winefeed

by Primal Wine
ArchiveSATURDAY 25 JULY 202625 JUL
01

Joel Gott releases electrolyte-spiked wine spritz to court younger drinkers

  • Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits, the third-largest US wine supplier, launched Sauvy B on 15 July through Target, Walmart and Total Wine & More at US$13.99 per four-pack.
  • Sauvy B is a 4.5% ABV canned spritz blending 9% California Sauvignon Blanc with sparkling water and pink Himalayan salt electrolytes, at roughly 100 calories per 355ml can.
  • Founder Joel Gott positioned the product as a recruitment tool for younger, wellness-oriented drinkers rather than existing wine consumers, aiming to embed wine terminology in their everyday vocabulary.
  • The 4.5% ABV electrolyte format now appears standard across functional RTDs, with competitor launches including Stateside Brands' Super Lyte vodka and Svedka's Vodka Water, signalling a market-wide shift.
  • Wine-based RTDs have ceded share to spirit-based canned formats with younger drinkers; electrolytes and low-calorie positioning aim to close that gap alongside planned pineapple and watermelon extensions through January 2027.
02

Vintae completes €12m acquisition of historic Bodegas Riojanas

  • Vintae's holding company Gevisa Wine Capital acquired a 90% stake in Bodegas Riojanas after court approval and registration of a restructuring plan.
  • The €12 million deal involved debt capitalisation and a €5 million financing facility from Vintae to support operations.
  • Bodegas Riojanas, founded in 1890 and owner of Monte Real and Viña Albina brands, remains publicly listed on the Spanish continuous market.
  • New leadership appointed includes Ricardo Arambarri Pérez as chairman and Fernando Martínez Sampedro as CEO, with two independent directors to follow.
  • Vintae now owns four additional wineries across Rioja, Toro, Rueda and Rías Baixas, expanding its portfolio to span 70 countries.
03

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

  • 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, reaching a breaking point.
  • The 49 percent of growers still profitable are shifting away from tasting-room foot traffic, which has fallen since 2022 due to high Napa costs and luxury fatigue.
  • Successful wineries like Chateau Montelena and Domaine Carneros are driving margins through direct-to-consumer clubs, members-only events, and immersive experiences rather than walk-in visitation.
  • Flexible membership tiers and connection-focused hospitality, not premium scores, are converting guests to long-term members who purchase faster and refer friends.
  • A glut of unsold grapes has lowered fruit costs, giving wineries access to premium vineyard blocks like Beckstoffer and Hyde that previously had waitlists.
04

US removes Scotch tariffs after April trade halt, restoring duty-free access

  • US President Donald Trump lifted the 10% tariff on Scotch whisky effective 24 July, reversing a levy imposed in April 2025 that was set to rise to 25% on single malts.
  • Scotch Whisky Association reported exports to the US fell 15% between May and December 2025 under the tariff, though the US remained the industry's largest overseas market.
  • The tariff removal restores a zero-tariff regime and reciprocal terms allowing US bourbon and American whiskey to enter the UK duty-free, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.
  • Industry leaders including Pernod Ricard's Nodjame Fouad cite improved US consumer access to brands like The Glenlivet and relief for hospitality businesses as immediate benefits.
  • Spirits trade groups now seek tariff relief for other categories including Irish whiskey, Champagne and Cognac to further lower costs for restaurants and bars.
05

Trump tariffs on EU spirits reach 15 percent; wine and spirits exemption still uncertain

  • The U.S. and EU agreed on July 27, 2025 to a 15 percent tariff on most European goods, down from Trump's threatened 30 percent, but wine and spirits remain unexempted and subject to the full rate.
  • The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, representing 57 industry associations, estimates the 15 percent tariff could eliminate over 25,000 American jobs in beverage and related sectors.
  • Scotch whisky tariffs were lifted in July 2025 following King Charles III's April state visit, allowing tariff-free imports to resume after a 10 percent levy imposed in April threatened to rise to 25 percent on single malts.
  • A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2025 invalidated many of Trump's earlier tariffs as exceeding presidential authority, potentially entitling importers and distributors to reimbursement for costs already paid.
  • DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and other industry leaders continue negotiating for a return to the zero-for-zero tariffs that had governed U.S.-EU spirits trade for over 20 years.
06

