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01Vineyard Magazine·

Sussex wine producers band together on Rother Wine Triangle trail

  • Sussex winemakers are building a wine tourism initiative called Sussex Winelands, with about 150 vineyards across the county.
  • The Rother Wine Triangle, launched during English Wine Week, is Sussex's first official wine trail, funded by Rother District Council.
  • The Wines of Sussex PDO, recognised by DEFRA in July 2022, requires grapes grown within East and West Sussex and 15 months' bottle ageing for sparkling.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Sussex wine producers band together on Rother Wine Triangle trail
02Wine Australia·

Australian wine exports fall 7% as US loss outweighs Southeast Asia and Canada gains

  • Australian wine export value fell 7% to $2.25 billion in the 12 months to September 2026, with volume down 5% to 590 million litres.
  • Exports to the US dropped 28% in value to $219 million, the largest drag on volume, as US wine sales and tariffs weighed.
  • Southeast Asia grew 16% in value to $291 million, led by Thailand, while Canada rose 12% to $185 million as American wines left shelves.
Reported byWine Australia: Australian wine exports fall 7% as US loss outweighs Southeast Asia and Canada gains
03Liv-ex·

Bordeaux leads fine wine trade at 39.6% share, Lafite 2005 top seller

  • Liv-ex's weekly data shows Bordeaux claiming 39.6% of traded fine wine value, with Lafite the region's top seller at over a quarter.
  • Burgundy fell from 24.8% to 18.4% of traded value, while Tuscany rose from 5.2% to 8.9%.
  • UK buyers led Super Tuscan purchases, mainly Tignanello and Tua Rita, while US buyers led Brunello buying, focusing on Fuligni and Biondi-Santi.
Reported byLiv-ex: Bordeaux leads fine wine trade at 39.6% share, Lafite 2005 top seller
04VinePair·

Booze news roundup covers Uncle Nearest sale, Italian wine heist and product launches

  • VinePair's weekly roundup reports that Uncle Nearest has potential buyers in play for the whirskey brand.
  • Southern Glazer's faces a bribery snafu, according to the same weekly roundup of beverage alcohol news.
  • The roundup also covers OpenTable's 2026 restaurant report and a batch of new product releases ahead of gifting season.
Reported byVinePair: Booze news roundup covers Uncle Nearest sale, Italian wine heist and product launches
01Vineyard Magazine·

Vineyard & Winery Show returns 25 November at Kent County Showground

  • The Vineyard & Winery Show, a free trade event for English and Welsh wine, runs 25 November 2026 at Kent County Showground, Detling.
  • About 120 exhibitors are expected, with tasting hubs featuring the 'Golden 50' medal winners and wines picked by Vineyard magazine writers.
  • A Pinot Noir from Biddenden, originally meant for the late Matthew Jukes, will be shown and is eligible for the new Matthew Jukes' Trophy.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Vineyard & Winery Show returns 25 November at Kent County Showground
02Vineyard Magazine·

Wine writer champions Ortega as versatile English grape across three Kent and Surrey wines

  • Wine critic recommends Ortega, an early-ripening German cross from 1948, as a versatile grape suited to southern England.
  • He highlights Biddenden's Chapter 57 (2025, £19.50), Westwell's 2025 Muscadet-style Ortega, and Denbies' botrytis-affected wine.
  • The columnist, one of three writers reviewing English and Welsh wines for Vineyard magazine, writes in tribute to the late Matthew Jukes.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Wine writer champions Ortega as versatile English grape across three Kent and Surrey wines
03Vineyard Magazine·

UK vineyards pool resources through trails, joint events and wine tours

  • Columnist Lucy, who has made 25 new British vineyard visits since last year, says collaboration is driving wine tourism.
  • Kent's 'The Kentish Wine Way' and Suffolk's wine trail group vineyards so visitors can plan multi-site trips.
  • Rother River Wine Tour picks visitors up at stations and shuttles them between vineyards, supported by the local council.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: UK vineyards pool resources through trails, joint events and wine tours
04PUNCH·

