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Global Wine Trends Weekly Update

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12.06.2009

Global Wine Trends 12/06/2009 Weekly Update

Critical Publics | EDOAO of 29

Table of Contents

Table of Contents .................................................................................. 2

Global Market Watch ............................................................................ 4

Basking With Rosés ........................................................................................ 4 "Made in Hong Kong" wine hopes to please Asian palates ............................ 4 About 40 African wine labels set to hit market .............................................. 5 Setting the wine Bar ....................................................................................... 5 Buying wine en primeur: is it worth it? .......................................................... 5 Branch into wine blends ................................................................................. 6 Food & Drink -- Tastings: Vacationing in the Vineyards --- A trip to a wine region is a fun, inexpensive summer option; some of the best Web sites ..... 6 Wine ................................................................................................................ 7 On the bottle: investment wine ...................................................................... 8 When Age Should Be Served ........................................................................... 8 Cabernet Paradise ........................................................................................... 9 Italian wines spar with French in quest for quality ........................................ 9 British women choose beauty over the bottle, new research shows ........... 10 Warning as redundancy Britons drinking more ............................................ 10

Global Industry Watch ........................................................................ 11

Younger wine drinkers failing to engage ...................................................... 11 Hong Kong Hot for Wine Exports .................................................................. 11 Specialists double wine inflation .................................................................. 12 Wine sales show modest increase ................................................................ 12 Taking the Bloom Off the Rosé ..................................................................... 13 Bordeaux 2008: chateaux have 'misread' the market .................................. 13 French wine slips from perch as number one exported wines worldwide ... 14 US now biggest wine export market ............................................................ 14 Wine: Global Industry Almanac .................................................................... 14 Europe Drops Plan to Alter How Rosé Is Produced ...................................... 15 French laud move to protect rosé ................................................................. 15 India Gate closed for wine? New taxation frustrates Delhi ......................... 15 New Vine to Resume Operations With Inertia Beverage Group Funding ..... 16 Constellation Brands Announces Senior Management Changes to Its International Business .................................................................................. 16 D.C. Wine Community Loses Important Importer ........................................ 17 Bill would let grocery stores sell beer, wine ................................................. 17 Australian assets for sale reach $800m ........................................................ 17 Threshers and Wine Rack future in doubt .................................................... 18 Australian wine industry calls for government help ..................................... 18 Burgundy-Maule trade agreement ............................................................... 18 New meaning for drink to your health.......................................................... 19 New US company targets three New Zealand, Australian wineries ............. 19 Profit talk is tonic for Majestic; Smaller companies ..................................... 19

Wine Domain Catalysts Watch ............................................................ 20



Wine critic Parker ordered to trial in France ................................................ 20 Young Turks of note ...................................................................................... 20 Bowen goes solo ........................................................................................... 21 Chateau Atkin ............................................................................................... 21 Anthony Rose: The south-west of France is a sprawling and diverse wine region on the brink of rediscovery ................................................................ 22

Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch ....... 23

Box clever ..................................................................................................... 23 Alcohol: Is it really good for you? ................................................................. 23 Copper Peak Logistics Releases New Version Of Copperlink™ Proprietary Software Package To Enhance Its Direct-To-Consumer Wine Shipping And Fulfillment Operations; ................................................................................. 24

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor ................................................. 24

N/A ................................................................................................................ 24

Blogosphere Monitor ........................................................................... 24

Peace in the War of the Rosés ...................................................................... 24 Enlarge your Pinot dollar - Pinot under $20 - new world or old world? ....... 25 Rich Wine Collectors Have Had Their Fill ...................................................... 25

Peripheral Domains Intelligence ........................................................ 25

Wine Industry Pioneer WorldShipNet Focuses on Direct Sales Channel ...... 25 $10,000 to Twitter about wine? It's a 'Really Goode Job' ............................ 26 Wine comments, with a little 'twasting' ....................................................... 26 Berry Bros & Rudd to launch online trading platform .................................. 26 Auction Napa Valley brings in $5.7M, just 55% of 2008’s total ................... 27 Wine auctions to lure bidder with lower estimates ...................................... 27 Grapevine Leafroll Disease Spreads Rapidly ................................................ 27 Cork recycling program is under way at Roth's ............................................ 27 Local entrepreneur pairs wine, graffiti culture ............................................. 28 Wines alining image for 2010 ....................................................................... 28

Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest ..................................... 28

The science of the art of winemaking ........................................................... 28



Global Market Watch The global market watch outlines developments, spotted and emerging trends that define the current situation in the global wine landscape. It includes all major developments in the market including consumer trends relating to wine and marketing campaigns or approaches, as well as concerns on health and sustainability.

Basking With Rosés

THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

09.06.09: IT began seemingly as a brief flirtation more than five years ago, this American affection, if not passion, for rosé wines. It was something new, something different. Fashion magazines and other arbiters of cool zeroed in on rosé like a rising hemline and anointed it the “It” wine.

But “It” wines are fleeting, like a whiff of a captivating perfume, or the beads of condensation on a cool glass in the afternoon sun. This thing with rosé

has evolved into a long-term relationship that shows no signs of fading.

It used to be that when warm weather rolled around, critics would try to talk up the virtues of rosé as a wine that deserved a place at the table, better yet a lunch table, best of all a lunch table outdoors, near the water, with pale blue skies, the smell of the sea and whitewashed walls thrown in for atmosphere.

Few Americans took rosés seriously, though, and the wines languished, except in their bastardized “blush” guises as sweetened wine confections that may have a place, yes, though rarely at the table.

But when Americans took that fashionable leap, they discovered what Mediterranean cultures knew all along: rosé is the quintessential daytime wine, perfect for outdoors, wonderful in the summer. …

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/dining/10wine.html?_r=1

"Made in Hong Kong" wine hopes to please Asian palates

REUTERS, UK

09.06.09: It's got no vineyards of its own, but a new winery hopes its "Made In Hong Kong" label will make a mark on the growing Asian wine market. The 8th Estate Winery has produced Hong Kong's first wine, using grapes that are shipped frozen from other countries. The thawing, fermentation, ageing and blending of the grapes takes place at the winery housed in a high-rise warehouse, which has just released its first batch of reds, whites and ice wines. "There is an initial novelty value, a little bit of a shock seeing a bottle which says 'Product of Hong Kong' because there has never been a wine bottle that has said that before," winery director Lysanne Tusar told Reuters. … The 8th Estate has so far produced 100,000 bottles, of which 60,000 have been sold. The rest are being aged. Since the wines are only distributed to local restaurants and hotels, the winery uses no sulfates or preservatives, which Tusar says gives the wine a distinctive flavour. …



http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE55813B20090609

About 40 African wine labels set to hit market

MY DIGITALFC, INDIA

08.06.09: South African liquor exporters are betting big on the growing imported wine market in India and have lined up 30-40 new labels for launch in the next three years. Wine exports from South Africa to India grew by 44 per cent in 2008 calendar at 3,500 cases. Wine sales have been increasing at 25-30 per cent annually in India. … South Africa accounts for 3.2 per cent of global wine production, while its wine exports contribute to 5 per cent of worldwide wine trade. However, the percentage of South African wine export to India (compared with its total global exports) is small, according to Wines Of South Africa (WOSA), an industry organisation.

