winefeed

by Primal Wine
ArchiveSATURDAY 8 AUGUST 20268 AUG
01VinePair·

Anheuser-Busch becomes top wine seller via BeatBox acquisition

  • Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired 85 percent of BeatBox, the wine-based cocktail brand, for $490 million in February 2026, nine months after entering talks.
  • BeatBox sales surged 30 percent year-over-year through April 2026, with Cherry Limeade outselling Bud Light Lime-a-Rita in dollar volume.
  • The acquisition alone lifted ABI into sixth place among US wine marketers with seven million cases in 2025, though wine-based cocktails as a category grew to 18 million cases.
  • ABI's prior wine bets failed: it discontinued Dewey Stevens wine coolers after one year in 1987 and discontinued canned Babe Wine in 2023 despite major investment.
  • BeatBox now accounts for roughly 40 percent of all wine-based cocktail sales tracked by Impact Databank, positioning it as category leader ahead of Sazerac-owned BuzzBallz.
Reported byVinePair
02The Drinks Business·

Bordeaux wildfires drive away tourists, slash wine-sector revenues

  • The largest Gironde wildfire since 1949 burned 42,000 hectares and forced 224,000 evacuations in late July, including holiday tourists fleeing the region.
  • Vineyard damage was minimal; grapes at mid-veraison stage showed no smoke taint and 2026 vintage quality is not at risk, according to Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin Bordeaux.
  • Wine tourism businesses suffered heavy losses: Château de Bel and Château La Rame reported massive cancellations and visitor drops despite smoke clearing within one day.
  • Cité du Vin museum saw visitor numbers fall 60% through the end of July, cutting revenue 80% of which depends on visitor spending, though bookings are now recovering.
  • Restaurants in the Arcachon Basin and hospitality venues across the region reported significant trade declines as travellers avoided the area out of safety fears.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
03The Drinks Business·

African middle class expansion offers wine industry its largest untapped market

  • African Development Bank projects the continent's middle class will exceed 500 million by 2030, with urban population doubling to 1.4 billion by 2050, creating unprecedented consumer scale.
  • The African wine market is forecast to reach 1.8 billion litres and $8 billion by 2035, but most wine producers have remained on the sidelines while competitors act.
  • Diageo and Heineken have embedded structural operations across African markets over decades; Heineken integrated South African operations into a single multi-category platform in 2023.
  • Champagne and sparkling wine are already status symbols among aspirational African consumers, signalling demand exists but lacks industry infrastructure to meet it.
  • Wine producers delaying entry risk losing distribution depth and shelf space to beer and spirits categories that have already spent decades building African loyalty and route-to-market.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
04The Drinks Business·

Quilceda Creek gains full control of Champoux Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills

  • Quilceda Creek, a Washington winery, acquired the remaining 21% stake in Champoux Vineyard, raising ownership from 79% to 100% in Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
  • Champoux, planted in early 1970s and first vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, supplies Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to Quilceda Creek since 1986 across its 153 acres.
  • The Golitzen family also acquired a second vineyard, Ad Astra on Red Mountain, last September, consolidating control over fruit for their Cabernet-led wines.
  • Columbia Valley ranked ninth most-purchased region on CellarTracker in 2025 with 436,000 purchases, ahead of Rhône Valley and approaching Champagne's 509,000.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
05The Drinks Business·

Mouton and Lafite lead fine wine recovery as market stabilises

  • Liv-ex fine wine indices stabilised in Q3 2025 after earlier declines, with individual wines showing wide variation in recovery pace.
  • Bordeaux dominates the recovery: five Mouton vintages (2015, 2005, 2010, 2018, 2008) show sustained upward trade prices, with 2015 trading at its 2020 lows.
  • Lafite 2015 signals stronger future gains than Mouton 2015, with consistent quarterly price rises and tight bid-ask spreads despite matching 2020 lows.
  • Non-vintage Champagnes, including Pol Roger Brut Réserve and Jacques Selosse Initial, posted some of the year's steepest gains as the region finds support.
  • Opus One 2013 emerged as a rare Napa performer, now trading above its market price at 2022 peak levels with rising trade frequency.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
06Decanter·