Real Housewives drink mass-market, sweet wines, critic argues

  • Cake Zine essayist, a certified wine specialist, says Real Housewives favour mass-market, high-alcohol, sweet wines, mostly Californian cabernet.
  • Whitney Rose on Salt Lake City's Real Housewives recommends Justin Cabernet, a roughly $22 bottle sold at Walgreens.
  • The essay ties the sweet-wine taste to Robert Parker's 100-point scoring system and the 'Parkerization' homogenizing of flavour.
Reported byPUNCH: Real Housewives drink mass-market, sweet wines, critic argues
05The Guardian·

Cloudy, unfiltered pét nat wines rise as supermarkets and restaurants embrace them

  • Marks & Spencer's Trouble organic rosé is the first cloudy still wine sold in a British supermarket.
  • Pét nat is bottled before fermentation finishes and usually left undisgorged, which gives it its cloudy appearance.
  • Zainab Majerikova, head of wine for the Ottolenghi group, says cloudiness adds texture and suits food with big flavours.
Reported byThe Guardian: Cloudy, unfiltered pét nat wines rise as supermarkets and restaurants embrace them
06VinePair·

Bartenders say American drinkers abroad are curious, though they still favor vodka and Martinis

  • European bartenders at London's Connaught Bar and Madrid's Rosewood Villa Magna say American bar guests are curious and open.
  • Americans often request vodka Martinis, customized classics and US spirit substitutions, though experienced travelers increasingly try local drinks.
  • U.S. international travel rose about 71 percent over the past decade, and Americans took a record 24 million trips to Europe in 2025.
Reported byVinePair: Bartenders say American drinkers abroad are curious, though they still favor vodka and Martinis
01IVES Open Science·

MODIS satellite data validated for estimating vineyard water use in Italy

  • University of Padova researchers used MODIS satellite data with ground weather observations to estimate evapotranspiration in a 25-hectare northeastern Italian vineyard.
  • Estimates were calibrated on two years of eddy-covariance measurements and independently validated on two further years, showing good consistency with in situ observations.
  • The authors conclude MODIS data could potentially monitor vineyard water consumption across a whole region, aiding water management in a densely populated, water-stressed area.
Reported byIVES Open Science: MODIS satellite data validated for estimating vineyard water use in Italy
02Vineyard Magazine·

Newick Wine Estate in East Sussex faces frost loss after first plantings

  • Jonathan and Charlotte Sharpe planted 37,000 vines on half of their 16-hectare East Sussex farm at Newick in 2023.
  • Ten frost events in 2026, four of them severe, cut the Newick Wine Estate harvest to a small tonnage, the last on 10 May.
  • Newick's vineyard manager Charles Negus says SWD was controlled by removing brambles and trialling Pyracantha, and GM20 Pinot Noir escaped SWD damage in 2025.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Newick Wine Estate in East Sussex faces frost loss after first plantings
03IVES Open Science·

Model simulates water and nitrogen competition in barley-intercropped Mediterranean vineyards

  • Researchers at Montpellier's UMR System used the APES crop simulation platform to assess competition in a barley-intercropped vineyard.
  • Intercropping cover crops in Mediterranean vineyards is limited by fear of water competition, while nitrogen competition has been hypothesized to explain yield drops.
  • The study tests water and nitrogen stress indexes for a vineyard cover-cropped with barley under Mediterranean soil and climate.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Model simulates water and nitrogen competition in barley-intercropped Mediterranean vineyards
04Vineyard Magazine·

Artelium launches Mosaic blends using PIWI varieties Divico and Cabaret Noir

  • Artelium Wine Estate has launched Artelium Mosaics, a new range of English still wines built on blending.
  • The launch includes The White Mosaic 2023, The Rosé Mosaic 2025 and The Red Mosaic 2024, released at £28 RRP.
  • The collection introduces PIWI varieties Divico and Cabaret Noir, which the estate says suit England's climate and resist fungal disease.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Artelium launches Mosaic blends using PIWI varieties Divico and Cabaret Noir
05IVES Open Science·

Grenache rootstock and irrigation trial shows lower water use and stomatal control

