winefeed

Bird in Hand expands cool-climate operation from Adelaide Hills to Tasmania

• Bird in Hand, founded by Andrew and Susie Nugent in Adelaide Hills in 1997, is opening its first operation outside South Australia in Tasmania's Tamar Valley with a 10-hectare vineyard.
• UK premium wine exports above £7.50 per litre are up 15% while cheap commodity wine declines, creating opportunity for Bird in Hand's terroir-focused positioning.
• Tasmania's maritime climate and slower ripening season produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir comparable to cool-climate Burgundy, positioning the region as a centre for premium Australian wine.
• Bird in Hand is expanding hospitality internationally, including a new restaurant at Claridge's in London this summer and partnerships with venues in New York and collaborations with figures including Victoria Beckham.
• The expansion reflects global demand for authentic, premium cool-climate wine as drinkers shift away from commodity products, but the winery will only pursue projects meeting its quality standards.

Bordeaux vineyard land values collapse as sales fall below three million hectolitres

• Bordeaux shipments fell to 2.98 million hectolitres in the 12 months to March 2026, down 12% year-on-year and below three million for the first time in recorded history.
• Vineyard land prices in Médoc have fallen 81.8% since 2018 to €10,000 per hectare; Fronsac down 50% and Bordeaux Rouge down 60.6% over the same period.
• Prestigious appellations proved more resilient: Pauillac land fell 22.7% to €1.7m per hectare, while Margaux dropped 27.3% to €800,000 per hectare.
• Nearly 30,000 hectares of vines were uprooted between 2023 and 2026, with two-thirds receiving government compensation of €4,000 or €6,000 per hectare.
• Producers including Xavier Buffo at Château de la Rivière in Fronsac are consolidating production on best terroirs while selling marginal land to refocus operations.

Taylor's releases first white Port aged over 80 years, priced at £580

• Taylor's, a 300-year-old Port house, has released its inaugural Very Very Old White Port blended from wines aged over 80 years in oak, with some components from 1896.
• The limited-edition VVOP White carries a recommended retail price of £580 per bottle and will be sold through selected fine wine merchants globally.
• Some wines in the blend originated from vineyards submerged beneath the Douro River after 20th-century hydroelectric dam construction, making them irreplaceable.
• The release responds to growing collector and enthusiast demand for rare and historic white ports, according to the company.
• Taylor's commissioned a crystal decanter from Portuguese glassmaker Vista Alegre and redesigned the case using certified sustainable materials.

Taylor's Port cuts bottle weight 24% while keeping iconic design intact

• Taylor's Port, a major fortified-wine producer, reduced its fine-wine bottle from 580g to 440g starting July 21, saving 350 tonnes of glass and 210 tonnes of CO2 yearly.
• CEO Adrian Bridge deliberately downplayed the change, arguing consumers should not notice the lighter bottle on shelf and that genuine sustainability matters more than marketing claims.
• The debossed lettering on the bottle's shoulder, an iconic feature from the early 1990s, was preserved despite being a weak point that prevented reaching 420g target weight.
• Taylor's also switched to a fully biodegradable fibre-based stopper and relocated the mold-cavity mark from base to side to allow thinner glass at the punt.
• The company uses recycled Euro-green glass at 85% content, produced by Spanish manufacturer Vidrala in Portugal, and plans to extend the lightweighting to sister brand Croft and other products.

Paul Boutinot steps back from wine distributor after five decades

• Paul Boutinot, who founded the UK wine distributor in 1980 from Stockport, sold the business to its management team in 2013, ending his operational role.
• Boutinot Wines grew from importing French wines to independent restaurants into a major distributor with production operations across France, Australia, Chile and South Africa.
• The 2013 sale to managing directors Dennis Whiteley, Michael Moriarty and Tony Brown MW was structured as a management buyout of people who built the business.
• Boutinot's focus shifted to South Africa's Waterkloof estate, where he has spent over 20 years developing the vineyard toward his long-term vision for the property.
• The company's core philosophy centred on making affordable wines using fine-wine winemaking methods, with no added enzymes, powdered tannins or cold soak.