English estates launch prestige cuvées at Champagne prices

  • Nyetimber released England's first prestige cuvée in 2018, two white and rosé bottlings priced at £150 and £175, modelled on Dom Pérignon's concept.
  • Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Langham and Squerryes followed with their own super-premium lines, all priced £100 and above, aged seven or more years on lees.
  • These cuvées draw from specific vineyard parcels on chalk soils across Kent, Sussex and Dorset, with releases limited to small quantities and named after heritage or place.
  • Gusbourne's Fifty One Degrees North and Squerryes's Patience 2014 command £195 and upward, positioning English sparkling wine alongside premium Champagne in the luxury market.
Reported byDecanter
07VinePair·

Centre-Loire appellations gain traction as Sancerre prices soar past $50

  • Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc now sells for $40, $50 or more, with production capped at current levels and nearly three-quarters exported, half to the US.
  • Five nearby Centre-Loire appellations, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, and Coteaux du Giennois, produce similar Sauvignon Blancs at $20, $30, gaining market share from Sancerre's scarcity.
  • Clément Berthier, president of the Sancerre appellation, acknowledges Sancerre is at capacity with no plans to expand vineyard acreage or production.
  • Matthieu Delaporte, winemaker at Domaine Delaporte in Sancerre, says Centre-Loire Pinot Noir now offers better quality-to-price ratios than Burgundy equivalents.
  • Winemakers across the region report earlier harvests and rising acidity challenges from climate change, prompting experiments with old abandoned grape varieties blended at 5-10 percent with Sauvignon Blanc.
Reported byVinePair
08The Drinks Business·

Rwanda shuts 101 alcohol makers over illicit product health crisis

  • Rwanda's Food and Drugs Authority revoked licences for 101 alcoholic beverage manufacturers on 3 August, including vodka, gin, flavoured wines and banana spirits.
  • The closure follows enforcement against eight named producers including Ingufu Gin and Sky Drop Industries, citing public health concerns over illicit alcohol.
  • Rwanda's health ministry reported over 500 people treated this year for illicit alcohol complications, with roughly 50 deaths and more than 100 cases of vision loss.
  • National surveys show alcohol consumption rose from 41% of the population in 2013 to 48% in 2022, prompting the government's "Tunywe Less" campaign to reduce drinking.
  • Regulators ordered immediate removal of all advertising and instructed manufacturers, distributors and retailers to withdraw products from the market.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
01The Drinks Business·

67 Pall Mall opens Shanghai wine club with 1,500-member cap

  • 67 Pall Mall, the London wine club, opens a Shanghai location in December with capped membership of 1,500 at RMB38,000 annually, more expensive than its London, Singapore and Verbier clubs.
  • The club will stock over 5,000 wines from 40 countries plus a dedicated cellar of 1,000 Chinese labels from Ningxia, Xinjiang and Yunnan, positioning them alongside Bordeaux and Burgundy.
  • Founder Grant Ashton says Shanghai is the world's most important wine market and the club aims to elevate global perception of Chinese winemaking as world-class rather than niche.
  • The Shanghai club opens as rival Hong Kong-based Club Bâtard launches its own Shanghai outpost a month earlier, intensifying competition for affluent wine drinkers in the city.
  • The multi-floor venue in a century-old French Renaissance building will include more private dining rooms than other 67 Pall Mall locations, reflecting how members entertain in the region.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
02The Drinks Business·

EU wine regions showcase emerging diversity beyond Bordeaux and Tuscany

  • Neil McAndrew, wine trade veteran advising the EU's 'More Than Only Food & Drink' campaign, led a Cardiff masterclass showcasing eight EU wine regions to UK trade professionals.
  • EU PDO and PGI schemes protect 82% of EU wine production, guaranteeing authenticity, sustainability and quality that build consumer trust in regional identity and heritage.
  • Emerging opportunities identified include island wines with unique terroirs, Central European regions with indigenous grapes, and hybrid varieties breeding climate resilience.
  • Organic wine category is forecast to grow 10% yearly through 2030; Greece, Bulgaria and Romania now rank among the world's top 20 organic wine regions.
  • Masterclass wines spanned Saar Riesling Sekt, Cypriot Xynisteri, Hungarian Furmint, Greek Lagorthi, Romanian Fetească Neagră and Slovakian Frankovka, each showcasing indigenous variety and terroir.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
03The Drinks Business·