  • A three-year-old Grenache vineyard in NE Spain was grafted onto three rootstocks and grown irrigated or non-irrigated.
  • Non-irrigated vines had higher water use efficiency, and 110-R and 41-B outperformed 161-49 on this measure.
  • Stomatal conductance differences from irrigation persisted through the season, with stomata apparently kept open by water availability despite low leaf water potential.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Grenache rootstock and irrigation trial shows lower water use and stomatal control
06IVES Open Science·

Italian research urges genetic and cultivation changes to meet climate and market pressures

  • A Pisa University viticulture paper argues grapevines must adapt to climate change and rising pressure on water and biodiversity.
  • It proposes genetic improvement and recovery of local varieties, such as Italian projects reviving native grapes, to preserve biodiversity.
  • The authors also report viticultural and economic trials on Lazio varieties Malvasia and Cesanese d'Affile, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, using Cordon Spur training.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Italian research urges genetic and cultivation changes to meet climate and market pressures
07IVES Open Science·

Conegliano pruning trials on Lazio grapes test yield, water and quality

  • CRA and Lazio and Padova researchers trialled Conegliano pruning systems on Malvasia, Cesanese d'Affile and Cabernet Sauvignon in Lazio.
  • The trials compared Vertical Tridimensional Minimal Pruning of Conegliano with and without DMRC double maturation, aiming to raise gross saleable product.
  • The study frames the work around vine balance, over-cropping and water scarcity under Mediterranean climate change.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Conegliano pruning trials on Lazio grapes test yield, water and quality
08IVES Open Science·

Vine balance explained: how growth and fruiting trade off across the season

  • Vine balance is viticulture's term for balancing vegetative growth against reproductive growth in the vine.
  • A balanced vine ripens its crop, sets fruitful buds for next year, and builds reserves without excessive canopy growth.
  • Existing indirect measures such as yield-to-pruning-weight ratio do not capture how growth balances shift during the season.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Vine balance explained: how growth and fruiting trade off across the season
09Vineyard Magazine·

Winter vineyard tools cut pruning labour and frost losses for growers

  • Vineyard Magazine describes winter vineyard jobs including pruning, soil care and late spring frost protection.
  • Battery-powered Zanon secateurs and a tractor-mounted Provitis pre-pruner are highlighted as ways to speed up pruning.
  • Frost protection options named include candles, wind machines and the Ventigel, which combines heat and wind.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Winter vineyard tools cut pruning labour and frost losses for growers
10Vineyard Magazine·

Early 2026 English harvest ripens fruit fast despite spring frost losses

  • Gusbourne in Kent began picking Pinot Noir on 26 August 2026, two weeks ahead of 2025.
  • Nyetimber in West Sussex began its earliest ever harvest on 14 September, five days ahead of the 2018 record.
  • Spring frosts killed emerging shoots and cut yields at some estates, including The Grange in Hampshire, while fruit quality stayed high.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Early 2026 English harvest ripens fruit fast despite spring frost losses
11Lodi Growers·

Vineyard irrigation water chemistry shapes soil nutrients and grapevine health

  • Nearly pure water, like Sierra Nevada snowmelt, strips minerals from sandy soils and makes them more acidic and less permeable.
  • Alkaline well water can be rich in calcium and magnesium, but carbonates can precipitate them and reduce their availability to vines.
Reported byLodi Growers: Vineyard irrigation water chemistry shapes soil nutrients and grapevine health
12IVES Open Science·

Portuguese trial tests chemical and manual thinning to cut Vinhos Verdes yields

  • A 2007 experiment in Vinhos Verdes tested chemical and manual cluster thinning on Loureiro and Borraçal vines.
  • Manual bunch thinning cut Borraçal yield about 41% and Loureiro yield about 26% against control vines.
  • Ethephon raised sugar and lowered acidity in Loureiro, while Borraçal gained no quality benefit from any treatment.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Portuguese trial tests chemical and manual thinning to cut Vinhos Verdes yields
01The Morning Claret·Simon J. Woolf·