Teamsters push Trump tariffs to move Modelo production to US breweries

  • Sean O'Brien, Teamsters president, called on the Trump administration to impose a 75 percent tariff on Mexican beer to incentivize domestic production of brands like Modelo.
  • The Teamsters filed arguments with the US Trade Representative claiming Mexico uses tax policy to subsidize beer exports, harming American brewery workers and undercutting domestic brands.
  • Constellation Brands, which holds US licenses for Modelo and Corona, counters that Mexican beer imports deliver 74 percent of their economic value to American workers and businesses.
  • The Teamsters do not organize workers in Mexico, giving the union direct financial interest in shifting brewing jobs to unionizable American plants.
  • Constellation cited a May 2026 study by right-wing think tank Unleash Prosperity; the brewer provided data to the researchers but denies any financial relationship with the organization.
07

United Spirits profit surges 52% on India premium spirits demand

  • United Spirits, Diageo's Indian subsidiary, reported net profit of 3.91bn rupees in Q1 to 30 June, up 51.6% year-on-year, while revenue rose 5% to 61.13bn rupees.
  • Premium spirits drove growth, with the Prestige & Above segment posting double-digit gains and accounting for 91.7% of net sales.
  • Karnataka's May tax reforms, which replaced price controls with strength-based excise and cut rates on premium spirits, freed producers to raise prices and boosted demand for higher-end brands.
  • CEO Praveen Someshwar credited consumer-focused marketing and portfolio improvements, including a McDowell's relaunch, for accelerating growth this fiscal year.
08

Wetherspoon profits fall despite 4% sales rise as costs surge

  • JD Wetherspoon warned annual profits will miss market expectations despite 4% like-for-like sales growth in the final quarter to 19 July 2026.
  • Chairman Tim Martin cited rising food, labour, repairs, energy and business rates costs as outpacing revenue, squeezing profitability.
  • Duncan Ferris, analyst at Freetrade, said Wetherspoon's low-margin, value-led model leaves it particularly exposed to inflationary cost pressures.
  • Year-end net debt stood at £720 million, in line with prior year, after the chain spent £42 million on share buybacks.
01

Bordeaux second growths mark anniversaries with golden commemorative bottles

  • Château Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien second growth founded in 1725, released a 300th-anniversary 2025 vintage etched with golden Cabernet Sauvignon leaves in multiple formats for collector customisation.
  • Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux second growth owned by the Lurton family for five generations, marked 100 years under Lurton ownership with a 2025 golden-label edition featuring an embossed sun.
  • Château Mouton Rothschild's 2000 millennium vintage in a gold-decorated bottle released at €250 now trades around €1,550; Château Angélus's 2012 golden bell bottle trades at more than double its release price.
  • Château Margaux's 2015 golden bottle commemorated the estate's bicentenary buildings and Paul Pontallier's final vintage as managing director; Château Cos d'Estournel's 2020 golden bottle celebrated 200 years of operation.
  • Château Rauzan-Gassies and Château Langoa Barton released anniversary collections pairing commemorative packaging with multiple vintages spanning family generations of ownership.
02

Andreola drops Prosecco name to escape mass-market category

  • Stefano Pola, who runs Andreola estate in Valdobbiadene since taking over from founder Nazzareno Pola, removed Prosecco from bottle labels between 2007 and 2018 to distance the wine from the broader, cheaper category.
  • The estate now farms 110 hectares across 250 parcels on steep hillsides in the Rive of Valdobbiadene DOCG, emphasizing territory and handcrafted quality over the Prosecco brand that made it famous.
  • Pola argues the appellation system shift in 2009 made Prosecco a liability: the word now signals volume-driven flatland production rather than hillside quality, forcing him to choose between two stories.
  • Labour scarcity on steep terrain, not climate alone, poses the harder long-term threat; younger workers resist the dawn-to-dusk rhythm dictated by harvest windows and weather.
  • Older producers in the region view Andreola's move as a moral defeat, but Pola frames it as necessary: if the real story is territory and craft, the word Prosecco may no longer serve it.
03

