Why French Winemakers Are Seeing The World Through Rosé-Colored Glasses
Consumption of rosé wine is skyrocketing. U.S. imports of rosé from the Mediterranean region have grown in the double digits for the past 10 years running. This is good news for winemakers in the southern, Provence region of France, where many vintners used to make a...
Vodka’s performance in six key markets
Vodka may be hot stuff in some of the world's emerging markets, but in its established haunts, the spirit must evolve to reignite sales. By Becky Paskin and Melita Kiely The global vodka scene has endured a shift in consumer trends, economic turbulence and political...
Tequila producers take a shot at flavored liqueurs
Flavored whiskeys are hot sellers. Now it is Mexico's turn to experiment. The key to a really good tequila is a pepper finish - not a burn, but a little hint of the spice. But increasingly, tequila-based beverages are introducing new flavor profiles to challenge that...
Bordeaux 2015: White wine harvest to start next week
The first white grapes of the Bordeaux 2015 wine harvest are set to be picked next week for the earliest ripening areas of Pessac Leognan. Chateau Haut-Brion said it was likely to begin its Bordeaux 2015 harvest for Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris at the end of...
Cocktail dispenser aims to eliminate bar queues
The burgeoning "robot bartender" category is set to expand if a new Kickstarter campaign succeeds in raising US$260,000 to launch the Foxtender cocktail dispenser. Said to be the "world's first automatic bar station" which can "eliminate the concept of waiting in line...
California fires rage but vineyards safe, says Napa Vintners
Napa Valley Vintners has tried to calm concerns that the 2015 Napa wine harvest is under threat from wildfires that have seen California fire crews working day and night to control blazes. Hot and hazy conditions lingered over parts of Napa Valley last weekend as...
US now largest export market for New Zealand wine
The US has overtaken Australia to become New Zealand wine's largest export market by value, according to the 2015 annual report of New Zealand Winegrowers. Now valued at $372 million, up 13%, the US market accounted for around one quarter of wine exports in year ended...
Top 10 craft spirits descriptions
A lack of clarity around the meaning of "craft" in spirits is proving meddlesome for producers big and small - here are some enlightening descriptions offered by leading members of the trade. Over the past year or so, the prevailing topic of debate across the spirits...
The Aperitif for Every Season
IT'S TIME TO GET REAL about sherry. Let's not pretend we're eating tapas in an expensively tiled bar every night, ordering a single-vineyard aged Manzanilla with a sharing plate of potted crab and Ibérico ham. Let's not get too hung up on its past, either. Yes, in...