“Middle-class Indians are more accustomed to new-world style wines, which can be seen as a market opportunity for South African exporters. Investment in India should be seen as a long-term strategy,” said Michaela Stander, market manager – Asia, WOSA. However, high import taxes in the country pose a challenge for South African wine exporters, she added. …

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/companies/about-40-african-wine-labels-set-hit-market-142

Setting the wine Bar

INDEPENDENT, IRELAND

08.06.09: Even though restaurant prices are coming down all around the country, the price of wine is staying pretty much as it was. Embedded in the price you pay in the off-licence, restaurant or supermarket is the Government's share, made up of excise duty and VAT. The possibility of the Government’s take coming down is best estimated as zero, so the only way you'll find cheaper wines in restaurants is if the wholesalers and the

restaurants both take a cut in their profits. So far the big wholesalers are not dropping their prices, although there is ample evidence that the average spend per bottle is dropping quickly. …

It works like this: you take the wholesale price plus the VAT — for example a bottle costs €6, plus VAT it becomes €7.29 — then you divide that by 0.4 and get €18.22, your restaurant price. Why divide by 0.4? Well by this formula that means you have a 60pc margin. (Subtract your margin percentage from 100, then divide by a 100 to get .4). The maths is easy enough to follow, but the reasoning behind it seems obscure to me…

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/setting-the-wine-bar-1766156.html

Buying wine en primeur: is it worth it? THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK

06.06.09: We're in the middle of the 2008 bordeaux en primeur campaign, or are we? Now is traditionally the time when the British wine trade gets all excited about the previous year's bordeaux vintage and, before the wines have even been bottled, merchants rush to sell



them to clamouring customers. This year, however, it's rather confused, with some clamouring and some not.

… What seems to have caught people on the hop is the Parker effect. After the initial prices were released, down 40 per cent on last year, the world's most powerful (or most overrated, depending on your view) wine critic, Robert Parker, announced his scores. He gave the wines far higher marks than anyone – including producers – had expected and the price of some wines doubled overnight. … Folk who bought pre-Parker must be hugging themselves with glee over their investment. Back in the real world of affordable claret, I question whether 2008 is an investment vintage. … I tried a selection last week and came away thinking they were fine but none were superb. Certainly they were fresh, with good fruit and sturdy tannins but nothing special, certainly not compared with 2005 or 2006.

I reckon if you have a well-stocked cellar, you can afford to skip this one if money's tight. The 2007 vintage is yet to arrive and will probably be sold at less than its opening price when it does. First Growths apart, the 2008s will probably be the same price as they are now, despite Parker's influence. …

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/5439002/Buying-wine-en-primeur-is-it-worth-it.html

Branch into wine blends THE TIMES, UK

06.06.09: The obsession of British drinkers with grape varieties is not doing our taste buds any favours. The big four — cabernet sauvignon and merlot for reds, chardonnay and sauvignon for whites — are all very well drunk solo, but there are lots of smashing summer blends that happily combine two, three, four or more grapes but which are ignored by drinkers. …

Most of the world’s greatest wines, including bordeaux, champagne, sherry and madeira, are blends, whose producers are keen to use the entire orchestra of different wines at their disposal. With large blending tanks being used instead of bottling straight from wooden barrels, blended wines are on the increase. Winemakers are aware that the sum of the whole is often far greater than its parts.

Blended wine got its bad reputation in the days before tight regulation, when charlatans eked out grand wines with whatever they had to hand. There are all sorts of ways to perk up sub-£6 everyday wines without ceremony. Blending a heavily oaked or oak-chipped wine in an unoaked vat to create a tastier, lightly oaked result is one example; another is to make wines less assertive by encouraging a malolactic fermentation.

Australian winemakers are so obsessed with blending that they create multiregional blends by transporting grape varieties and wine hundreds of miles across states. … So blends it is.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article6429634.ece

Food & Drink -- Tastings: Vacationing in the Vineyards --- A trip to a wine region is a fun, inexpensive summer option; some of the best Web sites

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA

07.06.09: With money tight, here's a suggestion for a cost-effective summer trip:



.

Visit a wine region. Chances are there's a wine trail within easy driving distance of your home. But even a trip to a faraway region can be a good deal. They tend to be in rural areas (wineries are farms, after all), which are often cheaper to visit than cities. The nearby restaurants are often delicious because they feature local products. The people are friendly. The scenery is free. And the entertainment -- the tasting itself -- is downright cheap

Wine regions all over the world now offer official Web sites that make planning a trip easier than ever. …

washingtonwine.org

This Web site, for the burgeoning wine industry of Washington state, has it all: good maps, drool-worthy photographs and plenty of information about the wineries, even including current weather conditions. …

www.vins-rhone.com

Some sites make us want to travel far from home, and this is one of them. The Rhone Valley of France is so big and diverse that it seems overwhelming, but this site makes everything clear. It has great lists of wineries and good information on restaurants and lodging, too. …

illinoiswine.com

This is a fine site to remind you that there really is a winery next-door these days, pretty much wherever you live. …

pasowine.com

This site, for the Paso Robles region of California, is particularly alive and fun. … virginiawines.org

Here's something simple that we like a lot: Right on the home page there's a big round target that says "Download winery guide," which takes you to very good maps of every wine region in the state. …

oregonwine.org

This site has some of the deepest, most interesting information of any wine region -- wine geeks could make a whole day of exploring just the site. …

wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com

This is a lovely site that really does make it clear how easy it would be to visit this region of 21 wineries. …

uncorkyork.com

We especially like this site because it proves that a wine region doesn't have to be big or famous to have a fine visitor site. …

http://online.wsj.com/article/tastings.html

Wine THE GUARDIAN, UK

06. 06.09: Wine producers like to fabricate mystique, so it's refreshing to speak to John Casella



and hear that the yellow-footed rock wallaby on his labels isn't there because there are dozens leaping around the vineyards or because a tame one guided him, Moses-like, to the fruitful land. … That was nine years ago, and Yellow Tail is now so big that Casella Wines, which is still family-owned, is responsible for 14% of Australia's wine exports. Imagine, as Withnail said of Jeff Wode's balls, the size of the winery. The site, in Yenda, New South Wales, covers 75 acres. The biggest tanks hold 1.1m litres of wine - if you were to drink your way through one at a bottle a day, it would take 3,835 years to drain it. The place is so vast that 13m litres of liquid can be blended at once. Last year they processed 9% of Australia's entire grape intake; the bottling line is said to be the world's fastest, processing 36,000 bottles an hour. More than 2m glasses of Yellow Tail are knocked back around the world daily.

Over here, we get through 6m bottles of the stuff a year, preferring the pinot grigio and shiraz. So what shifts it? Casella is reassuringly upfront: "Consistency: you know what you're getting. We also made a wine that we thought would have a mass appeal: we shaved off a bit of acidity and added a bit of sugar. We didn't run surveys, we listened to our instinct. People always talk dry but drink sweet." …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/06/wine-victoria-moore

On the bottle: investment wine THE TIMES, UK

07.06.09: … David is one of the brave people who risk all because of their love of wine. … He formed a company, Lafayette's Wines, built a website and poured all his savings into importing four palettes of Rhône and Provençal wine. That's about 1,600 bottles. … His rather staid website hasn't produced the sales he had hoped for, but London restaurants buy his deep, dark Bandols and creamily dry white Bellets. …

Last year's weather in Bordeaux was so grim that — given the state of customers' wallets — the wine trade arm-twisted the normally grasping top producers into cutting prices in advance for the 2008 vintage en primeur, the sale of wine before it is bottled. Quality was better than expected, however. Robert Parker, the American guru whose dictums are revered (and reviled) around the world, gave astonishingly high scores to some top growths, triggering a rush to buy. Some prices almost doubled overnight, and speculators who had bought "cheaply" — we're still talking hundreds of pounds a bottle — have reaped an instant profit, while the chateaux owners gnash their teeth. …

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article6414414.ece

When Age Should Be Served THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA

