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Stag's Leap 1973 Cabernet sells for $22,500, five times estimate, at Christie's

• A bottle of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine that defeated French classics at the 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting, sold for US$22,500 at Christie's online auction against a US$4,000-6,000 estimate.
• The 1973 vintage, produced by founder Warren Winiarski, became iconic after outscoring France's top reds in the historic tasting organised by Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher with nine French judges.
• The sale was the centrepiece of a 50-lot Christie's auction marking the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris and featuring rare Stag's Leap vintages from 1974 to 2023.
• Two other major lots in the auction underperformed: a 1974-2023 vertical and a 55-bottle mixed lot both failed to meet their pre-sale estimates.
• Juan Muñoz-Oca, estates director at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, called the record price a testament to the winery's enduring legacy and Napa Valley's standing among the world's great wine regions.

Trump imposes 50% tariff on Canadian alcohol starting August 19

• President Donald Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on Canadian alcohol effective August 19, citing Canada's ongoing provincial ban on US beverages.
• Canada's boycott of US alcohol, enacted March 2024 after Trump's first tariffs, cut American wine exports 78 percent and spirits 70 percent in 2025.
• Only Alberta and Saskatchewan ended the ban in June 2025; other provinces maintain the restriction that stripped US products from shelves.
• Trump issued the tariff under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, after the Supreme Court struck down his broader tariffs as unconstitutional earlier this year.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and a White House official both signaled willingness to negotiate before the August 19 deadline.

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

• Bird in Hand, founded 1997 in Adelaide Hills by Andrew and Susie Nugent, is opening its first operation outside South Australia in Tasmania's Tamar Valley.
• Australian wine exports fell 8% in value in 2025, but premium bottles above $7.50/litre gained 15% in the UK, Bird in Hand's largest export market.
• Nugent positions Tasmania's longer, cooler ripening season as ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that compete with Burgundy and Chablis rather than traditional Australian styles.
• Bird in Hand is building Tasmanian hospitality assets including a restaurant at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and farm cottage, plus summer takeover of Claridge's Dante Mayfair Terrace in London.
• The expansion targets global demand for premium, cool-climate wine with authentic provenance, avoiding commodity competition where Bird in Hand cannot win.

Bordeaux vineyard prices 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 decades.
• Pauillac vineyard land fell 22.7% to €1.7m per hectare since 2018; Margaux fell 27.3% to €800,000; Saint-Émilion fell 25.9% to €200,000.
• Lesser appellations suffered steeper falls: Médoc collapsed 81.8% to €10,000 per hectare, Saint-Émilion Satellites fell 73.7% to €25,000, Bordeaux Rouge fell 60.6%.
• Between 2023 and 2026, almost 30,000 hectares of Bordeaux vines were uprooted; about two-thirds received government compensation of €4,000 or €6,000 per hectare.
• Producers including Xavier Buffo at Château de la Rivière in Fronsac are removing less profitable vineyards while acquiring land in stronger terroirs.

Paul Boutinot steps back after 33 years building UK wine distributor

• Paul Boutinot sold Boutinot Wines to its management team in 2013, ending his 33-year tenure as founder and owner of the UK wine distributor.
• Boutinot Wines grew from a 1980 startup in Stockport into a major importer supplying restaurants across the UK by applying French winemaking principles to New World producers.
• The company operated 70% of its own production across France, Australia, Chile and South Africa, sourcing grapes and directing winemaking to Boutinot's natural ferment philosophy.
• The 2013 buyout was led by Dennis Whiteley, Michael Moriarty and Tony Brown MW, executives who had built the business alongside Boutinot since the 1990s.
• Boutinot retained interests in Domaine Boutinot in the Rhône and the South African estate Waterkloof, where he has spent over 20 years developing the property.

Half of Napa Vineyards Unprofitable; Survivors Pivot to Hospitality and Direct Sales

• 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 peers are shifting away from tasting-room foot traffic toward direct-to-consumer wine clubs, member events, and immersive hospitality experiences that build loyalty.
• Chateau Montelena president Matt Crafton credits success to off-site member trips and flexible club tiers; Domaine Carneros CEO Remi Cohen saw specialty bookings jump 7 percent year-over-year with high-low experiences like caviar service.
• Baldacci Family Vineyards reported 21 percent decline in on-site visitation but higher average order values among fewer guests, shifting focus to members-only gatherings and emotional brand connection.
• Lower grape prices from oversupply have opened access to premium fruit with decades-long waitlists, giving surviving wineries cost relief and quality advantages.

