You may have seen the NY Times article this weekend about the major wine rating systems:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/business/yourmoney/13rate.html?pagewanted=4&ei=5087&en=604e8ee26f41a280&ex=1171166400&mkt=bizphoto
I will say that I am guilty of using the rating systems as a guide. I think in today’s wine world you have to use something because there is too much wine in the world to go buying everything […]

Hidden Treasure
DaVinci Code is wringing in ticket sales. NBC is about to launch Treasure Hunters. Even the wine world is experiencing this hidden treasure phenomenon. Christies just sold an exceptional collection which had been hidden since World War II - when the owners stored it to avoid Nazi theft. These bottles of Bordeaux included […]

World Wine Cup
Japan, not performing particularly well early in the World Cup, needs something to toast. The country has reported a huge increase in demand for German white wine, presumably related to Germany’s hosting the World Cup. If you are watching soccer this week, grab a bottle of German wine too! (IOL)
Militant Winemakers of […]

East Coast Celebration
The New York Wine and Culinary Center, similar to Napa’s famed “Copia”, opens on Friday. At a cost of $7.5 million, the center is in the Finger Lakes wine region in a town called Canandaigua. It promises to be a fun destination and it is relatively close to our fair New York City. […]

Parker At It Again
In a critique of Bordeaux prices, Parker used his message board to criticize Medoc. He said their prices were a function of ‘pride, provincial jealousies, and greed.’ So he is making more friends in Medoc these days…(Decanter)
Energy and Wine Crises
There are parallel crises in Europe and Australia. An oversupply of grapes […]

It looks to be a beautiful Friday. What is going on in the world of wine?
Swedish Wine - Part 2
Yesterday I mentioned the “systembolaget” EU lawsuit against Sweden. Sure, I decided to bring it up again because I like the word. But, Sweden is in the news again today. This time, the concern is labeling […]

Swedish Monopoly
Sweden will face a legal challenge this summer, as the EU charges Sweden’s wine and spirits distribution system is a monopoly. Part of the EU since 1995, the government has the Systembolaget, a practice that outlaws wine purchasing from indepedent intermediaries. The EU will certainly make a strong case for free markets. But, […]

Hollywood Tasting
There are reports that Hollywood is taking on George Taber’s book, The Judgement of Paris. Yes, they are going to make a movie out of the famous 1976 Paris Tasting. Steven Spurrier couldn’t be happier - the production company is discussing Hugh Grant or Jude Law to play him. (Decanter)
Magic Wine
There have been articles […]

Helen Settles
The Roy Estate has settled its lawsuit with Helen Turley. Of course the terms of the settlement were kept confidential, leaving us wondering who got what. I will say, this press release is one of the strangest I’ve read. The information provided by the PR firms is not particularly relevent, and the prose […]

Happy Monday everyone. Here is today’s wine update:
Millions and Counting
Last year, 300 million cases of wine were consumed in the US, amounting to $25 billion in sales. We are still behind the big European countries (France, Italy, and Germany) in terms of real consumption. But our growth in headed North while they face the opposite […]