06.06.09: We often say that most wines are made to drink young, and that is true. Especially because many wine stores do not keep their merchandise in pristine condition, you generally want to look for the youngest vintage you can find of most wines on the shelves, from Chilean Sauvignon Blanc to Italian Pinot Grigio to inexpensive American Merlot. But it's so important to stop every



once in a while to make this point: There's nothing like a fine wine that has been aged well. To understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to wine, it's so fundamental to taste older stuff from time to time. … Remember that fine old wines aren't just for Open That Bottle Night or even just for Mother's Day. They make any day special. So if you have older wines around, open 'em up. And if you don't have any around now, it's never too late to lay some good stuff down. …

http://online.wsj.com/article/wine_notes.html

Cabernet Paradise

QUARTERLY REVIEW OF WINES, USA

11.06.09: Much like Napa Valley or the Haut-Médoc district of Bordeaux, Chile's Maipo Valley has been recognized as an ideal region for magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet to tell the truth, there isn't much buzz being generated about Maipo these days. Maybe it's because there aren't the demanding egos in the area. Maybe it's because there isn't a controversy among local wine makers about how to style their offerings. Maybe there's just too much wine in the world to detail the local story. Whatever the reason, the best vintners of Maipo quietly continue their excellent work, crafting world-class wines that combine pure varietal character with a distinct sense of place. … The Maipo Valley is centered near Santiago, Chile's capital city, and extends south and east towards the Andes and west towards the less dominating Coastal Range. While some interesting wines originate from vineyards in the lower altitude plantings to the west and north, the finest offerings come from an area known as Alto Maipo, south and east of Santiago, where vineyard plantings begin at an elevation of 2,100 feet above sea level. …

http://www.qrw.com/09summer/maipo.htm

Italian wines spar with French in quest for quality

REUTERS, UK

09.06.09: Not content with just out exporting the French in volumes of wine, a number of Italian vintners have also been harvesting a lot of praise from critics. "Nowadays there is a richness and diversity in Italian wines that shows the growers are really making an effort to produce quality," wine critic Michel Bettane said at a recent tasting. …

The French also exported some grapes like Merlot and Cabernet to supplement the Nebiollo that is indigenous to Italy. " … So it was slightly tongue-in-cheek when the Italian institute for international trade hosted a tasting in the historic buildings of the Italian cultural institute in Paris and served five red wines that were all made from French grapes, apart from Gaja's Barbaresco 2004 that was 100 percent Nebbiolo. For Enrico Bernardo, the world's best sommelier of 2005, Italian wines were known as sweet and light drinks that one bought to go with pizza …

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British women choose beauty over the bottle, new research shows THE INDEPENDENT, UK

07.06.09: From Bridget Jones-style singletons knocking back schooners of chardonnay, to yummy mummies cracking open the gin at 4pm and "ladettes" rolling on the pavement outside nightclubs, British women have gained a bad reputation when it comes to drink. But new research indicates that the female half of the nation may be consuming less alcohol than stereotypes suggest, with 73 per cent of young women claiming to drink less than the recommended weekly allowance.

A survey by the pollster YouGov found that 73 per cent of women aged 25 to 34 drink less than 14 units of alcohol a week, with 75 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds, and 79 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds, making the same claim.

It seems this restraint may be partly fuelled by vanity, with 74 per cent admitting that they were "constantly aware" of their appearance and behaviour on nights out. At the same time, advertisements are emphasising the effects of alcohol on the appearance to persuade women to drink less. The Government's Drink Aware campaign has highlighted alcohol's high calorie content, while the drinks company Martini has just launched "Stay Beautiful", a low-alcohol range promoted by the actress Thandie Newton. … But alcohol awareness campaigners warn that while women may be sticking to recommended weekly limits, they could still be exceeding the two to three units a day limit, and thus still "binge-drinking". … Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the average number of units consumed a week by women fell from 9.9 in 2007 to 7.7 in 2008. … Last year 325,891 women were admitted to UK hospitals with alcohol-related conditions, compared with 537,366 men. This figure has almost doubled for both sexes in the past five years. … The new research suggests that women do not know how many units their drinks contain, with 75 per cent unable to assess correctly the number of units in a pint of beer, glass of wine or spirits measure. …

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/british-women-choose-beauty-over-the-bottle-new-research-shows-1698759.html

Also published:

Wine marketers try to get men's attention – THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, USA

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/07/BUN7181L8E.DTL

Warning as redundancy Britons drinking more THE INDEPENDENT, UK

10.06.09: Britons affected by redundancy are hitting the bottle, research out today suggests. Almost four in 10 (39 per cent) said they had either been made redundant or knew somebody who had lost their job in the last six months. Of this group, one in 10 said they were drinking more alcohol to help them cope with the stress, or said the person they knew was drinking more. Of those, 49 per cent said they were consuming more alcohol during the day.

The survey, of 2,253 adults, was carried out for the charity Drinkaware. More than two thirds (71 per cent) of people questioned said the increase in drinking was directly linked to redundancy and 61 per cent were worried about it.



Global Industry Watch This section records developments and trends on both industry and individual corporation levels that form a matrix of the major issues and moves in the industry as a whole or by its critical actors and groupings, such as trade associations and regulatory bodies.

Younger wine drinkers failing to engage

WINE BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL, GERMANY

11.06.09: Engaging younger drinkers in the wine market could prove key for the future success of the UK wine industry, new figures released today from Mintel show. The exclusive consumer research reveals that after years of impressive growth, the total UK wine market saw a 2% decline in volume sales in 2008 - a fall from grace for a market that has shown consistent growth for some years. In addition, the value of the market also dropped 1% year on year in 2008 to stand at £9.6bn.

The effects of concern over binge drinking, a trend towards healthy lifestyles and heavy government taxation have all had an impact on the market. In 2008 alone, duty on wine increased by 17%, meaning the British are now among the most heavily taxed wine drinkers in Europe. This, combined with rising production and manufacturing costs and the strength of the Euro against Sterling, have put added pressure on wine companies. As a result of these factors, Mintel forecasts that the wine market will not recover in volume terms until 2011, but will increase by 4% up to 2014 to reach 1.18bn Litres.

Within this challenging context, the research demonstrates it is more important than ever that the wine industry engages more with younger consumers – and amongst the 25-34 age group in particular – to gain market share and loyalty for future consumption. Wine drinking amongst this age group has declined more than any other over the past five years; indeed the consumer research found that a fifth of 25-34s find the choice in wine confusing, the highest for all age groups surveyed …

http://www.wine-business-international.com/News_Younger_wine_drinkers_failing_to_engage.html

Hong Kong Hot for Wine Exports

WINES & VINES, USA

08.06.09: China's elimination of duties on wine imports into Hong Kong is fueling exporters' interest in doing business with the former U.K. colony. China initially reduced import duties on wine from 80% to 40% in 2007, then lifted duties on wine imports altogether at the end of February 2008, leading

to a surge in international wine shipments to the former colony that now operates as a special

Losing a job was also found to have negative effects on emotional wellbeing, with 55 per cent of those affected suffering mood swings, anxiety or boredom. …

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/warning-as-redundancy-britons-drinking-more-1701327.html



administrative region with privileges unique from the rest of China.

The abolition of import duties on wine, for example, aims to help Hong Kong remain competitive against rivals for Asia's wine trade. During the year since the duties were lifted, Hong Kong imported $370 million in wine, an 80% increase over the previous year. U.S. wine shipments to Hong Kong topped $18 million, double the value posted in 2007.

Retail consulting firm Nielsen, which recently added a review of Hong Kong wine sales to its publications, reports that the per-liter price of wine in Hong Kong fell 7% since the duty's removal. The impact was most significant for premium wines, which saw prices fall an average of 22%.

