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Rioja brands including Federico Paternina go to auction in July insolvency sale

• IAG Auction will sell four major Rioja trademarks from Marqués de la Concordia Group on 27-29 July as part of insolvency proceedings involving United Wineries entities.
• The portfolio includes Federico Paternina, Lagunilla, Marqués de la Concordia and Rioja Santiago, all with decades or over a century of family ownership and international recognition.
• Between 2019-21 the four brands generated €18.49 million in normalised Rioja DO sales, with Federico Paternina earning 52% and Lagunilla 29% of that total.
• Exports represented 41% of historical sales, with Nordic countries accounting for 27.72% of overseas revenue and Central Europe for 21.93%, offering geographic diversification.
• The sale is open to wine producers, industry operators, investment funds and international companies seeking to acquire established brands rather than build new ones from scratch.

New Generation Wines acquires Bancroft Wines to expand UK reach

• New Generation Wines, a UK wine importer and wholesaler, is acquiring Bancroft Wines to create a larger combined business serving retailers and hospitality operators.
• The merged company will offer a broader portfolio of producers, including Boekenhoutskloof, The Chocolate Block, and Porseleinberg, with greater market reach and operational scale.
• New Generation Wines managing director James McKenna said the deal strengthens the business against current economic pressures and positions it for sustainable growth.
• Customer contacts, ordering processes and supplier relationships will remain unchanged during an initial transition period, with full integration planned for January 2027.
• Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition reflects ongoing consolidation in the UK wine sector amid changing consumer spending and hospitality industry challenges.

Goedhuis Waddesdon reports £1.8m loss year after merger, eyes growth ahead

• Fine wine merchant Goedhuis & Co and Rothschild distributor Waddesdon Wine merged in November 2023; combined results for year to March 2025 showed £1.8m loss before tax versus £938k prior year, with gross margin falling to 18% from 23%.
• Merger timing proved difficult: the companies merged into growth but faced falling fine wine values and high producer release prices; merger costs themselves accounted for much of the loss, according to commercial director Helen Miller.
• Turnover rose to £37.1m and is forecast at £42m this year; commercial division grew 50% through new retail partnerships including Majestic, Ocado, and Tesco placements with Rothschild wines.
• Private client team saw fine wine market weakness offset by en primeur success in 2025, with whole barrel selling to merchants boosting volumes; Miller reported uptick in fine wine sentiment and strong customer retention.
• Waddesdon Rothschild house wine collection faces supply constraints on Piquepoul and Viognier; merchant reports growth across five-star hotels and on-trade wholesale despite navigating premium positioning carefully.

MDCV UK takes production and distribution stake in Après Provence

• MDCV UK, a Provence wine distributor, has taken over production and UK distribution of Après Provence, a Côtes de Provence rosé launched in 2025 at Château des Bertrands.
• Après Provence will leverage MDCV's winemaking expertise in Provence and its established on-trade and retail channels to accelerate growth beyond its current 200 premium UK accounts.
• Since launch, Après Provence has secured listings in premium hospitality and retail, won three awards, and became exclusive rosé supplier for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on 25-26 July.
• Gary Smith, CEO of MDCV UK, positioned the deal as a way to grow the Provence rosé category alongside MDCV's existing brands Ultimate Provence and Château de Berne.
• Tom Glanfield and Andy Turley, CEO and managing director of Après Provence, stated the partnership provides scale and support while preserving the brand's 'Rosé Without Rules' positioning for younger drinkers.

Half of Napa vineyards unprofitable; survivors pivot to hospitality and club models

• WineBusiness Monthly's annual survey found 50 percent of Napa vineyards reported declining revenue and 51 percent saw profit drops in the past two vintages.
• Profitable wineries are shifting away from high-price tastings and walk-in traffic toward membership clubs, direct-to-consumer sales, and experiential hospitality with lower entry costs.
• Chateau Montelena president Matt Crafton credits member engagement and off-site events over tasting room visits; Domaine Carneros CEO Remi Cohen saw specialty bookings jump 7 percent year-over-year.
• Baldacci Family Vineyards saw tasting room revenue drop 11 percent and on-site traffic decline 21 percent, yet average order values are up among fewer, more committed visitors.
• Declining grape prices have opened access to premium fruit from vineyards like Beckstoffer and Hyde that previously had decades-long waitlists, offering profitable growers a cost advantage.

