Winefeed

Seven US regions seek AVA status to establish wine identity

• Seven proposed AVAs from California to New Jersey are moving through Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approval, which can take several years; they range from 4,495 acres in Lake Hennessey, Napa to 723,760 acres in Deschutes River, Oregon.
• Annapolis-Sea Ranch in Sonoma will focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir shaped by coastal fog filtering and redwood influence, while Lake Hennessey in Napa emphasizes Cabernet Sauvignon with cooler nighttime temperatures from air drainage.
• Central Oregon's Deschutes River, New Jersey's Hunterdon Hills, and New York's Niagara Lake Plain are experimenting with diverse varietals suited to their climates, from hybrids at higher elevations to cool-climate whites and Pinot Noir.

Cruise lines emerge as engagement platform for US wineries

• Cooper's Hawk Winery chartered Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady for a four-night Caribbean cruise in 2024, integrating its wines across bars and restaurants; the sold-out sailing prompted 30 percent of members to book a second cruise scheduled for February 2027.
• Four Feathers Wine Services developed a custom brut sparkling wine using Columbia Valley fruit for Holland America's fleet in 2024; it became the most-served adult beverage across the cruise line.
• Eleven Eleven Wines, a Napa boutique producer, hosted 60 guests aboard Scenic Eclipse II for a seven-day Mediterranean sailing and achieved a 33 percent conversion rate among non-wine club passengers to repeat customers or club members.

Vineyard idling gains traction as growers weather weak demand

• A 2025 study of 19 northern Willamette Valley vineyards found idling reduced management costs by an average of 38 percent per acre, with some sites cutting costs by half.
• Vineyard idling, or mothballing, pauses production for one to three years without removing vines, allowing growers to defer expenses while keeping land and capital intact during weak grape demand.
• Viticulturists emphasize severe pruning, minimal irrigation at steady rates, weed control, and selective fungicide spraying as critical to keeping idled vines viable for future return to production.

Southern Glazer's pays $12.5 million to resolve DOJ bribery investigation

• Southern Glazer's, the largest alcohol distributor in the US, reached a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay $12.5 million to resolve a bribery investigation.
• From 2016 to 2024, former employees allegedly gave cash, gift cards, luxury goods, golf trips, and resort bookings to California retailers to secure better shelf placement and other benefits, concealed through false invoices.
• As part of the settlement, Southern Glazer's must strengthen compliance oversight and meet unspecified obligations over two years to prevent future misconduct.

US tariff lifted as Scotch whisky market shifts toward affordable premiums

• US lifted 15-month tariff on Scotch in July 2026, reversing a 15 percent export decline to one of Scotland's largest markets.
• UK-India free trade agreement signed same month may expand Scotch sales into world's largest whisky market with more affordable pricing.
• Distilleries including Diageo and Brown-Forman remain on production pause; post-pandemic inventory glut persists despite shift away from premium-priced releases.

Trump bans Canadian alcohol imports effective September 29

• President Trump announced a ban on Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy, and motor parts effective September 29, escalating ongoing tariff disputes.
• The ban follows Canada's retaliatory levies on $20 billion of US goods that began Tuesday, in response to US tariffs imposed August 22.
• Canada's April 2024 alcohol import ban cost US wine, beer, and spirits industries considerable export revenue in 2025; both nations signal openness to negotiation.

Nine sommeliers pick value Chardonnays under $35 retail

• Nine US restaurant sommeliers selected Chardonnays they recommend for quality at $25 to $35 retail, including unoaked Sonoma Coast, Willamette Valley, and White Burgundy bottles.
• Oregon Willamette Valley Chardonnays dominated picks, with sommeliers citing mineral acidity and Burgundian character as reasons to favour them over traditional California styles.
• Recommended bottles include Lioco Sonoma Coast (around $25), On Wine Hill Millerandage 2024 ($), Brij Wines San Luis Obispo Coast (around $35), and Domaine des Terres de Chatenay Mâcon-Villages 2025 from old vines.

Jameson releases single pot still whiskey inspired by 1826 recipe

• Jameson distillery in Midleton released Distiller's Batch, a single pot still Irish whiskey bottled at 46% ABV and priced at $49.99, departing from the brand's grain-heavy blend.
• Master distiller Kevin O'Gorman based the recipe on a handwritten mashbill dated 1826 by John Jameson II, found in the distillery archive, and matured it in five cask types.
• Distiller's Batch won gold at the 2025 International Spirits Challenge and double gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with flavor notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon, and ginger.

A mature Penfolds tasting with Yattarna, Bin 389, St Henri, Bin 707 and Grange

• Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 and 2009 each scored 96/100, showing refined structure with blackcurrant and cherry fruit.
• Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2015 and 2010 both scored 95/100, displaying concentration with black cherry fruit and fine-grained tannins.
• Penfolds Bin 95 Grange 2013 scored 94/100 but showed tight structure and firm tannins, described as clunky and closed at present.

Wine News: What I’m Reading the Week of 9/27/26

Hello and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I

Boycott Wines Grown With Herbicides

• Adam Huss launched a boycott campaign in August against wines produced with herbicides, arguing they degrade soil health and decrease wine quality.
• Luís Patrão from Vadio in Bairrada, Portugal reported his parents' generation's herbicide use turned vineyards into barren wastelands and eliminated local ladybird, eel, and salamander populations.
• The author attended the Austrian Single Vineyard Summit in Grafenegg and used producer certifications (Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable Austria) to select only herbicide-free wines from 556 offerings.

The Pluralism Of Wine Writing

• A winning entry in the Pall Mall awards' short-form writing competition faced allegations of AI use; organizers defended it by stating the work is "not 100% AI-generated.".
• Tim Atkin argues wine writing encompasses journalism, criticism, and travelogues, but most wine journalists lack investigative rigor comparable to mainstream journalism.
• Atkin contends wine writing's pluralism, welcoming diverse voices and styles, is its strength, though questions persist about whether AI-generated content belongs in the category.

Heading Out

• Meg Maker travels to Piemonte next week for a press trip to Roero, tasting wines and handmade foods with seven other American journalists on a tightly scheduled itinerary from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sarah Marsh MW argues old vines are not universally superior to young vines, noting many old vines carry viruses and problems with rootstock, requiring case-by-case evaluation rather than blanket preservation.
• Michelin Guide released its first wine producer ratings for Burgundy in July and Bordeaux this month, with Dustin Wilson questioning whether the ratings serve Michelin's brand interests more than the regions' needs.

Of Substack & wine

• Substack created a Wine & Spirits subsection within its Rising and Top lists, separated from the Food & Drink category to improve wine content discovery.
• Miquel Hudin updated the Wine Substack List (WineStack) after one year, now requiring newsletters to actively use paid subscriptions and contain only human-written text.
• "Thirst Behavior" by Bodhi Landa was excluded from WineStack after Substack's AI detection tools revealed the majority of its text was AI-generated.

What I Learned at a Conference on Drinking

From the invention of moderation to the return of temperance