US buyers drive fine wine market stability in first half 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, offsetting weaker Asian demand.
• US buyers paid an average 1.1% premium above market price in Q2, compared to 0.03% in Q1, supporting price stability across the Fine Wine 1000 index.
• Asian buyers retreated as shipping costs surged up to 60% due to the Iran War, while private collectors now drive the market as merchants remain risk-averse.
• Price stability across major fine wine indices in H1 2026 reflects balanced gains and losses rather than rising demand, suggesting cautious market conditions persist.
• Liv-ex forecasts continued price stability if US buying sustains through H2 2026 at or above current market prices, though geopolitical tensions pose inflationary risks.

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

• Australia's 2026 crush dropped to 1.27 million tonnes, down 19% year-on-year and 25% below the 10-year average, according to Wine Australia.
• Vintage value fell 26% to A$837 million despite the smaller harvest, with grape prices down 6% on average from 2025.
• Red varieties accounted for 80% of the production decline; white grapes now make up the majority of crush for only the second time in 12 years.
• Peter Bailey, market insights manager at Wine Australia, said four consecutive vintages below long-term average suggest a structural reset in global demand for Australian grapes.
• Late frosts, heatwaves and flooding across regions compounded production losses, while the industry faces a persistent red wine glut with no signs of recovery.

Half of Napa vineyards unprofitable; survivors pivot to hospitality and membership.

• WineBusiness Monthly's annual survey found 50 percent of Napa Valley vineyards reported revenue declines and 51 percent saw profit drops in the past two vintages.
• Profitable wineries are abandoning tasting-room foot traffic in favor of direct-to-consumer sales, membership clubs, and off-site hospitality experiences with existing customers.
• Chateau Montelena, Domaine Carneros, and Eleven Eleven Winery report strong retention and conversion by lowering tasting fees, offering tiered memberships, and prioritizing emotional connection over transactional visits.
• Baldacci Family Vineyards saw tasting room revenue drop 11 percent and on-site traffic decline 21 percent year-over-year, but average order values rose among fewer, higher-spending guests.
• Grape prices and unsold inventory have fallen enough to grant premium fruit access from long-waitlisted sources like Beckstoffer and Hyde vineyards.

US union pushes Trump to tariff Mexican beer, shift production home

• The International Brotherhood of Teamsters urged the US Trade Representative to impose significant tariffs on Mexican beer, citing unfair manufacturing advantages including government subsidies and lower labour costs.
• Mexican beer production rose 85% since 2014, with 80% exported to the US, while US brewery capacity utilization fell from 82% in 2013 to 65% in 2023.
• Modelo, Corona, Pacifico (AB InBev) and Tecate (Heineken) are currently brewed in Mexico; the union argues these brands could be produced by US workers using existing recipes.
• The Teamsters publicly backed tariffs as high as 75% on Mexican beer imports, claiming tariffs would restore US brewery jobs across production, farming and distribution.
• Mexico plans to add 19 to 23 million hectolitres of brewing capacity over five years, driven by export tax incentives and industrial policy the union called unfair competition.

Malaysian craft brewery 1602 cleared after smuggling investigation

• 1602, Malaysia's first licensed craft brewery founded February 2023 by Randy Liew and Hans Gerner, was raided July 3 on smuggling suspicion under Malaysia's Customs Act 1967.
• Police seized RM26.6 million in beer and equipment; officials claimed duty was unpaid on tens of thousands of cartons and arrested three Indonesian men.
• Attorney-General's Chambers cleared 1602 of all wrongdoing; company proved domestic production in Kuching and full tax compliance with licenses and documentation.
• All seized products and merchandise were returned, allowing 1602 to resume production and sales without interruption.

Independent wine merchant wins inaugural sustainable buyer award

• Di Camillo, owner of Wine & Such independent shop, won the inaugural Sustainable Wine Buyer award from Decanter's judging panel in 2025.
• Judges found her entry stood out because sustainability shaped her entire sourcing model and day-to-day operations, not just isolated initiatives.
• Majestic won the Sustainable Drinks Buying Team of the Year award, the category's other honour.
• A significant portion of entrants to the competition omitted the sustainability section entirely, suggesting the industry remains inconsistent in prioritizing environmental practice.
• The Sustainable Wine Buyer category was introduced in 2025 as part of the Wine Buyers Awards, launched by Decanter to recognize industry influence on trends and values.

