Russia's thirst for imported alcohol By Chloe Arnold BBC News, Moscow October 19, 2006 For weeks, spirits and hugely popular wines from Europe and the New World have been missing from the shelves of Russia's stores. It is to do with a crackdown from the Kremlin, suspicious that alcohol importers are avoiding paying the correct level of excise duty. Times have changed in Russia. When I first came here as a student 15 years ago, everyone drank vodka. It came in simple glass bottles with no-nonsense names like Stolichnaya (or Capital) and Moskovskaya (or Moscow), and they had foil covers instead of real lids. Today it is very different. In Moscow, at any rate, many Russians have turned their backs on vodka, partly for health reasons, and partly because of their new-found affluence. Now, they drink wine imported from western Europe, South Africa, Australia and Chile. Restaurants here serve absurdly expensive wines. New Russians, as they are known - or the nouveaux riches - will happily blow £300 or £400 on a bottle, and get through half a case over dinner. I have heard several instances of diners ordering the most expensive wine on the menu, giving it a sniff and then sending it back without even tasting it. It goes without saying that the restaurants charge them in any case. So when the Kremlin brought in a new law that effectively banned the import of alcohol for two months, there was uproar. Wine shops across the capital closed their doors and restaurants switched to serving local beer as their stocks ran dry. New legislation The new law requires every bottle to display a different excise label with a bar code and more detailed information about its provenance. All bottles with the old labels have been removed. So why the recent legislation? "Ostensibly, it was to combat counterfeit alcohol, particularly vodka," Dmitry Pinski, one of the biggest wine importers in Russia, tells me in a warehouse the size of an aircraft hangar. Hundreds of Russians die every year from drinking moonshine. But most of the fake vodka is produced inside Russia - it is not shipped in from abroad - so the new regulations seem heavy-handed. Some in the business say the real reason is more sinister. The company in charge of providing the new labels is an arm of the FSB - the successor to the Soviet secret police, the KGB. They say the government is simply trying to bring another area of business here under their control. Already though, the new labels are being sold more cheaply on the black market. So why anyone would want to go legal is beyond me. Many of Dmitry's colleagues in the wine importing industry have gone under. But not all of them. I rang his biggest competitor, Maxim Kashirin, to ask for an interview. "Of course," his secretary said, "but you'll have to do it today. Tomorrow he's off to Costa Rica for a six-week scuba-diving holiday." Expansive cellar Maxim did manage to fit me in, and before touring his expansive cellars, we chatted in his office. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, a see-through fridge full of champagne, and giant black-and-white photographs on the walls of naked women drinking champagne out of Greek urns. Rumour has it that what prompted the Russian government to bring in the new labelling system was the discovery that some importers were deliberately under-declaring the value of their wines to avoid paying higher duties. What blew the lid on the practice, allegedly, was a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1986, about as fine a wine as you could hope to drink. Apparently, a senior customs official was given a bottle as a "gift" - not, I should emphasise, by someone in the wine industry. Not being a connoisseur, he surfed the net to find out how much the bottle was worth. I have just had a look myself. According to FinestWine.com, Chateau Mouton Rothschild '86 retails at almost £2,000 a bottle. Importers of the stuff to Russia were valuing it at £3 a bottle. The customs man smelt a rat. Today the situation for importers is getting a little easier. The new labels are available, though still not widely, and wine, whisky, gin and tequila are slowly trickling back onto the shelves. But the backlog of bottles with the old stickers could take up to a year to re-label. Improvised cocktails It is a far cry from the alcohol crisis of the 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev, then in charge of the Soviet Union, decided to restrict sales of vodka, because drinking had become such a problem. Taxi drivers sold hooch from under their seats and people improvised cocktails made from windscreen-wiper fluid, eau de cologne and even melted shoe polish. Back in the warehouse, I ask Dmitry, who supplies wines to the Kremlin, what world leaders at the G8 summit drank in St Petersburg last month, when the alcohol crisis was at its height. Dmitry chuckles. But he is discreet and will not tell me, though I suspect the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, would have laid on something a little more extravagant than Stolichnaya and melted boot polish. After all, where there's a will - or at any rate, when Tony Blair, George Bush and Jacques Chirac show up for dinner - there's a way. From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 19 August, 2006 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times. Wine news March 30, 2004 Champagne is still a best value Champagne sales increase every year. The 3 main customers are Britain, US and Germany. According to the Champagne trade body, the CIVC, 2004 was the best year ever for Champagne consumption. 