The Week in Wine

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A quart in a pint pot. Wine-Seacher's US Editor, W. Blake Grey joins Olly talk about everything happening in the North American wine scene right now.

Blake talks about the two-tier US economy and how the stock market performance is helping a number of Americans feel bullish about wine. Will the AI boom help fuel this and, conversely, should the AI bubble burst, what will that mean for the US wine industry? Also, there are indications from Gallo that the wine sector is still not all rosy.

Blake discusses the prospects for the 2026 California harvest (early and light); the forest fire pressures in eastern Oregon and in Washington State and Canada's Okanagan Valley. There's much to blame Bambi, and Walt Disney, for, apparently.

Back to California (and Texas) and the ravages and dangers of the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter scares in the state.

Blake also covers what could be the best news for wine in the USA this year, namely that the New York Times' editorial stance on the subject may have taken something of a shift in recent weeks.

There's also a glimpse under the bonnet of the bulk wine market, the growth of private labels, the cruise ship industry, and the power of the buyers in this sphere.

Finally, Blake pays tribute to Sonoma Coast's Pinot pioneer, the late David Hirsch.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Olly has a wonderful Bitter liqueur from Japan to end a Friday evening meal which moves on to a potentially national stereotype discussion about the Japanese being good at certain crafts. Unfair stereotype, or is there a grain of truth? Let us know.

This week, our US editor W. Blake Grey tops the readership with his story on wine and its beneficial effects on heart health. Burgundy has its earliest harvest since records began; the flagship white grape of the Marche – Verdicchio – gets its spotlight; NBA star Jimmy Butler's visit to Bordeaux is still being devoured; as is a report on how the Okanagan is dealing with its latest threat: fire.

Olly's wine news roundup this week covers Burgundy's earliest harvest in 500 years; a sobering review of harvests in Burgundy in the context of climate change; the white wine harvest is also under way in Bordeaux (here too, it is unusually early); stock levels of wine are prompting harvest concerns in Italy where some wineries may be struggling for space due to unsold stock; there are drought and smoke taint fears in Piedmont (but a silver lining in the effects of heat on the larvae of the recently-arrived vineyard pest that is the Japanese beetle); and Argentina continues its ever-more extreme push to deregulate the wine industry in the country.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Nat celebrates become a homeowner with a classic while Olly confirms that Don has seemingly sampled every Guinness available in Ireland.

The story of Burgundy négoce houses Louis Jadot and Albert Bichot getting fined for "deceptive" labelling continues to be the top story, all while the wine world mourns the sudden passing of the much-loved UK-based wine writer and Australian wine expert, Matthew Jukes.

Chilean Chardonnay, Italian volcanoes, Bordeaux and Spokane wildfires are the big stories this week, as is a great little piece by US editor W. Blake Grey on Sonoma wine pioneer David Hirsch. Our top 10 most expensive Spanish wines unearths some doozies while the hot growing season in Europe is also top-billing.

This weekend, Olly looks at NBA superstar Jimmy Butler shooting hoops and visiting top wine estates in Bordeaux; Portugal establishes a national wine day; Rioja begins its earliest harvest on record; Bordeaux and Champagne are already harvesting while the French authorities, unable to pin down yields with any accuracy, say they will delay the annual nationwide yield estimate by a month; Italy braces for record early, smaller harvest; Corsican restaurants are hit by a wine scam; and Spanish vineyard workers push for better pay.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Deputy Editor of Wine-Searcher Nat Sellers joins Olly to talk about the wines they had at the weekend (both were from Central Otago, it turns out) while the big news of last week was predominantly the wild fires in both Bordeaux and central Spain.

Nonetheless, Abruzzo superstar winemaker Emidio Pepe's passing was also covered, as was news that Cabernet Sauvignon might be a prime contender as a climate-resilient variety.

The big news, though, was that two major Burgundy wine merchants, Albert Bichot and Louis Jadot, had been fined by the French authorities for "deceptive commercial practices". Olly and Nat pick through the ins and outs of it while also wondering why it is that wine commentators invariably pick the side of the wine producers against any other consideration (Château Lafleur's decision to irrigate outside of the permitted norms crops up in this conversation too).

Eva Longoria is papped in Vouvray; Spanish World Cup soccer stars open DRC on their yacht of the Ibiza coast (and post it to Instagram); Bordeaux winemakers are given leave to sweeten their red wines; Spain continues to count the cost of wildfires; and a Bordeaux man is accused of stealing wine from homes evacuated during the wild fires.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Don opens a bottle of Champagne from Palmer as he prepares to head on holiday while Olly works through some highs and lows with Central Otago's Ayrburn wines.

Falling Bordeaux vineyard prices dominate the headlines this week, as does Napa being told bulldoze their vineyards and Champagne yields being slashed for the 2026 harvest.

There are some gems too, including an interview with former Pétrus winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet (and whether or not, like Dame Judi Dench, he will ever stop working in his chosen field). There are some great wines in our recent Best-Value Bordeaux lineup and Olly has a contender for sparkling rosé in Sicily.

The latest news, however, spans the continued soap-opera that is the very public boardroom spat at drinks giant Castel; it appears Roederer has finally acquired Domaine Damoy in Gevrey-Chambertin [this has since been confirmed]; World Cup-winning Spanish footballers crack open the Salon, Krug, Cristal, Coche-Dury and Château Rayas; controversial Argentinian soccer star Leandro Parades has his wine range back in the headlines; there's more on the devastation in European vineyards (wild fire, hail, etc.); a dinner in Montevideo combining gastronomy, fine wine and sex talk; Allegrini heir Francesco opens up about his relationship with his father, wider family and the changing direction of the estate; and there's an interesting new case going to the Supreme Court in the US...

