The Wine News in 5

This week Sam updates you on frost in New Zealand, IWSR data on the US wine market, Viña Concha y Toro signing up to the Bottle Weight Accord, China joining the OIV and the passing of Yiannis Boutaris.

You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-zealand-frost-new-us-wine-market-data-light-bottle-weight-wins-china-joins-oiv.

This week Sam updates you on the floods in eastern Spain, what the US election is likely to mean for the wine industry, LWCs response to UK duty hikes, and the OIV’s adoption of a definition of ‘old vine’ and ‘old vineyard’.

You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/what-us-elections-mean-wine-industry-defining-old-vines-uk-duty-hike-response.

This week Sam updates you on flooding in eastern and southern Spain, areas of the UK budget that will impact the wine trade, the smallest harvest in Germany since 2017, and a new AVA in Washington state and a new IGP in Lorraine.

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/spains-devastating-floods-uk-autumn-budget-impacts-germanys-small-harvest.

This week Sam updates you on an ecstasy-spiked champagne case, flooding in the Rhône Valley, the Castel Group’s new acquisition, Australia’s wine sales to China, and two new technologies in winemaking – one that can take the place of sulphur dioxide and the other that can condense CO2 from winery fermentations to be used later in the winemaking process.

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/carbon-capture-winery-chestnut-tannins-rhone-floods-castel-group-buys-malard.

This week Sam updates you on a new AVA in Napa Valley, crop losses in the UK, an international wine fraud ring based in Italy, a letter that Constellation’s lawyers sent to Adam Lee of Dial Tone Wine, and Hong Kong slashing liquor duties. 

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/napas-new-ava-massive-wine-fraud-bust-uk-harvest-woes-hidden-sugar-dry-wine.

This week Sam updates you on French vine-pull subsidies, the tiny 2024 harvest in France, Napa securing name protection in Mexico, the sale of The Duckhorn Portfolio, and Come Over October events. 

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/frances-shrinking-vineyards-napas-name-protected-duckhorn-portfolio-sold.

This week Sam updates you on Hurricane Helene, harvest in Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, Chianti and Piedmont, Moët Hennessy’s investment in non-alcoholic sparkling, the launch of the VITÆVINO declaration, and the controversy surrounding updates to US dietary guidelines.

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/hurricane-helene-lvmhs-non-alcoholic-fizz-vitaevino-declaration-and-us-dietary-guidelines.

This week Sam updates you on the announcement of the 2024 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholars, devastating fires in Portugal, flash flooding in Bolgheri, France’s request for €120 million in subsidies to pull up vineyards, the authorization of government funded crisis distillation in Ribeira Sacra, and the world’s first electric furnace for glass-bottle manufacturing.

Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/french-vine-pulls-and-spanish-subsidies-wildfires-portugal-electric-furnace-bottles.

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.