Top 10 takeaways from the Wine Bloggers Conference (US)
Posted by Daily Wine News | Filed under Wine Reviews
Did you know that there are enough wine bloggers to hold an annual conference? There are actually about 1500 of us more or less. Approximately 300 bloggers, me included, showed up in Charlottesville, Virginia for the 4th Wine Bloggers Conference last week. It was a big deal to Virginia. But when all is said and done, there are 10 takeaways from my time at the Wine Bloggers Conference, on Virginia wine and on blogging, writes The WineFashionista Mary Orlin at The Huffington Post.
Baile: Back end “killed” Oddbins (UK)
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Simon Baile has admitted it was the back end of the Oddbins business that “killed” the off-licence chain. Speaking exclusively to the drinks business, the former managing director of the failed business said: “The shops weren’t the root cause of the problem; many things killed Oddbins. “It was the back end of the business that ultimately killed it. Working with such low margins, it’s incredibly important you get that right. If you get that wrong it doesn’t matter what you do at the front.
Orewa College defends wine fundraiser (NZ)
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An Auckland school selling wine but refusing to sell chocolate to raise funds says the wine sales are done responsibly and have nothing to do with the students. Auckland’s Orewa College came under fire for the wine fundraiser after parents complained to TVNZ. Chairperson of the school’s board, Elspeth McAulay, said the school does not sell chocolate because it wants to encourage healthy eating, reports Auckland Now.
Wine: Taxing times for winemakers (NZ)
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“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors… and miss,” wrote science fiction writer Robert Heinlein, but after this month’s wine excise hike, the largest in two decades, I’d be inclined to reword this as, “Be wary of strong taxation. It can make you shoot the wine industry… and miss the point.” Government has raised the excise on wine, but it’s producers rather than consumers who are likely to wear the increase, writes Jo Burzynska in The New Zealand Herald.
Gonzalez Byass grabs Wirra Wirra agency
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Gonzalez Byass UK is to add the Australian winery Wirra Wirra to is agency portfolio from September 1.
Andrew Kay, managing director of the McLaren Vale-based producer, said the fit between Gonzalez Byass and Wirra Wirra seemed a natural one, reports Off Licence News.
“As an independent producer we place great emphasis on our history, sense of place and family,” he said.
“Gonzalez Byass shares like-minded philosophies and we believe our range of super-premium Australian wines will complement its offering.”
Wine expert views upcoming vintages
Posted by Daily Wine News | Filed under Wine Reviews
James Halliday’s Wine Companion, 2012, was launched on Wednesday and offers a comprehensive listing of the who, what, when, why and where of wine – as someone who has been writing about wine for some 40 years. Halliday raises his concerns about next vintage and why he believes too many grapes were picked the vintage just gone, in an interview with ABC’s Michael Veitch.
Institute to host Australian Shiraz seminar
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The Institute of Masters of Wine is to host an Australian Shiraz seminar this September. The Institute has assembled a panel of Shiraz experts from Australia for the event who will share their wisdom and insights as they explore the Barossa Valley heartland of Australian Shiraz and the subsequent migration of the variety to other regions, reports The Dinks Business.
Penfolds Grange denies setting minimum retail price
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Treasury Wine Estates CEO David Dearie has strongly denied Penfolds will set a minimum price for Grange, and that he had been quoted out of context. In an interview with The Drinks Business, Dearie was quoted as saying ‘Next year we will set a minimum price [for Grange] and you must hit that minimum price or you won’t get an allocation.’ The comment prompted comment suggesting that that would amount to price fixing. This afternoon a spokesman for Dearie told Decanter.com his comment was misinterpreted, reports Decanter.
Mollydooker withdraws ’smashed wine’ press release
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McLaren Vale’s Mollydooker winery has withdrawn its press release announcing the loss of A$1m of its wine in a forklift accident. Over the weekend it was extensively reported that a faulty forklift dropped and smashed 461 cases of the 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz. In a new release, Mollydooker has announced journalists and other readers should disregard the news release ‘Years of Tears and Sweat and More Than $1 Million Worth of Fine Wine Go Down the Drain’ and said a revised release ‘will be issued at a later time’, reports Decanter.
Contractor defends RSE scheme (NZ)
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A suggestion from the United States that the recognised seasonal employer scheme used in Marlborough is verging on human trafficking is rich from a country dependant on illegal Mexican labour, a viticultural contractor says. The RSE scheme involves Department of Labour accredited contractors employing groups of workers, mostly from the Pacific Islands, on limited contracts. In Marlborough, the workers are employed on vineyards, reports The Marlborough Express.