2003 French wines are a pleasant surprise in spite the 2003's summer heat wave. Rothschild wine labels on Moscow Show Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, has brought the family Bordeaux wine label collection to Russia. A lot of connoisseurs usually place the items on their homes' walls. The collaboration between Bordeaux's Chateau Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux and Chile's Concha y Toro has made a wonderful wine Almaviva, whose success is due to Cabernet Sauvignon, primary grape from Bordeaux. It's time to end the chardonnay boycott Chardonnay is the finest and most widely planted white grape on the planet. From Burgundy, Champagne to California, many of the most famous wines are made from Chardonnay. They are fruity and easy to drink. Yet, red wine is protective of heart disease, in moderation. It has been shown scientifically to raise the good cholesterol. Wine news March 30, 2004 China, a new market is open China is a market with a future for French wines. Indeed, a young man from Shangaï, Mr Bing Lee believes in the future of wine in China. Mr Ning Lee followed international trade in spirits & wines courses in Dijon, France. He said: "Quality of our products is not comparable with our French wines… A quality wine can only be successful in China." wine exports in China, mainly from France, are intended for restaurants of four or five-star hotels in Shangaï. The custom of these hotels are principally businessmen and politicians. More and more, French wine is considering as a sophisticated product in China, really appreciated by Chinese youth. Boom of Champagne sales in 2003 Champagne sales have boomed in 2003 and especially at the end of the year. More than 290 millions bottles have been sold last year. The exports of Bordeaux wines have risen from 8% in EU and 6% in Asia and USA. Everyday in Paris 100,000 bottles of Champagne are open! New mineral water brands The Coca-Cola Company will promote in Europe a new trademark of mineral water called Dasani next spring as well as Lipton has launched a new range of lightly fruits and tea-flavoured mineral waters. This last one competes with Danone and Nestle ones, which are the both ones to share this lively market up by 30% per year until now. 2 Bordeaux brokers change hands "Les Grands Chais de France", 450 millions euros turnover, of which 80% is made with export sales, purchased 2 brokers from Bordeaux, Alexis Lichine and Cruse, for Pernod-Ricard Company. Interbrew becomes the 1st world brewer Thanks to his 9 billions euros investment, Interbrew purchased the first Brazilian brewer, Ambev (Skol, Brahma…), and became the first world brewer in production volume. Thanks to his 190 millions hectolitres sold, he provides 14% of world market, of which 25 millions hectolitres of soft drinks. He outstrips his main rival, Anheuser-Bush, who sold 152 millions hectolitres. The turnover of the Company will reach around 10 milliards euros. No Vintage 2003 for Le Pin Château Le Pin will not produce a vintage 2003. Indeed, Jacques Thienpont explained the grapes didn't resist to the hard sunny summer 2003. He made 2 vats: the first one can be compare with a Greek wine than with a Bordeaux wine, the second one issued from wetter soils didn't have the required/necessary level for a Le Pin wine. The situation is very paradoxical given that his neighbour, Chateau Petrus, didn't seem to suffer. The difference came from the terroir. While the soil of Petrus is a clay soil, which keeps necessary water for the vine, the one of Le Pin is clayey & gravely which means the soil is naturally drained and consequently dryer… to much dry in 2003. Nevertheless, it could be reversed during wet years. Remember in 1991 Chateau Le Pin had produced a wine from this vintage and not Petrus. Wine news January 20, 2004 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande invests in South Africa Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Bordeaux second-growth estate, has spread out its vineyards in South Africa. The chateau purchased 126 hectares in Stellenbosch area. It took May-Eliane de Lencquesaing a long time before she decided to invest in South Africa. The wine produced has a few chances to be similar to its Bordeaux wine as both the terroir and climate are different. The vineyard is made up of Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah and maybe petit Verdot. Thomas Dô-Chi-Nam is in charge of the Glen Elly property. The first bottles of the Glen Elly/Pichon Lalande wine should hit the market by 2012. Exports of Australian wines Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the value of Australian wine exports has dramatically decreased by over a quarter in just one month. The ABS said Australian wine exports slumped 27% in November 2003 to $155.3 million and exports by quantity dropped by 22%. Annual figures also spotlight the declining value of Australian wine exports. The volume of wine shipped overseas was up 17.7% and 5% in value in November 2003 compared with November 2002. As well as the decline in export, the average value of a litre of Australian wine dropped from $0.82/liter