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01Wine Australia·

Australian wine exports fall 7% as US slump offsets Canada and Thailand gains

  • Australian wine exports fell 7% in value to $2.25 billion in the 12 months to September 2026, with volume down 5%.
  • US exports dropped 28% in value to $219 million, the largest driver of the volume decline, amid tariffs and weak demand.
  • Canada grew 12% in value to $185 million as American wines were pulled from shelves in the Canada-US trade dispute.
Reported byWine Australia: Australian wine exports fall 7% as US slump offsets Canada and Thailand gains
02Liv-ex·

Bordeaux leads fine wine trade at 39.6% of value, Lafite top wine

  • Bordeaux claimed 39.6% of traded fine wine value this week, with Lafite accounting for over a quarter of the region's value.
  • Burgundy slipped to 18.4% from 24.8% last week, while Tuscany rose from 5.2% to 8.9%.
  • Bollinger overtook Dom Perignon and Louis Roeder as the top-traded Champagne producer by value.
Reported byLiv-ex: Bordeaux leads fine wine trade at 39.6% of value, Lafite top wine
03VinePair·

Booze News Weekly Roundup covers Uncle Nearest sale, wine heist, and product drops

  • Uncle Nearest is reportedly nearing a sale, with potential buyers now in talks, per VinePair's weekly roundup.
  • Southern Glazer's faces a bribery snafu, and OpenTable published its 2026 restaurant report this week.
  • VinePair's weekly roundup also lists new product releases ahead of the holiday gifting season.
Reported byVinePair: Booze News Weekly Roundup covers Uncle Nearest sale, wine heist, and product drops
04SevenFifty Daily·

Vinitaly.USA debuts in New York City at Pier 36 this October

  • Vinitaly.USA, organized by Veronafiere with the Italian Trade Agency, holds its first New York City edition October 26 and 27, 2026 at Pier 36.
  • The event moves from Chicago, where it ran for two years, and will host 300 exhibitors presenting 2,500 labels.
  • Italian regions Asti DOCG, Sicilia DOC, Prosecco DOC, plus Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio and Sardinia collectives, will exhibit; registration is open.
Reported bySevenFifty Daily: Vinitaly.USA debuts in New York City at Pier 36 this October
01PUNCH·

Real Housewives shows reveal the mass-market wines their cast actually drinks

  • Essayist Cake Zine contributor notes Real Housewives cast favour mass-market, high-alcohol, sweet California cabernet over fine wine.
  • Whitney Rose's recommendation of Justin Cabernet, sold at Walgreens for $22, shows the cast's price-insensitive yet mainstream taste.
  • Mary Cosby praised the 2003 Dom Pérignon vintage as the 'best' because its heatwave-ripened grapes were sweeter.
Reported byPUNCH: Real Housewives shows reveal the mass-market wines their cast actually drinks
02The Guardian·

Cloudy and unfiltered wines gain shelf space as pét nat spreads in supermarkets

  • Marks & Spencer's Trouble organic rosé is the first cloudy still wine sold in a British supermarket, at £12.
  • Pét nat is an ancestral method bottled before fermentation finishes, so it stays cloudy with dead yeast cells.
  • Ottolenghi's Zainab Majerikova says unfiltered house wines add texture and suit foods with big, complex flavours.
Reported byThe Guardian: Cloudy and unfiltered wines gain shelf space as pét nat spreads in supermarkets
03VinePair·

Europe bartenders say American drinkers are curious, though they still favor vodka

  • European bartenders say American bar guests are engaged and curious, with conversation starting as soon as they sit down.
  • Americans often order Martinis made with vodka and request US spirit substitutions, while adventurous travellers embrace local drinks like Porto tonics.
  • US visitors to Europe reached a record 24 million trips in 2025, per The Wall Street Journal.
Reported byVinePair: Europe bartenders say American drinkers are curious, though they still favor vodka
01Vineyard Magazine·

UK vineyards navigate early, warm, dry 2026 harvest after frost

  • A 2026 season began with extraordinary frost events, then turned warm and dry with exceptionally rapid ripening across English and Welsh vineyards.
  • Harvest arrived several weeks early at some sites, with dry weather cutting disease pressure and yielding clean fruit.
  • Growers now treat soil health, water management, canopy protection and maturity monitoring as ongoing resilience measures rather than crisis responses.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: UK vineyards navigate early, warm, dry 2026 harvest after frost
02Sustainable Wine Roundtable·

Domaine Bousquet details organic and water-saving practices at Mendoza winery visit

