Winechain [a NFT platform] raises €6 million for expansion

Winechain, an NFT platform specializing in fine wine sales, has raised €6 million of backing from some of the best-known names in fine wine, ahead of its launch later this year.

The start-up, which was founded by the former head of Amazon Europe, Xavier Garambois, Guillaume Jourdan, CEO of VitaBella and Nicolas Mendiharat, CEO of the San Francisco Palate Club, launched at the end of May 2022, after securing over $1 million in backing from wine estates and wine lovers.

It has now upped its investment to $6 million and secured backing by the Rouzaud family of Champagne Roederer and Château Pichon-Comtesse, along with the Reybier family of St Emilion’s Château Cos d’Estournel, and a venture capital fund, Fabric Ventures, with the aim to accelerate its technological development.

The platform aims to be a “new generation” marketplace of wine NFTS, which is called wiNeFTs, which uses blockchain technology and Web3 (a new iteration of the worldwide web which incorporates blockchain technology and token-based economics) to enable an “interactive” direct-to-consumer sales channel that is backed by global logistics, the company previously said. It has already signed up global logistics provider CMA CGM Group, which has taken a minority shareholding in Winechain along with its founder, CEO Rodolphe Saadé.

Winemakers that are part of the platform can choose which wines they wish to sell on Winechain, and access to the platform’s global community of buyers, meaning they can interact with their community of buyers directly.

Frédéric Rouzaud CEO of Champagne Louis Roederer said the investment was an expression of the desire to “constantly innovate and encourage innovation”.

“In the vineyard, in the cellar, and in every aspect of our activity, we are in perpetual motion, attentive to the times and practices that are in constant evolution. For us, Winechain is a means of pursuing this approach and of going even further in terms of proximity and dialogue with wine enthusiasts,” he said.

Max Mersch of FABRIC Ventures explained that the increased traceability, transparency and accessibility would open up the wine world to a new generation of wine enthusiasts.

“The wine enthusiast market is expanding at a pace that is rapidly outgrowing supply, and yet wineries are still looking to find ways to connect directly with their end consumers instead of the multiple logistics middlemen currently in place,” he said. “By creating NFTs for each case of wine straight at the source, wineries will have a transparent data-driven view of their customers, will be able to store the wines in perfect conditions while the wine is being traded and will be able to benefit from royalty fees on the entire secondary market.”

#winechain #NFTs #finewine #technology #nftcommunity #nftspace #nftwine #nft #wineinvestor #winecollector #nftplatform #wine #winenews #winelovers #winetrends #winetech

Stellenbosch “Sommelier Bootcamp” Launches September

Stellenbosch Wine Routes will hold its inaugural “Sommelier Bootcamp” this September, in a bid to educate wine professionals about the region’s terroir. There will be an intensive five-day course aimed at sommeliers, hospitality professionals and wine media across South Africa with the aim is to immerse participants in the stories of the region and enlist them to help spread the word about its micro terroirs. There will also be tutored technical tastings, and site visits with producers and experts.  Bootcamp attendees will complete a practical exam at the end of the course to earn their Stellenbosch Ambassador’s pin.

“It’s our job to tell people the story and create a value proposition for someone or for something [like Stellenbosch wine],” said Spencer Fondaumiere, chair of the South African Sommeliers Association. “Marketing terroir will increase price points and value.”

“There are so many wine brands,” said Thomas Webb of Stellenbosch wine producer Thelema. “We need to do everything we can to promote our wines. And our terroir is the most obvious one. It’s important to look at the wards of Stellenbosch and promote them. The more we look at the smaller level, the more we push up the whole region and country. Now is definitely the time for specialisation.”

“Quite frankly that information isn’t out there,” said Fondaumiere. “There’s no one beating the drum for the different wards in Stellenbosch and saying this is what we’re good at and this is what to expect. If you’re trying to gain information, there’s not much, other than lived experiences which may or may not be correct.”

The bootcamp aims to create a single, relatable story on the region’s typicity. “Stellenbosch is a recognised quality brand in key markets, but it is much more exciting to learn about the region in an immersive experience,” said Elmarie Rabe of Stellenbosch Wine Routes.

Here is the website to apply somm.wineroute.co.za; the deadline is September 2nd, 2022 and a second bootcamp is planned for November.