between November 2002 and 2003. A key reason for the decreasing value is the strength of the Australian dollar and the fall of 26% of the US Dollar. The dip in export volume, falling overseas prices and a sharp rise in the Australian dollar in recent months has made reaching the target difficult. Australian producers and exporters are now facing with the difficult choice of either raising prices or cutting profit margins. Australia is the world's fourth largest wine exporter, accounting for about 7% of world trade behind France, Italy and Spain. wine has been one of Australia's fastest growing exports in the past decade and the U.K., U.S., New Zealand, Germany, Canada, Ireland and Sweden are all major markets. Bordeaux wine Exports From July 2002 to July, 2003 Bordeaux exported 280 millions of bottles. Since 10 years, the exports of wines of Bordeaux have raised from 31% in which 15% in EU and 86% in others countries. While the international competition is huge, in short-term, the sales in volume go on decreasing in EU and they regularly increase in others countries. In addition, the sales in value markedly rose. In 2002-2003 Bordeaux has exported nearly 280 millions of bottles for a turnover of 1.4 billions euros. In European Union, sales in volume decreased of 7% and sales in value increased of 7%.Germany is the 1st country for value sales in Bordeaux wines. We notice a small drop (-1%) due to white wines while red wines remain stable. On the other hand, the increase in value is 3%. Belgium is the 2nd country but decreased by 6%. Both white and red wines are in drop. This market (Luxembourg included) is up by 27% in 10 years. The UK drops in 9%. On the other hand, the value sales increased by 33%. Despite this fall, Bordeaux wines exports have increased by 28% in 10 years. The Netherlands and Denmark decreased respectively by 10% and 14%. Exports in Ireland are improving of +3%. In others countries, the sales in volume increased of 6% and sales in value raised of 27%. The USA becomes the 1st value market (285 millions euros) with a 77% increase. On this market, Bordeaux wines have a cyclic evolution. We notice the important role of the vintage in the export. In 2002-2003, the consignments of vintage 2000 have made raised the market. Over the 10 last years, Bordeaux wines are increasing by 12% in volume in USA. In spite of stabilization over the last months, sales in Canada have been dropped in 7% compared with the last year record. In 10 years, Bordeaux wines increase has been + 23%.The consignments in Japan are up by 4% and 5% in South Korea. The Bordeaux wines exports in Japan are increasing by 262% in 10 years. The exports in Switzerland are improving: + 6%. The Bordeaux wines increase is 26% in 10 years. In Russia, the sales are raised from 8%. Wine news October 22, 2003 Next Bordeaux awards USA: suggestions to seduce the consumers On the occasion at the annual meeting organised the 10 and 11 July 2002 at Napa in California by wine Vision, the strategical development group from the American wine sector, professionals from all over the country debated orientations to take to integrate to the advantage the wine in the American culture. In this objective, a competion was lanced last spring, which permitted more than 400 publicity slogans destined to drive the place of wine in every day life. The four themes chosen-"Share the wine, savour the moment". "Drink your wine; love your life", "Me, you, wine, us" and "Uncork your life!" - These examples can be used by all professionals that wish to integrate themselves in their communication. China: the consumers appreciate the wine, especially the Chinese wine According to the results of a survey taken by WineMart, a new alcoholised drinks distribution centre in a Chinese village called Guangzhou, the buying and consuming of wine is wide spreading in more and more big Chinese towns, but essentially stick to their locale wine. The survey equally reveals that a big part of the consummation takes place during Chinese holidays and in spring. Amongst the people surveyed, 60% of them said to have already bought wine, notably Chinese. On average, they buy domestic wine 5.1 times a year, and imported products 2.4 times. In revenge, if the population devotes an average 38,40 RMB (4,7 USD) to the buying of a Chinese wine, that means that they are willing to spend almost as ten times more (357,40 RMB either 43,6 USD) on an imported wine. The wine consumers in China generally dispose of an important salary who come from the middle class, and are receptive to the sanitary benefits of wine. They also choose depending on the tastes and aromas, the mark and pricing. Other elements in the choice of product: its collection value, which means the wine itself or the packaging. The opening of the Chinese market to foreign wines should start accelerating thanks to the membership of china to the OMC. USA: Australia arrows upwards The American wine importation went up to 4, 7 million hectolitres in 2001, according to the figures published by the CFCE. This volume has gone up by 6, 5% according to the reports of the year before. Does the firing upwards of Australia last year mean that other countries present on the American market have lost ground: it's the case for Chilli, who have lost 2% in volume but still maintain their forth place, and Germany (-1,5%). Australia: