...the publication’s heritage. Meininger is an important name in European wine publishing, having existed for more than a century, and it’s one that stands for integrity.

Daniel Meininger, who founded the company in 1903, was a man deeply committed to wine. At the turn of the twentieth century, he believed the reputation of German wines was being damaged by manipulative wine-making practices, so he fought a singlehanded campaign against them through his Weinwirtschaft magazine, still published today. After years of protest, he succeeded in having the first German wine laws instituted in 1909, a milestone for the German wine industry that significantly raised standards. The company he built - run by his descendants today - was shut down by the Nazis in 1944 for refusing to publish what the regime wanted, helping give Meininger the reputation for integrity it has today.

Over the past year, many of you have asked Robert Joseph, our Editor-at-Large, and me why we didn’t make the Meininger connection clearer. The reason was simply that we originally wanted to emphasise the global nature of the magazine; but, one year on, there is no doubt that this is the only wine publication in the world with such an international focus and so we have chosen to acknowledge the century-old name behind the magazine - and the current family’s commitment to the future of our business and yours.

On another front, global overproduction is heightening disparity between offer and demand and a solution must be found. The Scandinavians may be drinking more, as you can see in the reports on Norway, Sweden and Denmark, but not nearly as fast as Spanish production is increasing, leading to a crisis at Spain’s co-operatives that Europe cannot effort. Emerging markets like Brazil and India may offer some respite; but, like China, they are likely to increase their own production as demand rises and may even be net exporters of wine in the coming decade. Russia remains a brighter hope, but few understand the way that market functions. Our Who’s Who in Russia provides a fascinating look at the key players there.

The glut in the United States is almost a thing of the past with prices and exports rising. Costco, which we portray here, certainly has done a great deal to bring an interesting selection of wine to a broader public at attractive prices.

Although much has been written about the subject, who is truly interested in carbon footprints? Supermarkets in Britain seem to be pushing the issue to gain a marketing advantage over their competitors. It is far from clear, however, that customers share the retailer’s concerns, but there is no doubt that the ecological good behaviour will ultimately be paid for by the suppliers.