DECORKED
Posts
🔮 Back to the Future (of wine)

🔮 Back to the Future (of wine)

In this week’s DECORKED digest you will read all about Pignolo - the forgotten grape, Viennese wine culture, Roman wines, Saudi Arabia lifting the alcohol ban, Chateau Margaux’s new wine, and much more. Keep reading!

January 28, 2024

Collection of important links, information, and more.

📌 EMAIL - contact for business inquiries

📌 ADVERTISING - for advertising inquiries contact us via the email above

Happy Sunday! We hope you had a great week. In this week’s DECORKED digest, you will read all about Pignolo - the forgotten grape, Viennese wine culture, Roman wines, Saudi Arabia lifting the alcohol ban, Chateau Margaux’s new wine, and much more. Keep reading!

➡️ PARTNERSHIP/SPONSORSHIP packages are available! Advertise your wine-related brand/product/story with the best community out there. For contact, please see above.

INTERESTING THIS WEEK

📝 Think wine is a virtue, not a vice? Nutrition label information surprised many US consumers READ HERE

👑 Gran Canaria's best wine route is dubbed a hidden gem as tourists barely know it exists READ HERE

📺 "Drops of God" - a series about wine is worth the watch READ HERE

🇪🇺 EU bends own pesticide rules, secret legal opinion finds READ HERE

🇿🇦 Why do Brits love South African wines so much? READ HERE

🍷 Wine is a gift from God, says Pope Francis READ HERE

Collection of partnerships and collaborations.

📌 AMBLE WINE PARTNERSHIP - Explore the world of wine with Amble Wine's comprehensive World Wine Map Workbooks and challenging Wine Quiz Workbook, masterfully crafted by wine scholar Lea Gatinois. As our valued reader, enjoy a 5% discount on these premium, eco-friendly resources using code DECORKED at checkout (or click HERE). Expand your wine expertise today!

📌 SIP APP - Experience the future of wine collection management with Sip! This revolutionary app, designed by an indie developer and a passionate wine connoisseur, digitizes your wine cellar, allowing you to catalog, search, and manage your prized collection with unparalleled ease. DOWNLOAD NOW for FREE (available in the Apple Appstore)

We curate, filter, and select only the most exciting and important news for you.

INTRODUCING PIGNOLO: ‘THE GHOST GRAPE’

In a world saturated with media messages and viral trends, the pursuit of authenticity and depth takes center stage, exemplified by the exploration of the unique grape variety Pignolo. Originating from a wild vine, Pignolo has deep historical roots in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy, defying cultivation challenges to maintain its autochthonous status in the area. Pignolo has made an impact throughout history and had its association with Friuli since the 14th Century. A pivotal moment occurred in 1970 when Italy formalized the list of authorized grapes, impacting Pignolo. As of 2016, there were fewer than 50 acres of Pignolo planted, highlighting its rarity. Despite its limited presence, Pignolo's flavor profile is intriguing, characterized by rich notes of coffee, spices, herbs, and plum, making it a unique and distinctive grape variety in the Friuli wine landscape.

A LOOK BACK AT THE FUTURE OF WINE

The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, North America’s largest wine industry conference, is currently taking place in Sacramento, California, bringing together global industry professionals to discuss challenges and ideas. Amidst these discussions, an old 2008 Wine Economist column titled "The Future of Wine" has resurfaced, speculating on the wine industry's evolution over the next 50 years. Predictions include soaring wine prices, with the potential for a case of 2005 Ch. Lafite-Rothschild to be valued at nearly £10 million by 2050. The forecast also envisions China becoming the world's leading wine producer, shifts in production regions due to global warming, and changes in consumer preferences favoring brands. Acknowledging the difficulty in predicting the dynamic wine industry's future, professionals highlight both extreme and potentially conservative forecasts, emphasizing the industry's capacity for surprising developments. Great examples are the unforeseen importance of Chile and Argentina nowadays, or the decline in consumption and production in France since 1958.

SAUDI ARABIA’S FIRST LIQUOR STORE OPENS

Saudi Arabia is reportedly easing its total ban on alcohol by opening a licensed liquor store in Riyadh, though it will be exclusively accessible to non-Muslim diplomats, as per CNBC. This move is seen as part of Saudi Arabia's broader effort to diversify its economy from oil and enhance its global image. The diplomatic quarter in Riyadh is said to house the store, and entry is validated through an app called Diplo. Each non-Muslim diplomat has a monthly purchase quota, and phones are prohibited inside to prevent sharing images of the store's contents. This liberalization aligns with previous indications that Saudi Arabia may legalize alcohol consumption to attract Western tourists and investors. The proposed Neom mega city is expected to have wine and cocktail bars, potentially circumventing anti-drinking laws by locating them just off-shore.