improving the profitability of the small and medium sized companies Recently the federal Australian government have called in a company named ACIL Consulting to study the progress of the vitivinicole and advise them on eventual actions to strengthen on the long term the small and medium sized companies. When looking at Australia's enormous export success, it is only a few of the biggest companies that represent 10% of the 1 465 in the company's repertoires. California wine industry in grip of slump California's wine industry is in the midst of the worst slump for 10 years and as many as 200 wineries may go out of business, experts say. After a decade of massive growth, which saw California's wineries increase by 50%, the industry is facing a threefold threat in the form of a downturn in the economy, overproduction of grapes and cheap imports. A report by industry analysts AC Nielsen says holiday sales of California wines declined in nearly all categories for the first time since the 1991/2 recession. While grape prices are plummeting, the US market is full of cheaper wine from Australia, South Africa and South America. Analysts say the increase in California wineries from 600 to 900 over the past decade is part of the problem. The market cannot sustain that level of production and smaller wineries are going under, or being snapped up by major producers who can afford to keep prices down. As well as this, consumption patterns of baby boomers which grew wine sales by as much as 20% per year have levelled off, while the younger generation is not buying premium wines in the same quantities. One broker told Associated Press he thought as many as 200 wineries could go bust or be bought up. Joe Ciatti, one of California's largest bulk wine brokers said, 'We are going to lose scores of wineries to bankruptcy.' Another wholesaler, Fred Reno of the Henry wine Group said, 'The smaller wineries selling less than 20,000 cases a year don't have the ability to cut prices and stay profitable.' For the consumer there is good and bad news. wine will be cheaper but the high-quality 'hand-crafted' wines for which California is famous will become more scarce as big companies dominate. 'It's the coming homogenisation of the wine imdustry,' Kim Stare Wallace of Sonoma's Dry Creek Vineyard said. 'Small wineries will be grabbed by the big guys.' Wineries are already cutting back. Since last summer, Robert Mondavi Winery has 640ha of prime vineyard land for sale. Andy Bledsoe, vice president of winegrowing, told decanter.com the winery had suffered from oversupply. He warned growers at the time, 'If you call me to try to sell grapes, I'll try to sell some of our surplus to you.' Wine Institute of California spokeswoman Gladys Horiuchi said, 'The wine industry goes through cycles. In the mid-1990s we didn't have enough wine, and everyone planted. Now all those vineyards are coming into production just as there is a downturn in the economy. In five years time there will probably be a shortage again.' Australian yields 'down by half' as drought bites Growers in Australia's top viticultural regions face a 50% reduction in yields as severe droughts begin to bite. Across the state of Victoria the prolonged dry spell - which began in 1997 - has reached critical limits. Without vital reserves of moisture, yields are dramatically reduced. Growers must now decide how much of their grapes to cut off the vine before harvest in a bid to save the remaining crop. There is also a greater risk of frost caused by dry soils and clear cold nights, grape sunburn in the dry, hot weather, and damage by birds and other animals searching for alternative water supplies. 'We currently have wallabies and wild deer chewing up our vines and come harvest we expect extreme pressure from cockatoos, wattle birds, ravens and everything else,' Mount Langi Ghiran grower Damien Sheehan. The Pyrenees, Grampians, Strathbogie, Bendigo and Heathcote areas in central Victoria are at the heart of the drought but other regions across Australia are also taking precautionary measures to preserve vital water supplies, with the threat the drought could be even worse next year. Paul Greblo of Sandhurst Ridge winery, near Bendigo, said a drop in yields would not lead to price rises but some vineyards - including his own - could turn the drought to their advantage. 'In dry years the quality of the fruit is usually very, very good. Depending on how we market our finished produce, we could realise higher prices,' he said. Wine news January 23, 2002 Next Bordeaux awards The 47th wine Contest of Bordeaux will be held on Saturday 24th, May in Bordeaux. The competition should be hard due to an elitist selection. Only 25 to 30% of the wines presented are generally awarded medals. The results will be known less than 2 hours after the end of the tasting session. In 2002, 3 270 wines were tasted, tat is to say only 14% of the regional production, more than 1.3 million hectoliters and some 174 000 bottles! 