  • SWR membership manager Ilva Fridenberga visited Domaine Bousquet in Mendoza, Argentina, in February, hosted by Irma Remigio.
  • The winery is trialling biodiversity and garden vineyard corridors, with harvest done from outside the vine rows.
  • It switched to high-pressure hoses to cut water use and updated tanks and temperature-controlled rooms to save energy.
Reported bySustainable Wine Roundtable: Domaine Bousquet details organic and water-saving practices at Mendoza winery visit
03IVES Open Science·

MODIS satellite data validated for estimating vineyard water use in Italy

  • Researchers at the University of Padova developed a remote-sensing method using MODIS satellite data to map vineyard evapotranspiration in North-Eastern Italy.
  • Estimates were calibrated on two years of data and independently validated against four years of eddy-covariance measurements from a 25-hectare vineyard.
  • Results showed good consistency with in situ observations, suggesting MODIS could monitor vineyard water consumption at the regional scale.
Reported byIVES Open Science: MODIS satellite data validated for estimating vineyard water use in Italy
04Vineyard Magazine·

Newick Wine Estate in East Sussex planted 37,000 vines in 2023

  • Jonathan and Charlotte Sharpe planted 37,000 vines across half of their 16-hectare East Sussex farm at Newick Wine Estate in 2023.
  • Ten frost events in 2026, four of them severe, damaged the vines, and the last frost came on 10 May.
  • The team is trialling methods to control spotted wing drosophila (SWD), with the GM20 Pinot Noir clone unaffected in 2025.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Newick Wine Estate in East Sussex planted 37,000 vines in 2023
05IVES Open Science·

Grenache rootstocks and irrigation shape vine water use in NE Spain

  • A three-year NE Spain trial grafted Grenache onto 110-R, 41-B and 161-49C rootstocks, with irrigated and non-irrigated plots.
  • Water use efficiency was higher in non-irrigated vines, and higher on 110-R and 41-B than on 161-49C.
  • Stomatal control in irrigated vines appeared driven more by hormonal than hydraulic signals, the researchers suggest.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Grenache rootstocks and irrigation shape vine water use in NE Spain
06IVES Open Science·

Italian researchers push genetic diversity and climate-ready vines for future viticulture

  • Pisa University authors argue climate change may extend viticulture into higher latitudes and altitudes, needing more resilient genotypes.
  • They warn local grapevine varieties are being abandoned, so Italian regions started projects to recover them and preserve biodiversity.
  • The paper reports viticultural and economic trials on Malvasia of Lazio, Cesanese d'Affile and Cabernet Sauvignon under Cordon Spur of Conegliano training.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Italian researchers push genetic diversity and climate-ready vines for future viticulture
07IVES Open Science·

Conegliano pruning trials on Lazio grape varieties test yield, quality and profit

  • CRA, ARSIAL, University of Tuscia and University of Padova researchers studied Conegliano growing systems on Malvasia di Lazio, Cesanese d'Affile and Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • They compared Vertical Tridimensional Minimal Pruning of Conegliano with and without the DMRC double-maturation technique, aiming to raise gross saleable product.
  • The authors state that climate-driven fertility can cause overcropping and lower wine quality, and that water scarcity makes reduced vine water use essential.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Conegliano pruning trials on Lazio grape varieties test yield, quality and profit
08IVES Open Science·

Vine balance explained: how growth and crop load shift across the season

  • Vine balance is a viticulture concept describing the balance of vegetative and reproductive vine growth.
  • A balanced vine ripens its crop, sets fruitful buds for next year, and builds reserves.
  • Standard indirect measures like yield to pruning weight ratio do not capture seasonal growth dynamics.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Vine balance explained: how growth and crop load shift across the season
09Vineyard Magazine·

Winter vineyard jobs eased by pruners, subsoilers and frost-protection tools

  • Vineyard Magazine describes winter vineyard tasks: pruning, soil care, and frost protection against late spring losses.
  • Cordless battery secateurs and a tractor-mounted pre-pruner are presented as ways to speed up pruning.
  • A two-leg subsoiler with J-shaped legs loosens soil compacted by tractor tyres in a wide band.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: Winter vineyard jobs eased by pruners, subsoilers and frost-protection tools
10Vineyard Magazine·

