winefeed

Paul Boutinot steps back from distributor, focuses on South African estate

• Paul Boutinot, founder of Boutinot Wines, sold the distributor to its management team in 2013 after building it from a Stockport operation into a UK leader.
• Boutinot launched the business in 1980 importing French wines to independent restaurants, then created his own Cuvée Jean-Paul label in 1983, reaching one million bottles sold within eight years.
• The 2013 buyout was led by Dennis Whiteley, Michael Moriarty and Tony Brown MW, all long-serving executives who had helped build the company.
• Since the sale, Boutinot has concentrated on Waterkloof, a South African estate he has developed over more than 20 years as his focus shifted beyond France into the New World.

Adelaide winery Heartland Wines enters administration with $3.6m debt

• Heartland Wines, Adelaide-based producer of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, appointed administrators Daniel Lopresti and Anna Agostino of Clifton Hall on 15 June after $3.6m total debt.
• Westpac, largest secured creditor, provided overdraft and credit card facility that reached A$1.2m by mid-June; directors revealed wine stock worth far less than book value.
• Stock valued at approximately A$1.1m realisable value versus significantly higher recorded book value, reflecting years of unadjusted inventory on balance sheet.
• Collapse reflects broader Australian wine crisis: harvest fell 19% year-on-year to 1.27m tonnes, lowest in 25 years; vintage value dropped 26% to A$837m.
• Administrators pursuing sale or recapitalisation while company trades normally; all employees retained pending outcome.

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.
• US buyers paid an average 1.1% above market price in Q2, supporting price stability across the Fine Wine 1000 index.
• Asian buyers reduced activity year-to-date, with shipping costs rising up to 60% due to the Iran War.
• All major fine wine indices stabilised in H1 2026 despite individual vintage price volatility, though overall trade volumes remain depressed.
• Liv-ex expects price stability to continue if US buying sustains through H2 and purchase prices remain at or above market levels.

Australian harvest hits 25-year low as demand and weather crush output

• Australia's 2026 wine harvest fell to 1.27 million tonnes, down 19% from 2025 and 25% below the 10-year average, the lowest in 25 years.
• Vintage value plummeted 26% to A$837 million despite the smaller crop, with grape prices declining 6% on average year-on-year.
• Red varieties drove the decline, accounting for 80% of the output loss, while white grapes fell 9% and now comprise the majority of crush for only the second time in 12 years.
• Peter Bailey, market insights manager at Wine Australia, attributed the sustained underperformance to a structural reset in global demand rather than temporary conditions.
• Late frosts, heatwaves and flooding across Australian regions compounded weak export demand, with no price recovery anticipated for red wine despite significant vineyard culling.

Rioja brands Federico Paternina, Lagunilla auctioned in insolvency sale

• IAG Auction is selling four established Rioja brands belonging to Marqués de la Concordia Group on 27-29 July as part of insolvency proceedings.
• Federico Paternina, Lagunilla, Marqués de la Concordia and Rioja Santiago generated €18.49 million in normalised Rioja DO sales during 2019-21, with Federico Paternina accounting for 52%.
• The brands collectively achieved 41% export sales historically, with Nordic countries and Central Europe representing 27.72% and 21.93% of overseas revenue respectively.
• The auction offers buyers established trademarks with international recognition and decades of history rather than requiring them to build new brands from scratch.
• The sale is open to wine producers, investment funds and international companies bidding through IAG's digital platform after advance registration and deposit payment.

Profitable Napa wineries build loyalty through hospitality as half the region loses money

• 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 Napa producers, 49 percent of the region, rely on member clubs, immersive tastings, and direct-to-consumer sales over transactional tasting-room visits.
• Chateau Montelena president Matt Crafton credits multi-tiered membership programs and off-site member events like Iceland tours to building stronger, longer relationships than walk-in traffic.
• Domaine Carneros CEO Remi Cohen and Baldacci Family Vineyards general manager Kellie Duckhorn report membership growth and higher average spending per guest despite overall visitation drops since 2022.
• Access to premium grapes from waitlisted vineyards like Beckstoffer and Hyde has improved as crop glut and falling grape prices ease supply constraints for profitable producers.

