La Lettre de L’Expansion-18h/Agence Reuters

La cour d’Appel de Paris vient de donner tort au groupe Pernod-Ricard n°2 mondial des spiritueux qui avait porté plainte contre un livre où des commerciaux de Ricard se plaignent d’être contraints d’en consommer outre mesure : la résistance à l’alcool serait un critère d’embauche, non écrit mais réel.

Les commerciaux de la société Ricard auront-ils désormais le droit de se plaindre de la consommation d’alcool excessive imposée par leur employeur ? Read More »

By ROBERT BOOTH — THE GUARDIAN — July 05, 2011

A study of the alcohol content of 129,000 wines from vineyards across Europe and the new world over a 16-year period has suggested that many vintners have been « systematically understating » their wines’ strength on labeling.
Wine drinkers suffering an unexpected hangover after what they thought was a moderate drink may have just found someone else to blame but themselves.

The American Association of Wine Economists found that 57% of the wines analyzed were stronger than declared on the label.  The average alcohol content was 13.6% when the average reported strength was 13.1% according to the biggest study of its kind undertaken yet.  It was based on imports into Ontario, Canada, one of the few places to test the alcohol content of every incoming wine.  Bottles from Chile, Argentina and the US were the worst offenders overall, but all of the wine-making countries analyzed, including France, Italy and Spain, on average underplayed alcoholic power.  Just under a third of the wines overstated their alcohol content and these were typically the weaker bottles. Read More »

By JAMIE GOODIE — THE WINE ANORAK — June 27th, 2011

There’s a clash of cultures in the world of fine wine, and before too long it could become a war.
On the one hand, we have the fine wine establishment, which is dominated by Bordeaux, but also includes the top Champagne houses, as well as a few others such as the super-Tuscans.  Wine as a luxury good or an investment vehicle.  It’s where the money is.
On the other hand, the emerging terroiriste/natural wine movement.  This is somewhat counterculture, and its development as a category threatens the status quo of fine wine.

As the message of authentic wine with a sense of place – made by people driven by passion rather than profit – gains traction, it is causing a degree of discomfort in the fine wine establishment.

While things are currently very rosy-looking for the top Bordeaux properties, I wouldn’t be surprised if the more enlightened proprietors are casting an anxious glance at the success of events such as the three day natural wine fair held in Borough market this May, just as the large (and currently dominant) Champagne houses have been discomfited by the critical acclaim given to grower Champagnes. Read More »

From TALIA BAIOCCHI, Special to THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Mantineia, the Peloponnese, Greece — Sunday, June 26, 2011

This should be the time to be a Greek winemaker.  The country is amid a quality revival of world-class wine regions from the islands to Greece’s northern border.

But no matter the centuries since Sophocles ruled the stage, the Greeks still remain disposed to a good old ancient bout of reversed fortunes.  The trouble this time? The economy.

Wine sales within the country are down more than 40 percent over the past 12 months, threatening a newly revived industry that, until recently, sold 90 percent of its production at home.

Yet this pinch might provide a push for Greece to make a lasting impression elsewhere in the world.  Potential tragedy may well be averted.  « Before, Greek winemakers wanted to see wines exported, but there wasn’t enough of a reason to put that much effort in, » says Markus Stolz, an export agent in Greece who is working with several U.S. importers, including Oakland’s WineWise.  Now there’s certainly a reason.
Read More »

By WILLIAM LYONS — The Wall Street Journal Europe

Rising temperatures across the winemaking regions of the world are having a profound impact on taste and quality.  Across the world viticulturalists are being forced to adapt climate change. In some cases the shifting weather patterns, combined with higher incidents of extreme events, are contributing to a change in taste, style and character of the wine.  While this can be bad news for some wine regions, it can be good for others. Take France in 2009, where the weather conspired to produce wines, across the country, of exceptional quality.

In the faculty of oenology at Bordeaux’s Institute of Vineyard and Wine Sciences the vintage report showed that the growing season met almost perfectly all the conditions for a great Bordeaux vintage.  Some vignerons talked about it as a year without comparison, others of how in 2009 they had made the best wine in their lifetimes.  In Burgundy, the red wines were exceptionally ripe, forward and low in tannin.  In Beaujolais, people talked of the most outstanding vintage for 50 years.  Master of Wine, Jasper Morris, described Beaujolais 2009 as luscious, perhaps even as good as the legendary 1959.  In Germany, there was widespread euphoria over the quality of the grapes harvested.  Critics were united in their praise.  In the northern hemisphere, 2009 had been an exceptional year.

Photo illustration: Abi Hardwick

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DANIEL J. BERGER

Premiers résultats du Concours Mondial de Bruxelles tombés hier soir: sur les 7 386 échantillons en compétition, 2 145 médailles ont été attribuées, soit à un peu moins de 1 bouteille sur 3.

Six échantillons sortent grands vainqueurs du ‘Best Wine Trophy’ (meilleur score absolu dans chaque catégorie) :
Meilleur vin rouge : Altavins Viticultors – Domus Pensi 2006 (Catalogne – Espagne)
Meilleur vin blanc: : Terre Cortesi Moncaro – Vigna Novali Classico Riserva Bianco 2007 (Marche – Italie)
Meilleur vins rosé : Château de Berne – Terres de Berne 2010 (Provence – France)
Meilleur effervescent : Champagne Gallimard Père & Fils – Cuvée de Prestige 2005 (Champagne – France)
Meilleur vin doux : Gonzalez Byass – Nectar PX (Andalousie – Espagne)
Meilleur spiritueux : Highland Park 18 ans – Rémy Cointreau (Écosse – Royaume-Uni) Read More »