Carlsberg outperforms rivals as World Cup delivers smaller beer lift than forecast

• Morgan Stanley cut its 2026 World Cup beer volume forecast to 17 basis points from 24, after Brazil, Germany and Colombia exited earlier than expected.
• Carlsberg gained more than competitors by holding strong positions in UK, France, Switzerland and Norway, whose teams advanced deeper into the tournament.
• AB InBev faced a smaller Latin America boost after Brazil's early elimination, though its official sponsor status provided sales exposure beyond national team performance.
• Brewers may need to adjust third-quarter shipments in Brazil, Germany, Portugal and Netherlands to correct inventory built for longer tournament-driven demand.
• Retailers and bars in host markets saw 15.4% year-on-year beer sales growth, with England match driving over eight million pints sold in UK alone.

Marston's to convert 100 pubs to sports format in 2027 expansion

• Marston's, which operates 1,300 UK pubs, will convert around 100 venues to its Grandstand sports-led format in 2027, up from 36 completed conversions to date.
• Grandstand pubs have delivered 30% like-for-like sales growth year-to-date, with England World Cup match days generating 22% growth and 170% year-on-year sales uplift across the format.
• Despite overall like-for-like sales 1.6% lower than last year, Marston's achieved improved margins and expects EBITDA margin expansion significantly ahead of schedule.
• CEO Justin Platt said the group is well-positioned to restart shareholder returns in fiscal 2027, underpinned by format performance, cost control and leverage reduction progress.

Spanish sparkling wine producers debate dropping Cava name for premium tiers

• Carlos López de la Calle, technical director at Bodega Artadi, argued at London's Taste Spain event that Spain's finest sparkling wines must abandon the Cava name, calling it too generic and damaged by mass production.
• Recaredo and Gramona, premium Penedès producers, left the Cava regulatory body to create Corpinnat in 2015, a stricter collective mark now with 23 members, using native Spanish Xarel-lo and releasing age-worthy bottles after 10 years cellaring.
• Sarah Jane Evans, Master of Wine and author, proposed splitting Cava: wines aged under 18 months retain the name, while older, individual expressions from Catalonia, Rioja, or Requena should be renamed by region to signal prestige.
• López de la Calle suggested Penedès as the most obvious regional name, with potential for Galicia and northern Chacolí, each offering unique conditions for sparkling production unavailable under a generic Cava label.
• Cava DO president Javier Pagés countered that the brand's global recognition and focus on quality and sustainability, including 100% organic Cava de Guarda Superior from 2025, are key to its success.

Six new Master Sommeliers crowned; global total reaches 299

• Court of Master Sommeliers announced six new MS diplomates following exams in Vienna, bringing worldwide total to 299.
• First Master Sommeliers certified from Mauritius, Bosnia, and Czech Republic, expanding CMS presence to 23 countries across 33 cities.
• New MS's include Reza Nahaboo at Lausanne Hotel School, Michele Fazari at Jackson Family Wines, and Michal Drozdowski at Bottiglieria 1881 in Poland.
• Hong Kong will host the Master Sommelier Diploma exam for the first time later this year, with 45 candidates expected to sit.
• CMS relaunched its course textbook as 'Sommelier', the first full revision in seven years, published with Academie du Vin Library.

Young fine-wine collectors worldwide follow identical paths, Areni Global study finds

• Areni Global surveyed 308 respondents aged under 40 across London, Paris, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore in February 2026, defining fine wine as bottles at £50 or above.
• Young collectors in all six cities learn about wine through friends and social networks rather than family, transitioning from casual buyers to collectors between ages 26 and 40.
• East Asian collectors pursue wine education as their entry point, while Western collectors typically encounter wine through workplace or social connections with established enthusiasts.
• More women are purchasing expensive wines in Asia than the West, attributed to financial independence and wine's later arrival as a gender-neutral collectible rather than male-exclusive status symbol.
• Wine educator Corinne Mui in Hong Kong disputed the study's price threshold, arguing fine wine requires ageing potential and that most collectors prize exclusivity and club membership status over transparency.