Matthew Jukes, British wine writer and broadcaster, dies aged 58

  • Matthew Jukes, a prominent British wine writer, critic and broadcaster, died suddenly on 6 August while on holiday in Portugal, aged 58.
  • Jukes spent nearly 40 years in wine, beginning in 1987 at Barnes Wine Shop in London and serving 26 years as wine buyer at Bibendum restaurant.
  • He presented BBC radio programmes and Channel 4's Wine Hunt, wrote 14 books including The Wine Book, and contributed a weekly wine column to the Daily Mail for 22 years.
  • Known particularly for championing Australian wine, Jukes received the Honorary Australian of the Year Award in 2012 for promoting producers internationally.
  • He co-owned The Crescent wine bar in Fulham during the mid-1990s and recently founded JUKES Cordialities, a premium non-alcoholic drinks range backed by Whispering Angel creator Sacha Lichine.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
04The Drinks Business·

Bacardí opens Puerto Rico warehouses; Clarkson pie hits 498 pubs

  • Casa Bacardí in Puerto Rico opened its ageing warehouses to the public for the first time, offering 90-minute Maestro's Walk tours with barrel tastings and blending education.
  • Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone IPA brewery partnered with Marston's pub group to launch a limited-edition beef and cheddar pie across 498 UK locations this month.
  • La Gioiosa prosecco became Official Partner of London's inaugural Padel Week (3-9 August), hosting tastings and cocktails at five London clubs during the sports event.
  • Brothers Augusto and Alberto Gherardi launched AnimaTours, offering bespoke Italian wine and food journeys led by the WSET-certified educators known as @the_wine_jokers.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
05VinePair·

Penn Station wine shop stocks cult bottles for commuters and tri-state suburbs

  • Penn Cellars, a wine shop opened in Penn Station in late December 2024, stocks niche producers from Josh Cellars to Frank Cornelissen in North America's busiest transit hub.
  • Buyer David Bruno, trained in fine dining and wine retail, steers commuters toward quality bottles at mid-range prices instead of mass-market alternatives, building demand across the tri-state region.
  • The shop's location at the intersection of three transit systems lets Bruno source cult wines with ultra-low allocations unavailable to suburban retailers, then supply customers traveling upstate, Long Island, and New Jersey.
  • Penn Cellars caters to on-the-go drinkers with ready-to-drink wines and spirits in cans and boxes, plus plastic cups and ice, enabling passengers to consume before boarding trains home.
  • A reopened bar called Tracks, opening soon in Penn Station, will partner with Penn Cellars to expand wine education and on-premise sales to travelers.
Reported byVinePair
06The Drinks Business·

Australian Vintage launches Poco Vino single-serve wines targeting younger drinkers

  • Poco Vino, a brand by Australian Vintage, sells small-format wines in single-serve bottles targeting Zillennial consumers seeking convenience, moderation and quality.
  • Research across 3,000 consumers in seven markets found 75cl bottles discourage exploration, lock drinkers to one style, and complicate portion control.
  • The range uses colour-coded packaging for seven recognisable varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, rosé, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Shiraz.
  • Poco Vino sells roughly 12,000 bottles daily worldwide since launch last year and won a Drinks Business Award.
  • Emily Harper, chief marketing officer at Australian Vintage, states the brand targets modern lifestyles by making wine portable, stackable and suitable for home, picnics and events.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
07The Drinks Business·

Korean sommelier produces wine in Korea, sells exclusively to Hong Kong

  • Ted Ko, Korea-born sommelier and wine merchant based in Hong Kong since 2019, makes Koyberpunk wines at a 1.5-acre vineyard in Yeongcheon-City to pair with Korean cuisine.
  • Ko found Hong Kong restaurants paired Korean food with unsuitable wines like riesling and light pinot noir instead of fuller, sweeter styles that complement umami-forward dishes.
  • Koyberpunk produces cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay-semillon blend and muscat bailey-A aged in American and Korean oak; only the first two are sold in Hong Kong at HK$980 each.
  • Ko withholds muscat bailey-A from Hong Kong because local sommeliers feared hybrid grapes damaged brand positioning in high-end Korean restaurants.
  • Ko sees Korean wine as nascent and experimental, lacking the oenological expertise and distinctive terroir profile of established regions; most Korean producers are elderly and lack competition-level techniques.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
08The Drinks Business·

