Wine Atlas

It is an historical irony that the wines of Southern Italy have been piquing the interest of connoisseurs in recent years. In fact, the vineyards of Puglia, Sicily, Campania and Basilicata are some of the oldest and most productive on the face of the earth. When the Greeks first ventured into Italy centuries and centuries ago, they called the lower peninsula Oenotria, land of wine. But discerning imbibers are to be forgiven if they have paid less attention to this region in years past. The winemakers in the bottom of the boot have generally been more interested in quantity than quality, sending tankers of grape juice around the world to form the base of mass market wine products and wine-based beverages such as Vermouth.

There has been a sea change in the viticulture of the region in the past few years, with a growing number of vintners marketing their wares to a more sophisticated international market. Instead of trying to compete with the famous wines to the north, including Tuscany's Chianti, and the fabled reds of the Piedmont, Barolo and Barberesco, the new wave of Southern Italian wine makers are often embracing the traditions of the region. The climate there is warmer than is ideal for wine grapes, resulting in robust, fruity flavors that tend to lack the subtlety and layers of wines produced in cooler regions. But when the vintners resort to tenting vineyards to reduce the heat, or simply moving the plants to higher elevations, these grapes produce wines of unique and intriguing character.

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Pernod Ricard SA on Friday secured European Union antitrust approval to buy Allied Domecq PLC for $14 billion after agreeing to sell certain brands.

The European Commission, the EU's regulatory arm, cleared the purchase after Pernod Ricard agreed to sell Glen Grant, Old Smuggler and Braemar whiskey and the 1920 and CR&F brandy.

The companies also agreed to end certain distribution agreements in Portugal for the Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey brand and Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon champagnes, the commission said...

Bloomberg News Published June 25, 2005

Source : chicagotribune.com

Five years ago, I predicted here that Spain would enjoy dramatic gains during this decade in consumer appreciation of its wines.

This prediction is faring quite well at this point, but Spain must now respond to a major new challenge.

In 2004, total Spanish wine sales in the United States were 72 percent higher than in 2000, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures. A major obstacle has arisen, however, in the form of a steep decline in the value of the dollar against the euro. This has inevitably translated into higher shelf prices for all European products. Particular Spanish wines that looked inexpensive a couple of years ago now look notably less affordable.

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Twenty-eight local charities received checks totaling $268,000 from Cincinnati International Wine Festival treasurer Barry T. Oppelt at a reception at Kenwood Country Club. The funds were raised at this year's wine festival in March.

Some 75 guests, including wine festival board president Connie Wiles and executive director Michelle Egbers, were on hand for the celebration.

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AUSTRALIAN wine producer Palandri is drawing up plans to hire a Scottish broker to grow its investor base north of the Border. Palandri, which is based in Perth in western Australia, is understood to be ready to ditch its house broker, Panmure Gordon, and replace it with a Scottish company.

Darrel Jarvis, Palandri's chief executive, and Gordon Grant, chief operating officer, were in Edinburgh last week for a series of meetings with fund managers, private client brokers and stockbrokers, including Bell Lawrie White...

By GUY DIXON

Source : business.scotsman.com

Laws that will mean Australian taxpayers will pay New Zealand wine producers a small subsidy have been introduced into parliament.

Assistant Treasurer Mal Brough introduced a series of tax law amendments, covering the child care rebate, deductible gift recipients and a schedule that will help the Australian Bureau of Statistics access more information from the tax office.

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Australia's wine industry is being warned to look to new markets or risk further price drops.

Production has peaked at 1.3 million litres of wine, with the UK our biggest customer.

But while exports are on the rise, the value of wine is falling, to average $4.19 a litre.

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Luscious to drink, intoxicating if you’re not careful, wine can also be intimidating to the uninitiated. Just think of how Paul Giamatti’s unforgettably fussy wine snob, Miles Raymond, opined about Pinot Noir in 2004’s wine-film hit Sideways: “Its flavours, they’re just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and…ancient on the planet.”

Now that’s some heavy talk for a bunch of grapes.

Here’s a secret from a real expert, one of Oregon’s learned sommeliers: “The only thing that matters is that you like what you’re drinking.” Tysan Pierce should know: she’s one of the state’s few full-time sommeliers and the wine director of Portland’s largest wine cellar, the 500-bottle cave at the Heathman Hotel.

Maybe Oregon is starting to agree with her. The balloon goblet is threatening to replace the coffee mug as Portland’s unofficial emblem, as new chic-but-casual wine bars continue to pop up and the number of wineries in the state has nearly quadrupled—from 78 to more than 300—in the past decade.

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About a dozen Oregon and Washington grape growers, winemakers and researchers are joining leaders from industry, USDA, extension and research groups throughout the United States in a new initiative launched from California.

They have spent nearly a year developing the National Grape and Wine Initiative at strategic planning conferences held in May and November in 2004, and January 2005.

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