winefeed

Paul Boutinot steps back from wine distributor after five decades

• Paul Boutinot, founder of UK wine distributor Boutinot Wines, sold the company to its management team in 2013, led by Dennis Whiteley, Michael Moriarty and Tony Brown MW.
• Boutinot launched his Stockport-based importer in 1980 after working at J.B. Reynier and Augustus Barnett, building it into one of Britain's leading wine traders over three decades.
• The company pioneered unadorned table wines in the 1980s, with Cuvée Jean-Paul reaching one million bottles annually within eight years despite industry predictions of only three percent market uptake.
• Boutinot applied his natural fermentation philosophy across France, Australia, Chile and South Africa, controlling production directly rather than merely trading.
• Since the 2013 handover, Boutinot's focus has shifted to South Africa's Waterkloof estate, where over 20 years of work are advancing his long-term ambitions.

Drinks Business Green Awards 2026 adds co-operative producer category

• The Drinks Business Green Awards 2026 opens entries until 18 September, with the ceremony and new Green Day forum in November.
• A new Best Co-operative Wine Producer of the Year award will judge collaborative models on wine quality, innovation, sustainability and member support.
• Green Day panels will address biodiversity, certification burden, technology access for small growers, and ethical labour across drinks production.
• Winners receive tastings in a dedicated zone alongside Global Green Masters wines and co-operative producers, plus online promotion.
• Last year's winners included Sogrape, Domaine Bousquet and The Wine Society, demonstrating sustainability's link to reduced resource use and brand value.

Adelaide winery Heartland Wines collapses under $3.6m debt

• Heartland Wines, Adelaide producer of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon sold in Australia and overseas, appointed administrators Daniel Lopresti and Anna Agostino of Clifton Hall on 15 June.
• The winery owes $3.6 million in secured and unsecured debt; Westpac, its largest creditor, had extended overdraft and credit facilities totalling $1.2 million by mid-June.
• Directors reported wine inventory worth $1.1 million in actual fair market value, far below the book value recorded at appointment, revealing longstanding asset revaluation failures.
• Administrators are pursuing sale or recapitalisation options while the business continues trading and retains all employees.
• The collapse follows Australia's lowest wine harvest in 25 years at 1.27m tonnes, down 19% year-on-year, amid global oversupply, weak demand, and loss of the Chinese market.

US buyers drive fine wine price stability in first half of 2026

• US fine wine buyers increased their market share to 26.9% in Q2 2026, up from 20.7% in 2025, according to Liv-ex data, as participants navigated tariffs and depleted stocks.
• American buyers supported price stability by purchasing Fine Wine 1000 bottles at an average 1.1% above market price in Q2, compared to 0.03% in Q1.
• Asian buyers reduced activity, with shipping costs rising up to 60% due to the Iran War, while local trade prices softened despite global price stabilization.
• All major fine wine indices stabilized in H1 2026, though overall trade volumes remained flat as private collectors drove the market and merchants stayed risk-averse.
• Liv-ex forecast continued price stability if US buying increases in H2 and purchase prices hold at or above market levels.

Australian harvest hits 25-year low as prices fall despite smaller crop

• Australia's 2026 crush reached 1.27 million tonnes, down 19% year-on-year and 25% below the 10-year average, according to Wine Australia.
• The vintage's total value fell 26% to A$837 million despite the smaller harvest, with grape prices down 6% on average versus 2025.
• Red grape production plummeted 80% of the total decrease; white varieties now comprise the majority of the crush for only the second time in 12 years.
• Four consecutive vintages below the long-term average suggest Australian winemakers need permanently less tonnage to meet declining global demand, Peter Bailey, manager for market insights at Wine Australia, said.
• Late frosts, heatwaves and flooding across multiple regions compounded production losses as Australia faces a persistent red wine surplus with no recovery in sight.

Champagne houses drive sales through art and celebrity partnerships

• Ruinart commissioned Czech artist Alphonse Mucha in 1895 to design an Art Nouveau poster, pioneering a trend of creative partnerships that continues today with 35 art fair collaborations globally.
• Veuve Clicquot's 2021 collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama on La Grande Dame 2012 labels and gift boxes generated global attention and sold out quickly, raising the prestige cuvée's profile.
• Dom Pérignon launched seven-figure creative campaign in May with Zoë Kravitz, Iggy Pop and Takashi Murakami to promote four new vintage releases, positioning Champagne as cultural catalyst.
• Moët & Chandon replaced Ferrari as Formula 1's official sparkling wine in a reported £750 million ten-year deal, one of sports sponsorship's most lucrative agreements.
• Piper-Heidsieck's 1999 Jean Paul Gaultier corset bottle pioneered Champagne-fashion fusion; house now plans Marilyn Monroe centenary magnums with diamond-dusted portraits by Russell Young.

