We believe Old World wines will continue to perform well this Christmas as people look to spend a little bit more and trade up to premium examples of known varieties. Alpha Zeta's Single Vineyard Pinot Grigio 'Terrapieno' from the Veneto is a good example of this.
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If a world beer tour existed then Bamberg, in Germany's Franconia region, would be included on the itinerary. This modestly sized town is not only a UNESCO world heritage site but it also has one of the highest concentrations of breweries in the world.
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If New World countries were the forerunners in promoting wine tourism, it has taken some Old World heavyweights much longer to embrace the concept. Spain was slow off the mark, notably Catalonia, but from a standing start 10 years ago, the Catalans have finally woken up to the value of wine tourists. And the punters are coming in big numbers - an estimated 750,000 a year, with Torres' Penedes headquarters alone attracting 120,000 visitors.
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The car journey from Blenheim Airport to Waipara is one of the most beautiful drives you could envisage, with a wild coastline that is picture perfect.
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One of the great communication innovations assisting the wine sector's recovery has been the birth of the wine blogger. Since wine blogging began, its role has evolved from being a publicly recorded journal by wine enthusiasts through to a buying guide and discussion platform for news and events in the wine sector.
Read more...Starting off as Sean 'Diddy' Combs personal chief of staff, Dia Simms is now the executive vice president of Ciroc Vodka & Innovations, at the newly-formed Combs Wine & Spirits.Gemma McKenna catches up with Simms and finds out what the pair have planned for the expansion of the drinks empire.
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Concerns have been rumbling in the UK that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc may have reached its fashion peak and is going the same way as Australian Chardonnay did a decade ago, where the industry were guided by the supermarket dinosaurs to produce a product that consumers no longer wanted, but price and flash instant big flavour hit was the defining factor.
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Wine tastes are evolving but is the industry agile enough to take advantage? Mintel's research clearly illustrates how different the coveted Millennials are to previous generations, global drinks analyst Jonny Forsyth told Wine Vision.
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Geoffrey Dean talks to Isabelle Pangault, winemaker and brand ambassador for Foncalieu, the leading Languedoc-Roussillon co-operative:
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Overshadowed by New Zealand's flagship 'Marlborough' region just two hours scenic drive to the East, sunny Nelson is a truly boutique region offering a range of impressive quality and world class wines.
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Until recently, there were no English language sake qualifications available in the U.K. This November saw the launch of the WSET's Level 3 Award in Sake, one of a few sake courses and qualifications now available from different providers in the U.K.
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We asked John Coe, chairman of Coe Vintners, for his favourite things when it comes to wine, food, restaurants and bars and who he would like to share them with.
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The winemaker and manager of Domaine des Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, Roland Masse, 61, will complete his 15th and final vintage for the annual Hospices de Beaune auction this coming Sunday. Here he reflects on his career before handing over responsiblity to Ludivine Griveau who will become the first woman to manage the domain from January.
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From a smooth and structured Rossiu di Munte Yiniets 2009 by Katogi Averoff (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) to the chocolately hutzpah of Avaton by Ktima Gerovassiliou PGI Epanomi 2011, with three Greek varieties (Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano), Greek wine is creating some buzz among both consumers and wine writers.
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A Burgundian Grand Cru style village community saturated with prestigious vineyards squeezed into a very small area with just one prime green site not attributed to vines, the rugby ground!
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Think Corney & Barrow and you think tradition, with serious mainly French wines dominating its list, coupled with some pricey Italians (think Barolo and Brunello) and Spaniards. But with the wine trade facing challenging times, and tastes changing, C&B has been broadening its list.
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Oddbins managing director Ayo Akintola describes Majestic's recent demand from suppliers for financial support for its new warehouse as "one of the shabbiest business decisions" in the past couple of decades in the UK wine industry. Here, in his own words, he responds to its actions:
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Perhaps unsurprisingly considering his high standing in the world of advertising, and the vociferous views on wine marketing which he expressed in last month's Harper's, Sir John Hegarty intends his 37 acre vineyard, located amid woodland and spontaneously sprouting herbs by Minervois' Montaigne Noire, to be a brave venture.
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For 10 days in November Hawkes Bay is transformed into a food and wine Mecca attracting thousands of people from all over the world to divulge and celebrate the bounty that the area produces as part of the Food and Wine Classic. Wineries, local restaurants, scenic parks and historical buildings are used to offer an array of tastings, gourmet meals, art, voyages, celebrity chefs, and wine challenges, all packed out from free to enter events to ticketed events up to $300 per person.
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Troy Christensen, chief executive of Enotria, tells Gemma McKenna what's going on at the supplier, the state of distributor retailer relations in light of TescoGate, and what we can expect next.
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