Jaboulet in the Rhône Valley to be sold to Swiss financier?
>> Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Parker hires new taster for German wines
Robert Parker, famous wine writer, critique and taster, and publisher of The Wine Advocate, has recruited a new collaborator to write about German wines: David Schildknecht, is his name. He has a background as wine writer and wine importer.
Read more...Swedish taxation on alcohol is not reduced
The Prime Minister Göran Persson and the finance minister Per Nuder both agreed that the Swedish taxation on alcohol should be lowered. But this will not happen. The coalition partners to the ruling social-democrats did not want lower alcohol taxation and the Prime Minister did not want to fight for a changed taxation – risking an overall budget agreement on the issue.
Read more...Virgin Wines...
Richard Branson, eccentric British billionaire, owner of e.g. Virgin Airlines, has launched a range of wines with the motto “Unscrew it, let’s do it!”. “Wine, like life, is meant to be enjoyed," said Branson. The wine is described as “wine with an attitude” (whatever that means…?) and will primarily be sold in the US in cooperation with Brown-Foreman. Read more on MSNBC. (Possibly the person on the photo in the article has something to do with the branding of the wine.)
www.msnbc.msn.com
The new appellation Chaume Premier Cru is annulled
New rules for Côtes-du-Rhône Villages
www.admi.net
Quotes - Robert Parker on French classifications
Robert Parker interviewed in the French magazine Paris Match, on the French classification systems:
“The French classification systems are historically important, but the 1855 classification is more a document than a real reflection of today’s big successes. […] I think this type of classification creates too much polemics and controversy. I for one, think that the market situation and the prices that are set by supply and demand are the best indicators of the quality of a wine.”
Comments - Systembolaget dishes out penalties to some of the companies suspected for bribery
On September 2 Anitra Steen, Managing Director of Systembolaget AB, announced what measures would be taken by Systembolaget against some of the companies suspected of bribery. Systembolaget is the state owned company that has the monopoly on all retail sales to consumers of alcohol (wine, beer, spirits). Systembolaget has decided to annul purchasing agreements with three importers: Philipson & Söderberg, agreements representing a sales volume of 17 million kroner (4% of the company’s turnover with Systembolaget); Åkesson, 5 million kroner (10% of t/o); and for the third importer, VinTradgårdh, all of the company’s purchasing agreements with Systembolaget are cancelled. In other words, VinTradgårdh is no longer a supplier to Systembolaget. Systembolaget says that the cancellations are an effect of “breach of contract” and not an effect of the alleged bribes. However, some of the companies suspected of bribery have not been touched by these punitive actions. For example, V&S Vin & Sprit, who has several employees involved in the affair and suspected of bribery, has not had any agreements cancelled. V&S Vin & Sprit is the largest Swedish importer and is, just like Systembolaget, state owned. One can only assume that they have not been so abominable as the others. Systembolaget also claims that these punishments should have no effect for consumers or for producers. Producers are welcome to supply their wines through other importers. It seems a rather naïve way of looking at things. Here is the list of the products that are hit by the punitive action.
Here is the list of the products that are hit by the punitive action.
Read more in The Local.
Book Reviews - Touring in Wine Country Burgundy/Bordeaux/Loire/Rhône/Provence
Touring in Wine Country Burgundy/Bordeaux/Loire/Rhône/Provence
Hubrecht Duijker (Mitchell Beazley), ca £10-13. Also exists in French, published by Flammarion
These books were published some years ago but they are books that you don’t want to be without if you travel in wine country. Indispensable. It is a series edited by Hugh Johnson and written by the Duthc author Hubrecht Duijker. (We have not seen the Provence book.) Each book is in a convenient pocket format, following the same logic: the wine region is described sub-district by sub-district, the wines are commented, and some good growers are put forward. There are also some short suggestions for hotels, restaurants and tourist sights. But the best part of the books are the maps: eften very detailed, with suggestions for roads to take, some wine producers and vineyards marked on the maps etc. More or less the same maps as in The Atlas (Hugh J’s) but in a packaging that is perfect for travelling. Buy them and you’ll be urging to get going. (And then you can go on a wine tour with BKWine!)
Click here for more book reviews on my site. You will also find links to on-line book shops on that page.
Book Review - Touring in Wine Country Burgundy/Bordeaux/Loire/Rhône/Provence
These books were published some years ago but they are books that you don’t want to be without if you travel in wine country. Indispensable. It is a series edited by Hugh Johnson and written by the Duthc author Hubrecht Duijker. (We have not seen the Provence book.) Each book is in a convenient pocket format, following the same logic: the wine region is described sub-district by sub-district, the wines are commented, and some good growers are put forward. There are also some short suggestions for hotels, restaurants and tourist sights. But the best part of the books are the maps: eften very detailed, with suggestions for roads to take, some wine producers and vineyards marked on the maps etc. More or less the same maps as in The Atlas (Hugh J’s) but in a packaging that is perfect for travelling. Buy them and you’ll be urging to get going. (And then you can go on a wine tour with BKWine!)