Marqués de la Concordia Group brands auctioned as insolvency sale

• IAG Auction will sell four major Rioja brands, Federico Paternina, Lagunilla, Marqués de la Concordia and Rioja Santiago, on 27-29 July as part of insolvency proceedings for Marqués de la Concordia Group.
• The portfolio generated €18.49 million in normalised Rioja DO sales during 2019-21, with Federico Paternina accounting for 52% and Lagunilla for 29% of revenue.
• Exports comprised 41% of historical sales, with Nordic countries accounting for 27.72% of overseas revenue and Central Europe 21.93%, showing established international distribution.
• Bidders can acquire trademarks and intangible assets without encumbrances, allowing new owners to accelerate market growth faster than building brands from scratch.
• The auction is open to wine producers, investment funds and international companies through IAG's digital platform, offering a rare opportunity to acquire century-old Rioja names.

Half of Napa vineyards unprofitable; survivors build loyalty through hospitality

• WineBusiness Monthly's annual survey found 50 percent of Napa vineyards reported revenue decline and 51 percent saw profit drop in the past two vintages.
• Audra Cooper, vice president at Turrentine Brokerage, said growers absorbing losses are mothballing acreage or abandoning vineyards; 2026 will be pivotal for the region.
• Profitable Napa wineries are lowering tasting fees, offering members-only experiences, and prioritizing direct-to-consumer sales over walk-in traffic to build loyalty.
• Chateau Montelena, Domaine Carneros, and Eleven Eleven Winery credit membership retention and strong club conversions to personal connection and tailored hospitality over transactional visits.
• Grape price declines have opened access to premium fruit from Beckstoffer and Hyde vineyards with decades-long waitlists, giving wineries a competitive advantage.

Joule's Brewery wins approval for £2m New Inn restoration in Harborne

• Joule's Brewery, a Shropshire independent, secured planning permission to restore The New Inn pub in Birmingham's Harborne suburb with £2 million committed.
• The investment represents the largest single Taphouse project Joule's has undertaken, following two years of community consultation and design work.
• Original Victorian features including the bar and parlour rooms will be preserved, with new spaces and a garden added to secure the building's future.
• Work will begin in 2026 after planning and preparation; the pub will continue operating under current landlords Ade and Bernie until then.
• Anna Brakel, development director at Joule's, credited local support and the planning authority for backing the application to preserve the community pub.

Canadian government backs cider export push with CA$98,450 federal grant

• Cider Canada, a non-profit of 165+ producers founded in 2021, received federal backing from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to expand internationally over two years through March 2028.
• The initiative totals CA$196,900, split equally between federal and industry contributions, to develop export branding, market intelligence and buyer relationships in priority markets including the UK.
• Gabe Cook, chair of judges for the International Cider Awards, noted the category is returning to classic apple ciders rather than flavoured variants, signalling a shift in what international buyers seek.
• Europe held 37% of global cider market share as of 2024, credited to heritage and innovation targeting younger drinkers; Canadian producers aim to compete in that space.
• The project includes a targeted trade mission to the UK, bilingual marketing toolkit and tasting events to establish distributor and retailer networks for Canadian exporters.

Freemark Abbey brings three-decade library to London trade tasting

• Freemark Abbey, a historic Napa Valley estate, hosts a masterclass at Princess Alexandra Hall in London on 22 July led by winemaker Kristy Melton and Patrick Schmitt MW.
• The tasting showcases nine wines spanning 1995 to 2023, including Cabernet Sauvignons from vineyard-designated Bosché and Sycamore alongside regional bottlings, demonstrating consistency across three decades.
• Melton, who became winemaker in 2020, continues the precision-focused approach of predecessor Ted Edwards, using laboratory science to refine wines while maintaining the estate's signature elegance and restraint.
• The library includes back vintages kept since the 1960s, proving the longevity of Freemark Abbey's carefully made wines, which remain in prime condition after decades of ageing.
• New UK distribution partnership aims to build wider recognition of Freemark Abbey among the British trade and press, positioning the winery's classical, age-worthy style against contemporary Napa bombast.

Alessia Antinoli leads Primum Familiae Vini as old-vine photography gains traction

• Alessia Antinori, 26th-generation Marchesi Antinori, became president of Primum Familiae Vini for 2026-2027, succeeding Prince Robert of Luxembourg. She will lead the 12-estate invitation-only group under the theme Art, Architecture and Wine.
• The Old Vine Conference held its inaugural Old Vine Photography Competition on 15 July, receiving 272 entries and 3,664 votes worldwide. Winners came from Australia, Bolivia and Spain across four categories.
• The competition aimed to connect old vineyards and their communities with consumers through photography, sponsored by Consorzio di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
• At London restaurant IGNI, head of wine Alessio Ragusini created 'Liquid Kitchen', a drinks programme where chef Theo Clench ferments and extracts shared ingredients into alcohol-free pairings that complete dishes rather than imitate wine.