Moldova positions native grapes and vast cellars as global wine asset

  • Moldova has 114,000 hectares of vineyards, the highest global density per capita, covering 7% of its agricultural land and representing 3% of GDP and 8% of exports.
  • Underground limestone cellars at Cricova (70km of galleries) and Mileștii Mici (200km of tunnels, Guinness World Record) provide natural storage for sparkling wines and tourism.
  • Fetească family, three indigenous white and red varieties, offers floral citrus (Fetească Albă), elderflower notes (Fetească Regála), and dark fruit intensity (Fetească Neagră) with no direct equivalents elsewhere.
  • Rară Neagră, possibly among the world's oldest cultivated grapes, produces light-bodied reds with cherry and redcurrant notes, positioned as affordable Pinot Noir alternatives.
  • Viorica, a 1969 crossing developed for frost resistance, yields intensely aromatic white wines with Muscat notes, marketed as Moldova's signature expression of place.
04

Aldi launches rosé shade guide after one in three UK drinkers reject glasses

  • Aldi UK commissioned research showing 31% of UK adults have refused rosé because its colour did not match their preference, costing an estimated £103m annually in rejected glasses.
  • A pocket-sized Rosé Swatch keyring tool helps shoppers identify preferred shades before purchase, with light Provence blush most popular at 40.9% of respondents, followed by pale salmon at 20.6%.
  • 56% of respondents said colour influences their rosé choice, yet 56% incorrectly believe rosé is made by blending red and white grapes, and 16% think it comes from a distinct rosé grape variety.
  • Sam Caporn MW, Aldi wine expert, warned against treating pale rosé as superior to darker styles, noting darker hues from Primitivo or Syrah offer deeper fruit and food-pairing potential.
  • UK rosé sales grew 5% to £882m in 2025 with 129m bottles sold, driven by affordable French brands under £10, while 66% of surveyed drinkers consume rosé primarily in summer.
05

Independent wine merchant wins inaugural sustainable buyer award

  • Di Camillo, owner of Wine & Such, a one-person independent wine shop, won the Sustainable Wine Buyer category in the 2025 Wine Buyers Awards.
  • The judging panel, including sustainability consultant Anne Jones and Decanter's sustainability editor Natalie Earl, found her sourcing model embedded sustainability throughout her business decisions, not as an isolated initiative.
  • The Sustainable Wine Buyer category debuted in 2025; a separate Sustainable Drinks Buying Team award went to Majestic Wine.
  • A significant portion of entrants did not complete the sustainability section, suggesting many buyers either overlook it or acknowledge their businesses lag in this area.
  • The awards recognize wine buyers' influence on trends and quality; the new category signals the industry is prioritizing sustainability, though adoption remains uneven.
06

Trinchero launches Sauvy B, a wine spritzer with electrolytes 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, believing traditional bottled wine fails to appeal to that audience.
  • Sauvy B contains 9 percent white wine, 90 percent sparkling water, and natural fruit flavoring; grapefruit and lime launch first, with pineapple and watermelon versions planned for fall.
  • Four-packs will cost $14 and roll out to Target, Walmart, and Total Wine & More nationwide this week, with on-premise distribution beginning October in most states.
  • The product joins a growing category of low-ABV, health-focused RTDs like Stateside Brands' Super Lyte and Svedka Vodka Water, all targeting consumers seeking lighter options.
07

Fifteen US sommeliers name expensive Bordeaux worth the premium price

  • Fifteen US restaurant and wine-shop sommeliers were asked which three-figure or four-figure Bordeaux bottles justify their cost for diners with substantial budgets.
  • Château Palmer, Lafleur, Haut-Brion, and La Mission Haut-Brion appeared multiple times; sommeliers cited emotional depth, farming precision, and terroir character over brand prestige.
  • Several sommeliers endorsed 'Super Second' estates like Pontet-Canet and Ducru-Beaucaillou, arguing they deliver first-growth quality at lower prices than official first-growth classifications.
  • Recommendations ranged from Château Trotte Vieille at around $100 to ultra-premium bottles; one sommelier named Château d'Yquem, the region's flagship dessert wine, as worth the splurge.
  • Sommeliers emphasised family ownership, biodynamic farming, and terroir expression as reasons to pay premium prices, rather than the Bordeaux name or historical classification alone.
08

