Australia could lose up to 780 of its wineries as a result of restaurants and wine tourism shutdowns, according to ABC News, Australia’s national broadcaster.

While lockdowns and quarantine have been a disaster for the international economy, they have been a boon for online wine retailers and home cooks everywhere, as people turn to food and drink to cheer themselves up.

US alcohol retailers have seen dramatic spikes in sales since March, with bottles flying out the door at rates that are triple those of the year before. The demand is so great, that some local officials have had to backtrack on decisions to close down alcohol stores.

Familia Torres, the Spanish wine company noted for its commitment to combating climate change, is now using its 3D printers in the battle against coronavirus. The family-owned company has joined a local initiative that's making protective equipment for healthcare workers.

Asparagus left in the ground, strawberries unpicked and vineyards without workers – the novel coronavirus has closed borders in Europe, making the passage of seasonal agricultural workers nearly impossible. This means a shortage of hands available to do the work. 

The Guardia di Finanza of Trento has seized vineyards and buildings worth more than €70m from the Sicilian winery Feudo Arancio, which belongs to Mezzacorona of Trentino. The basis for the seizure was alleged money laundering of assets belonging to mafia group Cosa Nostra.

Russian billionaires Gennady Timchenko and Yury Kovalchuk are expanding their presence in the domestic wine market with the acquisition of Inkerman, one of Russia’s largest wine producers, based in Crimea.  

While the novel coronavirus has taken the spotlight, the US wine tariffs are still in place and affecting swathes of the European wine industry. Two months after the tariffs were imposed in 2019, wine exports from Europe to the US dropped by 33%.

As the coronavirus pandemic causes lockdowns and shutdowns across the world, consumers in key markets are buying more wine – and changing their buying behaviour.

Michael Broadbent died on March 17th, 2020, at the age of 93

Families Torres, the Spanish producers renowned for their commitment to the environment, have launched another project – they are creating a vineyard devoted to Forcada, a white grape recovered from the edge of extinction.

Champagne house Maison Louis Roederer is to buy Diamond Creek Vineyards in Napa Valley. The acquisition comes less than a year after Louis Roederer bought Merry Edwards in Sonoma County.

The Bourgogne wine sector had a bumper sales year in 2019, despite the combined impact of American tariffs, Hong Kong unrest, Brexit uncertainty and the spread of Covid-19.

The German wine trade turn out in force at ProWein, to see the trends and taste the new wines. The cancellation of ProWein is therefore a blow for them, as well as for producers.

Adegga, an online wine retailer in Portugal, has organized a virtual, on-line wine trade fair aimed at helping the Portuguese wine producers that otherwise would have attended ProWein.