Rosé's growth at risk if producers sacrifice flavour for extreme leanness

• Rosé is one of few wine categories growing amid oversupply and reduced consumption, appealing across age groups and backed by celebrities from Jeremy Clarkson to Kylie Jenner.
• The category's success rests on balance: dry and mouthwatering yet soft, with red berry and stone fruit flavours, crisp finish, and structure suited to light meals or aperitifs.
• Patrick Schmitt MW, tasting judge, detected a stylistic drift towards leanness in many rosés entered in The Global Rosé Masters competition this year, some herbaceous or hard.
• Schmitt warns the shift mirrors Chardonnay's over-correction away from oak towards thinness, which consumers rejected; rosé's benchmark brands succeeded by staying balanced, not thin.
• He urges producers to preserve ripe fruit, moderate alcohol, and texture in everyday rosé, reserving experimentation for premium offerings, lest drinkers abandon the category for diluted versions with added ice.

Trinchero and Joel Gott launch Sauvy B, electrolyte-spiked wine spritzer for younger drinkers

• Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits, the third-largest US wine supplier, released Sauvy B, a ready-to-drink wine spritz in 12-ounce cans at 4.5 percent ABV with added Himalayan salt for electrolytes.
• Winemaker Joel Gott partnered on the product to introduce younger consumers to wine through a trendy format, positioning Sauvy B as a gateway to traditional wine appreciation.
• Sauvy B contains 9 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 90 percent sparkling water, and natural fruit flavoring in grapefruit and lime, with pineapple and watermelon versions launching this fall.
• Four-packs retail for $14 and began shipping to Target, Walmart, and Total Wine & More this week, with on-premise availability rolling out from October through January 2027.
• The product joins a wave of health-focused low-ABV RTDs including Stateside Brands' Super Lyte and Svedka's Vodka Water, all positioned around hydration and active lifestyles.

Fifteen sommeliers name expensive Bordeaux bottles worth the premium price

• Fifteen US restaurant sommeliers were asked which three and four-figure Bordeaux bottles justify their cost to discerning drinkers.
• Château Palmer, Château Lafleur, and La Mission Haut-Brion emerged as consensus picks, praised for emotional depth and terroir rather than brand prestige alone.
• Sommeliers favoured estates emphasizing craftsmanship and centuries-old family farming, Château Pontet-Canet and Château Le Puy, over classified-growth status as value markers.
• Right Bank Pomerol and Graves subregion wines were championed as delivering first-growth quality without first-growth price tags.
• One sommelier nominated Château d'Yquem, Bordeaux's flagship dessert wine, as a rare splurge worth sharing across occasions.

Ten lesser-known Scotch brands challenge the peat-bomb stereotype

• A VinePair guide recommends ten Scotch brands beyond household names like Johnnie Walker and The Macallan to deepen appreciation for the category.
• Glenglassaugh Sandend and Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie are unpeated Highlands and Islay expressions respectively, refuting 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 can define how drinkers encounter the category.
• Ardbeg 10 and Glengoyne White Oak offer entry points to peated and non-aged expressions by balancing signature smoke or oak with accessible citrus and fruit notes.
• Master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie of Glendronach, Glenglassaugh, and Benriach demonstrates that lesser-known distilleries employ world-class expertise to create distinct regional expressions.

Texas A&M sends grape seeds to space station to study radiation effects

• Hundreds of grape seeds from Texas will spend six months aboard the International Space Station to measure how cosmic radiation affects plant genetics, led by Texas A&M University researchers.
• Aerospace engineering students Coby Arnold and Arvind Subramanyam designed a protective carrier that shields seeds from lethal radiation while allowing controlled genetic exposure.
• After return to Earth, seeds will be planted at AgriLife Research vineyard alongside unirradiated controls to compare growth, genetics, and grape production for measurable differences.
• Three varieties are included: Lomanto, a historic Texas cultivar from viticulturist T.V. Munson, plus two others chosen for disease resistance and climate tolerance by Texas growers.
• If successful, the project could produce wine from space-exposed grapes within several years and reveal whether radiation-induced mutations improve crop resilience or breeding potential.