Freemark Abbey opens library to London trade with thirty-year vertical

• Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley historic winery, hosts masterclass at Princess Alexandra Hall on 22 July with winemaker Kristy Melton and Patrick Schmitt MW to present its work to London trade and press.
• Nine wines spanning 1995 to 2023 from the winery's library since the 1960s will showcase two decades of Cabernet Sauvignon, including single-vineyard Bosché and Sycamore expressions from Rutherford.
• Melton, winemaker since 2020 with laboratory science background, continues predecessor Ted Edwards' precision-focused approach: elegant, restrained, age-worthy style built on fermentation control and French oak.
• Vertical tasting demonstrates Freemark Abbey's consistent house style across vintages while revealing how terroir shifts between sites: Bosché gravelly soil yields concentration and balance; Sycamore closer to mountains shows darker fruit and earthiness.
• New UK distribution partnership marks charm offensive to build market recognition for estate best known for competing in 1976 Judgment of Paris and pioneering cellar-door tastings and vineyard-designated wines.

Green Awards 2026 opens with new co-operative producer category and sustainability forum

• The Drinks Business Green Awards 2026 opened entries on 18 September deadline, adding Best Co-operative Wine Producer of the Year category to recognise collaborative models.
• A new one-day Green Day forum in November will precede the awards ceremony, featuring panel discussions on biodiversity, certification costs, technology access for small growers, and ethical labour.
• Green Day includes a walk-around tasting of highest-scoring Global Green Masters wines, certified sustainable bottles, and co-operative-produced wines for producers, importers and regional bodies.
• 2025 winners included Sogrape for logistics, Domaine Bousquet for company performance, and The Wine Society for retail, demonstrating sustainability can reduce resource use and strengthen brand narrative.
• Participating producers receive online tasting commentary and social media promotion alongside the ceremony.

Old Vine Photography Competition crowns inaugural winners across three continents

• The Old Vine Conference announced winners from Australia, Bolivia and Spain on 15 July after 272 entries and 3,664 votes across four categories.
• Consorzio di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG sponsored the inaugural competition to raise visibility of old vineyards and their communities.
• Old Vine Conference executive director Belinda Stone stated photography creates an emotive bridge connecting wineries and heritage vines with consumers.
• Alessia Antinori, representing the 26th generation of Marchesi Antinori, assumed the presidency of Primum Familiae Vini for 2026-2027, choosing Art, Architecture and Wine as her theme.
• Antinori described great wine as a cultural artefact expressing territory, people and history rather than merely an agricultural product.

Rosé's growth risks derailment if producers strip away taste for leanness

• Rosé is among wine's few growth categories, beloved across age groups from Jeremy Clarkson to Kylie Jenner, while most wine regions face oversupply and falling consumption.
• The category's appeal rests on balance: dry and crisp yet soft, with red-berry and stone-fruit weight, avoiding the divisiveness of Sauvignon Blanc or delicacy of Pinot Grigio.
• Patrick Schmitt MW observed in his Global Rosé Masters blind tasting that many producers are trending toward excessive leanness, herbaceous notes, and hardness, abandoning the ripe-fruit texture that built rosé's success.
• This stylistic drift mirrors Chardonnay's failed "cool-climate" swing toward skinny, buttery excess; consumers rejected that shift, and rosé risks similar backlash if producers over-correct.
• Schmitt urges everyday rosé to retain moderate alcohol and fruit ripeness while encouraging experimentation at the premium end; drinkers seeking dilution will ice their own glasses.

Champagne houses turn artists and icons into marketing assets

• Ruinart commissioned Czech artist Alphonse Mucha in 1895 to design a Champagne poster, establishing a trend of creative partnerships across the region.
• Veuve Clicquot partnered with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in 2021 on La Grande Dame 2012, using her polka-dot motif; the limited edition sold out rapidly and raised the cuvée's prestige status.
• Dom Pérignon launched its largest campaign in May with seven cultural figures including actor Zoë Kravitz and artist Takashi Murakami promoting four new vintages at a Tate Modern event.
• Moët & Chandon replaced Ferrari as Formula 1's official sparkling wine in a 10-year deal reported worth £750 million, leveraging sports sponsorship alongside Pharrell Williams bottle designs.
• Piper-Heidsieck will release magnums and jeroboams featuring Marilyn Monroe imagery by artist Russell Young to mark her centenary, capitalizing on her 1950s endorsement of the house.

