Wine Archives

Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Insights

According to Wine-Searcher, Australia produces seven of the world’s top 10 value Cabernet Sauvignon. Based on wines with at least a 90-point rating + and dividing the rating by the wine’s price, Cabernet Sauvignon from Australian regions Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek and Margaret River out-performed wines from international competitors Napa Valley and Bordeaux.

This comes on top of Australia’s strong performance at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards. Of the 27 gold medals awarded to Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia received the most with seven golds ahead of France and South Africa.

Gold medals awarded to Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards:

Australia 7
France 4
South Africa 4
Chile 3
China 3
USA 2
Italy 1
Romania 1
Bulgaria 1
Israel 1
Total 27

Did you know that Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most planted grape variety?

According to IWSR, Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s largest selling variety with 163 million cases (9-liter case equivalents) sold across the globe in 2018. Cabernet Sauvignon is Australia’s second most planted red variety behind Shiraz.

In 2019, while the overall Australian grape-crush declined by 3 percent, the Cabernet Sauvignon crush increased by 3 percent to just over 250,000 tonnes and reflecting growing demand, the average purchase price of Cabernet increased by 14 percent to $846 per tonne. Reflecting the premium nature of Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 % of the Cabernet Sauvignon purchased by Australian wineries was at prices above $1500 per tonne (vs 7 % for all grapes).

Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is shipped to over 114 markets around the world, with China and the United States the two biggest export destinations with a combined 70 percent value share.

The premium status of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is also evident in the latest export figures. Exports of Australian single variety Cabernet Sauvignon averaged A$6.71 per liter in 2018–19, well-above the total average for all red wines of A$4.54 per liter. Australian Cabernet Sauvignon was destined for 114 markets

According to IRI Worldwide, in 2018–19, sales of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon grew 6 % in value in the USA’s off-trade market, double the overall Cabernet market growth rate of 3 %. For Australia, the strongest growth is coming at US$8–14.99 per bottle and, albeit off a small base, above US$25 per bottle.

The Clones
Wine Australia is also investing in R & D into Cabernet Sauvignon. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is currently into the final year of a three-year project, ‘Cabernet Sauvignon trials to evaluate response to climate and management.’ Three field sites of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings will be established in contrasting climates and soils. Each will contain at least 10 Cabernet Sauvignon clones that will be selected in collaboration with the sector and monitored to ensure that vines are well-established.

In the future, clone performance will be evaluated via a range of parameters including vine phenology, vegetative and reproductive growth, water relations and berry traits. The construction of the trial will allow comparison between different clones at the same site and between the performance of each clone in different.

SARDI
https://pir.sa.gov.au/research/about_sardi

Wines Australia
https://www.wineaustralia.com/

The International Sustainable Wine Growing Summit is coming to San Luis Obispo, California on November 11-13, 2019

The International Sustainable Winegrowing Summit will be held in the U.S for the first time. The event will run in conjunction with the Sustainable Ag Expo and will bring together leading experts from Italy, South Africa, France, Canada, and the US, and will be held be in San Luis Obispo, California on November 11-13, 2019.

The 15th Annual Sustainable Ag Expo includes three days of seminars and a full-service tradeshow and equipment showcase that provides an opportunity for farmers, ag professionals, and pest control advisors to learn about the latest in farming research, resource issues, business trends related to sustainable agriculture. Participants can earn 15+ hours of DPR/CCA continuing education.

“We are thrilled to welcome a number of distinguished international speakers to the International Sustainable Winegrowing Summit” said Kris Beal, Executive Director of the Vineyard Team. “They include Carlo Duso, PhD from the University of Padua, Italy, Gerhard Pietersen, PhD from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, Jose Ramon Urbez Torres, a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Sabine Wiedemann-Merdinoglu, PhD from the Institut National de Recherches Agronomique (INRA) in France.”

The Sustainable Ag Expo will also feature numerous experts from the U.S. including Jennifer Lester Moffit, Undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Julian Gervreau, Vice President, Sustainability at Jackson Family Wines, Dr. Michael Costello, Department of Wine and Viticulture, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Rachel Naegele, PhD, Research Horticulturist, USDA, ARS, US.

Seminar and panel discussions will cover a wide range of topics from “Climate Change and the Future of Agriculture” to “Insect, Pest, Environment and Ecology Systems.” A full list of speakers and topics along with registration information can be found at

www.sustainableagexpo.org

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Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC ventures into ‘second era of Italian style Pinot Grigio’

The Consorzio Vini delle Venezie has re-elected Albino Armani(March 2019) as president and some of his priorities include the development of promotional activities and maximizing the potential of the appellation: “growth trajectory focused on continuity, to maximize the potential of a product and a region that still have a lot to say to consumers around the world”.

Accepting “the challenge”, Armani said his new board would “continue along the same path of identity, region and Italian style to drive up the value of our Pinot Grigio”.

“We are well aware of the responsibility before us; this appellation holds enormous potential just waiting to be developed. Already the conversation around this great variety has a new and different tone. It is an asset that we must defend and maximize, establishing it with a strong identity firmly grounded in Italy and in the Triveneto in particular,” he said.

The new board’s widespread regional representation includes six members representing Friuli Venezia Giulia, six members representing Trentino, and nine members representing Veneto. This board would create an alliance capable of building a widespread regional identity that can “stake its claim as the Italian Pinot Grigio benchmark on a global scale”, Armani added.
Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC was established in 2017 and occupies the entire northeastern part of Italy, including the territories of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto regions, and the province of Trento.

By the Numbers:
85% of Italy’s Pinot Grigio production is produced in the Triveneto area where,
in 2017, 24,500 hectares were under vine.

Vinexpo Paris 2020 under the patronage of the President of the French Republic

Vinexpo Paris 2020 has announced that it has been placed under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. Vinexpo’s events across the globe currently include Bordeaux, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and now Paris 2020.

Vinexpo Paris is currently preparing its big Parisian event, which will be dedicated to the sector’s international professionals, and will take place from 10 to 12 February at the Paris Convention Centre. This event welcomes exhibitors from all around the world, including French and international leading brands.

Some of these brands will inaugurate the unique concept of L’Avenue, created by Vinexpo Paris. This Haussmann-styled space, more intimate, will enable its participants to feel like in a street of Parisian elegance while being at the heart of the fair.

https://www.vinexpoparis.com/?lang=en

Bourgogne Wines Cave de Prestige selection for 2019

Last week the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) announced the exclusive Bourgogne Wines Cave de Prestige selection for 2019.

This year,1,528 samples were submitted for tasting, from vintages 2015 through to 2018. This represents a rise of 34% compared to 2018 and is perhaps not surprising given the very fine 2017 vintage from which 64% of submissions hailed. The 2017 vintage was more generous than 2016 for the majority of Bourgogne appellations, and 2018 looks to be promising.
Selected by a jury of experts 12% of the submissions were chosen, making a total of 191 wines. They will be showcased for one year, both in France and abroad, at marketing and training events for market influencers such as wine store owners, sommeliers, restaurateurs and journalists, and also for the general public through the École des Vins de Bourgogne.

There was a record number of submissions as follows: cooperative cellars 9%; négoce trade 13%; with estates making up the remaining 78%. Most of the 84 Bourgogne appellations were represented, from Régionale wines to Grand Crus.

The winning list will follow shortly.