• A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS PREFER WINE OFF MEALS

    par | Mar 29, 2011

    From the INDIAN WINE ACADEMY Newsletter — 28 March 2011 11:40

    Whereas the European and high-end Californian producers are still persuaded that wine is a food product and needs to be part of our meals, a recent study in the US claims that no more than 40% of Americans are drinking wine with meals, a majority of them drinking it away from the dinner table (preferring off dry or slightly sweet wines).

    According to a report from Napa Valley Register which says this study confirms that a majority of wines is drunk in the US without food, the USA include about 77 million wine consumers.
    The study was conducted by Wine Opinions of about 800 wine drinkers selected from their 5,500 consumer panel members — from the 29 million Americans who drink wine daily or several times a week. (suite…)

  • ANNUAL MEDIA PRE-CUVÉE ONTARIO VQA

    par | Mar 26, 2011

    By DEAN TUDOR

    The Time and Date: Wednesday February 9, 2011  10:30 to 2 PM
    The Event: the annual media pre-Cuvée Ontario VQA wine tasting.
    The Venue: BMO Bank of Montreal, 68th Floor.
    The Target Audience: wine media and sommeliers.
    The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available for sale, at the winery. Some are at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO).
    The Quote/Background: this was to be a broad overview of the wines poured at Cuvée in early March. These wines represent each participating winery’s top scoring wine from the Cuvée judging last January.
    The Wines: Due to time constraints, I just evaluated red and white table wines.

    **** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms) NB : 1 Can$ = €0.72
    -Niagara Teaching College Dean’s List Chardonnay 2009, $27.95.
    -Nyarai Cellars Veritas Red 2007, $24.95
    -Palantine Hills Estate Gewurztraminer 2008, $13.75
    -Pelee Island Winery Alvar Sémillon Sauvignon 2009, $12.95.
    -Peninsula Ridge Fume Blanc 2008, $24.95
    -Rosewood Estates Chardonnay Reserve 2007, $25
    -Thirty Bench Winemakers Small Lot Cabernet Franc 2007, $40 (suite…)

  • US APPROVES IMPORT OF 2006 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

    par | Mar 22, 2011

    From REUTERS

    NEW YORK | Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:49pm EDT —  The U.S. has given approval for the iconic Italian wine Brunello di Montalcino, which had been involved in a quality scandal, to be imported into the country.
    The U.S. Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), in a statement released last week, said that since Italy had certified the 2006 vintage it would allow the vintage to be sold in the U.S.
    U.S. collectors represent roughly 25% of the market for the storied Tuscan red, which fetches hundreds of dollars a bottle at auction.
    «     TTB announces that the Government of Italy has certified that the 2006 vintage … meets all the requirements for the denomination,«  the statement said. Read More

  • PODERE FORTE, DIECI ANNI IN CRESCITA (2)

    par | Mar 7, 2011

    ROCCO LETTIERI

    Boschi, campi, vigneti e oliveti si estendono sui 142 ettari del Podere Forte, fra le sinuose colline della Val d’Orcia che abbracciano il Monte Amiata a sud di Siena, fra il fiume Orcia e Montalcino.
    Qui, Pasquale Forte ha ricreato il clima genuino ed autentico di una vecchia fattoria, nella quale si producono vini, olio, farina, miele, spezie e salumi in modo naturale.

    Il pensiero di Pasquale sulla qualità dei suoi vini e relativi vigneti.

    “Per noi, al Podere – ha risposto Pasquale – il vino è il prodotto principe e lavoriamo intensamente per capire il territorio e quali sono le parcelle migliori, quei vigneti che, alla francese, chiamiamo Grand Cru, classificati e selezionati all’interno del Podere in base alle analisi chimico-fisiche e biologiche e in relazione dei prodotti che si sono ottenuti in questi dieci anni. Le uve per i vini PETRUCCI e GUARDIAVIGNA provengono quindi dai migliori terreni aziendali, con buona permeabilità e forte presenza di calcoscisti fessurabili che donano mineralità al vino… (suite…)

  • BIO, MINORITÉ AGISSANTE EN CROISSANCE (4)

    par | Mar 4, 2011

    DANIEL J. BERGER

    La progression globale de la viticulture bio, par exemple en France de 1,5% à près de 4% du total du vignoble national en trois ans, correspond aux attentes des consommateurs sur la « matière » des vins — ces composants chimiques qu’on retrouve dans nos bouteilles en quantités toujours plus élevées. Car dans notre pays, la vigne consomme 20% des pesticides utilisés alors qu’elle ne couvre que 3% de la surface agricole, la plus étendue d’Europe.
    Les vignerons bio refusent les désherbants, pesticides, engrais, produits phytosanitaires et autres intrants artificiels: leur label AB garantit qu’aucun produit de synthèse n’est utilisé, la protection de leurs vignobles se faisant uniquement avec des produits d’origine naturelle — le soufre contre l’oïdium, le sulfate de cuivre contre le mildiou.

    La Dive de Sylvie Augereau (1) s’est tenue cette année encore dans les fameux souterrains troglodytes du château de Brézé près de Saumur, concentrant quelque 150 vignerons bio et biodynamiques. Portraits de quelques autres « confirmés ». (suite…)