Hong Kong residents have been taking advantage of the lower prices, buying 8.5 million bottles of wine in 2008 compared to 6.2 million bottles in 2007. Red wine showed the strongest growth, with sales rising 27% over the year and accounting for 75% of all wine sold. …

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=65135&htitle=Hong%20Kong%20Hot%20for%20Wine%20Exports

Specialists double wine inflation

OFF LICENCE NEWS, UK

08.06.09: Multiple specialists have pushed through price increases double those of the wine market generally over the past year. Newly released Nielsen data shows that wine prices in multiple off-licence rose by 38p to £5.34 in the year to May 16, compared to 19p in the take-home market as a whole, where the average price for a 75cl bottle is now £4.25. The off-trade wine market saw 1% volume and 5% value growth over the period, but multiple specialists saw volumes slide by 8% and sales value by 1%. The multiple grocers saw their sales value climb 8%, while volumes rose by 3%. The average price for wine in supermarkets rose by 18p to £4.07. In the impulse category - which rounds up convenience and forecourt sales - average prices rose by 25p to £4.76. Wine volumes fell by 5% and value growth was flat.

http://www.offlicencenews.co.uk/articles/71045/Specialists-double-wine-inflation.aspx?categoryid=9059

Wine sales show modest increase

HARPERS, UK

08.06.09: Nielsen stats have indicated some modest growth in the take-home wine market. Sales were up 5% in value in the 12 months to May 16, and 1% in volume terms. The growth is small compared to the leaps made in recent years, and much of the value increase can be ascribed to duty rises and the spiralling cost of production and importing. But the data is more encouraging for the trade than the zero volume growth that Nielsen reported for light wine in the take-home trade earlier in the spring. Multiple grocers were the chief beneficiaries, with sales value up 8% and volumes up 3% over the period. The average price of a 75cl bottle of wine in the off-trade has risen to £4.25.

http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/8076-wine-sales-show-modest-increase.html



Taking the Bloom Off the Rosé


07.06.09: … Has the European Union lost its sense of taste? The unique character of rosé wines is so widely recognized that in France, they outsell white wine. But later this month, European Union representatives will vote on a proposal to change the standard for rosés by permitting them to be made from blends of red and white wines. With that vote, the union now threatens to damage rosés’ carefully cultivated reputation and undermine vintners’ record of quality.

First, a little explanation. Rosés are not, as some people believe, a mix. In Provence, the most frequently used method for producing a true rosé is called maceration, a delicate process in which the skins of crushed red grapes are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for several hours before they are removed and the fermentation proceeds. The grape skins impart the light red color to rosé. Their quick removal reduces the tannins in the final product, making rosés more like a fine dry white. …

The only way out of this conundrum would be to make the blends so cheap that they appeal to a mass market. But the European Union has been trying to make European wines more competitive against the growing number of foreign rivals. Undermining the reputation of rosés will not help achieve that goal.

French people overwhelmingly oppose this proposal, and Agricultural Minister Michel Barnier has declared that if the union approves the blending process, he will ban it in France. We in France, especially in Provence, have raised the process of producing rosés to an art form. This achievement should not be drowned in a flood of cheap imitations.

If the European Union comes to its senses and rejects this proposal in a vote that should take place late June, we can all raise a glass. Make mine a rosé.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/opinion/08millo.html

Also published:

Taking the bloom off the rosé – INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, FRANCE

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/opinion/08millo.html

Bordeaux 2008: chateaux have 'misread' the market

DECANTER, UK

07.06.09: Major trade buyers of Bordeaux in Japan, the US and traditional European markets have stayed away from this year's 2008 campaign, complaining that the chateaux have 'misread' the market following Parker's scores.

Despite Bordeaux chateaux being lauded for their low pricing strategy and the high praise from US critic Robert Parker, it appears consumer demand remains low.

'There hasn't been a lot of interest in the 2008 campaign in California, with just a slight rise even after Parker's notes came out,' Steve Coburn, director of fine wines at Southern Wine and Spirits in California, told decanter.com. 'Economic concerns have outweighed everything, and there was no real interest in wines at those prices, particularly as we are still concerned about selling the 2007 wines.' …



http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=283729

French wine slips from perch as number one exported wines worldwide

WEB IN FRANCE, FRANCE

09.06.09: Wines from Italy, Spain and Australia ending up on more menus and more tables around the globe

French wineOnce considered far and away the undisputed best and market-leading wines in the world, wines from France have been battling stiff competition from other countries in the past couple of decades. However, it always retained the number one spot, in terms of both perception and reality, with more French wines being exported than wines from any other country.

But all this is changing. While wine production in France is declining, it is increasing in other countries that are known wine producers, such as Australia, Spain, Italy and the US. Once considered inferior to French vintages, wines from these countries routinely take home prizes in competitions. And there are new players coming to the field: Argentina and Chile, and even China and India.

France has been slow to acknowledge the changing landscape and slow to react. Marketing has not traditionally been a French forte, and it must not have seemed necessary in industries in which France has been historically predominant, such as wine and high fashion. Indeed, for many years, French output in these areas spoke for itself, becoming world-famous and sought-after virtually without any marketing efforts. …

http://www.webinfrance.com/french-wine-slips-from-perch-as-number-one-exported-wines-worldwide-610.html

US now biggest wine export market

ABC NEWS, AUSTRALIA

10.06.09: The United States has edged ahead of the United Kingdom as Australia's biggest wine export market by value. The latest report by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation says export volumes increased to the US and fell to the UK during May. Corporation executive Paul Henry thinks the US will become an even bigger market in the months ahead. … In the latest market assessment, China, Hong Kong and Japan recorded the largest growth for Australian wine exports. …

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/10/2593844.htm?section=business

Wine: Global Industry Almanac

RESEARCH AND MARKETS, USA

11.06.09: …- The global wine market grew by 2.6% in 2008 to reach a value of $222.6 billion.- In 2013, the market is forecast to have a value of $254.6 billion, an increase of 14.4% since 2008.- The market grew by 1.4% in 2008 to reach a volume of 19.4 billion liters.

- In 2013, the market is forecast to have a volume of 20.9 billion liters, an increase of 7.6%



since 2008.- Still wine sales generate 79% of the markets revenues.

- Europe constitutes the largest wine market in the world generating 76.4% of the global revenues.- Peter Mertes GMBH holds 4.7% of the market share by volume.- On-trade distribution accounts for 35.4% of the market volume.

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4e40ea/wine_global_indus

Europe Drops Plan to Alter How Rosé Is Produced


08.06.09: In response to protest from winemakers, the European Commission retreated from plans that would have broadened ways to produce rosé wine in Europe.

In announcing the unexpected reversal, the European agriculture commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, said that

having listened to objections, she had abandoned the proposed changes, which would have allowed red and white wines to be blended to make rosé. “It’s become clear over recent weeks that a majority in our wine sector believe that ending the ban on blending could undermine the image of traditional rosé,” Ms. Fischer Boel said Monday. “I am always prepared to listen to good arguments — that’s why I am making this change.”

Her change of position follows a fierce campaign against the proposals, particularly in France, as winemakers argued that the changes would undermine the quality and image of their product. But support for the changes was already waning in several countries in the European Union, which might have hampered the proposal during a vote due later this month. …

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/business/global/09wine.html

Also published:

European Commission backs away from plans to change rules on rosé – INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, FRANCE

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/business/global/09wine.html

French laud move to protect rosé FINANCIAL TIMES, UK

10.06.09: French wine producers yesterday declared the rosé wine industry had been "saved" after the European Commission dropped plans that would have allowed mixing red and white wine to produce rosé. Co-ordination Rurale, the agricultural workers' union, welcomed Brussels' decision on Monday to "drop this stupid reform which would have had catastrophic consequences for the producers of rosé wine".