Breaky Bottom, England's pioneering vineyard, listed at £4 million after founder's death

• Breaky Bottom Vineyard near Lewes, Sussex, founded by Peter Hall in 1974, has been listed for sale for the first time following Hall's death in October 2025.
• The estate carries a £4 million guide price and includes 15 acres of land, a functioning vineyard with six acres under vine, a farmhouse, winery barn and production facilities.
• Hall's sparkling wines, made from Seyval Blanc and a Chardonnay-Pinot Noir-Pinot Meunier blend, were served at the coronation of King Charles III, the Platinum Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics.
• Knight Frank's viticulture team expects international interest, citing strong demand for small-scale, terroir-driven producers despite broader wine market challenges.
• The sale reflects growing investor interest in English wine, which produced 16.5 million bottles in 2025, up 39 percent year on year.

Kopke, Tradición, Argyros win DWWA 2026 Best in Show for aged fortified wines

• Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 named four Best in Show winners, all sweet or fortified wines: Kopke 1957 Colheita Port, Bodegas Tradición VORS 30 Years Amontillado Sherry, Estate Argyros Vinsanto Late Release 2005, and Oremus Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016 Tokaji.
• Kopke's winning Port was vinified in 1957 but bottled in 2026, demonstrating the house's strategy of extended wood ageing followed by bottling on demand; judges praised its finesse and soft-fruited grace in blind tasting.
• Bodegas Tradición's Amontillado underwent a two-phase process: ten years of biological ageing under flor yeast, then over 20 years of oxidative maturation, developing saline nuances and complexity.
• Estate Argyros's Vinsanto aged for 16 years in barrel after grapes were sun-dried for 12-14 days on Santorini, concentrating sugars while retaining acidity and volcanic character.
• Oremus's Tokaji involved manual selection of botrytised berries mixed at a 6 puttonyos ratio into fermenting juice, then aged two years in Hungarian oak barrels plus 4-6 years post-bottling.

Trinchero launches electrolyte-spiked wine spritzer to court younger drinkers

• Trinchero Family Wines and winemaker Joel Gott released Sauvy B, a canned wine spritz blending 9 percent Sauvignon Blanc with sparkling water, Himalayan salt, and citrus flavoring at 4.5 percent ABV.
• The product targets health-conscious younger consumers seeking electrolytes and hydration, available in grapefruit and lime with pineapple and watermelon versions launching fall 2024.
• Gott positioned Sauvy B as a gateway product to introduce wine into younger drinkers' routines, hoping they graduate to traditional wine consumption at restaurants.
• Four-packs retail for $14 through Target, Total Wine & More, Walmart nationwide, and Albertsons and Safeway in southern California and Texas, rolling out nationwide by January 2027.
• The release mirrors recent low-ABV RTD launches from competitors like Stateside Brands and Svedka, signaling a broader market shift toward functional ready-to-drink beverages.

Michelin Guide's inaugural winery ratings spark Burgundy producer backlash

• Michelin Guide launched 'Grape Selection' ratings for Burgundy estates last week, marking its first winery ranking system using a one-to-three grape scale modeled on its restaurant stars.
• Ninety-four Burgundy producers were rated on vineyard agronomy, winemaking technique, consistency, and identity; nine estates including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti earned three grapes, while lesser-known domaines like Domaine Cécile Tremblay also ranked highly.
• Michelin international director Gwendal Poullennec stated the selection rewards technical precision and individual expression over vineyard prestige, reflecting Burgundy's diverse approaches to quality.
• Domaine Arnoux Lachaux, rated one grape, formally requested removal from the guide, stating it has deliberately avoided press reviews and ratings since 2020 and never submitted wines to Michelin.
• Bordeaux is scheduled to receive its own Grape Selection ratings next, expanding Michelin's new winery evaluation system beyond Burgundy.

French regulators approve back-sweetening of table wines up to 9g/l

• France's INAO approved back-sweetening of table wines up to 9 grams per litre in November 2025, allowing producers to add sweetness after fermentation but before bottling.
• Bordeaux and Rhône regions are now trialling sweeter wines to match consumer demand for softer, fruitier, lower-alcohol styles, with Côtes du Rhône seeking approval for up to 9g/l sugar.
• Sweeter wines by the glass are already common in US casual dining and spreading in France, marketed as entry points for younger, less experienced drinkers into wine.
• Back-sweetened table wines contain far more residual sugar than traditional dry wines, which typically hold under 5g/l; Apothic red contained 16.4g/l when it reached UK shelves in 2013.

