Despite, or perhaps rather because of, the plethora of 2004 Burgundy tastings in London last week, a consensus on the quality and style of the vintage was slow to emerge, raising questions among tasters as to whether the sampling of still-unfinished wines was even more treacherous than usual. All those who tasted the wines early last year agreed that the wines have benefited enormously from levage, including exceptionally long malolactic fermentations, but that they have often tightened up when bottled as samples.
Read more...
|
The questions have often been asked, with growing urgency, over recent years: who can rival and who will succeed Robert Parker as the dominant influence in the world of fine wine? The answer, almost certainly, is nobody - at least no individual - to which many, though not all, will heave a sigh of relief.
One doesn't have to subscribe to a cometh the hour, cometh the man' theory of history to recognise that Parker was a dedicated, talented individual in the right place at the right time. In all likelihood, nobody else will be able or willing to devote himself or herself so single-mindedly to the task; nobody else will have the resources, financial or physical; nobody else will have the sheer stamina. Moreover, Parker announced in 2003 that he intended to carry on for another 10 years.
Read more...
Pernod Ricard has sold three of its whisky brands to Campari: Glen Grant single malt, Old Smuggler and Braemar. The
90-million sale was a condition of Pernod Ricard's takeover of Allied Domecq.
The company's priority' whisky brands are The Glenlivet and Aberlour.
Read more...
Reflecting the UK's status as the largest export market for Burgundy, and the only major one where all the key sales statistics were up after the 2004-2005 campaign, the BIVB fielded many of its highest ranking officials for its well attended annual trade tasting in London on 12 January. BIVB president Michel Baldassini, vice-president Bernard Hervet, and president of the communications commission Jean-Michel Aubinel told Harpers of the progress being made with the rewriting of the appellation regulations (to be completed by the end of this year) and the new generic marketing campaign launched last November.
Read more...
The Starpack Awards, acknowledging the best in packaging, takes place on 5 July at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
New categories this year include best flexible plastic innovation, best inclusive pack, and best shelf-ready pack,
along with some people-based awards to recognise the importance of packaging professionals, young and old.
Entries should be sent, by 1 March, to Rachel Brooks, Awards & Starpack Coordinator, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Incorporating IOP: The Packaging Society, Stamford Regional Office, Willoughby House, 2 Broad Street, Stamford PE9 1PB.
Read more...
A conference honouring all things Pinot Noir-related is to take place early next year.
Pinot Noir 2007 will be held in Wellington, New Zealand, from 31 January to 3 February, and will feature tastings, consumer workshops and debates.
Speakers already confirmed include the Daily Mail's Matthew Jukes, Pierre-Henry Gagey of Louis Jadot, Australian viticulture lecturer Dr Peter Dry and French wine writer Michel Bettane.
For more information, or to register, go to the website: www.pinotnoir2007.co.nz
Read more...
The effect that alcohol has on the body will be discussed at the AIM (Alcohol in Moderation) 2006 Forum.
The event, to be held on 8 March at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust HQ in London, will feature three speakers and will cover subjects such as the role of genes in drinking behaviour, and cardiovascular advances.
Read more...
The sad loss of Denis Clark, former editor of Off Licence News, came as a bitter personal blow at the end of last year. Besides being the leading trade press journalist of his generation, he was great fun to work with.
Under the hard-man exterior was a warm, generous heart, and while he never suffered fools gladly, he was ever loyal to his staff, had a wicked sense of humour and at times showed great courage in his defence of the trade against the unscrupulous.
Read more...
Welsh wine estate Parva Farm Vineyard has hit back at two European prime ministers who were unimpressed with the English and Welsh wines served at an EU summit in Brussels.
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi sent two cases of wine to his Swedish counterpart Goran Persson, who, the Italian PM claimed, was so aghast at the wines at the summit that I promised to send him some of our wines'.
Read more...