Subscription based

India Gate closed for wine? New taxation frustrates Delhi

SOMMELIER INDIA, INDIA

09.06.09: In a move that's sure to cause a lot of angst within the Indian wine community, the



Delhi government has changed its taxation policy from a flat fee of Rs. 150 on imported wine to 30% of the price. … Aman Dhall, MD of Brindco, one of the largest importers of wines, said in the Economic Times that the latest development will severely undermine the quality and breadth of premium and super-premium offerings in the Delhi market and drag down sales significantly. This taxation change comes just as the city was gearing up for the Commonwealth Games which would have in normal circumstances led to an increase in wine consumption.

The Delhi excise effected changes on imported spirits and wines over the weekend even as it called for industry response to a draft notification released more than a fortnight ago. The draft notification had suggested a slab structure in taxing the imported brands, but changes unveiled only talks of a 30% fee on MRP across price segments, sources added.

We at Sommelier India cannot but help express our disappointment at the change. We absolutely recognize the need for the government to tax liquor - it has and always has been an important and lucrative revenue stream. But to increase the local taxes so significantly and in one swoop will only hurt the industry and the wine culture. Indian wine drinkers in Delhi will be appalled at the prices and will shy away from more expensive wines. What's more, at a time when hotels and restaurants need the revenue most to offset their losses, they will suffer further. … So what does this really mean in a practical sense? Wine at the low end of the spectrum will hardly be affected. But keep in mind that practically no foreign wine is cheap enough not to be affected. As a wine bottle gets more expensive, so too does the tax at 30%. Indian wine producers are sure to benefit as they operate mostly on the cheaper end of the spectrum. So too will duty free shops and embassies that are spared the taxation. Indian wine drinkers will suffer because they will no longer be able to afford a decent wine while dining at restaurants, but will be forced to go for cheaper, lower quality wines. ...

http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2009/06/india_gate_closed_for_wine_lov.html

New Vine to Resume Operations With Inertia Beverage Group Funding

WINE BUSINESS, USA

04.06.09: Inertia Beverage Group (IBG) has agreed in principle with Silicon Valley Bank to acquire its debt position in New Vine, subject to due diligence and definitive agreements."In order to address New Vine's customer needs and allow for their systems and operations to get back online and shipments flowing immediately, IBG will provide interim cash funding to New Vine pending final documentation," said IBG President and CEO Ted Jansen. "Operations are already gearing up and we are confident in the ability of New Vine's operational team and employees to quickly respond." …

http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=65098

Constellation Brands Announces Senior Management Changes to Its International Business

PR NEWSWIRE, USA

05.06.09: Constellation Brands, Inc. the world's leading producer of premium wines, announced today that Jon Moramarco, chief executive officer of Constellation International, will leave the company effective June 30, 2009. …



With this change, the company also announced that Paul Hetterich will oversee the international business of Constellation Europe, Constellation Wines Australia and Constellation New Zealand as executive vice president, business development, corporate strategy and international. Reporting to Hetterich, will be Troy Christensen, who will assume responsibility for Constellation Wines Australia in addition to his current duties as president of Constellation Europe; and Joe Stanton, CEO of Constellation New Zealand. John Grant, president of Constellation Wines Australia, will report to Christensen. The reporting changes are effective immediately …

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/06-05-2009/0005039110&EDATE=

D.C. Wine Community Loses Important Importer

THE WASHINGHTON POST, USA

04.06.09: The recession has taken a bite out of the Washington wine community with the recent demise of Billington Wines, which helped put South American wines on U.S. dinner tables. … Details are still to be worked out, but some of the wineries in Billington's portfolio now will be represented by Winebow, the New Jersey company that grew from an Italian specialty importer into a major import and distribution powerhouse. Winebow

has been Billington's distributor in the Washington area for several years, so the companies have a long-standing relationship. …

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/wine/dc-wine-community-loses-import.html

Bill would let grocery stores sell beer, wine

DELAWARE ONLINE, USA

04.06.09: Legislation that would allow grocery stores in Delaware to sell beer and wine was introduced in the state House this afternoon. House Bill 193, sponsored by Rep. John J. Viola, D-Newark, has the potential to raise $10 million in its first year, through the new class of alcohol license it would create: a license with a one-time fee of $100,000 per store. There would be a biennial renewal fee of $5,000.

Convenience stores would be dealt out of the bill, which would authorize beer and wine sales only in stores with more than 6,000 square feet and whose primary business is selling food. …

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090604/NEWS/90604039

Australian assets for sale reach $800m

DECANTER, UK

04.06.09: The historic Baileys of Glenrowan formally goes on the market next week as the value of winery assets on sale in Australia reaches about AUS$800m. Foster's Group is selling the 139-year-old Baileys, in the Rutherglen region of northern Victoria, following the company's asset review completed in February. The review earmarked 31 vineyards for sale



in Australia and five in California, valued at AUS$243m.

The original Rosemount site in the upper Hunter Valley, which failed to sell three years ago, is included in the sale. … Noted for its premium red wines and outstanding and liqueur muscats and tokays, Baileys will follow in the path of 157-year-old Seppeltsfield, also renowned for its fortified wines, which Foster's sold two years ago.

The value of industry assets publicly on the market in Australia is now estimated by companies and agents at more than AUS$500m with Constellation Wines still having 17 vineyards and two wineries – Leasingham and Stonehaven – on the market after announcing their sale last August and several other big and small premium wineries are for sale …

http://www.decanter.com/news/283950.html

Threshers and Wine Rack future in doubt

DECANTER, UK

10.06.09: The owner of troubled wine retailers Threshers and Wine Rack insists it is committed to their future, despite auditors expressing 'material uncertainty' about their ability to continue trading. But hundreds more loss-making shops could close over the next year as First Quench Retailing (FQR) battles to build a sustainable business model on the back of a £30m pre-tax loss in the year to 28 June 2008. …


Australian wine industry calls for government help

DECANTER, UK

09.06.09: Australian wine industry bodies are to call on the federal government for funding to help people leave the industry. Wine Australia and other national associations, including the Winemakers' Federation of Australia, plan to make a joint appeal to the government as early as July or August, asking for financial support to assist in reducing the size of the Australian wine trade. …


Burgundy-Maule trade agreement

DECANTER, UK

09.06.09: Burgundy and Chile's Maule region have signed an agreement to formally cooperate in their respective wine sectors. The agreement was signed as part of a state visit to France by Chile President Michelle Bachelet, whose family has ancestral roots in the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. The agreement signed between the leaders of the regional governments of Burgundy and Maule this week includes facilitating an exchange of technology, research and investment in the region's wine sectors. In late July, Burgundy government officials will go to Chile to craft a specific work agenda. …




New meaning for drink to your health

PRESS DEMOCRAT, USA

08.06.09: … Nessinger said she doesn’t like a federal proposal that would add 49 cents to the price of a bottle, especially because studies have shown drinking wine in moderation could improve one’s well-being. If politicians really want to create a healthier nation, they need to look elsewhere for money, she said. …

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is considering raising taxes on wine, beer and liquor and imposing a new levy on soda and other naturally sweetened drinks to help pay for overhauling health care …

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090608/ARTICLES/906089882/1350?Title=New-meaning-for-drink-to-your-health

New US company targets three New Zealand, Australian wineries

DECANTER, UK

09.06.09: A new US wine venture has agreed to buy premium New Zealand wineries Lawson's Dry Hills, Waimea Estates and Gravitas. The Santa Monica-based Saint James Company is also negotiating to buy Neqtar winery at Mildura in Australia's Murray-Darling region. The three New Zealand wineries have a combined production of about 150,000 cases and 30 export markets. Waimea, in the Nelson region, and Lawson's Dry Hills are primarily white wine producers, predominantly of Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough-based Gravitas is a small winery producing mainly Pinot Noir. Saint James's CEO, Richard Hurst, is a former senior vice president of corporate strategy with Diageo.


