News

Funny, News October 7, 2012

The Wine Spectator FINALLY Discovers the Secret to a Successful Facebook Post.

This made me smile when I saw it yesterday! Let me explain what we’re looking at… The below image shows a screenshot taken from the Wine Spectator Facebook Page from this September. The range of likes they received (at least when you look at this particular month), ranges from 11-40, the number of comments is from 0-20 and the number of shares is from 0-13. I would be quite happy with those numbers, but then…

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News October 6, 2012

Bonny Doon Labeling Efforts go Unnoticed by Consumers and Wineries.

It been five years since Randall Grahm took the some would say “suicidal” step of listing every single ingredient that goes into his wine on his back labels. The lists include ingredients such as: oak chips, bentonite clay, indigenous yeasts and sulfur dioxide, to name but a few. The backlash from consumers and winemakers alike could have been severe for Grahm, since the mere mention of sulfites on a wine label has been known to…

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News October 6, 2012

Syrah the Biggest Loser, Red Blends Occupy #1 Spot.

According to a recent by the Symphony IRI Group, red wine blends have emerged as the clear winner in terms of retail growth in 2012, showing a 26% increase in year to date sales. In a fairly-distant second place was Sauv Blanc, with New Zealand leading the group (which isn’t too big of a surprise). Cab is in third with a 7% growth, but still leads overall U.S. wine sales with $507 million. “The Cabernet…

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News October 2, 2012

French Winemakers Fear New “Chateau” Label Law Could Ruin Reputation.

French winemakers have their over the possibility the EU may allow US imported wines to be called “Chateau” or “Clos.” Currently in France, both these terms must only refer to an AOC wine coming only from grapes that are harvested and vinified on a single estate. In the US there is no regulation and any winery can call itself a Chateau even if it is buying in grapes from other growers in different regions. French…

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News, Pairings September 28, 2012

Should You Lose Sleep Over Food-Wine Pairings?

CapitalGazette.com writes:  Have you ever found a recipe you like that tells you to buy a specific wine to complement it? And you can’t find it? Join the crowd of countless people who have visited every wine store in their communities in search of some obscure wine recommended at the end of a recipe. People can obsess over choosing the right wine to serve to company, and that is largely a result of cookbook authors…

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News September 25, 2012

Are Memes the Future of Wine Marketing?

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of a meme is: “a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.” Got that? No, me neither! My rather more un-academic definition is: “…a funny image, most-often seen on social networking sites, which is usually accompanied by a short witty, sarcastic and/or sometimes motivating tagline.” Just to REALLY hammer it home, here’s the Urban Dictionary definition of a meme: “…used…

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Funny, News September 22, 2012

M. Chapoutier Wine Name Stolen by Chinese Clothing Manufacturer.

Michel Chapoutier of Maison Chapoutier has vowed to fight Chinese forgers who have launched a brand of clothing using his name. This isn’t the first time Chapoutier has fallen victim to counterfeiters. His wine has been faked before, but this is the first time a clothing brand has used his name. Advertised under the ‘M Chapoutier’ label, the fake was first spotted by Michel’s daughter, Mathilde Chapoutier, who happens to be spending three years studying…

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News September 18, 2012

Is Weight Watchers “Diet Wine” The Next Big Thing in Weight Loss?

It appears that Weight Watchers have put their stamp of approval on a range of “diet wines” from Australian wine producer McWilliams. At the time of this article being published, the 4 wines include: Harmony Sparkling Brut NV, Harmony Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Harmony Shiraz and Ezzenze Vine Dancer Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. So what makes the Weight Watchers healthier than regular wines?The wines supposedly have less calories than traditional wines and also contain less alcohol. The Weight…

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News September 18, 2012

What will Vineyards of the Future Look Like?

The Western Farm Press have a vision of vineyards of the future, and it looks a little like this: “…one sensor will measure the amount of photosynthetic energy being absorbed by vine canopies at any time of day. Others will sense moisture levels from leaves and soil. A variable-rate irrigation system can then supply just the right amount of water and fertilizer. All the info can be collected, processed and seen by growers in real…

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News September 11, 2012

Prince Harry Getting Naked Helps Sales of Rose Wine.

Well THERE’S a headline I never thought I’d write! According to a recent article in the Drinks Business, it seems that the recent scandal of Prince Harry wearing his birthday suit whilst playing a game of pool, has helped wine sales for one UK wine merchant! After details were revealed of the naked Las Vegas shenanigans of Prince Harry, Peter Creek, manager of Sheldon’s Wine Cellars in Shipston-on-Stour (England) did what any marketing savvy wine…

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News September 7, 2012

The Curious Disappearance of New Zealand Pinot Noir.

  I caught this article by Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago. In essence, she points out that NZ PN seem to be disappearing from restaurant wine lists and retailers shelves. She writes: It wasn’t so long ago that New Zealand Pinot Noir was hot—or at least there were a lot more of the wines around. After all, Pinot Noir had been touted as New Zealand’s greatest discovery since Sauvignon…

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