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Happy Easter! April is here, and so is Spring. We truly hope the lively atmosphere brings you joy, and of course introduces some fresh whites and roses into your life. We’ve had an interesting week with several press conferences and interesting news. Read on to find out more.

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INTERESTING THIS WEEK

👠 Shoe Crazy Wine grows into a multi-million dollar company, and targets the national stage READ HERE

👭 How inspirational women lead the way for wines of Argentina READ HERE

✂️ How Wineally can cut costs and increase revenues for wine trade READ HERE

🧠 Why are industry professionals rethinking the language of wine? READ HERE

🇮🇹 Italian wine exports to Russia in 2022 set a record READ HERE

🕵🏼 Is wine about to have its next sideways moment? READ HERE

CAVA SALES REACH THE HIGHEST IN HISTORY IN 2022

Total of 249 million bottles of cava sold in 2022 following a 4.58% increase in sales across export and domestic markets compared to 2021. Vilafranca del Penedès - D.O. Cava reports record-breaking sales figures in 2022 with 249 million bottles sold worldwide, the highest numbers the regulatory board has seen in its history. The results from data collected and analyzed as part of the D.O.'s annual global economic report were presented at a press conference late last month attended by the Designation of Origin's president Javier Pagés and its member wineries. This growth is extremely positive and highlights the product's resilience, especially considering challenges in previous years. "Despite the economic hardships experienced in 2021, 2022 was a year of recovery that yielded very positive results," said D.O. Cava president, Javier Pagès.

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MICHEL ROLLAND LAUNCHES MULTI-CONTINENT BORDEAUX BLEND

The indefatigable Michel Rolland has unveiled a new winemaking project that brings together Bordeaux grape varieties from five different countries worldwide, creating an uber-blend called Pangaea that clocks in at €500 per bottle, with 2,500 bottles produced per year. The project joins recent multi-region wines such as the Penfolds’ Wines of the World released in 2021 which contain grapes from both Napa and Australia, and the Penfolds II Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, a joint venture with Vignobles Dourthe whose inaugural 2019 vintage contained 71% grapes from Bordeaux and 29% from South Australia, blended and bottled in Australia. Back in 2010, James Suckling also created a blend called One Wine One World that assembled grapes from California, Mexico, Hungary, Slovenia, Roussillon and Italy, sold in aid of a charitable foundation.

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AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY PIVOTS TO NEW MARKETS AMIDST CONTINUING CHALLENGES

The latest Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory (Directory) reveals that Australian wine producers have continued a shift toward new markets in the wake of China’s tariffs on exports. In a year of ongoing challenges for the national wine sector – including adverse weather events, global freight disruptions, rising production costs, and lower grape prices – data published in the 2023 WID shows that overall Australian wine exports were down 19 percent in value for the last financial year, compounded by a massive 96% decline in exports to China.

However, a falling Australian dollar helped to lift exports to the United States which recorded a 9% increase in sales. While exports to the post-Brexit UK stalled, shipments to some smaller international markets (Denmark, Japan, Singapore, Thailand) improved. As wineries reached tank capacity in 2022, last year’s vintage saw a reduced national crush, with yields adversely affected by high rainfall, hail storms, and disease pressure.

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KENDALL JENNER GAINS B CORP CERTIFICATION FOR 818 TEQUILA BRAND

Supermodel and Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner has gained B Corp status for her 818 Tequila brand for its social and environmental performance. B Corp certification is granted by the non-profit B Lab following a thorough assessment of a brand’s social and environmental impact. B Impact Assessment criteria measure an organization’s social impact across categories including corporate governance, the environment, community, employees, and customers, all of which the brand either met or exceeded.

Only 40% of companies who submit their B Impact Assessments actually go on to earn certification, which 818 achieved with the support of Impact Growth Partners, a women-owned and operated B Corp consulting firm. Kendall Jenner commented on the news, saying she was proud of the achievement after just two years in operation. “This is just the first step, we will continue to work hard to make 818 as sustainable as possible,” she pledged.

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BORDEAUX 2022 PRODUCES ‘HIGH-QUALITY GRAPES’ DESPITE CLIMATE RECORDS

The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) has released its 2022 vintage report, citing difficult climate conditions and one of the earliest harvests on record. Despite these challenges, ‘high-quality grapes’ were still produced. Pruning was delayed to limit the risk of a late frost and customized leaf removal and trellising was deployed to protect bunches from the sun. The report also highlights the deep roots of Bordeaux vines and their natural resistance to water stress as contributing factors to the good health of the grapes. Due to the scorching summer and autumn temperatures, the harvest began 15-20 days ahead of the 10-year average.

