The Next Big Wine Regions In The World

A worker cuts a bunch of Sangiovese grapes during the harvest at the Biondi Santi vineyard in the Val d'Orcia close to the Tuscan town of Montalcino in central Italy, September 22, 2004. Credit: Reuters/Max Rossi

Bloomberg: The World's Next Big Wine Regions

Eight hot spots producing your next great bottle

I’ve always been a wine-discovery junkie, constantly on the hunt for new grapes, new vintages, new winemakers, and especially new places where vines may never have been planted before. Thanks to ambitious vintners, rising demand from drinkers, a taste shift to lighter wine styles, and yes, even climate change, the number of global hot spots for wine is ever expanding. If you’re still rattling off the names of the old, long-famous regions, you’re way behind the times. In these eight spots, good wine is on its way to becoming great wine, with a few stars leading the way.

Editor: I am not surprised that the country of Georgia is there .... they have produced some of the best fortified wines that I have ever tasted.

Are The British Giving Up On Champagne?

Champagne Sales Lose Their Sparkle -- The Guardian

For the first time the British are now spending less on champagne than other sparkling wines, and it's about time too, says Oliver Thring.

Well, he wasn't going to drink anything else, and frankly, in those circumstances, neither would most of us. But Bradley Wiggins is one of a shrinking breed – the Englishman who drinks champagne. In the credit-swollen days of 2007, we spent £1bn on champagne in the UK. That figure is expected to fall to less than £700m this year, while sales of prosecco, cava and other sparkling wines are up 55% over the same period, to £720m. For the first time in this country, champagne is less popular than its rivals.

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My Comment: Champagne has always been overpriced .... that is why it is champagne.

Wine Cellars Are Becoming The Next 'Big Thing' For Luxury Homes

Sellers With Cellars: Wine Breathes Luxury Into These Homes -- Forbes

In upper echelon homes, the list of “standard amenities” is where the wheat is separated from the chaff — and the haves from the have-nots.

We’re talking indoor pools, gourmet kitchens and master suites that occupy entire floors. If you have to ask how much, you’re in the wrong place. That’s especially the case in homes that come with an entire room dedicated to one sweet, singular task: Wine storage.

For the aficionado and collector, a full-blown wine cellar is a dream come true. And even for those who don’t imbibe, or are too young, that does not preclude the luxury appeal of a wine cellar.

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My Comment: I guess a wine cellar will soon be the next "must thing" for all luxury homes.

World’s Winemakers Are After Two Things: Moscato And China.

The Moscato grape is turning heads among winemakers around the globe. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

What Winemakers Want: Moscato, China -- Wall Street Journal

These days, the world’s winemakers are after two things: Moscato and China.

The former is an in-demand grape varietal and the latter is a fast-growing market. And both have wine producers drunk on dreams of future riches.

“Moscato has captured everybody’s imagination,” said David Dearie, chief executive of Treasury Wine Estates Ltd., the Australian conglomerate that owns wine labels such as Penfolds and Wolf Blass. “It’s got great aromas, it’s slightly sweeter, it can be universal – made into white, red or sparkling. It’s lighter in alcohol. We want more of it.”

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My Comment: China ... I don't know. But Moscato wine/grapes are truly a joy to drink.

Will Bordeaux Wine Prices Drop?

"Some wines will have to be half what they were in 2010". Irish Times

Bordeaux Châteaus Say They'll Lower Prices, But How Much? -- Wine Spectator

After Americans passed on the 2010s, the first-growths are hinting that they'll drop prices substantially.

Wine professionals from around the world have descended upon Bordeaux for the annual tastings of the new vintage. This is Bordeaux’s moment to dazzle, with Michelin-starred chefs cooking for hundreds, jazz concerts, art exhibits—and thousands of barrels of wine looking for buyers. But price seems to be the topic on everyone's mind.

Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth's 2011 Bordeaux barrel tastings have shown a vintage of mixed quality. Two things make a price reduction within the realm of possibility: lukewarm Chinese interest and a vintage that doesn’t incite wild speculation. “Logically, the prices should come down, and that would allow Europeans and Americans to come back to the market,” said broker Max de Lestapis. And the top châteaus have already begun to tell people that they will release the wines at much lower prices than last year. How low? They're not saying yet.

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Update: Wine buyers warn prices must fall as Bordeaux fails to tickle palates -- Irish Times

My Comment: I would love to see these prices drop appreciably .... but I doubt it.

Worldwide Trend Of Planting Wine Producing Grapes Continues To Expand

Seival Estate

Vignerons Lay Down Roots the World Over -- Wall Street Journal

Wine struggles with its ubiquity. "The trouble is, everywhere seems to make it these days," remarked a Canadian friend of mine who couldn't believe the number of stories she had read about countries planting vineyards. "Every day you pick up the paper and see another country is giving it a go. Pretty soon they will be making wine everywhere." I had to agree.

Of course in commercial terms, Europe still dominates the wine-producing map, but a quick flick through the latest edition of "The World Atlas of Wine" shows that India, China, Japan, Uruguay, Malta, Luxembourg and even Canada, a country one associates with vast prairies, soaring mountain ranges and cold winters, all produce wine.

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My Comment: The more the merrier I say.