Sicily's 2026 harvest arrives after drought, catches Christopher Nolan's camera

  • Sicily's 2026 harvest began this week and will run roughly 100 days across the island, longer than any other European wine region, after a severe drought two years ago brought agricultural emergency.
  • Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opened 16 July 2026 with principal Italian shooting on Favignana in the Egadi islands off Trapani, the exact western Sicily region where white-wine harvest and Marsala production begin.
  • Dry-farming techniques like Pantelleria's UNESCO-recognized alberello bush-vine method, unchanged for centuries, now attract international consultants from Bordeaux and Napa seeking water-resilient viticulture strategies.
  • The 91-day film shoot and 100-day harvest overlap almost exactly, creating a single trading quarter of free global cinema marketing coinciding with product availability and cellar-door access.
  • Pietro Pollara, vice-president of producers' association Assovini Sicilia, forecasts high-quality 2026 wines with aromatic profile and freshness-elegance balance, enabled by a wet winter that restored soil moisture after 2024 crisis.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
09SevenFifty Daily·

Ancient vine-training systems decline as labor costs and mechanization reshape European viticulture

  • Italy's alberata system, once common around Naples, survives on only a handful of hectares as Guyot and vertical shoot positioning replaced it over the late 20th century.
  • Lanzarote's hoyo pits, carved after 1730s volcanic eruptions, attract thousands of tourists yearly and sustain wine values, yet vineyards shrank 19 percent from 2000 to 2026 due to extreme labor demands.
  • Spain's Rías Baixas winegrowers maintain pergola emparrado training by adopting specialized machinery for maintenance; mandatory hand-harvesting rules mean labor intensity is uniform across all systems in the region.
  • Veneto's 19th-century bellussera hybrid, which once supported silk and subsistence farming, fell to nine percent of Piave DOC but may revive through climate resilience and wine tourism appeal.
  • Historical vine-training survival hinges on regional economics: tourism, local regulation, mechanization limits, and climate adaptation determine whether ancestral knowledge persists or vanishes.
Reported bySevenFifty Daily
10VinePair·

Brooklyn housing complex installs pathways from 450,000 recycled wine corks

  • Public Housing Community Fund, Cork Collective, and nonprofits completed a $500,000 project at Marlboro Houses in Gravesend, Brooklyn using recycled corks.
  • Cork Collective, launched by Rockwell Group and cork maker Amorim in 2024, collected over 450,000 corks from NYC restaurants, ground them, and laid them as pathways and playground surfaces.
  • Children at Marlboro Houses submitted design mockups that shaped the final layout, partnering with Center for Justice Innovation, The Urban Conga, and the Resident Association.
  • Cork surfaces absorb stormwater, reduce ambient temperature by 20 to 30 percent, and avoid toxic plastic or rubber alternatives.
  • Fewer than one percent of 13 billion cork stoppers made annually are recycled; three billion corks are discarded yearly in the U.S.
Reported byVinePair
11Decanter·

Independent wine merchant Di Camillo wins inaugural sustainable buyer award

  • Di Camillo, owner of Wine & Such, won the first Sustainable Wine Buyer award from the Wine Buyers Awards, which debuted the category in 2025.
  • The judging panel found her entry stood out because sustainability shaped sourcing, producer relationships, and daily operations, not isolated initiatives.
  • Majestic won the separate Sustainable Drinks Buying Team of the Year award, showing larger retailers also embed the practice.
  • A significant portion of competition entrants omitted sustainability sections entirely, suggesting many buyers do not prioritize it despite industry acknowledgement of its importance.
Reported byDecanter
01The Drinks Business·