Trinchero and Joel Gott launch Sauvy B, electrolyte-spiked wine spritzer for young 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 electrolytes.
• Winemaker Joel Gott, whose brands Joel Gott Wines and Three Thieves are part of Trinchero's portfolio, developed the product to introduce wine to younger consumers through a format they find appealing.
• Sauvy B is 90 percent sparkling water and 9 percent Sauvignon Blanc with natural fruit flavoring, launched in grapefruit and lime with pineapple and watermelon variants expected this fall.
• The 4.5 percent ABV matches competing electrolyte RTDs like Stateside Brands' Super Lyte and Svedka's Vodka Water, which target health-conscious drinkers seeking lower-alcohol, canned beverages.
• Four-packs retail for $14 and will reach Target, Walmart, and Total Wine & More nationwide by end of week, with on-premise distribution beginning in October.

Fifteen US sommeliers name expensive Bordeaux worth premium prices

• Fifteen US restaurant and retail sommeliers were asked which three-figure Bordeaux bottles justify their cost to splurge-ready drinkers.
• Château Palmer, Château Lafleur, and La Mission Haut-Brion emerged as frequently cited picks, valued for emotional complexity, family stewardship, and terroir over brand prestige.
• Sommeliers favored estates with transparent farming practices and winemaking philosophy: Pontet-Canet for biodynamics, Le Puy for seven-generation family continuity, Lafleur for precise vineyard care.
• Several 'Super Second' growths like Ducru-Beaucaillou and Cos d'Estournel ranked above first growths, offering equal quality at lower cost for knowledgeable buyers.
• Respondents emphasised savory complexity, longevity, and memorable character over the Bordeaux name or official classification as reasons to pay premium prices.

Ten lesser-known Scotch brands worth exploring beyond household names

• Monkey Shoulder, a blended Speyside Scotch, became the default cocktail mixer for bartenders and works in classic drinks like the Bobby Burns through balanced honey, vanilla, and citrus notes.
• Glenglassaugh's Sandend bottling, finished in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks, delivers tropical flavors like pineapple and grapefruit, positioning it as an entry point for drinkers who believe all Scotch tastes of peat and iodine.
• Bruichladdich's The Classic Laddie is an unpeated Islay Scotch with fruity, spicy, and salty notes, breaking the false narrative that Islay whisky must be heavily peated.
• Glendronach's Original 12 Year expression, matured in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks under master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, delivers warm spice and autumnal fruit flavors.
• Compass Box's Artist Blend, a six-whisky blend inspired by Edinburgh, offers creamy notes of baking spice, apple, and stone fruit, and performs well in Scotch cocktails like the Rob Roy.

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

• Hundreds of grape seeds from Texas will orbit the International Space Station for six months as part of a Texas A&M University study of cosmic radiation's impact on plant genetics.
• Aerospace students Coby Arnold and Arvind Subramanyam designed a protective carrier allowing seeds to survive radiation exposure while triggering measurable genetic changes.
• Upon return, seeds will be planted at AgriLife Research vineyard alongside control samples to compare growth, genetics, and grape production for radiation-induced differences.
• Three varieties including Lomanto, a Texas cultivar bred by T.V. Munson, were selected for traits including disease resistance and climate tolerance valued by growers.
• Researchers aim to determine whether radiation-induced mutations could improve grape breeding or crop resilience, potentially enabling wine production from space-exposed seeds within years.

Grape sunburn shifts vineyard practices as heat waves reach cooler regions

• Sunburn in grapes is a stress response to excess light and extreme berry-surface heat; direct sun can raise fruit temperature 22-27°F above air temperature, triggering cell death and flavor damage within minutes.
• Chris Tanghe, director of education for GuildSomm, identifies sunburned wine by flattened fruit, oxidized bitterness, and notes of rubber, asphalt, and creosote; the damage also produces high alcohol, low acidity, and premature aging.
• Producers including Tyrrell's in Hunter Valley and Chêne Bleu in Ventoux have stopped or severely restricted summer leaf removal and shifted to kaolin clay sprays, which cool canopies up to 9 degrees Celsius in trials.
• As climate change pushes heat waves into traditionally moderate regions, vineyard design and canopy management, once tools for ripeness, are becoming tools for protection against fruit damage.

