PURE CAB FRANC FROM BORDEAUX
BORDEAUX is legendary for its blends, but one winemaker is seeking to create a name with single varietal offerings. Château Civrac in the Côtes de Bourg is to produce Bordeaux’s first pure Cabernet Franc from the 2O14 harvest, having made the region’s inaugural varietal Malbec from the 2O1O vintage. Mark... Read More
WINE FRAUD WEBSITE
COUNTERFEIT wine is a very real and growing problem in the industry as it’s proving nearly impossible to keep up with the flood of fakes being brought to market. But now Maureen Downey, the fine wine authenticator and consultant who was instrumental in bringing down fraudster Rudy Kurniawan is launching... Read More
CLIMATE CHANGE and WINE
IT’S NO secret that the future of the wine industry will be impacted by climate change, but the effects are already becoming visible as the taste of fine wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is under immediate threat from rising temperatures. Grapes used in wine production in France, Spain and... Read More
BOOZY BIRDS
AS A rule, birds don’t drink, but when they do they can more than hold their own. A group of scientists have concluded that birds actually slur when drinking alcohol, but can handle their liquor better than humans. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University published a study that found... Read More
FOR A BETTER SLEEP, CUT THE NIGHTCAP
FOR MANY, a tipple before bed can be a sure-fire ticket to falling asleep easily. But while a drink might ease you into a deep slumber initially, it can end up robbing you of a good night’s rest. “The problem is, in a single night, as the alcohol is metabolized... Read More
THE SECRET TO RESVERATROL UNLOCKED?
RESVERATROL has long been touted as a magic health elixir of sorts, but scientists and the medical community have long debated exactly how it works. Because red wine is particularly rich in resveratrol, some researchers have suggested that it could explain the “French paradox” of a relatively high-fat diet but... Read More
BEVERAGE ALCOHOL RESOURCE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
THE THIRTEENTH Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) 5-Day Certification Program will take place this autumn from September 28 to October 2. Cost of the program is $395O. Only 5O applicants are accepted into this program of learning, tasting, mixing, and exchanging of ideas. The program application and other data are available... Read More
BEANTOWN’S NEW DISTILLERY
THERE’S a new kid on the distillery block in Boston. Boston Harbor Distillery (BHD) will soon open at The Port on Boston Harbor in Dorchester. Housed in a pre-Civil War era building, BHD will serve as both a distilling facility and an event space, tasting room and mercantile with bar... Read More
HEAVEN HILL REBRANDS
On the eve of its 8Oth year, the country’s largest family owned and operated distilled spirits company has changed its corporate name to Heaven Hill Brands and designed a new logo. Over the last three decades, Heaven Hill, based in Bardstown, Kentucky, has become a supplier of whiskeys, liqueurs, vodkas,... Read More
TEQUILA JOINS THE BILLION DOLLAR CLUB
IT WOULD seem we can’t get enough tequila these days. Tequila exports exceeded US$1 billion for the first time in history, the National Chamber of the Tequila industry (CNIT) has reported. Exports of Mexico’s native spirit grew by 1O% from US$997 million in 2O13 to US$1.1 billion in 2O14. Volumes... Read More