Fifteen sommeliers name expensive Bordeaux bottles worth the premium price

• Fifteen US restaurant sommeliers were asked which three-figure Bordeaux bottles justify their price tags.
• Scott Woltz, beverage director at Bibliotheque in New York, picks Château Palmer for its emotional depth and Burgundian perfume of violets and graphite beneath its technical excellence.
• Julie Dalton, master sommelier at Stella's Wine Bar in Houston, favors Château Haut-Brion's angular minerality and rusticity over the four other first growths.
• Cody Pruitt, co-owner of Capitaine and Chateau Royale in New York, argues Château Lafleur offers better value than peers because pricing reflects farming and craftsmanship rather than brand reputation alone.
• Other recommended splurges include Château Lafleur in Pomerol, Château Pontet-Canet for biodynamic farming, La Mission Haut-Brion, and Château d'Yquem dessert wine.

Sicily unifies wine identity under broad DOC as tourism and TV boost demand

• Sicilia DOC, established in 2011 after years of negotiation, simplifies regional identity and lets producers balance broad appeal with sub-regional distinction.
• The White Lotus TV series set in Taormina sparked international interest; Americans now seek indigenous Sicilian grapes like Grillo and Nero d'Avola rather than generic Italian wine.
• Post-COVID travel boom positioned Sicily as a top US destination, creating a souvenir effect where visitors return home seeking wines they discovered on the island.
• Sicilia DOC producers like Tasca d'Almerita offer diverse styles across regions, from Pantelleria dessert wines to Mount Etna minerality, all unified under one appellation.

Ten lesser-known Scotch brands worth exploring beyond household names

• VinePair identified ten Scotch brands overlooked by mainstream drinkers that challenge the myth that all Scotch is heavily peated.
• Monkey Shoulder, a Speyside blended Scotch, dominates cocktail bars as the default mixer, proving lesser-known brands shape drinking culture.
• Glenglassaugh Sandend and Ardbeg 10 serve as entry points for Scotch newcomers by offering approachable flavor profiles without heavy peat.
• Bruichladdich's Classic Laddie and Glengoyne's White Oak demonstrate that unpeated or lightly peated Islay and Highland expressions appeal to drinkers seeking alternatives.
• Master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie's work at Glendronach, Glenglassaugh, and Benriach shows how innovation drives appreciation for overlooked regional distilleries.

Paris bans public drinking as record heatwave strains hospitals

• Paris police chief Patrice Faure banned takeaway alcohol consumption in public from noon Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday, repeating the ban Saturday into Sunday.
• The ban excludes bars and restaurants; only outdoor public drinking is prohibited. Violators face fines but not detention.
• Faure cited heat-induced hospitalizations, including four times the normal rate of cardiac arrests on Wednesday and Thursday, as justification.
• This is Paris's second public drinking ban in a week; the government also banned alcohol at Fête de la Musique music festival last weekend despite evidence of violations.
• The heatwave has also forced postponement of Paris Pride from June to September and suspension of sporting events.

Grape sunburn spreads north as heat waves arrive earlier and hotter

• Sunburn in grapes is a stress response to excess light and extreme berry surface heat, not simple overripeness. Direct sun can push berry temperature 22-27°F above air temperature, causing chlorophyll and polyphenol breakdown.
• Chris Tanghe, MS, director of education for GuildSomm, identified sunburned fruit by sensory markers: flattened fruit, oxidized bitterness, and notes of asphalt, rubber, and creosote that intensify as wine ages.
• Joanna Gambetta, Ph.D., wine scientist at University of Newcastle, found Chardonnay berries show damage within five minutes at surface temperatures of 104-109°F under high light, and necrosis kills cells at 126°F.
• Traditional mid-summer defoliation now increases sunburn risk in warming regions. Producers including Chêne Bleu in Ventoux and Tyrrell's in Hunter Valley have shifted to late-flowering defoliation, kaolin clay sprays, and canopy retention to protect fruit.
• Steve Matthiasson, winemaker at Matthiasson Wines in Napa, emphasizes upstream vineyard design, trellis architecture and shoot placement, over sun exposure to preserve color, acidity, and aromatic compounds.

