The Wine News in 5 from JancisRobinson.com

This week Sam discusses Trump’s tariff war, higher taxes in South Africa, a possible alternative to using copper in vineyards, a new Regenerative Organic Certified producer, the passing of Rudi Wiest, the Ruinart challenge, and a Rhône wine tasting in London. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/alcohol-tariffs-south-africa-tax-rise-copper-alterna...

This week Sam discusses Trump’s tariff war and the responses from Canada, Mexico and China, speculations on Constellation exiting the wine business, Austria’s 2024 vintage, the first South African winery awarded Ecological Outcome Verification and the Gérard Basset Foundation’s new Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarships. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.co...

This week Sam discusses Trump’s job reinstatements and tariff announcements, the legalisation of organic de-alcoholised wine in the EU, the EU lowering the minimum alcohol requirements of sherry, a decline in wine consumption in Germany, Bordeaux’s smallest harvest in 30 years, and the passing of Peter M F Sichel. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/artic...

This week Sam discusses four new Masters of Wine, Trump’s slashing of federal jobs and the impact on the wine industry, the WHO’s crusade to put warning labels on alcohol, and Berkshire Hathaway's investment in Constellation Brands. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-mws-trumps-mass-firings-impact-us-wine-who-pushes-health-warning-labels-alc...

This week Sam discusses Bordeaux’s new cru bourgeois classification, Trump tariffs and funding freezes, UK budget impacts on the wine industry and the passing of Walter Mastroberardino. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/bordeauxs-new-cru-bourgeois-lists-trump-tariffs-and-funding-freezes-uk-budget-impacts.

This week Sam discusses Accolade and Albert Heijn signing the Bottle Weight Accord, rising exports from South Africa, a new study on smoke taint, and an environmentally friendly way to produce non-alcoholic wine. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/bottle-lightweighting-gains-support-south-africas-rising-exports-new-smoke-taint-study.

This week Sam discusses a new State of the US Wine Industry report from Silicon Valley Bank, the TTB’s ingredient-labelling proposal for alcoholic beverages, Trump’s first week in office, declining champagne sales, and some good news for lovers of Jura wines in the US. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/us-wine-industry-status-report-ingredient-...

This week Sam discusses the wildfires in LA, the ICCPUD report on alcohol and health, updates to Collio DOC, Casella Family Brands’ sustainable certification, the increase in grapevine-trunk disease in Alsace and the passing of Dr Anita Oberholster. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/la-wildfires-us-alcohol-and-health-reports-collios-orange-wine...

This week Sam discusses a statement from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America regarding the FTC v Southern Glazer’s lawsuit, updates to Bordeaux’s Blaye appellation, 13 new sizes for wine packaging in the US, and a new technology which could help combat downy mildew. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/update-southern-glazers-lawsuit-blaye...

This week Sam updates you on new forecasts from IWSR on the growth of no- and low-alcohol (NOLO) beverages, the continued decline in champagne sales, Cava’s commitment to organic viticulture, the release of the Porto Protocol’s Unpacking Wine guide, and the US Surgeon General’s new advisory on alcohol. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/us-warni...

This week Sam updates you on two reports on the benefits of moderate drinking – both released within the last three days, 86 new UGAs in Alto-Adige, the effect of kokumi oligopeptides in sparkling wines, and the Gérard Basset Foundation’s latest grantees. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/benefits-moderate-drinking-kokumi-effect-sparkling-wines...

This week Sam updates you on the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suing Southern Glazers, a new Geographical Indication in Argentina, Treasury’s newest acquisition in China, dietary guidelines in Finland, and harvest estimates for South Africa, You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/ftc-sues-southern-glazers-finnish-dietary-regulations-updated-new-...

This week Sam updates you on protests in Georgia, new premiers crus in Burgundy, the OIV’s new numbers on global wine production, and proposed excise taxes in South Africa. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/georgian-wine-danger-burgundys-new-premiers-crus-south-africas-tax-woes.