More book reviews!
More link tips
- Interested in combining food and wine? Read Sam Gugino’s recommendations on his site SamCooks.com. (Sam is also a contributing editor to the Wine Spectator.): http://www.samcooks.com/
- Blaxta – a vineyard in Sweden (!) that is described in an article in Indiana Daily Student News!: www.idsnews.com
- A new webcast (or podcast, or web radio) on wine, published by Fine Wine in the UK: www.finewinepress.com
- We were awfully disappointed not to be on the list of the seven best wine blogs listed by the American magazine Food & Wine. I guess we will have to sharpen up… Here’s the list: www.foodandwine.com
- A Franco-American wine newsletter and blog with some very interesting wine selections, by Cynthia Hurley: www.cynthiahurley.com
- Wine bars in Paris and recommended producers: in an article by the American Loire expert Jacqueline Friedrich in the International Herlad Tribune: www.iht.com/articles
- The Wine Yellow Pages? (Blue Pages??) Looking for something on wine? Try www.bluewine.com
- Spittoon.biz runs a regular photo competition for food and drink blogs. The latest winner is Anne’s Food, a Swedish (!) site with some nice food (we think, but have not tested all the recipes) and nice pictures: annesfood.blogspot.com
Wine-On-Line - Some wine sites worth having a look at
>> Monday, August 15, 2005
- Wine Maker Magazine, mostly for the home brewer, but also for others. Quite a lot of interesting info actually. E.g. How to get oak character by using oak cubes? How to deal with brettanomyses? Or what to do with pips and skins after pressing? – http://winemakermag.com
- Screw cap – good or bad? Cork-cork = risk of cork taint (TCA). Screw-cork = risk of reduction (smell of rotten eggs). Curious to know more? Read the article in Wine Business Monthly - www.winebusiness.com
- Do you know what CPM is? Well, it means Cold Prefermentation Maceration (or pré-macération à froid), meaning that you chill the must before fermentation to extract (soak) some additional aromas and colour (the result is different compared to maceration during or after the fermentation). Learn all about it on Vineyard & Winery Management - www.vwm-online.com
Commentary: The Swedish monopoly locks out some of the importers under investigation for bribery
According to Swedish radio and press the monopoly retailer Systembolaget has decided to act against some of the importers/suppliers in Sweden who are under investigation for having bribed personnel at the monopoly. The three importers aginst which the Systembolaget take action are VinTrädgårdh that will not be allowed to supply any products at all in the future to Systembolaget, and Philipsson & Söderberg and Åkesson, both of which will have some of their current products blocked by the monopoly. A representative for the Systembolaget says that the wine producers who are hit by having their wines blocked are welcome back if they work with other importers. Systembolaget’s actions seems (again) a bit odd and premature, just like when they fired their employees suspected for taking bribes before any court ruling was made that established any guilt or not. None of the three suppliers have so far been tried and convicted in the legal process.
The lawyer representing Systembolaget said in an interview with Ekot (Swedish radio): “If later it turns out that the individual action did not represent bribery may not be of any importance. This type of actions are anyway against the agreements between the Systembolaget and the suppliers”. “Not important”... well it certainly is for the importers and for the wine producers. But with that reasoning it also means that Systembolaget refers to a private agreement that no outsider has any insight into (and cannot question the validity of)…
Cannot help wondering how Systembolaget decided which of the wine producers should have their products blocked. Purely by hazard or did they evaluate who had drawn the most benefits from the alleged bribes?
One can also not help wondering why the other importers who are involved in the investigation have not been hit with the measures. For example, the importer V&S Vin & Sprit AB who has five employees under investigation for bribery. They happen to be owned by the government, just like Systembolaget and is by far the largest supplier.
If there have been bribes it is certainly deplorable and immoral, but the most sad thing in this story seems to be the actions of Systembolaget. But then again, there is an easy way to avoid this kind of scandals in the future: abolish the monopoly.
What is your opinion? Make your voice heard by commenting on this article.
Book Review: Biodynamic Wines
Biodynamic Wines (Mitchell Beazley)
Monty Waldin
This is a somewhat heavy book, but if you are interested in the principles of biodynamic wine growing this book gives you all the information you need. It’s written by a knowledgeable person who has worked, among others, with Fetzer Vineyards, one of the pioneers on biodynamics in California. The first part tells you about the history behind the philosophy and how it is used in the vineyard (including how to prepare biodynamic compost) and the second part lists, with extensive information, a number of biodynamic growers around the world.
Read more book reviews on the site. There you can also order the books from a book shop on-line.