Visiting the Vineyard in the Sky

  • Marion Granges-Faiss runs Domaine de Beudon, a six-hectare Valais estate at 890 metres, reachable only by hike or cable car.
  • Jacky Granges-Faiss bought the estate in 1971; Valais's first Demeter-certified estate followed in 1992 after organic conversion in the 1980s.
  • Jacky died in June 2016 when a caterpillar he was using in the vineyards reversed over him; Marion has since become the de facto winemaker.
Read the full story: Visiting the Vineyard in the Sky
02wineanorak·Jamie Goode·

Australia’s Clare Valley: a mini-study in six wines

  • Wine Anorak tasted six Clare Valley wines, rating Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon highly and Shiraz more modestly.
  • Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2025 scored 94/100, with wet stone minerality and delicate citrus fruit.
  • Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Taylors' export label, scored 94/100 for its blackcurrant fruit and earthy complexity.
Read the full story: Australia’s Clare Valley: a mini-study in six wines
03Tim Atkin·Tim Atkin MW·

Nasty Not Nice

  • Tim Atkin argues people are drinking less because wine is too pleasant and risk-free, and the trade is too nice.
  • Atkin satirically proposes insecurity-driven marketing, such as telling drinkers their wine choices make them look stupid.
  • He points to Riedel's glass-per-wine approach and Victorian cutlery as examples of exclusivity that could be copied.
Read the full story: Nasty Not Nice
05Cab Franc Chronicles·Cab Franc Chronicles·

Inside Chinon’s Lieux-Dits Project

  • Chinon's lieux-dits project, begun by the Chinon Syndicat in 2014, promotes named vineyard sites without an official classification or hierarchy.
  • Seven lieux-dits have been officially recognized so far, beginning with La Croix Boissée in Cravant-les-Côteaux in 2018.
  • Each recognized site receives a detailed monograph and an engraved stone marking the vineyard, with the process guided by a working group including Matthieu Baudry of Domaine Bernard Baudry.
Read the full story: Inside Chinon’s Lieux-Dits Project
07Maker's Table·Meg Maker·

N is for Noirien

  • Noirien is an old French word for Pinot noir, derived from Latin niger meaning black or dark.
  • The Noirien group includes Pinot noir and its color mutants Pinot gris, Pinot blanc and Pinot Meunier, plus Chardonnay and Gamay noir.
  • The Noirien zone runs from Champagne through the Côte d'Or to Beaujolais, with its western edge reaching the central Loire.
Read the full story: N is for Noirien
08The Burgundy Outlook·Jonathan Finch·

Why Michelin Ratings Still Won’t Tell You Who Actually Made Your Burgundy Wine

  • Michelin has begun awarding one to three grapes to Burgundy wines since July, assessed on agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency.
  • Julien Cruchandeau's Bouzeron Aligoté comes from old vines descended from Aubert de Villaine's massale selections, farmed under lutte raisonnée.
Read the full story: Why Michelin Ratings Still Won’t Tell You Who Actually Made Your Burgundy Wine
09Be Wine Curious·Miquel Hudin·

Telling a mountain to move

  • DO Montsant has revised its bylaws to add certification for 'vi brisat', its orange-style wine, following a similar move by DO Terra Alta in 2022.
  • Montsant's revised bylaws also create a classification for 'minimal intervention' wines, requiring hand-harvesting, organic certification, spontaneous fermentations and low sulfur dioxide.
  • The author says the DO did not respond to a request for the maximum sulfur dioxide limit, which is not stated in the final bylaws posted online.
Read the full story: Telling a mountain to move
10shades of grape·Eveline Chartier·

400 Montepulciano Bottles for Thomas Jefferson circa 1805

  • A 1350 trade contract between the Del Pecora family and merchant Jacopo di Vanni is the oldest known document for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, held in Florence's State Archives.
  • A 2024 Consorzio-unveiled document shows the term 'Vino Nobile' was first used in 1766 by the Jesuit order, not 1787 as previously thought.
  • In a 1806 letter, Thomas Jefferson requested 400 bottles of Montepulciano annually after receiving 473 bottles in November 1805, which he called the best he had received.
Read the full story: 400 Montepulciano Bottles for Thomas Jefferson circa 1805