Fine wine merchant targets under-35s with tastings and secondary market advice

• Goedhuis Waddesdon reports strong appetite for fine wine among under-35s, who want education and engagement but shop differently than older generations.
• Young buyers favour mature vintages and secondary market purchases over en primeur, viewing traditional buying methods as outdated or poor value.
• The merchant runs ticketed tastings with minimal sales pressure to build direct relationships, avoiding the 'nebulous concept' of wine on a list.
• Research by Areni Global found young women enter fine wine at near-equal rates to men, but only 25% become regular buyers versus 75% of men, signalling a retention gap.
• Goedhuis Waddesdon achieved 50/50 male-female staff balance post-merger and deliberately opens events to all prospects to widen the customer pool.

Alsace and Côtes du Rhône pitch unified vision to Asian importers

• Alsace Wine Board and Inter Rhône held joint presentations in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, positioning white and red wines as complementary rather than hierarchical.
• Thierry Fritsch, head of training at CIVA (Alsace Wine Board), noted that 75% of Alsace wine sells in France, with Asia widening export reach and challenging assumptions about food pairing with spice.
• Alsace production is shifting: Crémant d'Alsace grew from 14% of output in 1997 to 40% today, while Pinot Noir now comprises 13% of production driven by younger growers trained internationally.
• Côtes du Rhône, a 90-year-old appellation, has evolved its quality pyramid with Cairanne joining the cru tier a decade ago and Laudun promoted to cru status in September 2024.
• Both regions emphasize freshness and generational handover as core strategies, with younger winemakers experimenting with maceration, natural styles and lesser-known varieties to adapt to climate change.

Stuart Ralston and Stuart Skea open Lyla, Edinburgh seafood restaurant with considered wine list

• Chef Stuart Ralston and sommelier Stuart Skea opened Lyla at No. 3 Royal Terrace in Edinburgh, a 28-cover seafood restaurant that pairs Japanese-influenced, high-acid cooking with wine chosen for texture over prestige.
• Group Head Sommelier Stuart Skea, who previously served as head sommelier at the address under Paul Kitching, curated a classical, Eurocentric list with modern additions: growers' champagnes, Spanish regions beyond Rioja, South African producers and Jura wines.
• Ralston describes his palate as very high-acid, checking richness with citrus, fermentation and vinegar; he uses koji, mirin, dashi, sake and yuzu to deepen flavour without dictating identity.
• Lyla restricts its menu to seafood, fish, shellfish and egg, declining to offer vegetarian, vegan or entirely dairy-free meals, and holds VERiFAIR accreditation for verified workplace standards.
• Skea prioritises what is in the glass over ceremony, pairing squid in tomato water with mature white Châteauneuf rather than sake, and brought a screw-capped Riesling to a sommelier gathering to challenge convention.

Sam Neill named New Zealand Winegrowers Fellow before death aged 78

• Actor and Two Paddocks founder Sam Neill was named a Fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers in 2026, weeks before his death at 78.
• Neill established Two Paddocks in Central Otago in 1991, growing it from five acres to four vineyard sites across three regions.
• He spent over 35 years using his international film profile to promote New Zealand wine, regions and people with authenticity rather than celebrity.
• The Fellows honour recognises outstanding contributions to the industry; Neill was cited for championing organic farming, site-specific Pinot Noir and long-term potential.
• Neill resisted the 'celebrity winemaker' label, insisting Two Paddocks be judged on wine quality alone, not his acting fame.

Château Léognan appoints Sébastien Vergne as consultant winemaker

• Château Léognan in Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, hired Sébastien Vergne (formerly Château Margaux) as consultant winemaker in January 2025.
• The 6-hectare estate, purchased by Philippe and Chantal Miecaze in 2007, uses an unusually high 70% Cabernet Sauvignon blend typical of only Smith Haut-Lafitte and Domaine de Chevalier nearby.
• Vergne's appointment continues rather than breaks the property's quality record: Marielle Cazaux held the role 2007-2012 before moving to Pomerol estates.
• The vineyard's high Cabernet proportion and naturally low pH give it resilience across contrasting vintages, performing well in both hot years like 2025 and cool wet years like 2021.
• Petit Verdot was planted recently and used for the first time in the 2025 vintage; the estate has used no pesticides or synthetic fertilisers since planting in the 1980s.