Mourvèdre thrives in heat but struggles as climate swings to extremes

• Mourvèdre, long grown in hot Bandol and Spanish Jumilla for its heat tolerance, now faces stress from extreme temperatures and multi-year droughts that even old vines cannot survive.
• Bandol producers including Jean-François Ott at Château Romassan and the Gueissards are experimenting with canopy management and cover crops to shade grapes and retain soil moisture.
• Jumilla's planted area halved in 20 years as southern, hotter sites were abandoned; growers now concentrate on higher-altitude parcels with deeper soils and stronger water retention.
• Irrigation, once rejected by dry-farming purists in Bandol and Jumilla, is becoming essential during severe droughts; Bandol director Olivier Colombano warns vines will die without it in extreme years.
• Climate shifts are reshaping wine styles: cooler Bandol sites traditionally used for rosé are being converted to red wine, potentially reducing the region's 75 percent rosé output.

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

• A Burgundy-born winemaker named Charly relocated to Lower Austria a decade ago and now produces wines under his own label with a French sensibility.
• Charly's Blauer Portugieser 2023, made from grapes sourced from Christoph Hoch, features ripeness, vivid fruit, and creamy texture atypical of the variety.
• Charly's Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, and Zweigelt 2023 are available from Gute Weine for €27 per bottle with EU delivery.

Revisiting the brilliant low-intervention wines of Espera, from Portugal’s Lisboa region

• Espera, a natural wine producer in Alcobaça (Lisboa region), is run by Rodrigo Martins and Ana Leal on ten hectares across Alcobaça and Óbidos.
• Espera's soils are clay limestone, with ocean proximity moderating the climate.
• The producer makes low-intervention wines across white, red, and sparkling styles, with six of seven reviewed 2024-2025 releases scoring 93-94 points.

Marketing Natural Wine

• Natural wine is the leading opportunity in wine categories according to IWSR's Opportunity Index and expands globally at around 13% annually, far outpacing the struggling broader wine market.
• Georgia defines natural wine as wine from spontaneous fermentation of organically grown grapes with minimal oenological practices, limiting sulphur dioxide to a maximum of 40 mg/l.
• Research by Sophie Parker-Thomson MW found wines with no added SO₂ contained the highest levels of biogenic amines, contradicting the natural wine movement's focus on sulphur dioxide as a problem.
• Natural wine producers use bolder, more intentional design and branding, with creative names, artistic labels, and quirky closures, but don't necessarily spend more money than conventional producers.
• Natural wine has successfully captured Gen Z consumers and achieved mainstream acceptance, with natural wine bars proliferating across major cities including 600 in Paris alone.

Wine News: What I’m Reading the Week of 7/12/26

Hello and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I

Notable Releases from Troon Vineyard

• Troon Vineyard released 2025 Vermentino and 2023 Syrah from Oregon's Applegate Valley.
• Troon Vineyard practices certified biodynamic and regenerative organic farming in Grant's Pass, at the valley's western end.
• Troon ferments with ambient cultures, uses minimal sulfites at bottling, and ages in neutral barrels, concrete, qvevri, or stainless steel, no new oak.
• Applegate Valley's high-latitude location provides long summer days and heat, with overnight temperature drops from Siskiyou Mountain downslope winds.

The Sysco-ification of Wine

• Gallo controlled 33 percent of all U.S. wine market in 2023 and has since acquired Rombauer, Hahn Family Wines, Massican, Whiny Baby, and Bev canned wine.
• Top 11 wine suppliers controlled 71 percent of U.S. wine in 2024, according to American Association of Wine Economists data.
• Independent wine distributors fell from roughly 3,000 in the 1990s to just over 1,000 today.
• Three dominant distributors, Breakthru, RNDC, and Southern Glazer's, controlled 53 percent of wine and spirits distribution in America as of 2024.
• A Florida beach restaurant wine list of 23 still wines featured only mass-market brands, exemplifying distributor-driven selections available across U.S. restaurants.

Q&8 | Wang Yuanzhu Talks Grapes, Grain & Ancient Wine

• Coram Collective, founded in 2023 with 2024 production, co-ferments rice wine with Chardonnay and Merlot while innovating huangjiu, an ancient Chinese fermented beverage.
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's products are already listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
• Huangjiu typically shows its best between three and eight years of aging; most peak freshness and quality after 10 years.
• Coram's Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice, requiring rice saccharification before co-fermenting with freshly pressed grape juice.
• Wang co-ferments aged Chinese tangerine peel with rice-based huangjiu, inspired by a warm December evening in 2024 when colleagues wanted refreshing beer after rice-steaming work.

A wine of straw

• Dessert wine consumption has declined for approximately 75 years, with no signs of recovery.
• Goût Russe Champagne from the 19th century contained 300g/l of sugar for the Russian market.
• Raül Bobet, co-owner of Ferrer-Bobet in Priorat, Catalunya, released a dessert wine requiring 20 years of aging.