On Tuesday night this week, unknown persons sprayed about 600 Spätburgunder vines with diesel. The vineyard belongs to Andreas and Nina Grimm, of Weingut Andreas Grimm in Schweigen in the Rheinland Palatinate. An area of 0.15ha is affected and Grimm estimates the damage at €12,000.

González Byass, one of Spain’s best-known Sherry makers, has plunged back into the traditional production of Pedro Ximénez (PX), one of the three white grapes used in the production of Sherry.

After a decade of disappointment, Chilean wine sales are rebounding in the USA. That’s the good news that Chilean exporters are celebrating ahead of their national Independence Day on September 18.

For decades, consumer indifference was the greatest threat to the US market for German wines. Now, just as German wines look more likely than ever to gain traction among a new generation of American consumers, a set of powerful forces threatens derailment.

ProWine São Paulo, originally scheduled for October 2020, has been postponed by a year – another victim of the novel coronavirus pandemic. According to Messe Düsseldorf, the company behind the fair, the unclear guidelines issued by Brazil’s government ere a factor in its decision.

The appetite for alcohol-free sparkling wine has risen significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to both importers and leading producers.

It appears that tales of Champagne’s demise have been exaggerated; despite the CIVC’s pessimistic forecasts, consumer demand for Champagne rose significantly in several European markets during the summer season. 

This year’s MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting looked very different than in previ-ous years – the tables were further apart, everyone wore masks, and judges had to enter, exit and take their coffee breaks in specially marked zones. 

VINEX, a wine exchange where grapes, bulk and bottled wine can be bought and sold, has created a new wine payments platform called VINPay. It means that sellers are paid faster, while buyers can hold on to their cash longer.

Growers in Spain’s Valdepeñas DO are to recommence the harvest after leading Castilla La Mancha wine producer, Felix Solis, decided today to reverse a decision to cut grape prices by 30% for most grape varieties.

A recent court case may have extended the country’s robust free speech protections to the Internet.

The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) has announced 16 new Masters of Wine, taking the total number of MWs in the world today to 409, based in 30 countries. 

Growth of a few percent is never that impressive, unless the context is one of unusual loss or difficulty. France’s Prosecco imports, even as Champagne sales tank and barriers to trade and travel multiply, are just that. 

California’s Jackson Family Wines has bought the Giant Steps Winery in Australia’s Yarra Valley. It is the latest Australian acquisition for Jackson Family Wines, which also owns Yangarra Estate Vineyard and Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard in the McLaren Vale.

Time again for another magazine - Issue 4, 2020. Below you’ll find links to the articles.

But first, a public service announcement for app users – the app is about to be switched off.