Chile's 2026 vintage shaped by regional climate contrasts, Concha y Toro reports

  • Viña Concha y Toro's 2026 harvest report describes regionally distinct growing seasons across Chile's leading valleys shaped by winter rainfall and spring conditions.
  • Limarí's coastal fog and above-average winter rain slowed ripening, yielding wines with mineral precision and tension; Maipo's warm spring and stable summer accelerated fruit concentration and structural balance.
  • Peumo's late-ripening Carmenère benefitted from March rainfall that moderated ripening pace, achieving balance between technological and phenolic maturity.
  • Maule required careful management after March rains; Merlot in San Clemente harvested before rain under ideal conditions, while Cauquenes produced balanced wines with strong fruit expression.
  • Marcelo Papa, technical director at Concha y Toro, attributed the vintage's quality to each vineyard's ability to express its regional identity rather than single dominant factors.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
02SevenFifty Daily·

Vineyards deploy netting to cool ripening fruit during heat stress

  • Vineyard netting, historically used for bird and hail protection, is now deployed to lower fruit-zone temperatures and preserve acidity, color, and phenolic balance during heat events.
  • A 2022 UC Davis study on Cabernet Sauvignon found shaded clusters had 27 percent greater skin anthocyanins than unshaded controls, as anthocyanins degrade above 35 degrees Celsius.
  • At Petra estate in Tuscany, Merlot clusters shaded with nets measured 40-41 degrees Celsius versus 50 degrees in unshaded blocks, reducing sunburn from 41 percent to three percent.
  • Luis Reginato, viticulture head at Catena Zapata in Mendoza, uses filtered light exposure via canopy management rather than full shade, letting light reach clusters in brief pulses.
  • Net color and placement matter: white and green nets perform better than black; nets must stay clear of clusters to prevent heat transfer, and covering both canopy sides risks trapping heat.
Reported bySevenFifty Daily
03SevenFifty Daily·

Grape sunburn shifts vineyard practices as heat waves spread

  • Grape sunburn is a physiological stress from excess light, UV, and berry surface heat that can exceed 122°F in 95°F air, degrading color, aroma, and acid.
  • Sunburned wine tastes of cooked fruit, asphalt, creosote, and rubber, with flabby acid, high alcohol, and premature aging that worsens over time.
  • Producers including Tyrrell's in Hunter Valley and Chêne Bleu in Ventoux have abandoned mid-summer defoliation and now shield fruit with late-season leaf cover or kaolin clay.
  • Early defoliation at flowering builds photoprotective compounds in berries; late defoliation at veraison leaves fruit exposed, so timing of canopy management is now critical.
  • Winemakers including Matthiasson in Napa and Tyrrell's use vineyard design, reflective sprays, and harvest-time sorting as last-resort defenses as heat waves arrive earlier and further north.
Reported bySevenFifty Daily
04SevenFifty Daily·

Heat-Tolerant Mourvèdre Struggles as Southern France Temperatures Soar

  • Mourvèdre, bred for heat and traditionally thriving in coastal Bandol and Spanish Jumilla, now faces stress even in its strongholds as summers intensify and drought persists.
  • A three-year drought in Jumilla from 2022 to 2024 killed some old bush vines despite their depth, forcing producers to consider irrigation for survival of the variety.
  • Bandol winemakers including Jean-François Ott of Domaines Ott and the Gueissard family are experimenting with canopy shading, higher pruning, and ground cover to protect grapes from sunburn and retain soil moisture.
  • Abandonment of southern vineyard sites in Jumilla has halved surface area over 20 years, with only higher-altitude parcels around 600 to 800 meters proving viable for heat-tolerant varieties.
  • Shifts in production are occurring: Bandol may reduce rosé output as cooler sites traditionally reserved for it are now needed for red wine, changing the region's wine style profile.
Reported bySevenFifty Daily
05The Drinks Business·

Global alcohol deaths fall 26% since 2010, analysis finds

  • Alcohol-attributable deaths worldwide fell 26% between 2010 and 2024, according to analysis by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking of Global Burden of Disease data.
  • Age-standardised disability-adjusted life years linked to alcohol declined 23% over the same period, while high alcohol use exposure fell roughly 10%.
  • The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking attributes the trend to combined effects of changing drinking patterns, healthcare improvements, public health initiatives and broader development, not a single intervention.
  • The 26% mortality reduction exceeds the UN World Health Organisation's 2010 target of a 20% reduction in harmful alcohol use by 2030.
  • The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking cautioned that global averages mask regional variation and progress cannot be assumed to continue without sustained effort.
Reported byThe Drinks Business
01wineanorak·Jamie Goode·