#southafrica #stellenbosch #wine #capetown #winetasting #winelands #vineyard #capewinelands #wineinfluencer #winelover #winenews #sommelier #winelife #sommlife#wineeducation #somm #Stellenboschwineroutes #winemedia #winesofsouthafrica

The “Top 10″ Wine Consuming Countries

The International Organise of Vine and Wine (OIV) published the “State of the World Wine and Vine Sector 2021” report April 2022 which estimates wine consumption per country, which also includes which countries consume the most wine per annum.

Despite the Western European reputation for a glass of wine with lunch and a glass of wine with dinner, it appears that the US (with its population of approximately 258 million adults) consumes the most wine per annum.

The estimated 2021 total consumption of 236 million hectolitres marks a 0.7% increase on the 2020 level, disrupting a trend of otherwise continuous decline from 2018 to 2020. This spike can be partially attributed to the reopening of the on-trade.

Note: this data is not per capita but estimates overall consumption for each country.

Here is a list of the top 10 counties that consume the most wine each year.

1) USA – 33.1 mhl

33.1 mhl equates to about 4.4 billion standard 75 cl bottles. Also note that USA still has dry municipalities and where alcohol cannot legally be purchased by anyone under the age of 21. The OIV data indicates that wine consumption has risen by around 5% since 2016, with older, affluent consumers driving the market.

2) France – 25.2 mhl

Consumption has slightly decreased in France in recent years, falling from an estimated 28.3 mhl in 2016, though this figure is actually 2% above the pre-pandemic volume. There are still those who enjoy their two glasses a day, including President Emmanuel Macron, but attitudes have shifted to favour less frequent consumption. Health consciousness may be part of it, though attempts to place the Nutri-Score system on bottles and label wines as “unhealthy” were met with outrage from the industry and consumers.

3) Italy – 24.2 mhl

Just falling short of France, Italian wine consumption does not meet the level of its wine production, with the country making almost twice as much wine as it drinks. This amount is actually Italy’s highest level since 2008, though sales of all alcohol in Italy declined by -8.5% during the pandemic. The notable rise also comes in spite of a report suggesting that while more Italians are drinking wine, consumption is less frequent.

4) Germany – 19.8 mhl

Sparkling wine is especially popular among German consumers. Prosecco and Cava juggernaut Henkell Freixenet’s recent results show that Germany, Austria and Switzerland remains the company’s strongest region. Champagne is also fizzing ahead – with the 15 million bottles sold in Germany in 2021 representing a phenomenal 28% increase on the 2019 level, a symptom of post-pandemic celebrations.

5) UK – 13.4 mhl

A survey of Brits’ favorite wine brands shows that there is a strong preference for sweet, less expensive wines or expensive Champagne. As for British bottles, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee served as an occasion for many to crack open fizz from England’s burgeoning sparkling sector – as consumption has tripled since the Diamond Jubilee. Last year’s result was approximately 3.4% above the five-year average and shows that, despite Brexit, the UK remains a strong market.

6) China – 10.5 mhl

Wine consumption did drop by -17.4% between 2019 and 2020, largely as a result of the country’s rigid lockdowns, and by a further -15.4% in 2021. China was also a major market for Australian wine, but the tariff dispute which began in March 2021 shows no sign of cooling down.

7) Russia – 10.5 mhl

Russia has a reasonably-sized wine industry, producing an average of 4.5-5 mhl of wine per annum, and there is a strong domestic market for it. Indeed, as the country has become increasingly isolationist, Putin’s antagonism toward the European wine industry has grown, such as was the case with his declaration that only Russian sparkling could be labeled as ‘Champagne’. Despite this, there is still demand for foreign wine, and it will be interesting to see how this consumption figure changes, in light of the trade sanctions imposed as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

8) Spain – 10.5 mhl

Spain is a major global producer, on a similar level to France. However, despite wine being a fixture of meals in the country, alcohol consumption plummeted by -16% in 2020 as the majority of drinking takes place in restaurants and bars, which were shut during lockdowns, the reopening of those venues resulted in a 9.9% boost on the 2020 volume, a result that reflects pre-pandemic figures.

9) Argentina – 8.4 mhl

Though producers such as Bemberg have propelled the country’s fine wines into international markets, and Mendozan Malbec is now a staple of supermarket shelves across the world, for a long time most Argentinian wine never left Argentina. But domestic consumption dipped by -11.1% between 2020 and 2021, and the overall trend since the start of this century has been downwards. This is likely due to economic troubles and currency devaluation diminishing consumer purchasing power.