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

• Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits, the third largest US wine supplier, released Sauvy B, a canned wine spritz made with Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling water, and Himalayan salt electrolytes at 4.5 percent ABV.
• Winemaker Joel Gott partnered on the product to introduce wine to younger consumers through a ready-to-drink format, aiming for it to serve as a gateway to traditional wine appreciation.
• Sauvy B arrives as one of several low-ABV, health-focused RTD beverages, competing with vodka and malt-based alternatives already popular with younger drinkers.
• Initial flavors are grapefruit and lime at 90 percent water, 9 percent wine, with pineapple and watermelon planned for autumn release.
• Distribution begins this week at Target, Walmart, and Total Wine nationwide, with on-premise availability rolling out from October 2026 through January 2027.

Fifteen sommeliers name expensive Bordeaux bottles worth the premium price

• Fifteen US restaurant sommeliers and wine directors were asked which high-priced Bordeaux bottles merit their cost.
• Château Palmer, Lafleur, and Pontet-Canet emerged as picks praised for emotional depth, farming integrity, and quality relative to peers.
• La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion itself ranked as splurges offering first-growth terroir and craftsmanship without premium brand markup.
• Several sommeliers favored 'Super Second' estates like Ducru-Beaucaillou and Cos d'Estournel over first growths for comparable complexity at lower prices.
• Château d'Yquem, the region's flagship dessert wine, was cited as worth purchasing for its 300-year heritage and consistent quality across vintages.

Ten lesser-known Scotch brands challenge peat stereotypes and expand palates

• A VinePair guide named ten Scotch brands beyond household names like Johnnie Walker and Macallan to counter the myth that all Scotch is heavily peated.
• Monkey Shoulder, a blended Speyside Scotch, has become the default bartender choice for Scotch cocktails despite limited mainstream recognition among non-drinkers.
• Glenglassaugh's Sandend, finished in bourbon and sherry casks, offers tropical fruit notes designed to introduce peat-averse drinkers to Scotch without bog-like heaviness.
• Bruichladdich's The Classic Laddie stands apart as an unpeated Islay expression in a teal bottle, allowing fruity and salty notes to dominate over smoke.
• Mortlach, Dufftown's first licensed distillery, holds a significant cult following among aficionados despite overshadowing by The Glenlivet and The Balvenie in brand recognition.

Texas A&M sends grape seeds to space station to breed radiation-resistant vines

• Hundreds of grape seeds from Texas will orbit the International Space Station for six months as part of a Texas A&M University experiment measuring cosmic radiation's effect on plant DNA.
• Aerospace engineering students Coby Arnold and Arvind Subramanyam designed a protective carrier that shields seeds from lethal radiation while allowing enough exposure to trigger genetic mutations.
• After returning to Earth, the irradiated seeds will be planted at AgriLife Research vineyard at Thomas Ranch and compared to control seeds to measure differences in growth, genetics and grape yield.
• The three varieties include Lomanto, a historic Texas cultivar developed by T.V. Munson a century ago, chosen for traits like disease resistance and climate tolerance.
• Researchers hope radiation-induced mutations could improve future grape breeding and crop resilience, potentially yielding the world's first wine from space-exposed seeds within several years.

Grape sunburn spreads as heat waves reach cooler regions; producers shift vineyard practices

• Sunburn in grapes is a stress response triggered when berry surface temperatures exceed 104-109°F under high light, causing chlorophyll and polyphenols to degrade and producing asphalt, rubber, and creosote aromas.
• Direct sun exposure can push berry surface temperatures 22-27°F above ambient air, meaning a 95°F day creates 122°F on sun-facing fruit; damage occurs within minutes at extreme temperatures.
• Chêne Bleu in Ventoux and Tyrrell's in Hunter Valley have abandoned mid-summer defoliation practices used for decades, instead protecting fruit with retained canopy or kaolin clay reflective films.
• Defoliation timing matters critically: early leaf removal allows berries to build photoprotective compounds, while defoliation just before heat waves dramatically increases sunburn risk.
• As heat waves arrive earlier and reach traditionally cooler regions, vineyard canopy management and sorting are becoming primary defenses against sunburned grapes in the finished wine.