Profit talk is tonic for Majestic; Smaller companies THE TIMES, UK

10.06.09: Majestic Wine appears to be living up to its name. It is sailing on regardless, while Threshers, its rival off-licence chain owned by First Quench, a private group, warned that dire trading and the loss of some credit insurance meant that it might not be able to continue as a going concern.

Majestic's shares rose 5½p to 190p amid talk that its results next Monday would be stronger than expected, helped by warm April weather and good trading at Lay & Wheeler, its recent acquisition. Unlike Threshers, which is looking at closing another 400 of its high street shops, on top of the 162 already shuttered, Majestic sells wine by the case from 147 warehouses and has not been affected by the proliferation of Tesco Express and Sainsbury's Local. Altium Capital upgraded the shares from "sell" to "hold". Principle Capital Holdings soared 28½p to 48½p as it returned to the black and Brian Myerson, its founding chairman, was able to boast that he had achieved his target of more than $1 billion (£614 million) assets under management. …

http://timesmobile.mobi/ms/p/times/op/view.m?id=51892&tid=3019&cat=Markets



Wine Domain Catalysts Watch This section records the most important articles written by those widely considered to be thought experts in the wine domain. These opinions are not only a valuable source of information but also provide important indications for current and evolving trends in the wine domain.

Wine critic Parker ordered to trial in France

BUSINESSWEEK, USA

05.06.09: Influential U.S. wine critic Robert M. Parker has been ordered to stand trial in France next month for allegedly defaming a former assistant, a judicial official said Friday. The case centers on former assistant Hanna Agostini who co-authored a book in France with a title that translates as "Robert Parker: Anatomy of a Myth." Agostini herself faces preliminary charges in Bordeaux involving alleged forgery in a wine-trafficking affair centering on Belgian wine trader Geens. She denies the allegations. …

A Paris investigating judge filed preliminary charges against Parker in September after Agostini brought a lawsuit against him alleging defamation. At that time, Parker's lawyer said the critic declined comment about the case. In March 2008, he was fined euro2,000 by a Paris court on a separate count of violating Agostini's presumption of innocence. …

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D98KIEI80.htm

Young Turks of note

JANCIS ROBINSON, UK

06.06.09: I've fallen in love with a grape variety that's entirely new to me. I can neither pronounce nor spell it with ease in its native language but am told that its name translates as Bullseye, which strikes me as a pretty good name for a red wine that is round and fruity, with so much charm that it makes you smile when you taste it. Certainly better on export markets, I would have thought, than its more common name, Öküzgözü. …

One young couple is attempting to instil a spirit of co-operation into the cut-throat Turkish wine business by establishing a generic body, Wines of Turkey. They managed to persuade 10 Turkish wine producers to exhibit together at the London Wine Trade Fair last year but this year there was but one, Likya, a promising newcomer at 1,100 m above the holiday destination of Antalya. It must be hard to try to establish an official wine organisation in a Muslim country. The government is more of a hindrance than a help to the industry, levying a 63% ad valorem tax on all wines before VAT. So, for the moment, Turkish wines seem expensive in Turkey, and even the most optimistic modern Turkish wine producer admits that Turkey cannot compete on price. But there are other reasons why the world's wine lovers might start to take an interest in the rapidly improving wines of modern Turkey. … On the basis of those few Turkish wines that had come my way over the years, I approached my three-day immersion in Turkish wine with low expectations, but a tasting of 50 of the best current releases was heartening. There were a couple of rather rustic, astringent whites, some evidence of the over-oaking that is a rite of passage for any new wine producer and a few rather dull, unambitious wines that hinted at over-production in the vineyard. However, the majority of the wines were very competently made, and what I saw in vineyards and cellars on two subsequent days out of Istanbul suggested that it will not be long before



Turkey produces something truly exceptional …

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a200906021.html

Also published:

The new Ottoman emperors – FINANCIAL TIMES, UK

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9909aa0a-515e-11de-84c3-00144feabdc0.html

Bowen goes solo

JANCIS ROBINSON, UK

11.06.09: Rob Bowen, the talented Western Australian winemaker who was, amazingly, invited to leave Constellation recently (see Shock redundancy in WA), is setting up on his own account. His new venture, the rather cumbersomely named Domaines and Vineyards of Western Australia, is designed to capitalise on his 30 years experience and intimate knowledge of the vineyards of WA. One of the West's most experienced winemakers, Rob Bowen supervised the Houghton team in the most decorated period of its history. … The focus of Domaines and Vineyards of Western Australia will be on well known Margaret River and also on Pemberton which he believes is emerging as an outstanding source of cool climate whites. Through the relationships he has built over the years, he believes he will be able to source outstanding parcels of fruit to make exceptional wines. 'I am excited by the prospect of producing individual vineyard wines from the wonderful south-west of Western Australia.

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a20090611.html

Chateau Atkin THE GUARDIAN, UK

07.06.09: … I've been stomping 15kgs of Chile's finest Thompson Seedless for 10 minutes and there's barely enough juice to fill a small saucepan. "Welcome," winemaking consultant John Worontschak of Litmus Wines tells me, "to the world of hard graft."

This batch of sticky liquid is part of an attempt to make my own ethical wine, the aim being to reduce my carbon footprint yet produce something half-decent to drink. The grapes may be South American, the corks Portuguese, but everything else is UK-sourced: yeast, bentonite, sulphur dioxide tablets, fermenting buckets, thermometer, recycled bottles and my own sweat and toil.

The Chilean white is one of three wines I've spent the last month fermenting and bottling in my kitchen. The other two came in kit form from www.wineworks.co.uk (a Chardonnay) and www.hopandgrape.co.uk (a red Rioja), complete with "everything the novice winemaker needs to make the process as easy and as fun as possible". The only real difference between the kits and my foot-trodden Thompson Seedless was that the Chardonnay and the Rioja arrived as bags of grape concentrate. All I had to do was add warm water, a handful of yeast and stand back.

Winemaking and wine writing are two very different disciplines. There are points where they intersect - both require an ability to taste wine and identify faults - but I can't



Anthony Rose: The south-west of France is a sprawling and diverse wine region on the brink of rediscovery

THE INDEPENDENT, UK

06.06.09: If the South of France has become known as the "new" New World of wine, the south-west is its new old world. … Bisected by the Garonne River, the Quercy side fans out east of Toulouse past gluggy Fronton to the long-lived wines of Cahors and sprightly Gaillacs and includes some of France's most obscure appellations, among them Marcillac, Estaing and Entraygues et Le Fel. To the west, the Gascon left bank of the Garonne is home to inky-dark Madiran, dry and sweet Jurançon, everyday Saint Mont and the weirdly-named, quasi-separatist Basque appellation of Irouléguy.

The wines of south-west France are the modern fruits of a medieval tradition struck down by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. As the vines withered, it found itself upstaged by Bordeaux and Languedoc-Roussillon, whose superior lines of transport allowed them to bypass this once flourishing wine region. But a few visionary growers and outside investors have brought about a revival of the fortunes of this obscure part of France's treasure chest of wines. What marks this region out is its wealth of idiosyncratic flavours derived from native grape varieties such as tannat, malbec, négrette and fer servadou (reds) and petit manseng, gros manseng, courbu, mauzac and len de l'el (whites). …

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/anthony-rose-the-southwest-of-france-is-a-sprawling-and-diverse-wine-region-on-the-brink-of-rediscovery-

1696161.html

pretend I wasn't scared as the fermentations started to gurgle after 24 hours. Would my house explode? Would the wines turn to vinegar? … I enjoyed watching my wines bubbling gently away. I enjoyed racking them from one bucket to another at the end of fermentation, using a technique that will be familiar to anyone who has ever siphoned petrol from a car. I enjoyed mixing bentonite, adding the clay to get the wines to settle. And I enjoyed bottling the stuff. Best of all, I enjoyed the thrill of making my own wine.