Sicilia DOC builds unified brand after decade of slow adoption

  • Sicilia DOC was established in 2011 to create a single regional brand and simplify consumer choice, but faced years of resistance from producers tied to sub-regional appellations like Etna DOC.
  • Consumers are shifting from buying Italian wine in general to hunting for specific Sicilian varietals discovered during travel, such as Grillo, Lucido, and Nero d'Avola, reflecting a souvenir-driven drinking pattern.
  • Sicilia DOC producers like Donnafugata and Tasca d'Almerita demonstrate the region's diversity, offering wines from distinct sub-regions like Pantelleria and Mount Etna under a unified designation.
  • The brand balances simplicity with complexity: Sicilia DOC avoids over-complication that alienates consumers while preserving terroir distinction across Sicily's varied geography and grape varieties.
01

Château d'Esclans eyes August harvest as it trials heat-resistant grapes

  • Château d'Esclans in Provence expects to harvest around 10 August, the earliest in the estate's history, driven by record heat.
  • Winemaker Joéva Walczak confirmed the date beats previous early harvests in 2018 and 2020, and a September start ten years ago.
  • The estate is trialling three experimental varieties: Italian Nero d'Avola and Greek Xinomavro for red grapes, and Spanish Verdejo white, permitted under Provence AOP rules since December 2021.
  • In the vineyard, permanent grass cover lowers soil temperature and retains moisture; in the cellar, inert gas and cooling systems protect against oxidation and heat damage.
  • Grenache will remain the core of Château d'Esclans rosés including Whispering Angel; new varieties could eventually blend in if they deliver the freshness and quality the estate seeks.
02

Costco recalls desert willow plants carrying grape-killing pest

  • Costco sold desert willow plants infested with glassy-winged sharpshooters between 24 June and 3 July; California officials urged customers to inspect purchases immediately.
  • The leafhopper transmits Xylella fastidiosa bacterium, which causes Pierce's disease; infected grapevines have no cure and must be destroyed to prevent spread.
  • Pierce's disease blocks water flow in vines, causing leaf discoloration, shriveled grapes, and death; California's $73 billion wine industry faces significant risk from the pest.
  • This is the second Costco-linked sharpshooter discovery in 2026; customers with planted trees should isolate them and contact county agricultural commissioners immediately.
  • Infested plants must be sealed in two bags and discarded in household trash, never compost, to prevent the insect spreading further.
03

Grape sunburn damage spreads as heat waves reach cooler regions

  • Sunburn occurs when berry surface temperatures exceed 104-109°F under high light, causing chlorophyll and polyphenols to degrade into browning compounds within minutes.
  • Direct sun can heat berry surfaces 22-27°F above ambient air temperature; a 95°F day creates exposed fruit exceeding 122°F on the sun-facing side.
  • Traditional summer defoliation to expose fruit is now a liability in warming regions; late-August heat waves arriving after leaf removal dramatically increase damage risk.
  • Producers are abandoning midseason defoliation, applying kaolin clay reflective films to cool canopy by up to 9°C, and redesigning trellising to shade fruit as prevention.
  • Sunburned grapes produce finished wines with flattened fruit, cooked-green and asphalt notes, astringent tannins, and premature aging that worsen further in bottle.
04

Heat-Tolerant Mourvèdre Struggles as Southern France Temperatures Soar

  • Mourvèdre, long favoured in Bandol for heat tolerance, now faces balance and elegance loss as temperatures and drought intensity increase across southern France.
  • Producers at Domaines Ott, Domaine Gueissard, and Domaine Tempier are adapting canopy management and pruning techniques to shade grapes and slow ripening cycles.
  • A three-year drought from 2022 to 2024 killed old bush vines in Jumilla, Spain, forcing growers to consider irrigation despite concerns it reduces terroir typicity.
  • Jumilla's vineyard area has halved in two decades as hotter southern sites are abandoned; only cooler, higher-altitude parcels around 600 to 800 metres remain viable.
  • Bandol's rosé production, now 75 percent of output, may decline as cooler sites traditionally reserved for rosé are converted to red wine to match warming conditions.
02wineanorak·Jamie Goode·

Tenuta Minchella’s ‘By Fabiano’ wines: Italian-inspiration hits the McLaren Vale, Australia