807 wines were awarded: 174 Gold, 312 Silver and 321 Bronze medals. The birth of a new giant of the wine The Australian BRL Hardy and the American group Constellation Brands plan a merging, this financial operation would create the world #1 of the wine industry. On January 17th, the Administration Council of BRL Hardy accepted a purchase offer presented by Constellation Brands. The total amount of the operation should be nearly two billions of Australian dollars (approximately one billion of Euros). The merge of BRL Hardy, first producer of Australian wine and the wine branch of Constellation (also present in spirits and beer industry) within a new unit, Constellation Wines. This one will get a turnover of 1,6 billion of Euros, which will place it in front of the American Gallo. It will be #1 in Great Britain and Australia, #2 in the United States. However the merge needs to obtain the authorization of BRL Hardy shareholders and several authorities of trade regulation in Australia and in the United States. Mouton 2000's extraordinary bottle Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2000 vintage has been recently presented to the international wine press. Since 1945, French and foreign painters have been commissioned each year to design an unique label. But this outstanding vintage was an exception, the Augsburg Ram, a 16th century silver-gilt drinking vessel, has been reproduced on the bottle, making itself a collector's item. The glassmaker, the French BSN company developed specially for the project a new enamelling technique. 2002: A good vintage for the wines of Rioja The sales of Rioja wines clearly increased last year according to the trade union of this Spanish wine region. Between January and November 2002, volumes sold reached 227 million liters, 15% more than the same period in 2001. However the Spanish domestic market took the majority of the sales (71%). Nevertheless exports rose of 18% compared to the previous year. The red wines represent nearly 90% of volumes (203 million liters), followed by white wines (14 million liters) and rose (9 million liters). In 2001, the sales of the dynamic wines of Rioja rose from 38%. Alcohol and Health... some good news Whatever the beverage (red or white wines, beer), drinking regularity reduce the heart troubles for moderated drinkers. According to a survey published by The New England Newspaper of Medicine, men who drink alcohol three or four times a week are 32% less subjects to heart attacks compared to those who drink less than once a week. For those who drink five to seven times per week, the difference is 37%. On the other hand, person who drink more than two alcoholic beverages per day would draw more advantage for their health. The survey was carried out during 12 years with 38.000 old men from 40 to 75 years. California's wine industry in trouble California's wine industry is in the midst of the worst slump for 10 years and as many as 200 wineries may go out of business. While grape prices are plummeting, the US market is full of cheaper wine from Australia, South Africa and South America. The increase in California wineries from 600 to 900 over the past decade is part of the problem. As well as this, consumption patterns of baby boomers, which grew wine sales by as much as 20% per year, have levelled off. For the consumer there is good and bad news. wine will be cheaper but the high-quality hand-crafted wines for which California is famous will become more scarce as big companies dominate. However since last summer, Robert Mondavi Winery has 640 hectares of prime vineyard land for sale... Wine news July 29, 2002 China: a big market for... Chinese wine! According to a recent survey, wine purchases and consumption are increasing rapidly in big Chinese cities. In Guangdong province, the country's first permanent wine-and-spirits center has just opened. The WineMart is an impressive modern showplace located in Guangzhou (formerly Canton) which has a population of 6.7 million. However, Chinese people are still mainly focused on local production. Furthermore, polls show that chinese people only drink wines on great occasions like traditional holidays and celebrations. On the other hand, although they only spend around $5.00 for a local wine, they do not mind paying over $40.00 for an imported wine. Consumers are generally from the middle-class, earn quite a high income and pay attention to the recognized health benefits of drinking wine. The Chinese market should continue to open itself to exported wines regularly, even though the fictive minimum value which has to be declared at Chinese customs still hampers its development. What about Canada? Today the Canadian market for wines and spirits is strictly controled by a state monopoly. The liquor system is basically a series of government-run monopolies wherein provincial liquor boards buy the products and own and license the retail stores. However, things are moving positively. After British Columbia and Manitoba, private wine and liquor stores are about to open in a third canadian province, Nova Scotia, located East of the country. The number of these stores will be limited and controled by Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. but they will finally enable the population to have access to a wider range of products. Indeed, these retailers will only be authorized to sell other wines than those available in state stores. If this experience starting next September is successfull, there is high chance other shops will soon follow. SAB announces takeover of Miller South African Breweries recently agreed with Philip Morris to take over its brewery, Miller Brewing, for $5.2 billion dollars, while Philip Morris keeps a 36% stake in