News Archives

Organic wine production in Spain has grown 10%

The number of organic wine producers in Spain has jumped 10% in 2018 to 1,033 – from 939 in 2017. The regions of Catalonia, Valencia, and Andalucia accounted for the largest growth in organic wine for 2018.

Statistics show that Spain is the EU Country with the largest organic vineyard area, with production growth from 11,841ha in 2001 to over 113,000ha in 2018.

Organic vineyards in Spain represent less than 12% of the country’s total vineyard area, which is a similar percentage share to that of France and Italy.

In a bid to drive-up exports, Spain will be focusing on organic and biodynamic wines.

Spanish Organic Wines (SOW), an association created in 2014 which facilitates wines exports for 38 producers, said the majority of Spain’s organic wines are now exported with domestic consumption of these wines lagging behind international demand.

Barcelona Wine Week will be held February 3rd to 6th 2020 and will be dedicating space to organic and biodynamic wines.

https://www.barcelonawineweek.com/

Spain has been looking to increase export prices, but the country’s wines continue to provide value compared to France and Italy.

Wine Industry Network announces 2020 date for 3-Tier Wine Symposium

The 3-Tier Wine Symposium was established in 2018 specifically for small to medium-size wineries that were keen on gaining deeper insight into the wholesale environment. The objective of the conference is to leverage the expertise of channel experts to help wine industry executives and owners navigate the complicated, but necessary, world of distributor and buyer relations.

It has never been more challenging with today’s three-tier distribution system. Between the consolidation of existing distributors, the influx of new wholesalers coming online, coupled with an extremely crowded market competing for representation, selection, and management succeeding requires a new and resourceful way of working within the wholesale channel to yield desired results.

“We’re excited to continue the conversation that began last year at the inaugural 3-Tier Wine Symposium. More now than ever, access to expertise is key to succeeding in the wholesale channel, and that’s exactly what attendees can expect again this year,” says George Christie, President & CEO of Wine Industry Network.

The Date is set for: May 7th, 2020

With a new Location:
Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country
170 Railroad St. Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Further details can be found at: Wine Industry Network (WIN) wineindustrynetwork.com

British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards: October 3 2019

British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards is BC’s most prestigious wine competition. It is a merger of the province’s two premier judging competitions and is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. This is a celebration of the best wines from across the Province with Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals awarded, as well as the Lieutenant Governor’s Platinum medals and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Best Wine in British Columbia.

This year the awards take place on October 3, Laurel Heritage Packinghouse, Kelowna.

“This is the second annual British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, and it looks like it’s going to be the best one yet,” says Okanagan Wine Festivals Society Judging Chair, Julian Scholefield. “This year we’re honoured to have judges from around the world join us in celebrating excellence in winemaking in our region. As one of our province’s oldest and most prestigious wine competitions, we feel so proud to represent the Okanagan and it’s diverse wine offerings.”

Watch for the list of award-winning wines.

For further details:

https://www.thewinefestivals.com/events/view_event/1859

Cotes de Provence AOC reveals fifth DGC region

Cotes de Provence AOC now has a fifth terroir designation (DGC), as revealed by the Conseil Interprofessionel des Vins de Provence (CIVP). The designation was officially recognized by a decree published in the “Official Journal” of 10 August 2019, based on a recommendation from the National Committee of the INAO (French Institute of Origin and Quality).

Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges is the fifth terroir designation under the Côtes de Provence AOC (following in the footsteps of Sainte-Victoire, Fréjus, La Londe and Pierrefeu). Its name refers to the highest peak in the Massif des Maures mountain range, visible from all the communities in the terroir. Recognition of this terroir designation entails the application of more restrictive production rules for red and rosé wines, laid down in specifications approved by the INAO and namely including plot-based selection, choice of varietals, lower yields, and wine-making methods.

The terroir covers 10 communities and 3,900 hectares of grapevines within the landscape of umbrella pines, oak trees and chestnut groves forming the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve.

The 2019 production numbers are expected to be between 3,500 and 4,000 hectolitres. As per the specifications, the roses will be released to the market on December 15, 2019; and the reds on September 1, 2020.

The harvest for the area is now underway the 2019 vintage will be the first for the Cotes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges.

President of the Notre-Dame des Anges Section of the Cotes de Provence, Jean-Pierre Daziano, said: “After 15 years of comparative tastings, plot identification and the development of control batches, we have been able to bring the Notre-Dame des Anges terroir designation project to fruition, because the wine-makers all shared a common goal, based on a belief in the typicality of their wines. This area boasts special natural features, but it is also a terroir in the oenological sense of the term because the way the producers work the land is reflected in the characteristics of the wines.”

Eric Pastorino, president of the Cotes de Provence Syndicate, said: “For many years now, the Syndicat des Vins Cotes de Provence has been engaged in the promotion of its terroir through the identification of specific geographic sectors, an approach which has resulted in the recognition of five terroir designations in conjunction with local wine-makers. This strategy is part of a process to upgrade the appellation, with the aim of producing wines which are recognized for their quality and for the expression of their terroir.”

Wine Enthusiast names Germany’s Mosel Valley as “2019 Wine Region of the Year Nominee”

Wine Enthusiast magazine has named one of Germany’s 13 wine regions – the Mosel – as a Wine Region of the Year nominee for its esteemed, annual Wine Star Awards.

Each year, the awards honor the outstanding achievements made by individuals, companies, and regions in the wine and beverage world. This year’s 20th annual Wine Star Awards features 16 categories, including the prestigious Wine Region of the Year award.

“If you’ve ever been to the Mosel Valley, home to some of the steepest and most spectacular vineyards in the world, you’ll never forget the valley’s breathtaking landscapes and iconic wines,” says Monika Reule, Managing Director of the Deutsches Weininstitut (German Wine Institute). “The Mosel’s designation as one of Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Regions of the Year nominees is just further proof of its incredible winemaking prowess.”

In the nomination announcement, Wine Enthusiast describes the Mosel as “Germany’s most iconic wine region” and as a “classic cool-climate winemaking region.” Regarding wines from the Mosel, the magazine writes that they “represent both an enduring historic gravitas as well as a contemporary renaissance” and are “renown for Riesling, but also an increasingly diversifying portfolio of other white and red wines”.

“The wineries of the Mosel are honored by the nomination,” says Ansgar Schmitz, Director of Moselwein e.V. (Mosel Wine Promotion Board) “Our producers are grateful for the recognition from both wine critics, like Wine Enthusiast, and wine lovers, especially in the United States, our biggest export market.”

This Marks the First Wine Star Awards Nomination for One of Germany’s 13 Wine Regions.

“I was thrilled to hear that the Mosel has been nominated as Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast,” says Ernst “Ernie” Loosen, Owner and Winemaker of Dr. Loosen, one of the region’s renowned wineries. “The Mosel is a very special place, producing a vibrant and intense style of Riesling that is just not possible anywhere else in the world, and it’s very rewarding to see this recognized by an important U.S. wine magazine.”

The Wine Star Awards winners will be announced in Wine Enthusiast’s special “Best of Year” issue later in 2019 and honored at a black-tie gala in San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts on January 27, 2020.

German Wine Institute: www.germanwines.de