  • Fabiano Minchella plants Italian grape varieties in McLaren Vale; the Minchella family built their winery after unexpectedly high grape prices created tax incentives.
  • Tenuta Minchella began commercial wine releases in 2020 with Fiano, Primitivo, and Rosé after producing clean-skin Primitivo for family in 2017.
  • Fabiano worked vintages in Italy: Basilicata (2013-2014), then Manduria and Puglia (2015 onwards), informing his winemaking approach in Australia.
  • Fiano has outperformed expectations as their star variety, while Vermentino requires careful winery handling with skin contact and oak aging rather than Riesling-style treatment.
Read the full story
03Tim Atkin·Tim Atkin MW·

The Yang Of Greek Wine

  • Assyrtiko dominated Greek white wine's international rise over the past 20 years, but Malagousia has become the biggest domestic white wine story.
  • Malagousia was nearly extinct until the late 1970s, when viticulturist Vangelis Gerovassiliou and others rescued it and planted it in his estate.
  • By 2020, Malagousia vineyard acreage equaled Chardonnay's and approached Moschofilero's, with producer numbers skyrocketing since the late 2000s.
  • Malagousia offers rich, generous summer and tropical fruit flavors, the opposite of Assyrtiko's sharp, acidic profile, making it versatile with seafood, salads, and lighter fare.
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04Everyday Drinking·Jason Wilson·

In Praise of Older White Wines

  • Octavian Wine data shows 78% of white wines shipped to collectors are from the previous six vintages, versus only 40% of reds, revealing white wines are consumed far earlier than reds.
  • White Burgundy's premox crisis (early 2000s) caused premature oxidation in wines from 1995 onwards, affecting even top producers like Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, with no consensus on cause or why it disappeared.
  • Professor Maurizio Ugliano's University of Verona team is mapping volatile compounds and aroma precursors in Italian grape varieties including turbiana (Lugana) to understand their aging potential.
  • A six-year VOLTA study by the Burgundy Wine Board found that white wine aging potential is built mainly during pressing and élevage, not determined by grape variety alone.
  • Only two Lugana producers visited retain aged stock; establishing a reputation for longevity requires producers to hold back inventory, critics to taste mature vintages regularly, and merchants to sell them.
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05The Morning Claret·Simon J. Woolf·

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

  • Charly, a Burgundy native in Lower Austria for a decade, produces exceptional Austrian wines under his own label with French winemaking sensibility.
  • Charly's Blauer Portugieser 2023 from grapes sourced by Christoph Hoch offers ripeness, vivid fruit, and creamy texture unusual for the variety.
  • Charly operates one hectare of vines and sources grapes from organically or biodynamically farmed friends.
  • Three of Charly's wines are available from Gute Weine for €27/bottle (EU delivery), including Grüner Veltliner 2022, Blaufränkisch 2023, and Zweigelt 2023.
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06Maker's Table·Meg Maker·

Notable Releases from Troon Vineyard

  • Troon Vineyard released 2025 Vermentino and 2023 Syrah from Oregon's Applegate Valley.
  • Troon Vineyard farms using certified biodynamic and regenerative organic principles in Grant's Pass.
  • Troon uses ambient cultures for fermentation, minimal sulfite, and ages in neutral oak, concrete, qvevri, or stainless steel.
  • Applegate Valley's alluvial soils, Mediterranean sun, and Siskiyou Mountain cooling create ideal ripening conditions.
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07Grape Wall of China·Jim Boyce·

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

  • Coram Collective, founded in 2023 with 2024 production, co-ferments rice wine with grape varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot while innovating huangjiu, China's ancient yellow wine.
  • Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through a multi-step process: rice saccharification, wild yeast fermentation, then co-fermentation with fresh grape juice.
  • Coram's products are already stocked in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu since launching last June.
  • Huangjiu typically peaks between three and eight years of aging; many examples lose freshness after 10 years, contrary to assumptions that older always means better.
  • Wang's aged Chinese tangerine peel huangjiu emerged from a 2024 winter experiment inspired by a colleague's orange-beer during steaming work at the Shaoxing ricery.
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08Be Wine Curious·Miquel Hudin·

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.
  • Goût Russe Champagne of the 19th century contained 300g/l of sugar for the Russian market, far exceeding modern dessert wines.
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