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Happy Monday! First-ever release published on Monday - let us know which you prefer more - Sunday or Monday. In this week’s issue, you will read about a Tuscan winemaker using NASA’s findings to elevate his work and much much more. Keep reading!

📣 DECORKED Rewind (monthly edition) is now available for just 1 referral (see the bottom of the email).

INTERESTING THIS WEEK

🥫 The world’s largest collection of canned wines is hidden in a California basement READ HERE

📜 Lavish ancient Roman winery found at ruins of Villa of the Quintilii near Rome READ HERE

📊 Fine wine remains relatively stable amidst economic uncertainty READ HERE

📈 Impact Databank: French Rosé Rebounds In The U.S. READ HERE

👀 Kerin O’Keefe: Decant older wines? Never READ HERE

🥷🏼 Burglary at Château Pavie READ HERE

TUSCANY WINE PRODUCER USES NASA KNOW-HOW TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE VINEYARDS

Family owner and chairman, Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, discussed how sustainable farming and encouraging biodiversity had always been important to his father (who bought this centuries-old historic farming estate in 1973) even before such terms were even discussed in the wine world. Some of the biodynamic preparations Francesco uses contain zeolite in it, as zeolite is not only used by NASA to capture CO2 but there are experiments on the ISS that involve growing plants in zeolite-based substrates. As space travel advances in the future, astronauts will need to be able to grow their own food in space if they want to make the trip to Mars, for example. Since zeolite has a “special hydroponic quality,” it can retain humidity and water during the winter and release it during higher temperatures in the summer, improving the soil’s water retention capacity and combating drought years. As Brunello di Montalcino is experiencing warmer and drier vintages, water scarcity is becoming more common.

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DRINKS DIVISION WEAKEST PERFORMER IN LVMH FIRST QUARTER SALES

On the face of it, LVMH sales in the first three months of 2023 herald a return of the good times. Yet of all the luxury company’s interests, its drinks arm Moët Hennessy showed the least impressive results. The rise of 17% in organic revenue to €21 billion compared with the same period a year ago was double analysts’ expectations and shares in Europe’s most valuable company jumped to a record high. Little wonder that chairman and chief executive Bernard Arnault hailed the figures as “an excellent start to the year.” LVMH shares have doubled in value in the past three years, propelling Arnault, who owns approximately half of the group, into the unchallenged top spot as the world’s richest man, worth some US$200 billion. Key to the spectacular results was Asia where sales grew by 14% compared with a fall of 8% in the final three months of 2022, when China remained under anti-Covid restrictions.

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ARE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER WINE SALES FALLING OFF A CLIFF?

Data released by Community Benchmark indicates tasting room visitation and overall DTC wine sales fell sharply in March. The data is from 523 participating wineries across several regions. Was it unusually wet weather across the West Coast in March that kept people away?

Overall DTC Total Sales: Overall YTD DTC sales are down -7.9% vs. 2022. (+7.7% vs 2021)

Visitors: Visitation YTD was down -21.3% vs. 2021. (+31.6% vs 2021)

Tasting Room Sales: Overall YTD DTC sales are down -15.4% vs. 2022. (+31.7% vs 2021)

Wine Club Total Sales: Wine Club total sales YTD were down -3.0% vs. 2022. (+11.8 vs. 2020)

Digital+Phone Sales: YTD were down -19.6% vs. 2022. (-34.7% vs. 2021).

Online sales were down -14.7% vs. 2022. (-32.6% vs. 2021)

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THE MAN BEHIND THE WORLD’S LARGEST CORK PRODUCER

How have natural corks stayed on top of the wine world? Antonio Amorim’s efforts to make the cork business more innovative and sustainable have a lot to do with it. As chairman and CEO of Portugal-based Amorim Cork since 2001, Antonio Amorim has weathered all the upheaval and helped modernize a tradition-driven business. The family company began with Antonio’s great-grandfather producing cork stoppers for the local Port wine industry. Today, at more than 150 years old, Amorim Cork is the largest supplier of cork stoppers worldwide, with a presence in 20 countries. In addition to stoppers, its cork materials are used in the aerospace, automobile, construction and interior design sectors. Among his core missions has been getting winemakers and consumers to not only trust cork again, by dramatically reducing the incidence of TCA taint to near zero, but to view it as the optimal closure for the world’s top-quality wines. He has done that by investing heavily in Amorim’s research and development arm and in new technology.

READ MORE

LUXURY WINES AND SPIRITS MARKET TO REGISTER $414.8 BILLION BY 2031: ALLIED MARKET RESEARCH

The global luxury wines and spirits market is driven by factors such as the growth in interest in premium and unique products, the rise in demand for organic and sustainable products, and the popularity of experiential marketing. The growth in interest in premium and unique products, the rise in demand for organic and sustainable products, and the popularity of experiential marketing drive the growth of the global luxury wines and spirits market. However, high prices of products and availability of counterfeiting products restrict the market growth. On the other hand, innovation and new product development is providing lucrative opportunities for the market growth.