Independent wine shop owner wins inaugural sustainable buyer award

• Di Camillo, owner of Wine & Such independent shop in London, won the first Sustainable Wine Buyer award from Decanter's Wine Buyers Awards.
• Judges found her sustainability approach was woven through sourcing, producer relations and daily operations, not a single add-on initiative.
• Majestic won the parallel Sustainable Drinks Buying Team of the Year award in 2025, when the sustainability category launched.
• A substantial portion of entrants left the sustainability section blank, suggesting the industry still lags in embedding it into buying decisions.
• The awards, launched in 2020, recognise how wine buyers shape trends and value; the new category signals sustainability is now a competitive criterion.

Château Léognan appoints Sébastien Vergne as consultant winemaker

• Château Léognan in Pessac-Léognan appointed Sébastien Vergne, formerly of Château Margaux, as consultant winemaker in January 2025.
• The 6-hectare vineyard, planted in the 1980s by Olivier Bernard and purchased by Philippe and Chantal Miecaze in 2007, uses 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, unusually high for the appellation.
• High Cabernet proportion and naturally low pH give the wines freshness that performs well across diverse vintages, from cool wet years like 2013 and 2017 to hot dry ones like 2015 and 2025.
• Marielle Cazaux worked as winemaker from 2007 to 2012 before moving to Pomerol, establishing a record of quality viticulture that Vergne continues.
• The estate operates as a luxury hotel with restaurant, restored 18th-century chapel, and gardens designed by Frères Buhler.

Trinchero releases Sauvy B, a wine spritzer with electrolytes for younger drinkers

• Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits, the third largest US wine supplier, launched 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 Joel Gott Wines and Three Thieves brands are owned by Trinchero, created Sauvy B as a vehicle to introduce younger consumers to wine through a product he describes as 'cool' and health-focused.
• Each can contains nine percent Sauvignon Blanc, ninety percent sparkling water, and pink Himalayan salt; initial flavors are grapefruit and lime, with pineapple and watermelon planned for fall release.
• Gott positioned Sauvy B to compete with successful low-ABV RTDs like Stateside Brands' Super Lyte and Svedka Vodka Water, citing health-conscious consumer demand for hydration and remineralization.
• Four-packs retail for fourteen dollars and arrive at Target, Walmart, and Total Wine & More nationwide this week, with on-premise service rolling out October through January 2027.

Fifteen US sommeliers name high-priced Bordeaux worth the splurge

• Fifteen US restaurant and retail sommeliers were asked which expensive Bordeaux bottles justify their three or four-digit prices.
• Château Palmer, Château Lafleur, and Château Pontet-Canet emerged as frequent picks, valued for emotional complexity and family stewardship over brand cachet.
• La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion ranked high for delivering first-growth quality at lower cost, particularly in Pessac-Leognan's distinctive minerality.
• Sommelier choices emphasised terroir, winemaking integrity, and longevity over Bordeaux's traditional classification rankings and marketing budgets.
• One sommelier nominated Château d'Yquem, the region's historic dessert wine, as a rare splurge worth sharing.

Château Galoupet redesigns Provence rosé through regenerative farming and climate adaptation

• Mathieu Meyer, technical director at LVMH-backed Château Galoupet in La Londe since 2019, shifted the 65-hectare estate to regenerative organic farming certified in 2025.
• Cover crops ploughed into soil and contour trenches capture rainfall to build organic matter and manage drought, increasing insect predators and reducing pest control need.
• The 2025 vintage required Meyer to reduce Cinsault and increase Tibouren because bigger berries delayed phenolic maturity, showing how vintage conditions shape winemaking choices.
• Galoupet adopted recycled brown glass bottles and biodegradable wax capsules from pine resin, anchoring sustainability in the final package.
• Meyer vinifies parcels separately then blends to create precise expression of terroir while maintaining fresh elegance as summers grow hotter.

Grape sunburn damage spreads north as heat waves intensify, forcing vineyard practice overhaul

• Sunburn in grapes is a stress response to excess light and heat that degrades chlorophyll, polyphenols, carotenoids, and aromatic compounds, producing flavors of cooked fruit, asphalt, rubber, and creosote in finished wine.
• Berry surface temperatures can reach 122°F on a 95°F day; Chardonnay shows damage within five minutes at 104-109°F under high light, while cell death occurs faster at 126°F.
• Defoliation timing now determines sunburn risk: early defoliation at flowering allows berries to build photoprotective compounds, while midsummer or veraison defoliation before heat waves dramatically increases damage.

