Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

US' Yellow Tail Fever Taints Aussie Wines

Australia's bargain reputation hurts exports of primo stuff

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Apr 8, 2009 4:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – Droughts, wildfires, and weak currency have hurt Australia's wine exports—but for losing their reputation as premium vintners, the Aussies have no one but themselves to blame. When $7 Yellow Tail flooded US markets three years ago, "Australia made itself synonymous with cut-rate, generic... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Miami Face-Eater Identified

Slate (Source Grid »)

French wine exports fall behind, too
Reuters

Australia must reclaim premium spot
Food Week Online

World

Australia • wine • recession • US imports • wine industry • Yellow Tail

More Newser Stories

In Wine Market, a Bubble Has Burst

Futures sales in trouble after years of spiraling prices

(NEWSER) - The most serious wine collectors buy their bottles "en primeur"—paying vineyards for futures of wines that haven't been produced yet. Futures prices for wine had spiraled higher and higher in recent years, even for inferior vintages, as a new class of big spenders moved into the market. But many buyers are staying away from this week's tastings of the 2008 vintages in Bordeaux, writes the New York Times, as a protest at unreasonably high prices. More»

After Pouring a $300 Bottle, White House Mum on Wine

Ends state dinner tradition of releasing info about the wine list

(NEWSER) - Last night, British PM David Cameron enjoyed his very first taste of March Madness, compliments of President Obama. At tonight's state dinner, he'll likely enjoy some American wine as well—but don't expect too many details about the winery, year, or appellation. That's because Obama put a stop to the tradition of revealing said info after his third state dinner ... following a brouhaha over the price tag. In honor of Hu Jintao's visit, the Chinese president was served a 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state that garnered a 100-point Robert Parker rating. The White House didn't say how much it paid per bottle, but it originally retailed for $115, and was selling for $300 and up by the time of the Jan. 19, 2011, dinner. More»

Now Found in Some Australian Wines: Laxative Agent

No, it's not part of some weird plot to mess with your bowels

(NEWSER) - Those with delicate bowels may want to steer clear of wine from the Land Down Under. Winemakers there are now allowed to add sodium carboxymethyl cellulose to wine—a chemical lauded for its laxative powers. But in small quantities it can thicken liquids, and when it comes to wine, adding the chemical can eliminate crystallization and cloudiness from whites, reports California Watch . Dealing with the former is an expensive problem, explains the country's winemakers, usually achieved using energy-draining methods like cooling and filtration. More»

Australia's Penfolds Releases $1K Wine

Last time Special Bin 620 was made was 1966

(NEWSER) - You can buy a single bottle of Penfolds for right around a ten-spot—or with about a hundred $10 bills, depending on which bottle you pick up. Australia's News Network reports that Penfolds today releases the country's "most expensive table wine," a 2008 Special Bin 620 that sells for $1,018 a bottle. It's the first time since 1966 that Penfolds has made the specific blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, reports the Wall Street Journal . A tidbit for history buffs: When it last made the red, the grapes were partially foot-crushed. More»

Forget Snobbery: Drink Cheap Wine

You won't be able to tell the difference: Brian Palmer

(NEWSER) - Studies have shown that wine drinkers can’t tell the difference between cheap and expensive bottles, and may actually prefer the cheap stuff in a blind taste test—so why are we still paying at least 15 bucks for a supposedly “everyday” bottle of wine? Because, as other studies have shown, American consumers think they prefer more expensive wine—even if they're unknowingly comparing two glasses of the same vintage. Europeans, conversely, are happy to drink a $1.79 bottle or break out “a 1-euro tetra-pak of wine for guests,” writes Brian Palmer in Slate . More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

US' Yellow Tail Fever Taints Aussie Wines

Australia's bargain reputation hurts exports of primo stuff

Australia • wine • recession • US imports • wine industry • Yellow Tail

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

In Wine Market, a Bubble Has Burst

Futures sales in trouble after years of spiraling prices

After Pouring a $300 Bottle, White House Mum on Wine

Ends state dinner tradition of releasing info about the wine list

Now Found in Some Australian Wines: Laxative Agent

No, it's not part of some weird plot to mess with your bowels

Australia's Penfolds Releases $1K Wine

Last time Special Bin 620 was made was 1966

Forget Snobbery: Drink Cheap Wine

You won't be able to tell the difference: Brian Palmer

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?