English and Welsh vintage 2026 picked early, with frost cutting volumes

  • Gusbourne in Kent began picking Pinot Noir on 26 August, two weeks ahead of 2025.
  • Nyetimber in West Sussex started picking on 14 September, five days ahead of its 2018 record.
  • Spring frosts killed early shoots at The Grange in Hampshire, reducing yields even as fruit quality stayed high.
Reported byVineyard Magazine: English and Welsh vintage 2026 picked early, with frost cutting volumes
12IVES Open Science·

Ethephon and manual thinning cut Portuguese Vinhos Verdes yields by up to 70%

  • A 2007 Vinhos Verdes trial tested yield control on Loureiro and Borraçal vines using chemicals and manual bunch thinning.
  • Ethephon and manual thinning significantly reduced crop; Borraçal yield fell about 41% under manual thinning, Loureiro about 26%.
  • Ethephon at buck-shot stage raised sugar and lowered acidity in Loureiro, but manual thinning brought no quality gains in either variety.
Reported byIVES Open Science: Ethephon and manual thinning cut Portuguese Vinhos Verdes yields by up to 70%
01wineanorak·Jamie Goode·

The 2025 wines from Pascal Jolivet in Sancerre

  • Pascal Jolivet's 2025 Sancerre-area releases were reviewed, with the vintage described as good but not simple, following a dry, warm spring and an August heatwave.
  • Sancerre's 2025 harvest was late August and early September, with rapid sugar accumulation, producing rich, ripe wines that searched for definition and typicity.
  • The Jolivet Sauvage Sancerre 2025, a parcel from 2 hectares in Champtin and Bué-en-Sancerre, received the top score of 95/100 and was compared to Cotat in style.
Read the full story: The 2025 wines from Pascal Jolivet in Sancerre
02The Morning Claret·Simon J. Woolf·

Visiting the Vineyard in the Sky

  • Marion and Jacky Granges-Faiss farm Domaine de Beudon at 890 metres in Valais, Switzerland, a site reachable only by cable car or a 90-minute hike.
  • Jacky bought the estate in 1971; the family became Valais's first Demeter-certified estate in 1992, and Jacky died in June 2016 after a vineyard accident.
  • Beudon's six hectares produce wines with no added yeast since 2003 and sulphites as the only additive, but ferment and age partly at Pierre-Antoine Crettenand's winery in Saillon.
Read the full story: Visiting the Vineyard in the Sky
03Tim Atkin·Tim Atkin MW·

Nasty Not Nice

  • Tim Atkin argues wine is too pleasant and risk-free, and that the trade should add insecurity and difficulty to lure drinkers back.
  • He cites cork taint as a past thrill that has largely disappeared, and says wine sales were rising when TCA affected one in four or five bottles.
  • Atkin suggests bottling each barrel separately and selling Primeur allocations in a Smithfield-style cash scramble to restore excitement.
Read the full story: Nasty Not Nice
05Cab Franc Chronicles·Cab Franc Chronicles·

Inside Chinon’s Lieux-Dits Project

  • Chinon's Syndicat began a long-term project in 2014 to promote lieux-dits, without a formal classification or technical criteria.
  • Seven lieux-dits have been officially recognized so far, starting with La Croix Boissée in Cravant-les-Côteaux in 2018.
  • Lieux-dits must be on the cadastre and named on at least two vignerons' labels, with each recognition backed by a monograph.
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, from noir meaning black.
  • The Noirien group includes Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Gamay noir, Auxerrois and Melon.
  • Its zone runs from Champagne through the Côte d'Or to Beaujolais, and from the central Loire east to Alsace and the Jura.
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

  • Since July, a growing number of Burgundy bottles carry Michelin ratings of one to three grapes, assessed against five criteria.
  • Michelin's criteria are agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency, measuring quality against a fixed standard per vintage.
  • Burgundy labels print the appellation in large type and the domaine name in far smaller letters, a convention a Michelin rating does not change.
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, in Catalunya's Priorat area, has revised its bylaws to add certification for 'vi brisat' (orange-style) wines, as DO Terra Alta did in 2022.
  • Montsant's revised bylaws also create a 'minimal intervention' classification requiring mandatory hand-harvesting, organic certification, spontaneous fermentation, and a maximum sulfur dioxide limit far below conventional levels.
  • The DO has not disclosed the actual maximum SO2 limit, which the author requested and which is absent from 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.
  • Thomas Jefferson received 473 bottles of Montepulciano in November 1805 and requested 400 bottles annually afterward.
  • A 2024 document unveiled by the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano shows the term Vino Nobile was first used in 1766 by the Jesuits.
Read the full story: 400 Montepulciano Bottles for Thomas Jefferson circa 1805