the new company. The deal will bring SABMiller to a second position in terms of world brewing volume, just behind Anheuser-Busch. The merge with the well-positioned American company will enable SAB to be more competitive on the world stage, while keeping its strong position on local emerging beer markets in Africa and Asia. This new situation is certainly going to force other beer majors into more consolidation and emerging market investment, thus transforming radically the current world brewing landscape. LVMH focused on prestigious spirits The French group LVMH - Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy - has recently revealed his decision to acquire 40% of Millenium Import Company. Millenium Import Co. owns more than 50% of Zyrdardow, the Polish distillery which markets two prestigious Vodka brands: Belvedere and Chopin. This move will reinforce LVMH's position on this specific luxury spirit market as LVMH will get the exclusivity for the marketing of these brands in the world, except in North America. Wine news June 14, 2002 Harvesting time in the Southern Hemisphere Winemakers in the Southern Hemisphere are now surveying their recently completed 2002 harvest. In Argentina, winemakers are celebrating: the exceptional crop is probably the best in 15 years and Malbec, the main varietal of their wines is as excellent as Syrah and Tempranillo. In Chile, however, things do not look as great. Although Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from the northern wine-areas are of particularly good quality, the crop in the south was partly damaged by rot due to a particulary rainy weather. The South-African 2002 vintage is quite irregular in quality, depending on the location of each wine-area. Some wineries did quite well but others, especially in Stellenbosch, reported major crop damages, due to inconstant weather. In New Zealand, an exceptionnally abundant crop was harvested under a warm weather which allowed to pick up high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Finally Australians are enjoying a very high-quality vintage whether it be for the reds or the whites, with quite reduced quantities compared to 2001. Wine was best investment of 2001! In 2001, investors who were increasingly reluctant to take risks with volatile funds and bonds turned to what proved to be one of the most stable bets in their portfolio: wine! According to recent reports, wine provided Americans with the best returns of 2001, taking the lead on modern art, photography, antiques and other alternative investments. In the wake of the highly successful Bordeaux 2000 vintage, the market is still growing and it is not too late for those who want to cash in on the boom in the fine wine market. So make the move now and check our 2001 futures selection. Wine news May 05, 2002 Champagne will use plastic According to Nukorc, an Australian-based synthetic closure producer, Champagne will be using plastic stoppers within the next three years. Their stoppers are made of compressed extruded plastic and have been tested for the past 18 months. The company's managing director says that Freixenet - famous cava producer - and several Australian sparkling winemakers are already pleased with the performance. Synthetic stoppers are much less expensive than natural cork, they prevent cork taint (TCA), they perfectly hold gas pressure and come in any colour, which enables trademarks to match them with the cap, wire or label. Although 'high quality' Champagnes are far from ready to take the move yet, most Champagne producers who do not sell vintages to keep 20 years will certainly resort to synthetic "cork" very soon. Kosher Bordeaux wines A kosher wine is a wine made according to very strict rules under the supervision of a rabby. This product, which belongs to the Jewish religion and traditions, is mostly produced in Israel and in the US, with each country selling about 30 million bottles per year. In France, 7 million bottles of Kosher wines are currently produced. 70% of this production comes from Bordeaux, the rest is mainly from Champagne and Languedoc. In Bordeaux, the market is currently significantly expanding, both for home consumption and exports: an exclusively kosher wine negociant has recently been set up in Bordeaux to meet the high demand, a team of 40 people is already in charge of the kosher winemaking supervision in Gironde, and more and more Classified Greath Growth turn a small part of their crop to kosher wines. Bordeaux is not the only one to react to this demand: Cognac should soon release a Kosher XO long-awaited by the Jewish community. Check our Kosher wines. A word on "Boutique wines" What is a boutique wine? It is a different winemaking concept, applied only to a very restricted surface area, with reduced yields, small volumes and with absolutely no mechanical aids. The first wine to be called a boutique wine ("vin de garage" in French) was Chateau Valandraud, made in Jean-Luc Thunevin's garage, in Saint-Emilion but the concept is older than that and really started some 20 years ago with Chateau Le Pin, in Pomerol. Like a scientist in his secret lab, the winemaker carries out all sorts of experiments to let the raw material -the grapes- express itself naturally and to make the most of the terroir. Of course, a terroir will never become greater than it naturally is, but the