Ignore Hype of 'Wine Clones'

Award-winning German winegrower ruined

(NEWSER) - An award-winning German winegrower has lost his crop of grapes to a band of brazen thieves just before harvest time. Almost three tons of high-quality red grapes destined to become wine were stolen overnight by bandits who brought their own harvest machine, reports Der Spiegel . Wine experts believe the theft was carried out by a desperate winegrower who lost his own crop to frost or hail, and the culprit will be found when a winemaker not known for quality produces a superb product this year. More»

Climate change could take the 'wine' out of wine country in next 30 years

(NEWSER) - A new report warns that climate change could drastically shake up California’s wine country in the next 30 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that Napa Valley will eventually see 10 more days with grape-scorching temperatures of at least 95 degrees, the Los Angeles Times reports. If the weather pattern holds, that means trouble for Napa's Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals, which don't do well in the heat. More»

E and J Gallo unwittingly sold fake Red Bicyclette

(NEWSER) - French winemakers have been convicted in a massive scam to dupe unwitting Yanks by passing off 18 million bottles of a cheaper wine as Pinot Noir. The French producers sold the wine to major US buyer E and J Gallo for its popular Red Bicyclette brand. By calling a cheaper grape Pinot Noir, the winemakers more than doubled their profits, raking in more than $10 million euros from the fraud, the BBC reports. More»

Don't just cook with it; mix a drink with it

(NEWSER) - After decades relegated to a spot in the cooking aisle, sherry is making a comeback. The Spanish fortified wine is becoming a trendy cocktail ingredient, especially in Los Angeles, the Times reports. The drinks can get pretty swanky—one involves gold dust; another, reportedly loved by Frank Sinatra, flamed orange oil. “You see a lot of going back to classic cocktail ingredients,” says one restaurateur whose establishment aims to recapture “Old Hollywood swell-egance.” More»

(NEWSER) - Screw tops, boxes, and now—plastic bottles? A move is afoot to package wine in low-cost, lighter plastic containers, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bottles come with an expiration date because the plastic does not provide the same airtight seal as glass. But because most wine sold in the US is consumed relatively quickly, it shouldn't affect taste. “The wine doesn't know what package it is in,” a wine educator says. More»