This week Sam updates you on the winner of the ASI’s competition for the Best Sommelier for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the verdict of a labour lawsuit in California, France uprooting 27,500 hectares of vineyards, and a new Regenerative Organic Certified producer. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/napas-newest-roc-winery-california-farm...

This week Sam updates you on frost in New Zealand, IWSR data on the US wine market, Viña Concha y Toro signing up to the Bottle Weight Accord, China joining the OIV and the passing of Yiannis Boutaris. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/new-zealand-frost-new-us-wine-market-data-light-bottle-weight-wins-china-joins-oiv.

This week Sam updates you on the floods in eastern Spain, what the US election is likely to mean for the wine industry, LWCs response to UK duty hikes, and the OIV’s adoption of a definition of ‘old vine’ and ‘old vineyard’. You can read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/what-us-elections-mean-wine-industry-defining-old-vines-uk-duty-hike-response.

This week Sam updates you on flooding in eastern and southern Spain, areas of the UK budget that will impact the wine trade, the smallest harvest in Germany since 2017, and a new AVA in Washington state and a new IGP in Lorraine. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/spains-devastating-floods-uk-autumn-budget-impacts-germanys-small-harvest.

This week Sam updates you on an ecstasy-spiked champagne case, flooding in the Rhône Valley, the Castel Group’s new acquisition, Australia’s wine sales to China, and two new technologies in winemaking – one that can take the place of sulphur dioxide and the other that can condense CO2 from winery fermentations to be used later in the winemaking process. Read the transcript of this newscast at http...

This week Sam updates you on a new AVA in Napa Valley, crop losses in the UK, an international wine fraud ring based in Italy, a letter that Constellation’s lawyers sent to Adam Lee of Dial Tone Wine, and Hong Kong slashing liquor duties.  Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/napas-new-ava-massive-wine-fraud-bust-uk-harvest-woes-hidden-sugar-dry-wine.

This week Sam updates you on French vine-pull subsidies, the tiny 2024 harvest in France, Napa securing name protection in Mexico, the sale of The Duckhorn Portfolio, and Come Over October events.  Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/frances-shrinking-vineyards-napas-name-protected-duckhorn-portfolio-sold.

This week Sam updates you on Hurricane Helene, harvest in Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, Chianti and Piedmont, Moët Hennessy’s investment in non-alcoholic sparkling, the launch of the VITÆVINO declaration, and the controversy surrounding updates to US dietary guidelines. Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/hurricane-helene-lvmhs-non-alcoholic-fizz...

This week Sam updates you on the announcement of the 2024 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholars, devastating fires in Portugal, flash flooding in Bolgheri, France’s request for €120 million in subsidies to pull up vineyards, the authorization of government funded crisis distillation in Ribeira Sacra, and the world’s first electric furnace for glass-bottle manufacturing. Read the transcript...

This week Sam updates you on flooding in Central and Eastern Europe, frost in South Australia, a new appellation in the southern Rhône, the first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) producer in France, the VDP’s pending admittance of non-estate fruit for the first time in history, and harvest in the Veneto.  Read the transcript of this newscast at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/flooding-...

This week Sam updates you on a recently published report on whether wine is good or bad for you, one of the smallest harvests in France in a century, Alpha Estate’s acquisition of Boutari Winery in Greece and the start of harvest in Virginia, New York, Washington State, Oregon and the Loire Valley. Read the transcript of this article at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/alcohol-health-debate...

This week Sam updates you on a win for Swedish wines and hybrid vines, the release of the 2022 red and 2023 white Grosse Gewächse as well as the start of Germany’s harvest, Brown-Forman’s abandonment of diversity and inclusion programmes, losses for Australian Vintage and Naked Wines, and the lightweighting of bottles for top wines by Zuccardi.  *This newscast incorrectly states that The Swedish W...