Book Review: The World Atlas of Wine
The World Atlas of Wine, 5th edition (Mitchell Beazley)
Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson
If you want to learn a little about every wine region in the world, this is the book for you. The first edition was written by Hugh Johnson in 1971 and 30 years after, in 2001, this 5th edition, with Jancis Robinson as co-author, was published. You’ll find short but fact-filled information on every wine region imaginable and an introduction to the history of wine, viticulture and vinification. Beautiful pictures and very good maps.
More reviews or if you want to buy the book: our book pages
Wine exports in 2004 – France still in the lead, but only just
France was still the world’s biggest exporter of wine in 2004 but the distance to the number two, Italy, has diminished dramatically. Here are the statistics, in million of hectolitres, and the percentage change from 2003:
- France 14.21 Mhl (-6%)
- Italy 14.20 Mhl (+9.9%)
- Apain 13.5 Mhl (+9.4%)
- Australia 6.4 Mhl (+19.9%)
- USA 3.9 Mhl (+17.6%)
- Portugal 3.1 Mhl (+2.1%)
- Germany 2.7 Mhl (-2.3%)
- South Africa 1.8 Mhl (+0.5%)
- Argentina 1.6 Mhl (-16%, but +36% if you look at the value!)
- New Zealand 0.3 Mhl (+14.8%)
Scrap the monopoly and get more consumer choice, better service and C$200 more in state revenues - according to expert panel
Ontario has a alcohol monopoly just like the Scandinavian countries Sweden, Finland and Norway. Earlier this year an expert committee was appointed by the LCBO (Liquor control Board of Ontario) to review the benefits of the monopoly and its future. This is what the chairman of the committee says in his introduction to the final report that has just been published:
Begin quote
” The [current] system is inflexible and there are many anomalies and inequities. If we could go back to the drawing board, no one would design an ideal system this way.
… The challenge you put to us was to determine if the beverage alcohol system is delivering the maximum benefits to the people of Ontario. It is not.
The overriding government objective remains as valid today as it was in 1927 - to reduce the potential harm from beverage alcohol.
… Our conclusion: in order to ensure the socially responsible sale and use of beverage alcohol, it is not necessary for government to own and operate retail and wholesale facilities itself. In the 21 st century, government can protect the public interest just as well, if not better, through modern regulatory tools such as pricing policies and active enforcement.
… Monopolies lock up economic value, and uncompetitive markets hold back innovation and value creation, leaving untapped revenue "on the table." We believe this revenue, which we estimate to be in excess of $200 million annually, should accrue to the people of Ontario.
… We unanimously recommend that the government create a regulated, competitive market that would expand opportunities for producers, improve convenience and selection for consumers, extract the government from commercial risks and increase revenues for the public purse - all while protecting social responsibility.
… We conservatively estimate that, following a transition period, this plan would produce at least $200 million more government revenue than the government currently receives from the beverage alcohol system.
… After 78 years, action is long overdue.
I close with what I believe are the real outcomes of our recommendations:
1. the consumer would get greater convenience and choice and would benefit from a competitive retail environment;
2. the government would remove itself from investment risk while increasing its annual revenues;
3. Ontario would continue to benefit from sound social responsibility practices; and
4. the existing commercial inequities would have been materially addressed.
(Signed)
John Lacey
Chair”
End quote
Read the full report here http://www.beveragealcoholreview.on.ca/. Your own comments here in the BKWine brief Blog...
Californian vintage wine with 15% younger wine?
U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) has proposed a change in the rules for labelling vintage wines: the proposal says that it would suffice with 85% of the wine to come from one vintage to be allowed to put the year ion the label. Today it has to be 95% from the specified vintage. The proposal only cconcerns state or county labelled wines (e.g. Monterey County or Sonoma County). More exact designations (like for example Napa Valley) would keep the 95% rule. Both Napa Valley Vintners and California Association of Winegrape Growers are expected to opposed the proposal. As they say in the Sanfransisco Chronicle, there is a risk that the consumer and the press might interpret the change as a lowering of quality requirements in Californian wines. Perhaps not so surprising, is it? Read more on SFGate.com
Read more...Michel Rolland hired as consultant for Antinori
The famous wine consultant Michel Rolland (perhaps most famous to the public for his “contribution” in the wine film Mondovino) has also been hired by Antinori to work with Tenuta Campo di Sasso. According to Decanter he will spend 4-5 days per year on the estate.
Read more...Antinori hires Swedish wine maker Helena Lindberg for new venture
Antinori has recruited the Swedish (!) winemaker Helena Lindberg to manage the Tenuta Campo di Sasso winery. Campo di Sasso has already launched a mid range/entry level wine called Insolio del Cinghiale (Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) and plan to launch next year a top range wine called Il Pino di Biserno (who said that French wine names were difficult to remember?). Helena has previously worked in Bordeaux, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. She will also be helping Antinori with a new vineyard venture in New Zealand. www.campodisasso.com (another of these annoying animated Flash sites…)
Read more...
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