Grape sunburn damages flavor as heat waves spread to cooler regions

• Sunburn in grapes is a stress response to excess light and heat; berry surface temperatures 22-27°F above air temperature can trigger damage within minutes at 104-109°F.
• Two forms exist: sunburn browning causes yellow or brown spots on skin; sunburn necrosis kills cells, cracks skins, and shrivels berries, driven primarily by extreme temperature.
• Damaged grapes produce sensory signatures of flattened fruit, oxidized bitterness, rubber, asphalt, and creosote notes in finished wine; damage compounds as wine ages.
• Mid-summer defoliation once standard practice now risks sunburn if heat waves arrive shortly after; early defoliation at flowering allows berries to build photoprotective compounds.
• Producers in Provence and Napa are shifting away from leaf removal, adopting kaolin clay particle films to reflect heat, and redesigning canopy architecture to shade fruit from direct sun.

Heat-Tolerant Mourvèdre Struggles as Southern France Grows Too Hot

• Mourvèdre, bred for heat and drought, is losing balance and elegance in southern France as temperatures rise and drought intensifies, pushing growers to adapt canopy and soil management.
• Jean-François Ott, fourth-generation winemaker at Domaines Ott in Bandol, is experimenting with three-dimensional gobelet and échalas vine training to shade grapes from sunburn.
• A three-year drought from 2022 to 2024 in Jumilla killed even old, deep-rooted bush vines, forcing growers toward irrigation despite concerns over terroir typicity.
• Bandol's cooler, fresher parcels, traditionally reserved for rosé, are now being converted to red wine production as the region shifts to heat-tolerant sites, potentially reducing rosé output.
• Jumilla's cultivated surface area halved over 20 years as southern, hotter parcels were abandoned; remaining vineyards cluster at 600-800 metre altitudes with stronger diurnal temperature swings.

Thinking & Drinking: Shower Wines

• The author selected seven still wines under $20 for a wedding shower, mixing rosé, white, red, and orange varieties to appeal to diverse guests.
• WineWorks, a suburban liquor store in Marlton, New Jersey, stocks mass-market industrial wines alongside quality selections curated by buyer Charlie.
• The author argues the American wine distribution system favors manipulated mass-market brands, blocking thousands of honest mid-tier wineries from shelves.

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

• Charly, a Burgundy native in Lower Austria for a decade, produces wines under his own label with French sensibility and Austrian varieties.
• Charly owns one hectare and sources grapes from organic or biodynamically farmed friends.
• His Blauer Portugieser 2023 (grapes from Christoph Hoch) displays ripeness, vivid fruit, and creamy texture atypical for the variety.
• Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, and Zweigelt 2023 available from Gute Weine at €27/bottle for selected EU countries.

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 across ten hectares in Alcobaça and Óbidos.
• Espera's soils are clay limestone; ocean proximity moderates the climate in this low-intervention winemaking area.
• Espera Curtimenta 2024 uses Fernão Pires with 12 days maceration; Palheto 2024 blends over 20 varieties across two vineyard field blends.
• Six of Espera's 2024-2025 releases scored 93-94 points, including Bical Arinto, Curtimenta, Palheto, NatCool, Castelão, and Alvarinho Na Anfora.

Marketing Natural Wine

• Natural wine market expands at 13% annually, significantly outpacing the broader wine industry, according to DataIntelo Consulting estimates.
• Paris alone has 600 natural wine bars per French app Raisin, with natural wine bars proliferating across major European, North American and Asian cities.
• Georgia defines natural wine as wine from spontaneous fermentation of organically grown grapes with maximum 40 mg/l sulphur dioxide, though definitions remain vague globally.
• Research by Sophie Parker-Thomson MW found wines with no added SO₂ contained the highest biogenic amine levels, contradicting the natural wine movement's sulphur dioxide narrative.
• Natural wine labels use bold, artistic imagery and creative names; designers make intentional branding choices without necessarily spending more money than conventional producers.

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 in Grant's Pass practices certified biodynamic and regenerative organic farming.
• Troon uses ambient cultures for fermentation, minimal sulfite at bottling, and avoids new oak.
• Applegate Valley's alluvial soils, long summer days, and cool nights from Siskiyou Mountains enable Mediterranean grape ripening.

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

• Coram Collective, founded in 2023 with production from 2024, co-ferments rice wine with grape varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot, and innovates huangjiu (yellow wine).
• Coram's products are already listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu since launching last June.
• Huangjiu typically shows its best between three and eight years of aging; most huangjiu is commonly misunderstood as cooking wine when quality versions are meant for drinking.
• Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through co-fermentation, requiring rice to be soaked, steamed, and saccharified before blending with pressed grape juice.

A wine of straw

• Dessert wine consumption has declined for approximately 75 years, with no expected recovery amid concerns about sugar and alcohol content.
• Raül Bobet, co-owner of Ferrer-Bobet in Priorat, Catalunya, releases a dessert wine with a 20-year aging process driven by personal passion for the style.