This week Sam updates you on the winner of the ASI’s competition for the Best Sommelier for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the verdict of a labour lawsuit in California, France uprooting 27,500 hectares of vineyards, and a new Regenerative Organic Certified producer. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/napas-newest-roc-winery-california-farm-labour-lawsuit-french-vine-pull-update.
This week Sam updates you on frost in New Zealand, IWSR data on the US wine market, Viña Concha y Toro signing up to the Bottle Weight Accord, China joining the OIV and the passing of Yiannis Boutaris. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-zealand-frost-new-us-wine-market-data-light-bottle-weight-wins-china-joins-oiv.
This week Sam updates you on the floods in eastern Spain, what the US election is likely to mean for the wine industry, LWCs response to UK duty hikes, and the OIV’s adoption of a definition of ‘old vine’ and ‘old vineyard’. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/what-us-elections-mean-wine-industry-defining-old-vines-uk-duty-hike-response.
This week Sam updates you on flooding in eastern and southern Spain, areas of the UK budget that will impact the wine trade, the smallest harvest in Germany since 2017, and a new AVA in Washington state and a new IGP in Lorraine. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/spains-devastating-floods-uk-autumn-budget-impacts-germanys-small-harvest.
This week Sam updates you on an ecstasy-spiked champagne case, flooding in the Rhône Valley, the Castel Group’s new acquisition, Australia’s wine sales to China, and two new technologies in winemaking – one that can take the place of sulphur dioxide and the other that can condense CO2 from winery fermentations to be used later in the winemaking process. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/carbon-capture-winery-chestnut-tannins-rhone-floods-castel-group-buys-malard.
This week Sam updates you on a new AVA in Napa Valley, crop losses in the UK, an international wine fraud ring based in Italy, a letter that Constellation’s lawyers sent to Adam Lee of Dial Tone Wine, and Hong Kong slashing liquor duties. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/napas-new-ava-massive-wine-fraud-bust-uk-harvest-woes-hidden-sugar-dry-wine.
This week Sam updates you on French vine-pull subsidies, the tiny 2024 harvest in France, Napa securing name protection in Mexico, the sale of The Duckhorn Portfolio, and Come Over October events. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/frances-shrinking-vineyards-napas-name-protected-duckhorn-portfolio-sold.
This week Sam updates you on Hurricane Helene, harvest in Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, Chianti and Piedmont, Moët Hennessy’s investment in non-alcoholic sparkling, the launch of the VITÆVINO declaration, and the controversy surrounding updates to US dietary guidelines. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/hurricane-helene-lvmhs-non-alcoholic-fizz-vitaevino-declaration-and-us-dietary-guidelines.
This week Sam updates you on the announcement of the 2024 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholars, devastating fires in Portugal, flash flooding in Bolgheri, France’s request for €120 million in subsidies to pull up vineyards, the authorization of government funded crisis distillation in Ribeira Sacra, and the world’s first electric furnace for glass-bottle manufacturing. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/french-vine-pulls-and-spanish-subsidies-wildfires-portugal-electric-furnace-bottles.
This week Sam updates you on flooding in Central and Eastern Europe, frost in South Australia, a new appellation in the southern Rhône, the first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) producer in France, the VDP’s pending admittance of non-estate fruit for the first time in history, and harvest in the Veneto. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/flooding-europe-frost-australia-veneto-harvest-begins-new-rhone-appellation.
This week Sam updates you on a recently published report on whether wine is good or bad for you, one of the smallest harvests in France in a century, Alpha Estate’s acquisition of Boutari Winery in Greece and the start of harvest in Virginia, New York, Washington State, Oregon and the Loire Valley. Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/alcohol-health-debate-frances-tiny-harvest-alpha-estate-buys-boutari-santorini.
This week Sam updates you on a win for Swedish wines and hybrid vines, the release of the 2022 red and 2023 white Grosse Gewächse as well as the start of Germany’s harvest, Brown-Forman’s abandonment of diversity and inclusion programmes, losses for Australian Vintage and Naked Wines, and the lightweighting of bottles for top wines by Zuccardi. *This newscast incorrectly states that The Swedish Wine Tasting has occurred before. This was the first ever event for TSWT. Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/zuccardi-lightweights-top-bottles-brown-forman-dumps-dei-pfalz-harvest-begins.
This week Sam updates you on a new crop of MWs, the elevation of Criolla Chica by Argentina’s National Viticulture Institute, hail in the Aude (Ode), the start of harvest in Crimea and Greece, and a new report from the IWSR looking at growth markets for alcohol. Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-mws-criolla-chica-promoted-aude-hail-growth-markets-beverage-alcohol.
This week Sam updates you on a new study to add to the ongoing debate on wine and health, the largest transport of wine by sailboat to date, the legalisation of alcohol advertisement on TikTok, Ackley acquiring Charles Smith, and the start of harvest in Austria. Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-wine-and-health-study-alcohol-tiktok-ackleys-rapid-growth-early-harvest-austria.
This week Sam updates you on legal changes in Chile that will allow 51 new grape varieties to be varietally labelled and add two wine regions, Treasury selling its entry-level Australian brands, hail in Beaujolais and Barolo, protests in Portugal, the start of harvest in the northern hemisphere, and the theft of $650,000-worth of Burgundy wines. Read the transcript of this episode at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/early-2024-harvest-start-new-chilean-dos-port-protests-more-hail-europe.
This week Sam updates you on Alsace limiting yields, Australia regaining its position as China’s largest wine supplier, British Columbia’s decision to allow wineries to import grapes to make wine, new data from the IWSR, Verallia's incredibly lightweight sparkling-wine bottles, and a shipwreck loaded with Champagne discovered in the Baltic Sea. Read a transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-data-falling-wine-sales-australia-regains-china-market-alsace-limits-yields.
This week Sam updates you on research protocol happenings for US dietary guidelines, an end to the strike in Ontario, a new red Alsace Grand Cru, Champagne yield restrictions, Vintage Wine Estates' bankruptcy, the potential sale of Gusbourne, hail and rain in Sancerre, a brazen wine fraud case, and new features of the Old Vine Registry. Read a transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/us-dietary-guidelines-alcohol-update-new-red-alsace-grand-cru-champagne-challenges.
This week Sam updates you on the inclusion of white wines in the Gigondas AOC, the strike in Ontario, hail in Ardèche, Accolade’s acquisition of Pernod Ricard’s wine interests, a new EU subsidy granted for crisis distillation in Portugal, and improvements to the Austrian Digital Wine Atlas. Read the transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/ontario-strike-update-hail-ardeche-accolade-acquisitions-crisis-distillation-portugal.
This week Sam updates you on the LCBO strike in Ontario before discussing sales of spirits overtaking those of wine, the surprising growth in the wine capsule market, fires in California, hail in Bordeaux, vine-pull plans in the EU, and the 'Come Over October' campaign. Read the transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/ontario-strike-intensifies-hail-hits-bordeaux-california-fires-eu-vine-pulls-spirits-sales.
This week Sam covers the 'ReuseReady Campaign', the expansion of UK vineyards, the strike of more than 9,000 Ontario liquor store employees, and the downsizing of the Australian Wine Research Institute. Read the transcript of this podcast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/promoting-bottle-reuse-ontario-liquor-store-strike-awri-downsizes-uk-vineyards-expand.