Minimalist Wines, the exciting South African Syrah-focused winery of Sam Lambson

  • Sam Lambson, 28, founded Minimalist Wines in 2018 as a Stellenbosch student, now producing only Syrah from Cape Agulhas, Elgin, Polkadraii Hills, and Banghoek.
  • A 1998 Jamet Côte Rôtie inspired Lambson's Syrah focus; he believes Chenin Blanc and Syrah can lead South African wine's future.
  • Minimalist Wines moved to its own winery in Cape Town's Gardens two years ago; Lambson uses 100% whole cluster fermentation in concrete tanks since 2025.
  • Lambson sources grapes from cool-climate regions where Syrah ripens late (March into April), hand-picked and transported in refrigerated crates to preserve fruit quality.
Read the full story
02Everyday Drinking·Jason Wilson·

Priorat, In Progress

  • Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita 2021, Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus 2020, and Familia Nin-Ortiz Mas d'en Cacador 2020 are three Priorat reds that earned 100-point scores, retailing at $1,250, $300, and $180.
  • Traditional Priorat powerhouses like Mas Doix, Clos Mogador, and Celler Vall Llach reach 14.5-15.5% abv and spend 14-18 months in oak, featuring concentrated, tannic profiles.
  • Terroir al Límit's 2021 Les Manyes, made from rare garnacha peluda at 2,600+ feet elevation with only 8 months cement aging and 13.5% abv, represents a new wave prioritizing freshness and complexity over power.
Read the full story
04Tim Atkin·Tim Atkin MW·

Michelin And The Death Of The Wine Guide

  • Michelin's Wine Selection Burgundy 2026 awarded nine producers three grapes, 20 vignerons two grapes, and 33 one grape; Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux publicly demanded removal after receiving one grape.
  • Michelin rates producers based on vineyard management and consistency rather than individual wines, unlike competitor Guide Hachette des Vins which rates individual cuvées.
  • Michelin acquired Wine Advocate entirely in 2019 after purchasing 40% in 2017; suspicion exists of Wine Advocate influence in Burgundy selections.
  • Consumer wine guides emerged in the 1970s with Decanter, Wine Spectator, Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book, and Parker's Wine Advocate; print guides became obsolete as internet access expanded from mid-1990s onward.
  • AI-powered wine apps are emerging as the next iteration, but their reliability depends on input quality and raises questions about whose opinions and expertise they represent.
Read the full story
05The Morning Claret·Simon J. Woolf·

Six Wines That Stopped Me in My Tracks

  • Charly, a Burgundy native, relocated to Lower Austria a decade ago and produces wines under his own label and Côtes Danubiennes sub-brand.
  • Charly's Blauer Portugieser 2023 (grapes from Christoph Hoch) features ripeness, vivid fruit, and creamy texture, unusually hedonistic for this variety.
  • Charly owns one hectare and sources additional grapes from organically or biodynamically farmed vineyards.
  • Three of Charly's wines are available from Gute Weine for €27/bottle with EU delivery; the Blauer Portugieser is unavailable online.
Read the full story
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, located 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, Mediterranean climate, and cool overnight temperatures from Siskiyou Mountains suit sun-loving grapes.
Read the full story
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 Chardonnay and Merlot while innovating huangjiu, an ancient Chinese fermented beverage.
  • Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through a multi-stage process: rice saccharification, then co-fermentation with pressed grape juice.
  • Coram's products are already listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu since launching last June.
  • Huangjiu peaks in quality between three and eight years of aging; misconceptions include it being merely cooking wine and always improving with age, when modern styles are fresher and cleaner.
Read the full story
08Be Wine Curious·Miquel Hudin·

A wine of straw

  • Dessert wine consumption has declined for approximately 75 years, with no recovery expected soon.
  • Goût Russe Champagne in the 19th century contained 300g/l of sugar for the Russian market.
  • Raül Bobet, co-owner of Ferrer-Bobet in Priorat, Catalunya, released a dessert wine with a 20-year aging process.
Read the full story