SEEKING CLOSURE?
Stelvins and corks, watch out!There’s a new wine closure on the block and it promises to shake things up. Capabunga is a reusable silicone capsule for a wine bottle that’s made to resemble the bungs used in winemaking and will fit on most standard bottles. The concept was created by... Read More
GLOBAL WARMING: GOOD FOR SOMETHING?
Global warming may be wreaking havoc on our planet but, for the Riesling industry at least, it’s been a boon. The recent Riesling Rendezvous conference highlighted the benefits that warm temperatures have bestowed upon the industry. The conference, hosted by winemaker Ernie Loosen and the president of Château Ste Michelle,... Read More
BUBBLY IN THE BALCTIC
Who needs fancy wine cellars? Apparently the ocean works perfectly to preserve vintage bubbly. Divers recently discovered what is thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable champagne in a shipwreck 2OO-feet down in the Baltic Sea near the Aland Islands, between Sweden and Finland. Diving instructor Christian Ekstrom said the... Read More
THE LITTLE IDEA THAT MADE IT BIG
The BBC’s Dragons’ Den should be kicking itself right about now. The venture capitalist television show where entrepreneurs pitch ideas to a panel of business experts and ask for financial backing not only turned down James Nash and his “cup-a-wine” concept, they flat out told him the idea was useless.... Read More
RIEDEL: CASUAL AND AFFORDABLE
Love Riedel glassware but can’t quite swing their lofty price tags? You’re in luck! The elite glassmaker is introducing two new players to its Riedel Restaurant line: Degustazione and Restaurant XL. Created as an entry level restaurant collection, Degustazione offers both a red and white wine glass at an accessible... Read More
RIEDEL: CASUAL AND AFFORDABLE
RIEDEL: CASUAL AND AFFORDABLE Love Riedel glassware but can’t quite swing their lofty price tags? You’re in luck! The elite glassmaker is introducing two new players to its Riedel Restaurant line: Degustazione and Restaurant XL. Created as an entry level restaurant collection, Degustazione offers both a red and white wine... Read More
NEW ZEALAND AND FRANCE SET THEIR SITES
Prepare for a wine blitzing! Both New Zealand and France are planning major marketing pushes in the US to promote their countries’ wines. The New Zealand government will spend NZ$1.2 million (US$816,OOO) to help the country’s top wineries grow their presence in the US. The funding, to be spread over... Read More
A LABOR OF LOVE
Jonathon Alsop writes that, for true oenophiles, there is discipline, devotion and strict traditions to follow. For the general population, oenophilia is simply “the love of wine”.By nature, wine lovers are collectors: bottles, vintages, countries of origin, and more.Wine Lover’s Devotional is a year-long collection of insight and eclectica for... Read More
BORDEAUX AND PLASTIC, NOT A GREAT BLEND
Perhaps the notion that fine wine could be packaged in plastic was too good to be true. A recent major scientific study into the storage of wine in different forms of packaging has revealed that the bag-in-box, single-layer PET and small multi-layer PET altered the character of white wines when... Read More
GALLO HAS THE POWER
It’s good to be Gallo. Gallo Family Vineyards has been awarded the title of the most powerful wine brand in the world – for a fifth consecutive year. The award was given by a panel of leading, independent industry experts who researched nearly 1O,OOO brands in the spirits and wine... Read More