORE…
Booze Business: One Woman’s Journey to Enter the US Booze Business
Selena grew up in Communist Bulgaria on a farm in the countryside. Among other crops, her father and grandfather had a vineyard and made wine and Rakia (more about this in a moment). While the farm life was pleasant, surrounded by friends and family, once the Communist regime was over, she yearned to come to America with her daughter. Not an easy feat, considering the difficulty in getting a visa, the cost and the fear of rejection. Once rejected by the American embassy, it could take a decade or more to get one, if ever.
Despite the obstacles, Selena, a single mom, set her mind on a new life for her and her child in America. She sold everything she had, hired someone to coach her on what to do and how to act during the interview process. All she had left was the money for an airplane ticket, plus $200. More than that, she had a dream and the tenacity to make it come true.
It took her from 1991 to 1999 to make it happen. READ MORE…
Tablas Creek Blog: Introducing Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC): Farming Like the World Depends on It
In February of 2019, Tablas Creek was approached by Elizabeth Whitlow (Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance) to see if we would like to take part in a pilot program of a new approach to farming called Regenerative Organic.
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At first, considering the fact that we are already certified organic and biodynamic, juggling a third certification was not the most exciting proposition for me. But as I began to dig through the ROC Framework and its requirements, it became clear that this was a certification that Tablas Creek Vineyard had to get behind and fully support. We accepted the invitation to be the only winery in the pilot and the ball started to roll. READ MORE…
Wine Folly: 7 Wine Podcasts Worth Listening To
Podcasts have changed the way we think about audio shows, and wine podcasts are no different! They are a great way to sneak-in some knowledge during our day to day activities. Plus, they’re a gateway to information that’s otherwise stuck in wine classes. READ MORE…
Deborah Parker Wong: Taking a Closer Look at Modern Hybrids
In the search for alternative ways to control grape vine diseases while reducing the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, a cadre of modern hybrids—second- and third-generation interspecific varieties— are demonstrating considerable promise in both the vineyard and the glass.
A team of researchers from universities in Trento and Udine in Italy and Geisenheim in Germany recently published a groundbreaking study of the 2013, 2015, and 2016 vintages of 16 disease-tolerant hybrids. It analyzed their lipids, volatile compounds (low-sulfur compounds and esters derived from fermentation), and non-volatile compounds (grape tannins, anthocyanins, and minerals) and compared the data to that of Vitis vinifera varieties. READ MORE…
BKWineMagazine: Syrah, spicy and fruity and more and more popular
France and Australia are the two major countries producing syrah (or shiraz). But the grape is grown in many countries around the world.
Does the character change depending on where the grapes grow? Absolutely. Compare shiraz from Australia with syrah from the Northern Rhône Valley. The differences will be significant. But you will probably find that they have some features in common. READ MORE…
Science and Wine: Nanofiltration process as non-thermal alternative to thermovinification in Pinot noir winemaking
Can membrane technology represent an alternative to thermal process to enhance extraction in red winemaking? In this study we investigated the potentialities of nanofiltration technique (NF) as a non-thermal process to enhance polyphenol extraction during the vinification of Pinot noir grapes. This grape cultivar has a low anthocyanin content compared to other red cultivars [1] so their extraction and also wine color stability are a challenge in the winemaking process. READ MORE…
Fermentation: The Problem of Wine’s Diminishing “Aspiration Gap”
It’s not as though wine doesn’t face enough headwinds. So, of course, I’m here to note one more breeze that wine faces—and has faced for some time, despite it not being discussed much:
The narrowing aspiration gap between wine and other alcoholic beverages.
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Today, it’s just as easy to demonstrate one’s attainment of something by ordering the right beer or the right spirit. This is due primarily to the added knowledge and experience one can now devote to beers and spirits. And you can do it with beer and spirits today without spending and arm and a leg. A huge swath of beers and spirits, mostly of craft origin, have come to market that demand we pay attention to differences and their unique qualities, something for which wine used to have a near-monopoly. READ MORE…
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