10) Australia – 5.9 mhl

Wine Australia launches AUS$2.2 million biodiversity program

There are currently 20 million drinkers over the legal age. Australia’s wealth of wines has found a domestic audience among millennial drinkers. In fact, between 2018 and 2021, the percentage of regular wine drinkers over the age of 55 fell by -7%, whereas for 25 – 44-year-olds it went up by a third, the reverse of the demographic shift that has been seen in the US. Overall, Australian wine consumption last year was 7.9% above the five-year average, reaching the highest consumption level recorded.

#winenews #wine #redwine #whitewine #Sunday #sundayfunday #wineinfluencer #winetasting #oiv #wineeconomics #wine #winelover #vin #vino #winetime #wineconsumption #winewinewine #winetrends

Pinot Noir resurgence in Alsace with two AOC’s

Pinot Noir can now be included as part of the AOC Alsace Grand Crus in two territories which has been a long-awaited move for a grape variety that has perhaps been overlooked in the region.

France’s appellation body, the National Institute of origin and quality (INAO) had formally approved the addition of Pinot Noir to the list of varieties that are permitted in Grand Cru Kirchberg de Barr (Barr, Bas-Rhin) and Grand Cru Hengst (Wintzenheim, Haut-Rhin). The move officially ratifies Pinot Noir Grand Crus from these two prestigious terroirs for the 2022 vintage.

The amendment noted that vines intended for the production of red wines in Alsace grand cru Hengst should have a density minimum plantation of 5,500 vines per hectare, with vines in Alsace grand cru Kirchberg de Barr having a minimum planting density of 5,000 vines per hectare and an average maximum yield of 7,000 kg per hectare.

Twenty years ago, Pinot Noir represented 8.5% of Alsace’s total vineyard area. Today, that figure has risen to 11%. The changes mean that Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr are now currently the only AOC Alsace Grand Cru reserved for white wines and still reds, with the first to be released from the 2022 vintage.

According to some producers, getting to this point has been a twenty-year journey, and marks the renaissance of the variety in the region – which has grown from around 8% of hectarage under vine to 11% now – as well as recognition of the work carried out by existing producers of these wines.

The new rules means that these two AOCs can produce both white wines and still reds, the CIVA hopes that this will be expanded to include other AOC Grand Crus in the region over the next few years. Currently, there are 51 AOC Alsace Grand Crus, 49 of which can make Grand Cru wines from just five grape varieties (Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Riesling, and Sylvaner, which was also added by the INAO in May).

#pinotnoir #grandcrus #alsacewine #alsacevineywards #vineyards #winenews #frenchwine #madeinfrance #vin #wine #redwine #winelover #winesoffrance #drinkalsace #MillésimesAlsace

 

What to expect from Italy’s 2022 vintage – from Alto Adige to Sicily

Italy’s 2022 vintage has needed a great deal of tactical and strategical interventions from its winemakers to reach its peak. Filippo Bartolotta speaks to producers about what can be expected from this year’s crop.

It is that time of the year when the power of grapes to become wine is about to take place – harvest time!

For 8,000 years, mankind has been actively nursing the vine, waiting each year to ignite and assist the transition of the fruit into our beloved vino. Wine is the perfect mirror of the unique relationships among nature, grape varieties and human factors which every region manifests with a strong sense of place or what we know as terroir.

Every year though terroir’s many factors undergo a deep reshuffle due to the behaviour of that particular vintage – and the 2022 vintage in Italy has asked a great deal of tactical and strategical interventions from its winemakers to complete the annual cycle.

Forecasting a vintage is always something of a gamble at the beginning of August as anything can still happen. As I write this article, for example, Italy has started to see both drought-saving rains as well as violent water bombs and hail storms destroying much of the work done till now.

So although is still early, we can draw a pretty accurate picture of what has been happening and attempt a few outcomes.

The winter was quite regular with good annual snowpack levels in the Alpine regions and enough rains across the central and southern regions. Signs of dramatic drought only started to show with the unprecedented heat wave that had already melted the snow by the end of May and an absence of rain for over a hundred days.

But the vine and the wine world always show remarkable levels of resistance, resilience and an effective reaction to critical vintages.

Luckily, the lesson learned by wine producers from the monstrously hot 2003 vintage increased awareness of vine defence systems against heat and agronomical practices were subsequently studied included soil enrichment, foliage protection against transpiration and sun burn, vigorous rootstocks with deeper root systems and state-of-the-art irrigation methods (when allowed by the appellation and when there’s water available!).

