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🤒 The wine flu

🤒 The wine flu

In this week’s DECORKED digest, you will read all about how climate change affects the industry, handling the ‘wine flu’ and more. Keep reading!

September 03, 2023

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Happy Sunday! Hope you’ve had a wonderful week! The summer is coming to an end, and so is the old DECORKED. We indulged in reading your feedback last week and spent many hours discussing and brainstorming on how to make our weekly newsletter even more interesting and useful for you. We’ve got it. In the coming weeks, we’ll share some exciting news with you.

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INTERESTING THIS WEEK

🌍 Bay area wine leaders on sustainability, navigating industry challenges and opportunities READ HERE

📊 France has too much wine and it’s paying millions to destroy the leftovers READ HERE

🍾 The unsung California wine region everyone’s talking about READ HERE

💰 A simple vineyard strategy cuts water usage by one-third READ HERE

📈 The world's most expensive Pinot Gris READ HERE

🌡 Heat brings Rioja vintage forward 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!

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

FRANCE: THE HEATWAVE COULD BRING AN EXCEPTIONAL HARVEST

Scorching temperatures have affected vineyards in southern France, leading to decreased wine production. Despite this, winemaker Jerome Volle anticipates an outstanding vintage due to the heat, which could enhance grape quality and aromas. Volle explained that this year's delayed grape concentration will likely enhance grape quality, leading to a remarkable 2023 vintage with improved smoothness. To avoid extreme heat, grape pickers are advised to work in the cooler morning hours. Nighttime harvesting is also employed to preserve grape quality by keeping them cooler and maintaining aromas while using less energy.

WHY A DARK WINE CELLAR ISN'T THE BEST PLACE FOR TASTINGS

Wine tastings are often hosted in the ambient settings of vineyard cellars. However, these dim environments aren't optimal for thorough wine evaluation. Esteemed critic James Suckling highlights two primary concerns: the assessment of color and concentration. The subdued lighting in cellars hinders the precise evaluation of a wine's hue, which is a vital initial step in determining its quality. Proper lighting is essential because the wine's color serves as a preliminary indicator of its quality even before tasting. While the cellar's mood might charm some, those looking for a rigorous and meticulous tasting experience deem it inappropriate.

Sip - Collect and Enjoy wine

THIS POPULAR EUROPEAN WINE COULD BE WIPED OUT BY CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change poses a significant threat to Prosecco, one of Europe's favorite wines, with new research suggesting that it and other popular European wines could be wiped out. Prosecco, a sparkling white wine produced in Italy's mountainous vineyards, is witnessing dwindling grape yields due to extreme weather conditions and soil degradation. A recent study in the iScience journal highlights the vulnerability of the harvest. Dr. Paolo Tarolli from the University of Padova, the study's lead author, emphasizes that the risk extends beyond losing an agricultural product; it threatens the history and cultural roots of entire communities.

THE 'WINE FLU' IS REAL BUT EXTRA HYDRATING CAN HELP YOU COMBAT IT

If you've ever awakened the day after a wedding or a wine-heavy event, you've likely encountered typical symptoms like headache, exhaustion, throat discomfort, queasiness, sensitivity to light, parchedness, mood swings, and muscle pains. Wine flu is essentially just another term for a hangover, with the key distinction being that the prior night's indulgence primarily consisted of wine rather than other alcoholic beverages. There's a straightforward way to prevent wine flu even during your celebrations: ensure that you're matching your wine consumption with an equivalent amount of water. Avoiding wine flu is genuinely quite uncomplicated. In terms of water, aim to drink one glass for each glass of wine you consume.

The Drinks Business

EL NIÑO UNLEASHES SEVERE FLOODS ON CHILE’S VINEYARDS

Chile's wine regions have been severely impacted by intense flooding due to the El Niño phenomenon. In just a week, some areas received over 350 mm of rain, exceeding Santiago's average annual rainfall. This has resulted in the death of four people, evacuation of tens of thousands, and a state of catastrophe declaration by the Chilean government. Regions like Maule, Itata, Curico, and Colchagua are among the worst affected. Viña Gonzalez Bastías in Maule was entirely destroyed, with owner Daniela Lorenzo likening the damage to a tsunami. She and her husband are now initiating a GoFundMe campaign for rebuilding. Experts suggest that the extreme flooding can be attributed to climate change-induced warmer temperatures, which caused rain in the Andes instead of the usual snow. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.

The Drinks Business

ARE SPRITZ DRINKERS SAVING SPARKLING WINE?