aim of those "haute couture" wines is to enhance all its qualities so as to offer consumers as much pleasure as possible. And so far, it works quite well!... Western Australian wine education project The Western Australian State Government recently announced that a new Centre for wine Excellence will sart being built in December of this year in the state's best known wine regions: Margaret River. This USD $4m project is a joint venture between local training and education bodies which should be inaugurated by 2004. The purpose of this center - unique in the region - is 2-fold: to give students the chance to achieve a broader range of wine qualifications and to increase employment in the region's wine industry. Wine news April 11, 2002 2001: a true Bordeaux Classic After the legendary 2000 vintage, 2001 did not take a good start. July was particularly cool and rainy and delayed maturation. However, August, September and October were just amazing. This ideal weather condition allowed for a very latest harvest and thus an excellent ripeness. The result is a very interesting vintage, especially in Sauternes area which produces sweet white wines. Compared to 2000, the quality of the vintage is quite irregular. This is generally the case when poor weather during vine-growing makes it necessary to take expensive or risky sacrifices to improve the quality of the crop. The classic move is to reduce yields by harvesting 30, 40 or even more than 50% of the crop in June or July so as to increase concentration on the remaining grapes. Not all Chateaus can afford such a quality-oriented policy. However, on the whole, 2001 is a very good year and many Chateaus made better wines this year than in 1995 or 1996. The wines are very concentrated and tannic but not over-extracted and are expected to come out at lower prices than last year. So be ready for great bargains: register now! Pommery Champagne for sale The French luxury-goods group LVMH Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton is considering the sale of Pommery Champagne brand to Vranken Monopole, a producer and distributor of Champagne and Port for - according to local sources - 150 million to 180 million euros (about $132 million to $158 million). The deal, which should take place in a few days, would include most of Pommery's assets: the Chateau in Reims, the cellars, stocks as well as supply contracts. However, LVMH which owns Krug, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Chateau d'Yquem, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Newton, would still keep some of the best of Pommery vineyards. Evans & Tate back in the US Although Australian wineries generally set up their own import companies in the US, Evans & Tate president rather decided to purchase Scott Street Portfolio, a San Francisco wine importer which already represents nine small Australian producers. Evans & Tate is the largest winery in Margaret River region (Western Australia), but since its withdrawal from the US market three years ago, 86% of its production was sold in Australia. The deal will allow the Australian producer to enter the US market again with its Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines as early as this summer. Wine news March 06, 2002 A monumental Vintage Robert Parker Jr. has just retasted the 2000 vintage which is now close to the end of its oak barrel aging. Just a few months before bottling, the wine seems as promising as ever and, on this occasion, Mr Parker raised various of his previous ratings, such as Chateau Petrus 2000 which is now at 96-99/100. From his point of view ,"remarkably consistent from top to bottom, there has never been a year where so many exceptional wines were produced." It is definitely not too late to acquire a few more 2000 and many are now available per bottle, so click here! Wine news January 18, 2002 Great Changes in Médoc Wine-Growing Area Today, 470 Medoc Chateaus are entitled to the Cru Bourgeois classification. Most offer top quality wines for an excellent value such as the famous Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Gloria or Les Ormes de Pez. However, this 1932 classification is about to be revised and divided into 3 different sub-categories : Cru bourgeois supérieur exceptionnel, cru bourgeois supérieur and cru bourgeois. This ambitious project will be carried out throughout the year by 18 jurors. Their difficult task will consist in blind-tasting 6 vintages of each Chateau, getting a thorough survey of each property and finally stating their long-awaited decision. These changes are mainly intended to reward the quality strides at the best cru bourgeois Chateaus and to offer consumers a more accurate guide to quality but they will certainly raise protests among downgraded proprietors. Vintage 2002 in Australia The harvest season will soon start in Australia. Crops are reported to break all records this year, with a huge 11% increase in volume compared to last year's. Moreover, for the first time, the red wine production will outstrip the white wine production. Althoug Australian wineries are quite worried - some are paying their wine-growers to let the grapes rot on the vineyard - the Australian wine and Brandy Corporation is reassuring : exports are still rising steadily with a 21% increase in volume and a 19% rise in value. The United Kingdom and the United