Would I enjoy drinking it, however? Yes, as it happens. No one would confuse my three wines - dubbed Les Champs du Sud I, II and III after the south London suburb where I live - with Château Lafite or Corton-Charlemagne, but they were all surprisingly palatable. The Rioja, to which I chose not to add oak chips, was soft and fruity, as young Tempranillo should be, the Chardonnay was round and nutty, and the Chilean Thompson Seedless was fragrant and crisp. … What did a professional winemaker make of my efforts? "Well, they're clean," said John, "which is a good start. Given that you were probably working with press wine, which is not the best juice, the results aren't too bad." …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/07/tim-atkin-home-winemaking



Scientific Developments & Technological Breakthroughs Watch This section captures the developments in the scientific research landscape in terms of technological breakthroughs and emerging research covering both R&D from companies but also research from academia and institutional bodies. These are essential elements of future trends or cumulatively combined indicators of future market trends and consumer awareness as well as industry practice development.

Box clever

ECONOMIST, UK

10.06.09: AMONG snobs and sommeliers, nothing can compete with wine in a glass bottle sealed with a cork stopper. Yet as cheap alternatives to cork have become available and high fuel prices have made transporting glass more expensive, some winemakers have adopted an alternative method of storage: putting wine in cartons, like those used for milk, made from layers of polythene, paper and aluminium foil. Admittedly, serving wine from a carton lacks the aesthetic appeal of a bottle, and cartons have also been criticised for allowing flavour-destroying oxygen to seep in during storage. A new study, however, reveals that although the criticism of wine cartons for allowing oxidation is valid, they have the advantage of soaking up chemicals that can ruin the flavour in other ways. …

http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13813174

Alcohol: Is it really good for you?

BBC, UK

08.06.09: Alcohol is bad for you. Red wine is good for the heart. It's all about moderation… Confused? You're not alone.

Government guidelines state that men and women should not consume more than 21 or 14 alcoholic drinks each week. Yet the Million Women study reported that just one drink a week increases your risk of breast, pharynx and liver cancer. No wonder a recent UK survey for the World Cancer Research Fund found that people are deeply sceptical about claims

for what causes or prevents cancer. In exploring the alcohol-cancer connection, Radio 4's Frontiers reveals a frightening lack of knowledge about how alcohol interacts with the body.

Toxic compounds

Scientists do not know definitively why we get hangovers or how alcohol may be causing cancer. Alcohol is metabolised in the body into toxic compounds - but how these compounds cause damage is unknown. Since genetics, gender and age play an important role in how we interact with alcohol, a safe amount for one is not safe for another.

The negative effects of alcohol on health and the economy are reported regularly in the media and highlighted by the government. But despite the link between alcohol and cancer being known for over 100 years, it is an area of research that is little understood and, according to many scientists, underfunded. This means that drinkers, no matter how moderate their



consumption, are not fully aware of the risks or damage, as the science is not there.

In fact, many drinkers believe they are improving their health …

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8079816.stm

Copper Peak Logistics Releases New Version Of Copperlink™ Proprietary Software Package To Enhance Its Direct-To-Consumer Wine Shipping And Fulfillment Operations;

WINE BUSINESS, USA

10.06.09: Copper Peak Logistics, a direct-to-consumer wine fulfillment, distribution and logistics services company serving California wineries and retailers, has released a new version of its proprietary CopperLink® supply chain management software solution designed to enhance the processing of both wine club operations and daily wine order activity. The new software enables CPL to better service its customers, including those seeking to forward stage wine inventories from its California warehouses to the CPL's food-grade, temperature controlled fulfillment center in St. Louis for faster and more economical nationwide delivery. The new software features enhancements to existing functionality and new value-added applications including interactive weather hold functionality. …

http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=65197

Wines from Greece Publicity Monitor This section presents all international publicity relating to wines from Greece.

N/A

Blogosphere Monitor In this section the most important blog entries for wine and Greek wine are recorded.

Peace in the War of the Rosés

THE POUR,THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

08.06.09: As you might have read in Monday’s Op-Ed page, or last month in the Business section, producers of traditional rosé in Europe have been feeling increasingly threatened. The European Union has been considering a proposal to relax the stringent rules that govern rosé production in most regions, making it easier and cheaper to make rosé.

Today, after heavy lobbying against the plan by producers of traditional rosé, the E.U. withdrew the proposal, which will keep in place regional restrictions on how rosé can be made. …

http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/peace-in-the-war-of-the-roses/



Enlarge your Pinot dollar - Pinot under $20 - new world or old world?

DR VINO, USA

09.06.09: The whole concept of Pinot under $20 is enough to make some Burghounds shudder. But it is a topic of recurring interest to everyone at the Dr. Vino World Headquarters with its high concentration of frugal pinotphiles. I recently had the $19 Nicolas Potel 2006 Bourgogne rouge and found it a great value, lean, old world pinot.

… What about you? Have your say in our latest poll!

http://www.drvino.com/2009/06/09/pinot-under-20-enlarge-your-pinot-dollar-new-world-old-world/

Rich Wine Collectors Have Had Their Fill

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BLOG, USA

09.06.09: … The Napa auction, in St. Helena, raised about $5.6 million over the weekend, according to a press reports. That compares with last year’s record of $10.3 million. … It is no surprise that wine auctions are suffering. While prices of fine wines have started creeping back up again this year, with the Fine Wine 100 Index up 11%

on the year, they still are below the boom-time highs, when the wealthy had money to pour into $5,000 bottles of Chateau Petrus. …

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2009/06/09/rich-wine-collectors-have-had-their-fill/

Peripheral Domains Intelligence This section covers developments from associated domains such as Greek food, taste and culinary trends, as well as any other significant information that has an impact on or derives from the global wine domain.

Wine Industry Pioneer WorldShipNet Focuses on Direct Sales Channel

MARKETWIRE, USA

04.06.09: ... WorldShipNet, an alliance of leading wine industry providers, has for the past 8 years focused on its three tier compliant solution for wineries.

Truly the pioneer in three tier delivery systems for wineries, WorldShipNet was the first to offer an automated multi state non-reciprocal delivery service to the industry, and its seamless and secure network has been utilized by both domestic and international producers. Since it began operations in 2001, WorldShipNet has processed hundreds of thousands of packages for wine consumers all across the country, at a combined retail value in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Through WorldShipNet, wineries keep up to 100% of the retail price for every product sold, and can significantly expand the number of deliverable states for wine club and tasting room sales. …

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Wsn-Systems-Corporation-999712.html



$10,000 to Twitter about wine? It's a 'Really Goode Job'

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, USA

05.06.09: … In a sign of the cyber-crazed times, the Sonoma County winery is on a nationwide hunt for someone to fill its “Really Goode Job.” The successful applicant will earn $10,000 a month to tweet and use other social media skills to generate buzz about its reds and whites. The job, which begins in August, offers no health insurance and lasts for six months. But by the time auditions were held this week at a restaurant at New York's Grand Central Terminal, at least 747 people had posted videos in hopes of impressing winemaker David Ready Jr. … Ready said his idea was to "demystify wine" by using social networking via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other sites to spread interest among a crowd that might view the beverage as out of its league …

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-wine-twitter5-2009jun05,1,7312662.story

Wine comments, with a little 'twasting'

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, USA

07.06.09: I have seen the future of the tasting note. It is defined by Twitter. Forget pain grillé and 92 points. Welcome the era of the "twasting" note.