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Don moves from a delightful Cuba Libre to a pensive sipping Rum, while Olly is sent a 6-bottle case of wines to review from Central Otago. The top story of the last 7 days is that which covers the "Napa needs to bulldoze vineyards" while Olly's very recent Sunday news roundup (covering falling Bordeaux vineyard land prices) is in second.

Winemaker Chase Renton's piece about Pinot Noir, mental health and his battles with cancer also caught our readers' attention, as did a surprising top 10 of best-value Burgundies which spanned Chablis, the Maconnais, the Cote de Beaune and even some sparkling Cremants.

We also looked at the recent passing of actor and winery owner Sam Neill; the sale of Breaky Bottom; and a recent piece on Clos de Tart has Olly wondering whether wine writers are having a bit of a cop-out when they talk of estates having a 'return to form' if they haven't catalogued a descent in form prior to the takeover?

The wine news roundup covers: drastic falls in vineyard land values in Bordeaux (and an aside about the growth of Cognac's vineyard area); the potentially seismic effects of Cognac's overproduction (of wine) being unleashed on the European bulk wine market; Texas vines in the International Space Station; hail slamming Alsace, Beaujolais, Vouvray, the Ardeche as well as parts of Pfalz and northern central Italy; a sneaky wine fraud in Spain; a fire at a cooperage in Navarra; and Ribera del Guadiana drops its 15% upper alcohol limits for wines, citing climate change.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Don has a delicious Douro red from Niepoort to discuss before we talk about the top story this week: an impressive selection of best value California wines that cover a range of regions, varieties, styles and labels. We also discuss stories on Brittany's nascent wine industry, how weight-loss drugs (Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.) are affecting wine consumption, appreciation and sales, the South African wine scene and a great couple of podcast interviews with grape DNA guru José Vouillamoz.

Olly talks about the recent controversy surrounding the Michelin ratings in Burgundy, with (as Jamie Goode recently pointed out) Arnaud-Lachaux asking to be removed from the ratings after only getting one "grape". Sour grapes? There's also a quick look at the fires in Burgundy (including a Mercedes garage that caught fire over the road from vines in Nuits-Saint-Georges).

Heatwaves could mean the Bordeaux harvest is even smaller than last year; a Champagne enologist finds spoilage yeast Brettanomyces in 75% of base wines; Argentina's exports are on the up but Uco Valley winegrowers are struggling to make any money from their endeavors.

There's also a deep-dive on a neighborly dispute involving one of the world's greatest private collectors of wine – himself a controversial figure. Michel-Jack Chasseuil has a huge collection worth $50 million of top-end wine (think, DRC, Petrus, Screaming Eagle, Penfolds' Grange, Harlan, etc.) housed in his four cellars in rural France, but he keeps getting in arguments over boundaries and access roads which see the local police regularly called to the tiny, 7-house hamlet of Fonfolet to diffuse the situation. Chasseuil is also controversial in that he refuses to drink his collection, which also includes wine from Hitler's cellar and a bottle taken from the wreck of the Titanic.

Finally, there's a story about a home-build company in New Zealand that has named its prospective house designs after local wineries and wine brands.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Pinot Blanc seems to be increasing its profile of late, with Don tasting a nice example from Alsace this weekend and Olly getting asked about the grape on the fencing piste! Olly enjoyed a Hawke's Bay Albariño over the weekend.

This week, the recent 250th Champagne Roederer birthday bash gets the most eyeballs, while both the best-value Chardonnay and best-value Irish whiskey stories whet the appetites. As does, it must be said, a couple of stories on Italian white varieties. All of which surprisingly outperformed our story on Neymar Jr's foray into the world of wine.

We also look at the latest Succession-esque developments in the ongoing Castel drama; there's more wild weather in France (not only heatwaves but hail and wildfires); a Rioja bankruptcy that's "meticulously planned" and a nuns' appeal for a new tractor to tend their vines makes it into the headlines and hearts of the French public.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Don drinks an Alsace blend from New Zealand producer Yealands while our end-of-month roundup is dominated by spirits headlines, with value Tequila and high-end Bourbon grabbing much of the attention in June. Bordeaux prices, the news that the worst is still to come for the French wine industry and a surprise show from Chile also add to the month's big stories.

There's speculation that the wine world might be getting tired of tariff talk and a brief look at a story on the evolution of style and soil in Sancerre in the light of climate change. We also touch in the ongoing crisis in Cognac and a tidbit from the tiny Pécharmant appellation of South West France which has landed itself in hot water after choosing an events company tied to Christian nationalists and with reports of far-right slogans and outright racism at previous iterations.

This week's stories are dominated by news that Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. is launching a range of wines in his home country; a couple in a €7 million scam in northern Loire; proposed changes to the Crémant de Loire production parameters; massive Spanish producer Felix Solis posts a bumper year in 2025 and a bottle commemorating Diego Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' is re-released.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Don has a Guinness with the rugby and Olly has a light red wine blend from a small producer in New Zealand (Halite). Don asks if winemaking nations correlate to soccer success and we look at some of the great, best-value Tequilas on the market at the moment.

The news this week revolves around more trade tariffs although some of our stories span: investment interest in Napa; why UK wines never really seem to take off; and a fascinating look at the "Bermuda Triangle of wine" in southeastern Europe.

Other news includes Languedoc winemaker Gérard Bertrand's it-will-only-get-worse outlook for the French wine industry (although there are positives); the first sparkling wine release for Marques de Riscal; climate change threats to viticulture in Chile; Miguel Torres releases his memoirs; and more on what is clearly going to be an early harvest for French winemakers.

ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE

The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine.

Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine

You can get in touch with us at [email protected]