In 2001, Jacques Berthomeau who died this month, shocked the French wine establishment by recommending the creation of a new classification called Vin de France that would enable producers to compete with varietal wines from the New World. Eight years later, his idea became reality. Today, it is a huge success - both for those exports, and - perhaps surprisingly for him - for many of the natural wine producers Berthomeau later wrote about in his blog.
Days before a US jury acquitted Tom Barrack, ex head of Colony Capital, former owners of Château Lascomes, of illegal foreign lobbying charges, the Margaux estate was acquired by another American, Gaylon Lawrence of Lawrence Wine Estates. This is only the latest episode in the long, checkered history of a 2nd growth chateau that has had many memorable owners, none of whom have kept it for long.
The 2022 harvest in Champagne, which began on 20 August, is over, and grapegrowers and winemakers are looking forward to replenishing the region's empty cellars with plentiful stocks of high quality wine.
The Gigondas appellation has announced that it will also be able to produce white wines with AOC status from the 2023 vintage. The National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) has voted in favour of extending the AOC Gigondas to include white wines.
The enterprising winemaker Gérard Bertrand from the Languedoc-Roussillon region has acquired the Domaine de Cause wine estate in the Lot district of the Occitan region.
In these times, it becomes almost the rule that heat, drought, hail or storms threaten the grapes. Nevertheless, the yield forecasts in Europe are different this year, as the examples of France and Spain show.
Tradition demands the participation of individuals who are dedicated to preserving it. For the Trentino winegrowers’ cooperative Mezzacorona, this involves safeguarding the indigenous grape varieties Teroldego and Marzemino, showcasing their qualities both as monovarietal wines and in blends.