Heat-Tolerant Mourvèdre Struggles as Southern France Gets Hotter

• Mourvèdre, a late-ripening grape that thrives in heat, is the main red variety in France's Bandol region and Spain's Jumilla, where it needs long, hot growing seasons to ripen fully.
• Even Mourvèdre is losing balance and elegance as heatwaves intensify; France recorded its highest average temperature on 23 June, with harvests earlier and acidity lower each year.
• Bandol producers including Jean-François Ott at Château Romassan and the Gueissard family are using canopy shade techniques, higher pruning, and ground cover to protect grapes from sunburn and retain soil moisture.
• A three-year drought in Jumilla from 2022 to 2024 killed old Monastrell vines; Carolina Martínez Origone, general secretary of the Jumilla Consejo, warns irrigation may now be essential for vine survival.
• Bandol's cooler sites once reserved for rosé are now being used for red wine as the region adapts, risking a shift away from rosé production, currently 75 percent of regional output.

The Yang Of Greek Wine

• Assyrtiko's rise over 20 years made Greek white wine synonymous with sharp, acidic, mineral profiles internationally.
• Malagousia, saved from extinction in the late 1970s by Vangelis Gerovassiliou and others, has emerged as Assyrtiko's counterpart: rich, generous, with tropical fruit character.
• By 2020, Malagousia vineyard acreage matched Chardonnay and approached Moschofilero, with producer numbers skyrocketing.
• Greek consumers increasingly favor native varieties as protagonists, driving Malagousia's popularity domestically more than internationally.
• Malagousia expresses diverse regional styles across Greece while maintaining recognizable varietal character, from herbal to fruit-forward to age-worthy expressions.

In Praise of Older White Wines

• Octavian Wine data shows 78% of white wines shipped to collectors are from the previous six vintages, versus 40% of reds, revealing white wines are consumed far younger.
• The premox crisis affected white Burgundy from 1995 vintage through mid-2000s, causing premature oxidation in even top producers like Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, with no consensus reached on its cause.
• Professor Maurizio Ugliano's University of Verona team is mapping volatile compounds and aroma precursors of Italian grape varieties, including turbiana (Lugana), to understand aging development.
• The Burgundy Wine Board's six-year VOLTA study concluded most white Burgundy aging potential develops during pressing and élevage, not solely from grape variety.
• Only two of the Lugana producers visited hold back aged stock; producers lack financial incentive to age wine, costing approximately €4.50 per bottle in barrel, storage, and financing costs.

Hacienda el Ternero is making impressive wines from the north of Rioja

• Hacienda el Ternero is a rare single-estate Rioja producer owning 125 hectares of vineyards, while most top Rioja wineries buy grapes from growers.
• Located in northern Rioja's coldest zone near the Obarenes Mountains, Ternero has poor rocky soils with high limestone content.
• The estate produces 100,000 bottles annually and sells surplus grapes to other producers.
• Hacienda el Ternero's wines score 92-94 points, including a 94-point 2016 Reserva from vines planted in 1965 and a 93-point 2024 Selección Especial Viura made with wild yeast.

Unfiltered Wine Festival: July 25-26, Berkeley

You know what’s better than a wine tasting event that features some really excellent producers of low-intervention wines? Two days

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

• Charly, originally from Burgundy, produces wines in Lower Austria with a French sensibility using Austrian varieties and organically/biodynamically farmed grapes.
• Charly's Blauer Portugieser 2023 (grapes from Christoph Hoch) shows ripe, vivid fruit with creamy texture, unusual ripeness for this variety.
• Charly's Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, and Zweigelt 2023 are available from Gute Weine for €27/bottle (selected EU countries).

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, and avoids new oak aging.
• Applegate Valley's alluvial soils, Mediterranean sun, and Siskiyou Mountain cooling create optimal ripening conditions.

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, and innovates huangjiu (yellow wine) in Shaoxing.
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's products are already listed in over 100 bars and restaurants across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu since launching last June.
• Huangjiu peaks between three and eight years of aging; most aged examples lose freshness after 10 years, contrary to the assumption that older always means better.
• Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through a process requiring rice saccharification before co-fermentation with freshly pressed grape juice.
• Wang's tangerine peel huangjiu emerged from a Christmas Eve 2024 experience in Shaoxing, inspired by the pairing of aged Chinese tangerine peel with soft wheat character.

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, Spain, releases dessert wines requiring 20-year aging processes driven by personal passion rather than market demand.