Mourvèdre Thrives in Heat but Struggles With Drought as French Producers Adapt

• Mourvèdre, long prized in Bandol for heat tolerance, now faces new stress from severe drought and erratic weather, forcing producers to rethink canopy and irrigation practices.
• Jean-François Ott at Domaines Ott and others are experimenting with higher gobelet training and dense canopy management to shade grapes from extreme sun and slow ripening cycles.
• A three-year drought in Jumilla from 2022 to 2024 killed even old bush vines, pushing growers to adopt irrigation despite fears it will dilute terroir expression.
• Bandol's cooler sites traditionally reserved for rosé are now being planted with red varieties as climate shifts, potentially reducing rosé production from its current 75 percent of regional output.
• Ground cover crops and deeper vine root systems help retain soil moisture, though experts debate whether some high-altitude parcels offer long-term survival odds as heat and dryness intensify.

Highlights: Château La Négly La Brise Marine Blanc 2021 La Clape, France

• Château La Négly La Brise Marine Blanc 2021 La Clape contains Roussanne, Bourboulenc, and Clairette; 13.5% alcohol.
• The 2021 vintage, nearly five years old, displays citrus, pear, and peachy notes with spicy character and subtle saltiness.
• Current 2025 vintage blends Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Rolle, and Roussanne; retails €12.90 in France.
• The 2021 scores 92/100 and is stocked at UK Tesco (£23) and Quercus Wines (£18).

Vinography Unboxed: Week of 7/12/26

Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up on my doorstep asking

Thinking & Drinking: Shower Wines

• Author selected seven still wines under $20 for a wedding shower in New Jersey, mixing rosé, white, red, and orange varieties for accessibility and fun.
• WineWorks, a suburban liquor store in Marlton, New Jersey, stocks mass-market wines alongside quality selections curated by buyer Charlie.
• Author argues the American wine distribution system favors corporate industrial wines over thousands of mid-sized wineries making honest wines at similar price points.

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

• Charly, from Burgundy, relocated to Lower Austria a decade ago and produces wines under his own label with a French sensibility using Austrian varieties.
• Charly's Blauer Portugieser 2023, sourced from grower Christoph Hoch, displays ripeness, vivid fruit, and creamy texture unusual for the variety.
• Charly owns one hectare and sources additional grapes from organic or biodynamically farmed vineyards.
• Charly's Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, and Zweigelt 2023 are available from Gute Weine for €27 per bottle with EU delivery.

Marketing Natural Wine

• Natural wine market expands at approximately 13% annually, significantly outpacing the struggling broader wine market.
• Paris alone has 600 natural wine bars according to French app Raisin, with bars proliferating across Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Georgia legislates natural wine as wine from spontaneous fermentation of organically grown grapes with sulphur dioxide limited to maximum 40 mg/l.
• Research by Sophie Parker-Thomson MW found wines with no added SO₂ contained highest levels of biogenic amines, contradicting the natural wine movement's sulphur dioxide narrative.
• Natural wine producers use bolder, more intentional design and distinctive labels with creative names and artistic imagery, differentiating wines before consumers taste them.

Notable Releases from Troon Vineyard

• Troon Vineyard released 2025 Vermentino and 2023 Syrah from Oregon's Applegate Valley.
• Troon Vineyard farms biodynamic and regenerative organic certified vineyards in Grant's Pass, western Applegate Valley.
• Troon uses ambient cultures for fermentation, minimal sulfites, neutral barrels, and no new oak aging.
• Applegate Valley's alluvial soils, Mediterranean sun exposure, and cold night temperatures from Siskiyou Mountains influence wine ripeness.

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).
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's Coram products are already listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
• Huangjiu shows its best between three and eight years of aging; most huangjiu loses freshness after 10 years, contrary to the assumption that older always means better.
• Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through a specialized process: rice is soaked, steamed, saccharified with wild yeast, then co-fermented 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, released a dessert wine requiring 20 years of aging, driven by personal passion for the style.