The picture emerging from Britain's high streets is of a mixed Christmas and New Year. While some companies are reporting better-than-expected like-for-like sales compared with 2004, others have issued profits warnings, and there are fears that business in the first few days of the New Year have been very slow. Majestic Wine, however, did better than most by increasing its like-for-like sales by 5.2% in the nine weeks from 1 November to 2 January.
Read more...
Shareholders in Boizel Chanoine Champagne will vote on 30 January on whether the company should issue e22.7m (15.7m) of bonds as part of the financing package for the agreed purchase of troubled Lanson International for about e520m, including e400m of debt. They will do so against the increasingly hostile attitude of the CGT union, one of France's largest, which opposes the deal.
Read more...
Most of your wine knowledge is self-taught; has this been difficult?
Not really. I started learning about the different Italian labels and grape varieties when I was in Sicily. The turning point came when I moved over here and had a look at the brochure for Enotria Winecellars. There were so many wines, it was just incredible: 25 or 30 different kinds of Barolo. So I started reading books about the whole subject - not just the labels but about the people behind the wines, the regions, the different grapes and so on. Since opening the restaurant, I have also started to visit the vineyards. Although, unfortunately, I don't have much time to travel around Italy; otherwise I'd be over there a lot more. I'm very lucky because I have good wine friends and they bring their wines over to me.
Read more...
Italian specialist Enotria Winecellars has sold a majority stake of its business to private equity firm ISIS for 8.2 million.
Founded in 1972 by Remo Nardone, Enotria now has more than 1,200 wines in its portfolio, and it supplies restaurants such as Fifteen and Gordon Ramsay eateries. Nardone, 70, will stay on in a consultancy role but will take a step back from the day-to-day running of the firm.
Read more...
Paul Henry, general manager of Wine Australia, introduces the 2006 Australia Day Tastings, Authentic Australia': It is every country's desire to populate the wine market with democratising brands, as well as compelling reasons to trial and trade up. The search for a profitable mix that uniquely balances accessibility with interest is a challenge, and one that Australia seeks to deliver above all other categories. It
can do so by representing itself as a broad and inclusive producer that seeks to champion quality and excitement, whatever the price point. That is what is meant by Authentic Australia.
Read more...
New Zealand may still produce only 0.3% of the world's wine - a percentage that is unlikely to alter radically - but with
NZ$1.5 billion (584.7 million) sales forecast by 2010, growth looks set to characterise its future as well as its recent past.
Read more...
The New Zealand Screwcap Initiative has decided to encompass the world and form the International Screwcap Initiative (ISI).
Chablis producer Michel Laroche, who, controversially, bottled some of his grand cru wines under screwcap, has been enlisted as European representative of the ISI, while Lorraine Carrigan has been appointed ISI coordinator.
Read more...
Multiple specialist Oddbins is to sell olives throughout its UK stores. More than 3,000 jars - containing a mix of green and kalamata olives marinated in extra virgin olive oil with lemon, coriander, garlic and chilli - will be supplied by Olives Et Al.
Jars of The Oddbins Olive will retail for 3.75 each.
Read more...
BrandPhoenix is gearing up to embark on a nationwide tour of Thresher and Wine Rack stores.
The Drive Team Concept will see a team of sales executives touring the country, visiting stores. They will meet Thresher staff and advise on wine education, POS management, pricing and marketing. They will also run consumer wine tastings.
BrandPhoenix director Steve Barton said: We are very excited with the launch of this initiative. Thresher stores offer us a great opportunity to interact with the consumer, enabling them to taste wines from around the world in one place.'
Read more...
Wine wholesaler House of Townend has celebrated its centenary with a special lunch. The company was established in 1906 by Jack Townend, who bought his first wine shop in Hull.
The lunch was held at the Willerby Manor hotel in Hull, and current chairman John Townend invited the heads of the 23 family firms in east Yorkshire that are more than 100 years old.
Read more...
Robert Joseph has resigned as chairman of the International Wine Challenge (IWC), and former Harpers editor Tim Atkin MW and former Marks & Spencer buyer Sam Harrop MW are joining the Challenge.
Read more...
