In Vino Veritas

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May 2008
- Wine Whiz Mondavi Dead at 94
  
  San Francisco Chronicle | May 16, 08 7:54 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - California wine master Robert Mondavi died peacefully today in his Napa Valley home at age 94, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Disciples and critics alike have praised the vintner for elevating West Coast wine from jug juice to world-class vino. "His legacy and his vision for what California could do remains with us as guidepost and a source of aspiration," one winemaker said. More »
April 2008
- French Wine Goes Pop
  
  Associated Press | Apr 27, 08 6:09 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A screw-top Bordeaux? The once-laughable notion is bubbling up in France these days as wine makers try to reverse decades of sour sales, the AP reports. Even snazzy labels and boxed-wine-with-a-straw are fair game, after French wineries exported a record $15 billion last year with "New World"-style packaging. More »
- Germany's Dry Rieslings Go Down Sweetly
  
  New York Times | Apr 24, 08 6:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The dry rieslings Eric Asimov sampled a decade ago in Germany were “tart and shrill,” he writes in the New York Times. So "how did they get so good" since? Lower-quality wines aren’t shipped to America, hypothesizes one wine importer, who nevertheless concedes that the country's great dry rieslings are more plentiful than they were 10 years ago. More »
- Bullock OK After Crash With Drunk Driver
  
  Boston Herald | Apr 19, 08 6:58 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A woman accused of drunk driving slammed head-on into Sandra Bullock's SUV last night near the Massachusetts coast, the Boston Globe reports. Bullock, 43, her husband, Jesse James, 39, and their driver were unhurt in the crash. Police said oncoming driver Lucille Gatchell "almost giggled" when told who she had hit. "She said, 'My first drunk driving and I hit Sandra Bullock,'" a policeman said. More »
- Billionaire Pays $500K for 27 Bottles of Wine
  
  Reuters | Apr 19, 08 2:14 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - As the global economy falters, many people are fighting to make ends meet. And then there’s the Chinese billionaire who spent $500,000 for 27 bottles of wine today. The sale set a record for a single lot. “I don’t think he has bought this as an investment,” said an executive from the selling company. “He has bought it to drink.” More »
- Wines Tainted With Pesticides
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Apr 4, 08 1:51 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A large majority of European wines are tainted with pesticides and other toxic substances, a study by a consortium of environmental groups has found. Thirty-four of 40 bottles sampled, including grands crus from some of Bordeaux's most prestigious vineyards, contained hazardous pesticides, the Telegraph reports. But of the six organic bottles tested, five were clean. More »
- In Veritas, Vino Wins Over Shanghai
  
  Portfolio | Apr 3, 08 2:13 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The wine scene, long dormant in China, is booming in Shanghai, reports Portfolio . Chinese consumers were traditionally more passionate about spirits; if anything, only red wine was taken seriously. Not anymore: Shanghai's three premium-wine importers have multiplied to more than 100 since 1999, and wine bars abound. It's a trend expected to shift the figures in a country that consumes 25% of the world's liquor but just 2% of its wine. More »
March 2008
- A Dad Debates Introducing Wine
  
  New York Times | Mar 28, 08 4:14 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Will letting your kids sip wine decrease chances of binges later, Eric Asimov wonders in the New York Times . “I can’t help hoping that my sons might share my taste in ball teams and politics. Why should wine be any different?” writes Asimov, who imagined raising his children European-style to teach them “wine is a wonderful part of a meal.” More »
- Sonoma-Napa Rivalry Escalates
  
  Reuters | Mar 26, 08 2:54 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The friendly rivalry between California’s two leading wine regions has evolved into an out-and-out marketing duel, reports Reuters. Sonoma winemakers frown upon the more famous—and much pricier—wine made by their neighbors over the hills. Collectors covet Napa Valley’s exclusive vintages, paying from $400-$1,000 a bottle for cult brands, while many Sonoma wines are generally priced under $20, due to larger harvests. More »
- Oregon's Having a Grape Year
  
  Associated Press | Mar 19, 08 4:07 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Thanks to good weather and rising demand, Oregon crushed a record number of grapes in 2007—good news for its 370 wineries. And despite selling 1.7 million cases worth $208 million last year, the state hasn't quenched thirst for its wine, the AP reports. "Fussy superstar" pinot noir has maintained its post- Sideways popularity, and Oregon's small wineries produced 15% more of the grape. More »
February 2008
- Pairing Leaves Writer Red-Faced
  