Twitter's virtue is brevity, which is precisely why I skirted it at first - and exactly what got me hooked. When it comes to tasting notes, all hail brevity. The surgeon general has declared that more than four adjectives in a row can be hazardous to your health.

As a literary form, twasting notes are still a bit embryonic. … Do we really need to know that last night's Cabernet had notes of blackberry, cassis and tobacco? Aside from being obvious - the curse of old-fashioned tasting notes - it's merely a litany of the senses. No qualifications, and therefore no closer to truth …

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/07/FDSJ17SPA1.DTL

Berry Bros & Rudd to launch online trading platform

DECANTER, UK

08.06.09: Fine wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd is set to launch an online trading platform.The new service will allow customers to trade their reserves on the BBR site and set their own bid prices. Sales director Simon Staples told decanter.com 'Customers with accounts will be able to broker their own wine. BBR may buy back some of those cases but it is likely to be customer to customer.' Non-BBR customers will also be able to buy the wines on sale.

The company is currently testing the trading platform with a view to launching before Christmas.Staples added: 'We think this will enhance the consumer experience. This is the future.'




Auction Napa Valley brings in $5.7M, just 55% of 2008’s total

THE SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES, USA

08.06.09: The Napa Valley Vintners’ annual charity gala, Auction Napa Valley, came up well short of last year’s record-setting $10.35 million haul, netting about $5.7 million over the weekend, in the latest sign of the recession’s continuing grip on the region.

That represented the lowest total since 2004, when the event raised $5.3 million, although it did manage to top the rival Naples (Florida) Winter Wine Festival, which earlier this year saw its take shrink from $14 million in 2008 to just $5 million, according to a report in Monday’s San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle's Jon Bonné also reported that for the first time in years the Napa Valley event didn’t sell out, and many vintners left early …

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/06/08/daily8.html

Wine auctions to lure bidder with lower estimates

REUTERS, USA

04.06.09: Six major wine auction houses, including a newcomer, will offer Bordeaux, Burgundies and Barolos at knock-down prices this month and with a few changes to attract new bidders. The auction houses, which reported lower sales volumes this spring as compared to last, will have estimates on some lots that are up to 50 percent less than they were last year. …

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5536DR20090604

Grapevine Leafroll Disease Spreads Rapidly

WINES & VINES, USA

04.06.09: The rapid spread of grapevine leafroll disease in California in recent years, particularly in Napa Valley vineyards, has raised many questions along with some answers among plant pathologists and researchers, but there is still much to be learned. Ongoing studies are progressing, and experts agree that

preventing leafroll and controlling its spread require the use of clean, certified vine material; monitoring vines for symptoms and identifying leafroll through testing when symptoms are observed; preventing the movement of infected vine material into non-infected vineyards; and controlling movement of mealybugs that can vector the virus.

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=65080&htitle=Grapevine%20Leafroll%20Disease%20Spreads%20Rapidly

Cork recycling program is under way at Roth's

STATESMAN JOURNAL, USA

06.06.09: Salem residents can now recycle their wine corks at 10 Salem area Roth's stores. The Cork Re-Harvest program is a collaboration with Willamette Valley Vineyards, Roth's, the Rainforest Alliance, Bacchus Fine Wines and Western Pulp Products.

Cork is already a green product because it's harvested from trees without cutting them down,



and it's biodegradable, said Patrick Spencer with Willamette Valley Vineyards. …

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090606/NEWS/906060341/1001/news

Local entrepreneur pairs wine, graffiti culture

MONTEREY HERALD,USA

10.06.09: Graffiti art and wine kind of go together like hard liquor and energy drinks — scary but surprisingly compatible. That's the hope of local entrepreneur Jeff Moses, who has been hawking his "Stomper Graffiti" brand of wine for the past year and a half. Introduced in late 2007, the wine is Moses' play at driving a younger audience to a product that isn't usually marketed to. … Stomper is available locally at Whole Foods and a few other small stores and restaurants. Moses has been careful not to place too much emphasis on marketing, keeping in line with the stealth culture most "graf"

artists adhere to. Still, he insists the two worlds share common ground. … The obvious difference being that while winemakers can be rewarded for their risk with a good harvest, graf artists who spray paint their work in an unauthorized public canvas can face the reward of possible jail time. …

http://www.montereyherald.com/food/ci_12559416?nclick_check=1

Wines alining image for 2010

THE TIMES, SOUTH AFRICA

11.06.09: SOUTH Africa’s national soccer team is juicing up its image with a deal involving a range of wines sold under the Bafana Bafana brand. Bafana Bafana W ines was conceived by Northern Cape producers Oranjerivier Wine Cellars and Afriwines as a way to “penetrate the emerging market, where wine has an extremely low level of awareness”. …

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1015866

Global Sustaining & Emerging Trends Digest This section presents those global, macro and micro trends that affect or potentially affect the wine domain. Comprehensive fusion and distillation of the above publicity parathesis concludes to the most important aspects as those appear in the current setting.

The science of the art of winemaking UBUSSEY, USA

10.06.09: Some call it nectar of the gods. Others recognize it as firewater or holy blood. Still, more find it the only thing standing between them and unbridled courage—or unbridled folly, as the case may be. As far as yeast biologist Dr Hennie van Vuuren is concerned, wine also happens to be a series of chemical reactions and advanced technological processes. “Winemaking has always been seen as an art, and there’s some truth in that,” he said. “But winemaking—grape-growing and winemaking—is maybe 90 per



cent based on science.”

The science of viniculture (winemaking) or enology is what drives the UBC Wine Research Centre (WRC). … The WRC, considered the leading source of wine data, research, and technology in the BC wine industry, is responsible for pioneering research and technological advances at the vanguard of enology studies. … In fact, biologists and organic chemists may be chagrined to know that they (albeit quite indirectly) have Dionysus and not Hippocrates to thank for the presence of UBC’s DNA microarray core facility and mass spectrometry laboratory, both of which are run by the WRC.

Of all the findings and breakthroughs that have come out of the WRC, van Vuuren noted three in particular.

The first is a yeast strain that, potentially, could have infused the wine market with 33 per cent more consumers upon release. About one-third of the world’s population can’t drink wine because of sensitivity to bioamines in it. …

Researchers at the WRC have created a type of yeast that takes the wine through both stages of fermentation at once, removing the need for malolactic bacteria and thus the source of bioamines. …

Red wine has been touted as being good for you in recent years, and van Vuuren’s second innovation seems to have made it, at any rate, significantly less unhealthy—by removing a known carcinogen.

Normally during the fermentation of grape must, yeast metabolizes a major amino acid found in grapes, called arginine. This creates urea, which is toxic to the yeast cell and so excreted into the wine. There, the urea can react with ethanol to form ethyl carbamate, a carcinogen.

To solve this problem, van Vuuren and his team switched on a single gene in the yeast cell so that it also breaks down its self-produced urea, reducing ethyl carbamate in wines by over 90 per cent.

Finally, van Vuuren has always been fascinated by the ability of wines to “age gracefully,” and one of the most important roles of the WRC is providing data from aging studies on British Columbian wines, as well as on some of the best wines from the rest of the world. … Part of the library is sectioned off for the vinoteque, which houses international wines from outside of BC. There is also a tasting room where graduate students are trained in sensory evaluation of wines, and which has been visited by the likes of Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner, as evidenced by the inner side of a wine glass cabinet door characterized with dozens of signatures. The wine library can house up to 30 000 bottles, and is the most alarmed area in the entire campus, with four different alarms linked to campus security.

The next step for the WRC involves a $ 5 million international wine genomics project, in collaboration with scientists from New Zealand. The goal of this project will be to map the function of 22 of the 62 yeast genes the WRC has discovered directly contribute to the process of fermentation in wine. …

http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=8658

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