But the best way to understand how a vintage and its harvest is going is to ask people on ground.

Alto Adige

Alto Adige was hit by the absence of rain and really high temperatures but its mountain are a secret weapon, “our great ally”, the President of the Consorzio Alto Adige Andreas Kofler says.

“The altitude is offering a high array of thermal excursions beneficial for our vines. We are hoping for a cooler September to retain acidity and freshness. This is a hot vintage with a couple of weeks of anticipation which will result quite interesting for the reds,” he said.

Kellermeister Andrea Moser of Cantina Kaltern noted that drought was managed largely through leaf management, to protect the berries from the sun during veraison to avoid the loss of anthocians, tannins, aromas and acidity. “This way we are getting to a proper phenological and technical maturation,” he said. “Some late July rains helped for a more consistent veraison and, keeping our fingers crossed, we will be harvesting at the beginning of September, a week in advance compared to 2021.”

Cantina Terlano and Cantina Andriano, overlooking each other from the two opposite sides of Val d’Adige reports a similar approach.

Rudi Kofler, head wine maker at both wineries is confident the vine has been reacting pretty well to the heat and he sees an 10 days anticipation. “We have been trimming leaves less than usual to provide coverage against the sun and we have been taking advantage of the investment in drip irrigation Alto Adige has been carrying out for many years now,” he explained. “We see healthy grapes with less yields per hectare. Thanks to the temperature drop of the recent days we are cautiously optimistic, but we still have to wait.”

Trentino

Trentino has seen a slightly different situation, with Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, owner of the beautiful and historical estate of San Leonardo explaining that there was no stress for the vines.

“San Leonardo is set between mounts Baldo and Lessini and this overcasts a refreshing shade for at least four hours every day,” he explained. “This is a paramount factor to retain elegance and freshness in our wines. We are also noticing a very generous crop for an abundant harvest which should kick-off on the 10th of September.”

Anselmo Guarrieri Gonzaga

Harvest is set to start at Cembra, Cantina di Montagna, near Trento next week, where the altitude is as high as 900m above sea level.

Managing director, Ezio Dallagiacoma notes that the high temperatures bought an anticipation of maturation – and a mid-August harvest – in sight. “We are expecting to see wines with a lot of structure but still with the fresh mountain touch,” he said.

Veneto

“The almost absence of rain in winter and spring brought a late bud break and an unusual ten days early flowering of the vines,” Andrea Sartori of Sartori di Verona explains about his vineyard in Valpolicella and Soave.

“The bunches though look pretty healthy and not too compact making the selection of the best berries easier than usual. in the long run we will have to think more seriously about irrigation but so far with a little help of some scattered rains harvest 2022 looks better than expected.”

Talking to Pierangelo Tomassi of Tommasi Family Estates, which has its head quarter in Verona but farms 700 hectares across the length and breadth of Italy (the last harvest takes place in Vulture with the Aglianico) was particularly interesting, as he could provide an overview of the whole of Italy.

“Drought and heat were the common denominators of the year across the country. It was a tough vintage but where we had irrigation, we are getting far better results,” Tommasi said. “The harvest has just started, so we can’t say too much but it looks like we are going to have around 15% less in quantity overall. If the weather doesn’t go crazy this lower quantity should bring some nice wines though.”

Lombardia

Guido Berlucchi, started the harvest on the 3rd of August with the Brolo ‘clos’ of Pinot Nero. Winemaker and owner Arturo Ziliani described it as “a one-of-a-kind harvest with so much heat during the summer that it gave us good healthy grapes, although with possibly lower yields per hectare given the smaller size of the berries.”

Moving south in Oltrepò Pavese, in the Lombardia region – Italy’s most important district of Pinot Noir, with around 3,000 hectares of vines – we talked to two wine makers, Ottavia Giorgi Vistarino and Francesca Seralvo.

Ottavia Vistarino, owner of Conte Vistarino argued that despite the low rain, they didn’t experience too much stress on the vines as the ones on sandier soil. “We have been fighting drought keeping our vineyards with every either vine inter-row soil tillage and very few toppings”, he said.

Meanwhile Francesca Seralvo from Tenuta Mazzolino was unfiltered in her opinion.

Francesca Seralvo

“Hot and dry, it the vintage was worse than 2003!” she exclaimed. “We have been working hard like never before to do anything to keep the vines in balance. I’ve got to be honest that I am actually taken aback by the harmony our vines seem to have found despite the total lack of water. We are going to harvest much less than ever and yet the quality is good. We harvested already our Chardonnay – a tiny production of very juicy fruit.”