States are still the first importers but France starts to show signs of interest for these wines, although most imports are not intended for the home market but rather for EC exports from France. Furthermore, by 2004 the current Australian overproduction should have decreased as new plantations will drop for lack of appropriate land. Wine news November 13, 2001 Harvest 2001 in Sauternes area In Sauternes more than in any other appellation of Bordeaux area, the climate is crucial for the quality of the harvest. In order to produce this world-renowned dessert wine, the grapes - Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle - are only picked up when they are attacked by a bacteria called Botrytis Cinerea. However, this "noble rot" only develops in very precise climatic conditions: morning fogs in September and October. Its effect on the grapes also evolves with time, which makes it necessary for pickers to harvest several times and to sort each grape by hand, picking the fully rotten ones and leaving the others. This year, the weather conditions were ideal. Grapes reached perfect maturity at the beginning of September. Rain came in at the right moment, at the end of September, followed by the famous morning fogs which enabled the noble rot to spread and develop quickly. Then sunshine and wind allowed for a quick and homogenous concentration of sugars. This vintage will definitely produce a rich concentrated dessert wine boasting perfect fruit jam and roasted aromas. Check our great selection of Sauternes. Wine news October 15, 2001 Harvest 2001 in Bordeaux The harvest is now over in most Bordeaux Chateaus (except in Sauternes area) and the grapes brought to the wineries in excellent condition, with good maturity and natural sugar, were once again a precious gift from Mother Nature... and from the winegrowers! The weather for this vintage has been very similar to 2000. Maturation of the grapes during August has been assisted by 233 hours of sunshine with temperatures averaging around 22.6°C and rainfall at 39.4mm. This compares favourably with records over the past 30 years showing averages of 249 hours of sunshine, 19.9°C and 55mm rain during the same period. If the climate is vital to produce a great vintage, a lot of work is also done by the winegrowers in the vineyards. Most Chateaus, wether it be in Saint-Emilion area or in the Médoc, have adopted this policy and always take great care in pruning vines, controlling yields, removing leaves, hand-picking and hand sorting the grapes. Once again, this hard work allowed a slow and constant maturation process which now results in a perfectly healthy harvest with exceptional degrees of maturity and highly refined tanins... Although it is still early to describe the vintage, those elegant tanins will definitely be one of the main characteristics of vintage 2001. Wine news September 18, 2001 Promising harvest in Bordeaux... After a rainy Winter and Spring, July and especially August allowed the vineyard to catch up with time. Although harvesting will probably start slightly later than 2000 and 1999, the vintage 2001 is still among the earliest vintages of the past 30 years. For the moment, the vineyard is perfectly healthy and the last 2 sunny weeks allowed for an homogeneous ripening of the grapes. The wine-Unions and official institutes are carefully following the evolution of grapes and should announce in the next few days the exact date for the traditional "Ban des Vendanges", that is to say the official opening of the harvesting season. Harvesting for white grape varieties started around september 15. Merlot and Cabernet Franc will be picked around September 22-24. Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a late varietal, will come to maturity at the end of the month or beginning of October. It is still too early to bet on this vintage as the 2 or 3 weeks to come will play a vital part in the quality and maturity of the grapes... However, if the weather remains as sunny as it currently is in Bordeaux area, 2001 will definitely be an outstanding vintage and certainly better than the 2000 one. And in California too!! This year, early summer heat in California and lower yields caused grapes to ripen quickly. If ripening keeps on the same pace for the next and crucial weeks, most vineyards will harvest a crop with a great potential. However, 2001 has not been an easy year. Weather fluctuations earlier in the year kept growers on their toes and in the beginning of April, temperatures went down as the North Coast suffered its worst frost in 30 years. Sparkling-wine producers started crush with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in the first two weeks of August, with some producers noting reduced Chardonnay crops due to the severe frost that struck the North Coast in April. While most of August was mild, weather fluctuations earlier in the year kept growers on their toes. Budbreak occurred about 10 days earlier than normal this spring, but in the beginning of April, temperatures plummeted as the North Coast suffered its worst frost in 30 years. The frost reduced crop size at various sites, and vineyards with smaller yields tend to ripen more quickly. Vine growth accelerated during an unusually warm May and June, but slowed when conditions turned cool in July. |
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