Mourvèdre growers in southern France battle extreme heat with canopy and irrigation.

• Bandol and Jumilla producers are adapting canopy management techniques to shade Mourvèdre vines from sunburn as summers grow hotter and drier.
• A three-year drought from 2022 to 2024 killed some old bush vines in Jumilla, forcing growers to consider irrigation despite traditional dry-farming practices.
• Domaines Ott, Domaine Gueissard, and Domaine Tempier are experimenting with higher pruning, ground cover crops, and shade-producing gobelet training to slow ripening cycles.
• In Jumilla, vineyard surface area has halved over 20 years as southern sites were abandoned; only cooler, higher-altitude parcels at 600-800 meters remain viable.
• Bandol's rosé production, now 75 percent of output, may shrink as cooler rosé sites are converted to red wine due to warming temperatures.

Video: Spur pruning masterclass with Livio Tognon of Simonit & Sirch

• Simonit & Sirch, a pruning consultancy, developed a soft pruning approach to help vines perform well over many decades.
• Vine pruning during dormancy affects both the following year's growth and long-term vine performance.

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

• The author selected seven still wines under $20 for a wedding shower in New Jersey, including rosé, white, red, and orange varieties.
• WineWorks, a suburban liquor store in Marlton, New Jersey, stocks both mass-market wines and good-value selections curated by its wine buyer Charlie.
• The author argues the American wine distribution system favors manipulated industrial wines over thousands of honest mid-sized wineries that fall between corporate brands and tiny producers.
• Wines selected for the shower could be served by the glass on professional wine lists as improvements over mass-market industrial wines.

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.
• Charly's Blauer Portugieser, sourced from grower Christoph Hoch, displays ripeness and creamy texture unusual for the variety.
• Charly's other wines, Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, Zweigelt 2023, are available from Gute Weine at €27 per bottle with EU delivery.

Marketing Natural Wine

• Global natural wine market expands at 13% annually, making it one of the industry's fastest-growing segments during broader market stagnation.
• Natural wine is IWSR's leading opportunity in wine according to its Opportunity Index, which measures market opportunities weighted by country wine-drinking population.
• Paris alone has 600 natural wine bars according to French app Raisin; natural wine bars proliferate across major European, North American and Asian cities.
• Natural wine has captured Gen Z consumers, a demographic the broader wine industry has struggled to reach.
• Wines with no added SO₂ or late-added sulphur contained highest biogenic amine levels, according to Sophie Parker-Thomson MW's research, contradicting the movement's sulphur dioxide narrative.

Notable Releases from Troon Vineyard

• Troon Vineyard released 2025 Vermentino and 2023 Syrah from Oregon's Applegate Valley.
• Troon Vineyard, in Grant's Pass, farms using certified biodynamic and regenerative organic principles.
• Troon ferments with ambient cultures, uses minimal sulfite at bottling, and avoids new oak.
• Applegate Valley's high-latitude location provides long summer days and overnight temperature drops from Siskiyou Mountain winds.

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 grapes in Shaoxing while innovating huangjiu, China's ancient 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.
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's huangjiu with aged Chinese tangerine peel was inspired by a chance experience with citrus beer after a long brewing day in late December 2024.
• Most huangjiu shows its best between three and eight years of aging; contrary to myth, good huangjiu is a complex fermented beverage meant for drinking, not just cooking wine.
• Chardomi (80% Chardonnay, 20% glutinous rice) requires rice pre-treatment through soaking, steaming and saccharification before co-fermenting with pressed grape juice.

A wine of straw

• Dessert wine consumption has declined for approximately 75 years, with no expected recovery due to negative perceptions of sugar and alcohol.
• Raül Bobet, co-owner of Ferrer-Bobet in Priorat, Catalunya, released a dessert wine requiring 20 years of aging, driven by personal passion rather than market demand.