The early harvest had no adverse effect on the quality of the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux. The weather conditions from the end of August to the end of October were, “ideal for picking without haste and at perfect ripeness, despite the dates being earlier than usual”, according to the report. The dry white wines are said to possess the characteristics of a good quality vintage, maintaining freshness and acidity despite the drought. For the rosé wines, “the juices are just the right color and full of flavor”, the report states. The juices from the red grapes are “exceptional, with perfectly ripe tannins and yet without excessive alcohol levels. The wines have a unique fruitiness, silky and concentrated without being heavy”. The early-drinking red wines of Bordeaux, “have all the qualities of well-balanced wines with very nice freshness”. And for those destined to remain longer in the bottle, their aging potential seems “particularly promising”, the report finds.

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REVIEW OF THE 2022 SPARKLING WINE INDUSTRY

In 2022, the global sparkling wine market reached a value of 42.12 billion dollars and is anticipated to continue growing in the coming years, driven by increasing demand from consumers in both established and emerging markets. Factors such as rising disposable income, changing consumer preferences, and the popularity of sparkling wine as a celebratory drink are expected to support growth in the category.

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CHILE UPROOTS 4.5% OF ITS VINEYARDS

Chile’s land under vine is down by just over 6,080 hectares, a 4.5% decline from 2020 to 2021, according to recently released figures from the National Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG). Most of the losses were in the coastal wine regions of Casablanca and San Antonio; inland wine regions of Colchagua, Cachapoal, and Maipo. The biggest loser of ground in red varieties was Cabernet Sauvignon, down by 2,300 hectares — representing a 5.7% drop. It still remains by far Chile’s most planted variety though, with more than 37,750 hectares left in the ground. In percentage losses for the major grape varieties, Syrah was the most affected, losing 8.7% of plantings followed by Pinot Noir with a 6.4% drop. Meanwhile, Merlot lost 547 hectares, representing a drop of 4.8% and Carmenère lost 4.7% of its plantings, down by 518 hectares.

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WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE

Maipo Valley is one of Chile's most important wine-producing regions. Rich, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly its most celebrated wine style. Located just south of the capital, Santiago, Maipo Valley is home to some of the country's most prestigious wines. It is often described as the 'Bordeaux of South America. Along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère, a wide range of grape varieties are planted in the Maipo Valley including Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Maipo is at the very northern end of Chile's extensive Central Valley, running from just north of the Rapel Valley up to where the countryside begins to give way to houses and roads in the southern suburbs of Santiago. The Coastal Range separates the area from the Pacific coast, and on the eastern side, the Andes Mountains rise suddenly and dramatically, separating Maipo from the Argentinean region of Mendoza.

The Maipo Valley is the home of viticulture in Chile. The first vines were planted around Santiago at the city's birth in the 1540s, but it wasn't until the 1800s that viticulture began to expand significantly, as an indirect result of entrepreneurial Chileans growing rich from the mineral wealth found in the Atacama Desert to the north. It became fashionable for these wealthy individuals to travel to France, and they inevitably returned home with vines to plant in their new, French-influenced wine estates. The vineyards of Cousino Macul, Concha Y Toro and Santa Rita were developed during this period, and they remain today important names in the Chilean wine industry.

Text by: Wine-Searcher

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GRAPE OF THE WEEK: CARMENERE

The oft-overlooked sixth red grape of Bordeaux, Carmenère has since found a new least of life in South America – and Chile in particular, where it can make a strong case as the country's flagship red grape. The dark-skinned grape variety originally hails from the vineyards of Bordeaux but has found a particularly suitable home in Chile. The first accent of Carménère is omitted in some countries, including Chile, both are in others.

A late-ripening variety, Carménère needs high levels of sunshine and a warm summer to reach its full potential, but in the right environment, it can produce fine, deeply colored red wines, with the attractive meaty plumpness of Merlot and the gently herbaceous, cedary notes of Cabernet Sauvignon. Similarities with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are not altogether surprising. DNA studies have shown that Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot all have Cabernet Franc as a parent.

DNA profiling published in 2013 puts forward the obscure French variety Murál as the second parent of Carménère. A previous (2009) study proposed Gros Cabernet.

Text by: Wine-Searcher

READ MORE

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

🤺 The art of sabering involves opening a bottle of Champagne with a sword.

🏞️ Wine aromas can be influenced by the soil and climate where the grapes are grown, known as terroir.

🇦🇺 The first recorded wine production in Australia occurred in 1791, but it wasn't until the mid-19th century that wine production really took off.

🛢️ The world's largest wine barrel, located in Heidelberg, Germany, can hold up to 58,000 gallons (approx. 220.000L) of wine.

🇺🇸 The oldest known winery in the United States is the Brotherhood Winery in New York, which was founded in 1839.

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