SOUTH AFRICAN WINES ON THE RISE
Consumers are developing quite a taste for wines from South Africa. According to trade organization Wines of South Africa (WOSA), wine exports reached 417 million liters in 2O12, a 17% increase compared to the 2O11 figures. The amount of wine exported is the largest by the country to date and... Read More
SMOKING OUT SMOKY GRAPES
A little smokiness in a nice old vine Garnacha is one thing. Wine that actually smells like smoke is an entirely different matter. With climate change sparking concern about an increased risk of wildfires, scientists are reporting development of a way to detect grapes exposed to smoke from those fires,... Read More
CHAMPAGNE 2O12 AN EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGE
Champagne lovers rejoice! After a terrible growing season, Vignerons in Champagne have confirmed that the quality of grapes ended up being so stellar they will make a 2O12 vintage. This is a turnaround from last summer when April frosts, hailstorms and one of the wettest summers on record were all... Read More
A LITTLE WINE TO FEEL JUST FINE
Ladies, here’s one to raise a glass to! A recent Spanish study finds that women who drink wine or other alcoholic beverages in moderation experience depression in much smaller numbers than women who don’t drink alcohol. Men who drank and women who drank more than one or two beverages a... Read More
MEDICINAL WINE . . .
This one sounds like it’s too good to be true. A biochemist-turned-winemaker in Queensland, Australia, claims to have created wine that is beneficial to your health. For years winemakers and scientists have been trying to figure out how to truly reap the purported health benefits of wine. Greg Jardine, founder... Read More
WICKED SMAHT ICE CUBES
Ever woken up with a brutal hangover and wished that you’d had the presence of mind to stop after two instead of five cocktails? Well, in the future your ice cubes could actually do that service for you. After experiencing his own bad hangover, MIT Media Labs researcher Dhairya Dand... Read More
NOT SUCH A GREAT APP FOR THAT
This one could easily fall into the “too much information” category. A new Smart Phone app says it shows the physical signs of aging caused by alcohol consumption. The free app, called the “Drinking Mirror”, works on anyone but was actually designed to target women who drink heavily. Rolled out... Read More
SPI GROUP
The owner of Stolichnaya vodka has appointed JOHN ESPOSITO as President of its US operations. This follows SPI’s decision to establish its own importing company in the United States and manage its portfolio of brands directly, starting January 1, 2O14. In his new role, Esposito will be setting up an... Read More
THE BEER INSTITUTE
MEGAN KIRKPATRICK has been hired as Director of Communications and CHRISTINA HARTMAN has been hired as Senior Director of Beer Policy and External Affairs. The trade association also promoted veteran staffer SUSAN HANEY to Senior Director of Industry Affairs and added SANDRA CASTRO to manage administrative duties.
BEAM INC.
ADAM HARRIS has been promoted to the position of Bourbon Ambassador, North America. In his new role, he will travel throughout the US and help educate and showcase the handcrafted aspect of Beam’s bourbons. Harris served as Beam’s Distillery Specialist in Austin, Texas, and prior to that held the position... Read More