The Aperol Spritz cocktail's rising popularity has significantly boosted Prosecco sales. Aperol, known for its distinctive orange hue, was the top-selling liqueur on Drizly, North America's largest online alcohol marketplace, from May 15 to August 15, marking a 13% increase in market share year-on-year. Liz Paquette from Drizly noted an uptick in Prosecco sales this summer, a primary ingredient in the Aperol Spritz. Prosecco, a fruity Italian sparkling wine distinct from its richer counterpart, Champagne, saw a 9% market share growth within the sparkling wine category. Beyond Aperol, other Italian liqueurs like St. Germain, Chartreuse, and Campari have also been top sellers. These trends suggest that even if Aperol's demand diminishes, other liqueurs can sustain Prosecco's market presence, especially in the face of a general decline in American wine consumption.

GALLO TAKES ANOTHER BITE OF NAPA

Gallo, the world's largest wine company, has made its second significant acquisition in a week by purchasing Massican, a boutique operation in Napa Valley. This follows their earlier acquisition of Rombauer, the renowned buttery Chardonnay brand in the US. Massican, a one-man venture run by Dan Petroski, produces only 7,500 cases of white wines annually. Unlike the vast Rombauer, which produces 350,000 cases a year, Massican is known for its unique wines made from lesser-known Italian white varieties like Ribolla Gialla, Greco, and Falanghina. Petroski, who has a background in media, expressed relief at the acquisition, noting that he can now focus solely on winemaking while benefiting from Gallo's extensive resources. Gallo's plan for Massican is to maintain its focus on white wines and gradually increase production, aiming for about 50,000 cases in the next 5 to 10 years. The acquisition reflects Gallo's strategy to diversify its portfolio and tap into niche markets.

NAKED WINES’S UNIQUE BUSINESS MODEL – WHERE CONSUMERS BECOME ‘ANGELS’

Naked Wines, an online wine subscription company, has a unique business model where customers, referred to as 'angels', fund winemakers to produce wines. In return, these angels can buy wines at wholesale prices. The company's name, 'Naked', signifies that customers don't pay for hidden costs like advertising and distribution, potentially reducing the wine's cost by 40-60%. Angels pay a $40 monthly subscription, allowing them to choose from a vast selection of global wines. They can also review wines and read other angels' reviews online. If they receive a wine they don't like, they get a credit to their account. Naked Wines currently boasts over 300,000 angels in the U.S. and thousands more in the U.K. and Australia. The company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, reported a revenue of £350 million ($441 million) for the last fiscal year. The winemakers' names become the brand at Naked Wines, emphasizing the personal touch and connection between the winemaker and the customer.

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WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Geneva, at the western end of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), is the second-largest city in Switzerland and the country's third-largest wine-producing canton after Valais and Vaud. Gamay is the predominant variety here, with the Swiss workhorse Chasselas (often labeled "Fendant") and Pinot Noir taking second and third place respectively. The canton is home to numerous (around 95) small, generally family-run, wineries often with a large number of varietal wines (albeit in small quantities). While many producers are clustered around the larger viticultural areas of Dardagny, Satigny, Peissy, and Soral, wineries are dotted around the city, some a stone's throw from the French border nearby. The climate in Geneva is moderated significantly by the presence of the lake, which prevents summer temperatures from rising dramatically and slows the effects of frost and snow in winter. Such is the impact of Lake Geneva that many shoreline vineyards escape the risk of frost entirely. Other popular regional grapes include the hardy, oft-blended combination of Gamaret and Garanoir as well as the more international Merlot and Chardonnay.

GRAPE OF THE WEEK: GAMAY

Gamay (Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc in full) is most famous for producing the light, fruit-driven red wines of Beaujolais. It is, however, also grown in reasonable quantities in various parts of the Loire Valley (notably Anjou), in Savoie, and in western Switzerland. While the variety offers fresh, red fruit and candied aromas, it typically delivers little in the way of flavor concentration and body weight, giving light, simple wines. In France, Gamay's homeland is Beaujolais. In the Loire Valley, Gamay is used primarily to make rosé wines in the Anjou and Saumur appellations but is also used in blends with Pinot Noir. Outside France, Gamay is taken most seriously in Switzerland, where it is often blended with Pinot Noir.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

📈 Global production of organic wine has grown by 20% annually for the last two years, compared to 4% in previous years.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 There are more wine sellers in the United States than there are people in Iceland.

📝 Hammurabi, the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire (c. 1792–c. 1750 BC), enacted a number of laws that are commonly referred to as the Hammurabi's Code. The ultimate punishment for dishonest wine vendors was to drown in a river.

🥤 In Spain, a drink called Kalimotxo or Calimocho is made by combining red wine with Coke or similar soft drinks.

🌳 Over 400 different types of oak trees are utilized to make wine barrels. These trees are around 170 years old on average.

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