As the world winds down towards Christmas, there is no slaowing up in the white wine news arena.
© Red wines of Argentina|Manufacturers are having a hard time overseas, with exports of Argentinian white wines falling.
Aside from the demonstrations in Bordeaux this week (see Bordeaux Vineyards Disappear and New Bordeaux Employer Quashes Vine-pull Plan for some background), the huge news was that, after 88 years of operation, iconic United States white wine retailer Sherry-Lehmann is on the verge of closing its doors.
Perhaps Sherry-Lehmann’s unpredictability is a sign of a broader concern that the leading end of the white wine market might be decreasing (see also Great White wine Market Cools Off). Although how broad that concern is and whether the costs power Romanée-Conti drinkers is about to be significantly dented stays commonly debatable.
In the meantime, however, here is some of the news you may have misssed this week:
Argentinian white wine exports fall
Argentina’s red wine sector is undergoing one of its “most challenging years”, stated nationwide broadsheet La Nacion, after it emerged that market figures showed exports from the significant South American producer dropping throughout the board. According to figures published by the country’s National Institute of Viticulture (INV), exports of bottled wine (from January to November 2022) fell by simply over 25 percent, year on year.
Bulk red wine exports were down 41 percent and, in all, 20 percent less wine was exported compared to the same duration in 2021– a drop in volume of 62.5 million liters.
On the positive side, wine prices climbed up over the same period (albeit this probably reflects the global pattern in inflation) with costs increasing by 15.9 percent in all sectors. This was generally due to bulk wine prices surging by over a third (34.4 percent).
“The white wine sector stays expectant concerning possible tax advantages to be announced by the treasury,” said the broadsheet. The publication indicated that Argentina’s Minister for the Economy, Sergio Massa, was aiming to provide financial aid to prop up the regional economies in terms of exports.
Franco-Swiss village hosts very first mulled wine world champion
The village of Saint-Gingolph, which straddles the Franco-Swiss border on the southeastern shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), hosted the first edition of its Mulled White wine (“vin chaud” in French) World Champion competition this Saturday (10 December). Probably maximizing the agglomeration’s double citizenships, the competition was an open field.
“It is a coming together of the 2 towns for this inaugural event– available to all comers, individuals, clubs, restauranteurs,” deputy mayor Joël Grancollot-Bened informed local newspaper Le Messager.
Three prizes were up for grabs. 2– finest white mulled wine and best red mulled wine– were to be decided by a jury while a 3rd prize went to the people’s favorite.
The occasion organizer, baker Vanessa Rezet, who lives on the French side, had the idea for the champion last year following the annual Saint-Nicholas events on 6 December (when kids get a little gift).
“I thought ‘why not do something for grownups?'” she stated. “The funny thing is, I like neither wine nor mulled red wine.”
Although Rezet was recovering from an operation at the time of this year’s competitors she informed the paper she was already working towards next year’s occasion.
Madiran thieves get jail
The Brumont 13– a network of former workers and local retailers who, from 2014 to 2015, stole and on-sold around 55,000 bottles of red wine from noted Madiran manufacturer Alain Brumont– were convicted today with all 13 accused receiving jail sentences for their part in the rip-off.
The trial, which began in October (see White wine Burglars in the Dock) saw 3 workers, consisting of Brumont’s head of dispatch, in addition to the partner and nephew of the latter, and eight regional retailers in the dock.
The previous head of dispatch– the main defendant in the event– was handed a three-year prison sentence (of which 2 years are suspended) while his partner was offered a two-year suspended sentence. The remaining three involved in the theft were handed in between three to 18 months suspended sentences.
Of the remaining 8 on-sellers of the taken products, 2 were acquitted with the rest getting three to 6 months’ suspended sentences. “Damages will be examined by the civil court in February 2023,” stated local brand-new outlet France3.
It is understood the taken white wines were being sold at the knock-down cost of EUR2 (US$ 2.10) when their average list price was around EUR20 (US$ 21).
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