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HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR RESTAURANT’S ROSÉ SALES

Stock up early and negotiate exclusive deals with distributors to stand out in this prime rosé sales season. Spring marks an important time of the year for the wine industry and wine lovers alike—the arrival of rosé season. Some drinkers enjoy their pink wines all year round, and plenty of restaurants and bars keep one or two rosés on hand to satiate palates in fall and winter. However, there is a noticeable increase in rosé availability and sales during the spring and summer months. According to NielsenIQ data, in the second quarter of 2021, off-premise rosé sales jumped to roughly $216 million—almost $72 million more than what was sold in the previous quarter. In this interesting article read about a step-by-step system to make sure you’re getting ahead of the rosé crazy train.

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YOUNG WINE DRINKERS ARE DRINKING LESS, SAYS STUDY, BUT THEY’RE SPENDING MORE

A Silicon Valley Bank report released earlier this year had the wine industry unsettled. Wine sales are declining, it flagged, and younger drinkers are at fault. However, a recent report by the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) has noted while that sales have dipped (-2% in 2022) there is renewed momentum with drinkers under 40. While total volumes of wine declined in the U.S. in 2022, the premium-and-above segment grew by 6%, according to preliminary IWSR findings. Participation rates are also up — over the last year, the number of regular wine drinkers grew by 14 million. This momentum comes largely from those under 40, including newly-legal Gen Zs. As the IWSR notes, the wine industry is seeing growing excitement not just from the category’s most engaged consumers (aged 25-54), but also of legal drinking age Gen Z.

READ MORE

WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL

Alentejo is a well-known, highly respected wine region in eastern Portugal. This hot, dry area covers approximately a third of the country and is best known for its red wine, the best of which are sold under the and Alentejo DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) title. Wine from Alentejo is typically made from Aragonez (Tempranillo), Castelao, Trincadeira or a rich, ripe, jammy blend of the three. Antao Vaz is the white variety of choice here, producing a good level of acidity and tropical fruit flavors.

Although famously diverse in its portfolio of wine grapes, Alentejo has not been sluggish to adopt such globally popular varieties as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the most remarkable things about modern Alentejo winemaking is its ability to create a uniquely Alentejano wine style from quintessentially French grape varieties. The region is named for its position south of the Tejo river, which bisects Portugal, entering the ocean near Lisbon. Alentejo extends across about a third of Portugal, with only the Algarve region separating it from the southern coast of the country. Even the briefest of glances at a population density map of Portugal shows that this area of the country is only very sparsely populated, in stark contrast to the northern coastal areas around Oporto.

Land here is used (somewhat intensively) for the production of various cereal crops, and the cork for which Portugal is so famous. Whereas the cork plantations of the north are quite small, here in Alentejo there is sufficient free space for the thick-barked Quercus suber trees to sprawl out all over the countryside.

Text by: Wine-Searcher

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GRAPE OF THE WEEK: CASTELAO

Castelão is a dark-skinned grape variety that is among the most planted in Portugal. It is produced both varietally and in blended wines with other native grape varieties, and in a range of styles from still red and rosé wines to fortified and sparkling examples. The finest Castelão wines come from the Setubal Peninsula just south of Lisbon, where the terroir is conducive to the production of rich, concentrated wines.

Castelão's popularity with producers comes from its hardiness: it thrives in arid climates but can also produce good wines from cooler, more humid parts of the country. It is mostly planted in the southern parts of Portugal, but can also be found in the center of the country and in small quantities along the banks of the Douro, where it is permitted in the Port Blend.

The sandy soils along the southern coast are best suited to Casteão, where low-yielding older vines help to produce a full-bodied, tannic wine that has a rustic, wild fruit character. The finest examples of Castelão – the most famous of which is José Maria da Fonseca's Periquita label – are often aged in oak and can be cellared for many years.

On more calcareous soils in central Portugal, the variety produces lighter, more fruit-driven wines that are intended for early consumption.

Text by: Wine-Searcher

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DID YOU KNOW THAT?

🥛 Malolactic fermentation is a secondary fermentation process in winemaking that converts harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid, resulting in a smoother, creamier mouthfeel.

🇮🇹 A "Super Tuscan" wine is a high-quality Italian wine that doesn't adhere to traditional regional blending regulations, often using non-indigenous grape varieties.

👅 The term "wine body" refers to the perceived weight, mouthfeel, and viscosity, influenced by factors like alcohol content, sugar, and tannins.

🪦 Ancient Egyptians were among the first to document winemaking practices on tomb walls around 3000 BCE.

📅 "Vertical wine tasting" involves comparing different vintages of the same wine, while "horizontal wine tasting" compares different wines from the same vintage.

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