Piemonte

It was not an easy season in Piemonte. The winter was colder than in either 2020 or 2021 but it was also very dry with very little snow and the first serious rain fell at the end of May.

Up-and-coming talented wine producer Federica Boffa Pio of Pio Cesare notes that while waiting for the rain to arrive, the team worked the vineyards throughout the winter months in order to get as much nutrition for the soils as possible.

“Later on we protected the berries from the scolding sun and reduced the yields quite a bit which will result in a not very productive vintage,” he says. “Harvest should take place in a week for the whites and the end of September for the Nebbiolo.”

Tuscany

Meanwhile in Tuscany, contingency plans are going well, says Francesco Ricasoli, of Ricasoli in Brolio-Gaiole, Chianti Classico. “Right now we are still experiencing important vineyard stress particularly on the pebble-based soils where the roots do not seem to be able to push deeper in search for water,” he explains. “We had to go for special emergency irrigation for the younger vines.”

Still in Chianti Classico, but in Greve in Chianti on the Florentine side, the François family of Castello di Querceto are very happy about how the whole appellation reacted to the drought.

“The natural cooling system offers by the forest (out of 70,000 hectares of the Chianti Classico appellation only 10% is vineyards) and the good work for the water reservoirs held a lot,” Alessandro François told me. “Our vines are high on the hills and as a result they parents struggling much, but now we do need rain.”

In Castellina in Chianti, Léon Femfert of Nittardi said working the soil in winter and adding spontaneous vegetation as bedding to retain humidity in the soil had “never been more important”.

“So far our crop seems abundant with grapes full of good polyphenols anticipating a great structure Chianti Classico,” he said.

Calogero Portannese managing director of Tenuta di Trinoro in Sarteano, in the heart of Unesco site Val d’Orcia noted that it was fortunate to be between Mount Amiata and Mount Cetona. “This brings 20 degrees thermal excursion between day and night, while the godsend rain at the end of July did the rest,” he said.

Emilia Nardi, owner of Tenute Silvio Nardi in Montalcino has been doing everything possible to reduce the stress for the vines. ”Organic kaolinite (a type of white clay) was used on the leaves to reduce transpiration reflecting light away,” he explains. “We have smaller berries with a good quality so we are expecting less but good”.

Calabria

Not everything about the drought has been bad for the vine though, according to Calabria Librandi. While Paolo Librandi would have loved a little rain to ease the life of the vines and produce a bit more, he seems happy about the healthy conditions of the grapes, which have seen the least amount of treatment ever.

“We are harvesting right now quite a bit in advance. It looks like a good vintage for the quantity with some smaller grapes, more concentration, above all in the red wines. The indigenous white varieties look good with healthy grapes,” he says. “But I have to be honest that a little rain would make everyone happier and give a little more quantity. But given the drought, it is quite impressive the health conditions of the grapes all across the Cirò area with only 3/4 treatments throughout the year!”

Sicily

According to Consorzio Doc Sicilia, Sicily is likely to record almost 15% less production for 2022, than in 2021, but with an amazing quality. The Consorzio’s president Antonio Rallo notes that harvest starts this week and will finish in October, making it the longest harvest in Italy, of over 100 days.

Mount Etna producer Passopisciaro notes that despite more than two and a half months of heat wave with no rain, the vines seem ok.  “We are noticing how our single vineyards Etna DOC hundred years old vines are actually in wonderful state, a little ahead of schedule but possibly very good fruit,” managing director Vincenzo Lo Mauro says.

Resilience

The lack of water over the last few months and the high temperatures have been driving producers a little crazy and many are scared about the future outcomes if vintages continue to be as hot.  However vine growers and the wine-makers seem to be well equipped to face this threat, and in some ways it is remarkable how well the system has performed in the face of this challenge.  Of course production is likely to be smaller overall, with smaller berries and more concentration but this has meant fewer treatments needed to fight any presence of pests or moulds.

However, with harvest only just starting, this is only the beginning of the story of this hot 2022 vintage, we will have to wait until the beginning of November for its conclusion.

Sources:
Filippo Bartolotta
Drinks Business

 

#italianwine #winelovers #italianwinelovers #italy #vintage2022 #wine #vinto #instawine #wine #winenews #wineinfluencer