Winefeed

Hungarian dry wines gain US traction after decade, face distribution limits

• US imports of Hungarian wine totalled $3.04 million in 2025, down from $5.95 million in 2022 but up from a decade prior, with specialty importers like Palinkerie and Credo reporting strong profitability.
• Dry Furmint, Hárslevelű, Kadarka, and Kékfrankos have gained sommelier backing and on-premise placement since the 2010s, particularly in New York and San Francisco, but remain hand-sells to consumers unfamiliar with the category.
• Importers and sommeliers cite limited distribution as the chief barrier to growth, with most non-specialty suppliers carrying few Hungarian producers and market conditions making new investment risky.

Seven US regions seek AVA status to define terroir and build wine identity

• Seven proposed AVAs across California, Oregon, New Jersey, and New York are in early stages of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approval, which can take several years.
• Annapolis-Sea Ranch in Sonoma County will span 26,637 acres with 651 planted acres known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir shaped by coastal fog and Ohlson Ranch soil.
• Deschutes River in central Oregon will be that state's first recognized winegrowing region, covering 723,760 acres where five wineries and eight growers experiment with hybrids and traditional varieties across elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 feet.

Airlines upgrade wine service as premiumization strategy gains ground

• Major carriers including Delta are expanding wine selections in premium cabins and lounges as part of broader premiumization strategies that prioritize high-margin amenities over low-cost fares.
• Wine industry benefits from timing: abundant quality inventory at reasonable prices makes airline adoption economically attractive for both carriers and producers.
• Premium wine positioning in airline lounges and first-class cabins signals wine's role in aspirational lifestyle marketing to affluent travelers.

Costco's boutique wine sourcing reflects surplus market conditions

• Costco, the largest US wine retailer, stocks 100-120 wines on a rolling basis from global regions including France, Italy, Spain, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
• Kirkland Signature house brand wines, introduced in 2003, are small lots of around 2000 cases made by contracted winemakers and rotated through warehouses to encourage repeat visits.
• Costco's model mirrors British supermarket retailers like Tesco by using store reputation to sell unfamiliar global wines, rather than relying on producer brands as US supermarkets do.

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

• Southern Glazer's, the largest US alcohol distributor, reached a non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ and TTB on Thursday, paying $12.5 million to resolve a bribery investigation.
• Former employees allegedly distributed cash, gift cards, luxury goods, and trips to California retailers from 2016 to 2024 in exchange for better shelf placement, concealed via false invoices.
• Southern Glazer's agreed to strengthen compliance staff, implement auditing, and fulfill undisclosed obligations over two years to prevent future misconduct.

Jameson releases single pot still whiskey inspired by 1826 recipe

• Jameson distillery released Distiller's Batch, a single pot still Irish whiskey bottled at 46% ABV, drawing on a mash bill handwritten by John Jameson II in 1826 and archived at Midleton.
• Master distiller Kevin O'Gorman matured the spirit in five cask types: ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry, and virgin Irish, European, and American oak, yielding dark chocolate, spice, and toffee flavors.
• Distiller's Batch launched at $49.99 SRP in fall 2025 and won gold at the International Spirits Challenge and double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

A tasting of 48 top artisan Champagnes from Berry Bros & Rudd

• Berry Bros & Rudd offered a tasting of 48 artisan Champagnes, including grower Champagnes and smaller houses with grower-like practices.
• Champagne Clandestin Trilogie KM1 2022 scored 96/100, the highest rating in the tasting, featuring three Pinot Noir plots from Côte des Bar with mineral and smoky character.
• Multiple producers including Marguet, Odysse, and Lafalisse-Froissart received scores of 94-95/100 for recent vintages and non-vintage releases.

Coastal Brilliance: Recent Releases from Hirsch Vineyards

• David Hirsch, pioneering California winegrower, died on July 28.

How Can You Train to Recognise Wine Faults?

• Sietze Wijma founded The Art of Tasting in 2021, teaching wine professionals and enthusiasts to recognize faults using synthesized flavor compounds that mimic real defects.
• Wijma launched an Online Tasting Course in wine faults after working at a UK laboratory producing aroma compounds and realizing the concept could transform wine education.
• ATHP is the dominant compound causing mousy taint; the fault's aroma becomes imperceptible at normal wine pH but develops a foul aftertaste when ingested.

Red and White and Roero All Over

• Roero, north of Alba in Piemonte, produces Arneis whites (1,000 planted hectares) and Nebbiolo reds (360 hectares) with different characteristics than neighboring regions due to sandstone-based terroir.
• Roero Nebbiolo costs $25, $45 in the U.S., with approachable tannins and bright acidity; Arneis whites rarely exceed $25, offering peachy, floral, saline profiles suited to local cuisine.
• Some Roero producers label reds as Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba to access laxer production rules and more recognizable brand names rather than emphasize the Roero D.O.C.G. designation.

Meet Your Robo-Somm

• Tim Atkin tested multiple AI wine pairing apps and found most fail to understand ingredient nuances, vintage variation, and often recommend generic brands instead of appropriate choices.
• SommPal, a new food and wine pairing app, ranks up to five wine pairings per dish with explanatory notes on pairing logic, designed by developer Marc Lewin to assist novice drinkers where expert sommeliers unavailable.
• Atkin argues AI wine tools trained by industry professionals can introduce new customers to wine, but those developed without expertise or accountability risk degrading the sommelier profession.

Of Substack & wine

• Substack created a separate Wine & Spirits subsection within its Rising and Top lists, splitting it from the parent Food & Drink category to improve wine content discovery.
• Miquel Hudin updated the Wine Substack List (WineStack), now requiring publications to use paid subscriptions and contain only human-written text, excluding AI-generated content.
• Bodhi Landa's "Thirst Behavior" was removed from the curated list after Substack's built-in 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