  New York Times | Feb 29, 08 5:25 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Oysters and red wine? "Why not?" asks Eric Asimov in the New York Times . Wine pairing as a science can drain a meal of its pleasure, while instincts and taste-testing add adventure. After Parisian waiters twice recommended red with a foodie blogger's oysters, Asimov traded the usual suspects (muscadet, Chablis, Champagne) for a lineup of non-fruity reds. More »
- UK Docs Call for Smaller Wine Bottle
  
  Guardian (UK) | Feb 29, 08 3:45 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Britons are downing too much wine, the British Medical Journal concludes, and it has a solution: smaller bottles. “Once two of us have had a glass each, it’s all too tempting to finish the bottle then and there,” wrote one doctor of the standard 750-mililiter size. One UK supermarket has already announced the introduction of 500ml (16.9 oz.) bottles. More »
- A Vintage Year for Wine Exports
  
  Los Angeles Times | Feb 29, 08 12:31 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The dollar’s decline is a boon for California winemakers, who’ve turned the greenback’s challenges into opportunities, expanding exports of everything from top vintages to bulk table wines, reports the Los Angeles Times . California wine exports, 95% of the wine the US sends overseas, jumped 9% to nearly $1 billion in 2007. "American wines are a bargain,” said one analyst. More »
- Wash. Weighs Bill Ordering 'Drunk Driver' Plates
  
  Seattle Times | Feb 12, 08 5:32 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Washington state is considering a measure that would require convicted drunken drivers to use fluorescent-yellow license plates for 1 year after they regain the right to drive, the Seattle Times reports. The state senator behind the bill argues that the shame factor is a "very large deterrent," and says the plates would warn other motorists they are near a potential danger. More »
- Winemakers Battle Climate Threat
  
  NPR | Feb 12, 08 10:50 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - For vineyards, global warming isn’t a distant, theoretical problem—it’s hurting their products now. That’s why winemakers and scientists are gathering in Barcelona this week to hash out ideas for combating changing temperatures and harsher sunlight, NPR reports. Recent studies have shown that grapes are ripening faster and losing their complexity as vineyard temperatures have risen. More »
- Wineries Tell Drunken Tasters to Put a Cork in It
  
  Los Angeles Times | Feb 2, 08 2:09 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - American wineries are getting fed up with loud, obnoxious, inebriated tasting groups brought in by buses and stretch limos, the Los Angeles Times reports. Worried about bachelorette parties upsetting the vibe of thoughtful sipping, wineries from California to New York have taken to posting "no limos" signs and even handing out color-coded warning cards to offending parties. More »
January 2008
- Sour Grapes Over Napa Bubbly
  
  San Francisco Chronicle | Jan 19, 08 5:34 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - A feud between members of the family that produces one of the top sparkling wines in the US is making California's Napa Valley the setting for a real-life soap opera, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Hedge-fund manager John Davies is battling for his stake in Schramsberg Vineyards, charging that his mother is mentally unstable, favoring his younger brother, and scamming investors. More »
- Tasty Wine All In the Pricetag
  
  Science | Jan 16, 08 12:19 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The price of a bottle wine directly affects our enjoyment of it, a new study concludes. Volunteers were offered three different wines, with four different price labels, mixing up the order to see what effect price had on people’s tastes. Watching volunteers' brains via MRI scan, the researchers saw they got more pleasure from the bottle with a $90 tag, Science reports. More »
December 2007
- Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices
  
  Washington Post | Dec 30, 07 6:50 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Investors are uncorking a new area of speculation these days: fine wine. Thanks to the Internet, which has turned an elite hobby into a worldwide auction, prices are overflowing. Buyers can even throw money at vino investment funds and an electronic trading exchange based in London, which is up 39% this year, and behind oil by only seven points, the Washington Post reports. More »
- More Bubbly? French Farmers Are in Uproar
  
  New York Times | Dec 26, 07 6:08 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Champagne drinkers may soon taste the fruits of of a French government initiative to welcome new farmers into the exclusive club of those allowed to call their sparkling white wines Champagne, with a capital C. As demand skyrockets, a list has been drawn up of 40 communities that might be annexed in the largest extension of Champagne country in 8 decades. But the scheme has left unanointed farmers in an uproar. More »