News

A new report titled Ways out of the crisis, commissioned by ProWein, from Geisenheim University, based on a survey of over 2,000 wine industry members, highlights several key challenges and trends. Economic factors are the primary concerns in the industry. Cost increases, global economic downturn and decreasing wine consumption are significant threats, with 73%, 59%, and 48% of the respondents in 2023 expressing concern about these issues, respectively. Climate change is also a concern, but it ranks lower in priority compared to immediate economic issues. Only 45% view it as a major threat, despite 2023 marking a 60-year low in…

Lulie Halstead, a prominent figure in the wine business, recently addressed the New Zealand Winegrowers Business Forum, sharing valuable insights from her 25-year experience in the industry. She highlighted a common mistake in wine marketing: the tendency of marketers to project their own preferences onto consumers, leading to a misalignment between what is offered and what consumers actually seek. Halstead emphasised the importance of true differentiation in the market, noting that quality alone is not a sufficient differentiator, as many producers globally can claim high-quality products. She advised wine companies to focus on understanding their consumers deeply, using cost-effective methods…

The BBC has an article describing a forthcoming change in the UK’s regulations regarding the size of wine bottles post-Brexit. The government has announced that still and sparkling wines will be available in pint-sized (568ml) bottles. This change, resulting from the departure from EU laws, is aimed at offering more variety to consumers. Previously, EU regulations required that imperial measurements be displayed alongside metric ones, but they couldn’t be more prominent. This led to the infamous case of the “metric martyrs,” traders who faced legal action for selling goods in imperial units only. The new legislation, to be introduced in…

Tannins in wines, particularly red wines, are compounds that contribute significantly to the taste, colour, and texture of the wine. New research looks into the complex world of these compounds, specifically proanthocyanidins (PAs). Proanthocyanidins are a group of polyphenolic compounds found in many plants, including grapes. The article explains that PAs in red wine are primarily formed from flavan-3-ol monomers, such as catechins and gallocatechins. These monomers can link together in various ways, creating a diverse array of PAs. Interestingly, the study found that the composition of PAs was notably similar across many wine types. This suggests that the sensory…

Forbes is reporting that The Court of Master Sommeliers has announced that it will no longer use the terms ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ in its published materials or examination assessments from 2024. This decision reflects the Court’s commitment to historical accuracy, reducing cultural bias, and acknowledging the growing difficulty in distinguishing between Old and New World wines. The change also aligns with the evolving global wine production landscape, where traditional distinctions between European (Old World) and other (New World) wines are becoming less clear due to factors like climate change and the global spread of winemaking techniques​ from ‘new’…

A recent article from SevenFifty Daily, written by Alex Russan, looks intothe complex topic of reductive aromas in wine, a subject that has polarised opinions in the wine industry. Reduction, chemically the opposite of oxidation, refers to the presence of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) in wine, often resulting from limited oxygen exposure. These compounds, which include hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans, can impart a range of aromas from unpleasant (like rotten eggs) to desirable (such as earthiness or truffles). The article explores how these aromas are influenced by various factors in viticulture and vinification. For instance, yeast metabolism during fermentation plays…

An article from Food and Wine, titled “You’ll Be Surprised by How Many Grapes it Takes to Make One Bottle of Wine,” explains the varying quantities of grapes required to produce different types of wine. On average, 1.25 to 1.50 kilograms of grapes, which can be anywhere from 600 to 800 or even thousands of grapes, are needed to make a standard-size bottle of still wine. This number varies significantly based on factors like grape variety, wine style and winemaking techniques. For still wines, the pressing techniques in the winery play a crucial role in determining the number of grapes…