The Wine News in 5

This week Sam updates you on flooding in Central and Eastern Europe, frost in South Australia, a new appellation in the southern Rhône, the first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) producer in France, the VDP’s pending admittance of non-estate fruit for the first time in history, and harvest in the Veneto. 

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/flooding-europe-frost-australia-veneto-harvest-begins-new-rhone-appellation.

This week Sam updates you on a recently published report on whether wine is good or bad for you, one of the smallest harvests in France in a century, Alpha Estate’s acquisition of Boutari Winery in Greece and the start of harvest in Virginia, New York, Washington State, Oregon and the Loire Valley.

Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/alcohol-health-debate-frances-tiny-harvest-alpha-estate-buys-boutari-santorini.

This week Sam updates you on a win for Swedish wines and hybrid vines, the release of the 2022 red and 2023 white Grosse Gewächse as well as the start of Germany’s harvest, Brown-Forman’s abandonment of diversity and inclusion programmes, losses for Australian Vintage and Naked Wines, and the lightweighting of bottles for top wines by Zuccardi. 

*This newscast incorrectly states that The Swedish Wine Tasting has occurred before. This was the first ever event for TSWT.

Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/zuccardi-lightweights-top-bottles-brown-forman-dumps-dei-pfalz-harvest-begins.

This week Sam updates you on a new crop of MWs, the elevation of Criolla Chica by Argentina’s National Viticulture Institute, hail in the Aude (Ode), the start of harvest in Crimea and Greece, and a new report from the IWSR looking at growth markets for alcohol.

Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-mws-criolla-chica-promoted-aude-hail-growth-markets-beverage-alcohol.

This week Sam updates you on a new study to add to the ongoing debate on wine and health, the largest transport of wine by sailboat to date, the legalisation of alcohol advertisement on TikTok, Ackley acquiring Charles Smith, and the start of harvest in Austria.

Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-wine-and-health-study-alcohol-tiktok-ackleys-rapid-growth-early-harvest-austria.

This week Sam updates you on legal changes in Chile that will allow 51 new grape varieties to be varietally labelled and add two wine regions, Treasury selling its entry-level Australian brands, hail in Beaujolais and Barolo, protests in Portugal, the start of harvest in the northern hemisphere, and the theft of $650,000-worth of Burgundy wines.

Read the transcript of this episode at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/early-2024-harvest-start-new-chilean-dos-port-protests-more-hail-europe.

This week Sam updates you on Alsace limiting yields, Australia regaining its position as China’s largest wine supplier, British Columbia’s decision to allow wineries to import grapes to make wine, new data from the IWSR, Verallia's incredibly lightweight sparkling-wine bottles, and a shipwreck loaded with Champagne discovered in the Baltic Sea.

Read a transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-data-falling-wine-sales-australia-regains-china-market-alsace-limits-yields.

This week Sam updates you on research protocol happenings for US dietary guidelines, an end to the strike in Ontario, a new red Alsace Grand Cru, Champagne yield restrictions, Vintage Wine Estates' bankruptcy, the potential sale of Gusbourne, hail and rain in Sancerre, a brazen wine fraud case, and new features of the Old Vine Registry.

Read a transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/us-dietary-guidelines-alcohol-update-new-red-alsace-grand-cru-champagne-challenges.

This week Sam updates you on the inclusion of white wines in the Gigondas AOC, the strike in Ontario, hail in Ardèche, Accolade’s acquisition of Pernod Ricard’s wine interests, a new EU subsidy granted for crisis distillation in Portugal, and improvements to the Austrian Digital Wine Atlas.

Read the transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/ontario-strike-update-hail-ardeche-accolade-acquisitions-crisis-distillation-portugal.

This week Sam updates you on the LCBO strike in Ontario before discussing sales of spirits overtaking those of wine, the surprising growth in the wine capsule market, fires in California, hail in Bordeaux, vine-pull plans in the EU, and the 'Come Over October' campaign.

Read the transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/ontario-strike-intensifies-hail-hits-bordeaux-california-fires-eu-vine-pulls-spirits-sales.