Sip - Collect and Enjoy wine

CHÂTEAU MARGAUX RELEASES SECOND WHITE WINE

Château Margaux, renowned for its red wines, has been producing a highly-rated white wine, Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, since the 18th century. Notable recent vintages include the 2017, which received a perfect 100-point score from Jane Anson, and the 2018, described as 'extremely impressive' by Georgina Hindle with a 96-point rating. Despite using less than half of its Sauvignon Blanc harvest, the winemaking team found the remaining grapes of exceptional quality, leading to the creation of Pavillon Blanc Second Vin, starting with the 2022 vintage. This marks only the fifth white wine released by Château Margaux in the past five centuries. The Second Vin, known for its complex and floral nose, creamy palate, and fresh, saline finish, will soon be available at specialist retailers, offering enjoyment in youth and aging potential for at least 20 years.

NEW DISCOVERY - ROMAN WINE HAD WALNUT AROMAS AND SPICE HINTS

Researchers have uncovered insights into ancient Roman winemaking by studying the use of specialized clay vessels, similar to those in present-day Georgia. The study focused on large clay pots called dolia, used for fermenting, storing, and aging wine. These earthenware vessels played a crucial role in shaping the taste and color of ancient wines, with their unique shape preventing excessive contact between grape solids and aging wine. Roman winemakers buried dolia to regulate fermentation temperature, leading to the development of flor yeasts and the creation of sotolon, a compound associated with a slightly spicy taste. Although direct evidence is lacking, grape seeds and residues in some dolia and amphorae hint at practices like aging on lees in ancient Roman winemaking, influencing stability and color.

WINE AND THE CITY: WHY VIENNESE VITICULTURE IS SO SPECIAL

Vienna, deeply entwined with a 2,000-year wine-growing tradition, stands out as one of the few major cities with significant vineyards and its own wine-growing region. Historically, Viennese water's undrinkability made wine a vital staple and wine taverns emerged to counter the church's wine sales dominance. Over two-thirds of Vienna's wine is still sold through these taverns today. While the post-war era saw over 500 Viennese wine taverns, today, around 80 to 90 winegrowers exclusively offer their wines. Vienna's vineyards span 582 hectares across 10 districts, with white varieties comprising 84% and red wines 16%. Notable whites include Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay, and the traditional Gemischter Satz style has experienced a revival, earning DAC status in 2013. Vienna offers a diverse range of single-varietal wines, with the Nussberg famed for its outstanding Riesling quality.

HOW LVMH AND RÉMY COINTREAU'S RESULTS REVEAL THE CONTINUING PROBLEM FOR COGNAC

LVMH reported a record year with sales of €86.2 billion in 2023, indicating 13% organic growth. Finance director Jean-Jacques Guiony noted a target annual growth rate of about 10%. However, LVMH's Moet Hennessy wines and spirits division, particularly Cognac, faced challenges, with a 4% drop in organic sales and a 2% decrease in profits. The decline was attributed to consumer resistance to inflation and changing tastes in major export markets like the US and China. Remy Cointreau adjusted its annual sales expectations to the lower end of the projected bracket, resulting in a 15% increase in shares. Despite confidence in 2024, some speculate on the potential value of LVMH's individual parts compared to its conglomerate structure.

WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: ONTARIO, CANADA

Ontario is the most populated and prolific wine-producing province in Canada. The long-established wine industry here is centered around the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario, where the continental climate is moderated heavily by the large bodies of water. The majority of wines produced in Ontario are dry table wines. They are mostly made from Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. However, the province is best known internationally for its ice wines, made mostly from Vidal or Riesling. Sunny summers in Ontario are followed by cold winters, making it an ideal setting for the production of the style. A number of curiosities are also produced in the province, including the relatively common mutation of Chardonnay called Chardonnay Musqué, sparkling ice wine, and a growing trend to produce wines from dried and semi-dried grapes in an Amarone style. The vast majority of VQA-approved wines come from the Niagara Peninsula, where the lake effect brings about favorable microclimates for viticulture. All wines bearing the VQA Ontario designation must be made from 100 percent Ontario-grown grapes. There is a strong focus on Vitis vinifera, with minimum brix levels outlined for each permitted variety.

GRAPE OF THE WEEK: CHARDONNAY MUSQUE

Chardonnay Musqué is an aromatic mutation of the world's most famous white-wine grape, Chardonnay. It is grown principally in the vineyards of Canada's Niagara Peninsula and New York's Finger Lakes. The name "musqué" is given because of the variety's heady, musky perfume. The typical Chardonnay Musqué wine is off-dry, medium-bodied, and has the distinctive, grapey, Muscat-like aroma alluded to in its name. Depending on the region and producer, other flavors and aromas might range from tropical fruit to cinnamon-tinged lemon sorbet. Chardonnay Musqué also has its own mutated form – the pink-berried Chardonnay Rosé. Some clonal variants of Chardonnay exhibit similar characteristics, including the rare clone 77 and the more widespread "Corton" clone 809. Where present, the latter is generally used in small proportions of varietal Chardonnay wines to add aromatic lift.

How are you satisfied with this week's DECORKED?

Let us know, so we can do better. Simply click bellow.

🍾 Amazing | 🍷 Good | 🍇 I don't like it | 🤬 I wish I didn't subscribe

If someone forwarded this email to you, click HERE to subscribe.

Help us grow and earn rewards.