Gastronomy and Wine Portal

Archaeologists have discovered a large wine-making complex dating back to the Byzantine era in the Israeli city of Yavne. This find confirms the 1500-year history of winemaking in the region.

It seems that one and a half millennia ago, the Israeli city of Yavne was a significant world center of winemaking.

Judging by the found five presses and the volume of four storage facilities, this winery could produce up to 2 million liters of wine per year. There were also found clay containers for storing wine and ovens for burning them. These are typical jars from the site known as a Gaza jar or an Ashqelon jar, besides, Palestinian Baggy Jars – the main kind of jars which was found all over the area of Israel right through the Byzantine period – were found as well.

Supposedly, “wine from Gaza and Ashqelon” was made here – it was a trademark of quality light white wine from grapes from all over the southern part of the coastal plain.

Researchers believe that the wines were exported to territories that are today Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and southern Italy. This was prestigious wine widely distributed around the Mediterranean. In addition, some of the wine remained for local consumption.

Archaeologists have discovered in the Israeli city of Yavne a large wine-making complex dating back to the Byzantine era. This find confirms the 1500-year history of winemaking in the region.

5 rooms, 70 parallel sessions, 155 speakers, and access to all content for a further two months: here’s how wine2wine Business Forum 2021 celebrated the “new normal”.

The wine2wine Business Forum 2021 ended, after two intense days of learning and networking activities both in Verona and online. This year, in keeping with the times, the Forum was held in a new hybrid format. The event programme included: 5 rooms, 3 physical ones and 2 virtual; 70 sessions, all live-streamed online; 155 international speakers; 15 different tracks; 23 insights on wine markets; 8 Russian buyers onsite and 6 hours of non-stop interviews on Clubhouse. What’s more, the event ran concurrently with the Vinitaly Special Edition.

The 8th edition of the wine2wine Business Forum took place on October 18th and October 19th 2021, coinciding with the last two days of Vinitaly Special Edition. The 2021 hybrid format of the Forum combined the previous years of face-to-face events with an online interface, bringing together the best of both worlds. The strict restrictions imposed by last year’s health emergency have been relaxed, as has the clash between the physical and digital worlds; the lessons learned during the crisis brought some new ways of doing things, which have now become a permanent feature of our lifestyle. So, in short, the new format of the wine2wine Business Forum celebrated the “new normal”, embracing the impetus to move forward with the times. ‘Paradoxically’, commented Managing Director of Vinitaly International Stevie Kim, ‘the wine2wine Business Forum is now even more inclusive and accessible. Moreover, it can involve a potentially unlimited audience and a wider reach in terms of speakers.’

In total, 155 international speakers contributed to the wine2wine Business Forum 2021. Amongst them, 8 Russian Buyers came to Verona with the specific objective of identifying wineries to add to their portfolio as well as search for new products to offer the Russian market. They discussed their work, presented their companies to the public, and answered producer’s questions, providing sensitive information about which wines they are currently looking for and first-hand insights into the Russian market, gleaned from their extensive expertise in the field.

The programme included 70 sessions which covered 15 different tracks, from interesting export destinations for Italian wine, to sustainability and inclusivity; from the latest data-driven strategies, to the new digital tools. Speaking of digital tools, the wine2wine Business Forum hosted the first-ever Clubhouse wine marathon, consisting in 6 hours of non-stop interviews on the latest social media app dedicated to audio content. Moderated by four renowned industry professionals, they spoke with several guests, tackling many interesting topics addressed in the seminars from the two-day programme and beyond. The moderators were Marc Millon IWA, Steve Raye, Christ Scott from The UK Wine Show, and Lawrence Francis of Interpreting Wine.

Seminars were held in three live rooms at the PalaExpo of Veronafiere, in Verona: the Auditorium, the Sala Intesa Sanpaolo, and the Sala ITA Agency. Moreover, numerous speakers and moderators lead their sessions remotely in two additional virtual rooms, available on the wine2wine platform. All sessions were streamed live, with both guests and online participants interacting through the digital platform. The entire audience of the wine2wine Business Forum could take advantage of the benefits offered by the platform, including on-demand access to the audio-video recordings of each seminar a few minutes after its live stream had ended.

Perhaps the biggest advantage and new feature of the 2021 edition is that not only will all content remain available to those who attended the forum for another two months, but it is also possible for those who did not attend to purchase a ticket now, and have access to the platform until December 31st, 2021. Yet another example of how the wine2wine Business Forum 2021 combined the physical and the digital to make the wine business even more accessible.

Special thanks are due to ITA – Italian Trade Agency for its unwavering support and collaboration. A big thank you also goes out to Institutional Partners AGIVI – Associazione Giovani Vignaioli Italiani, Unione Italian Vini, Associazione Nazionale Le Donne del Vino, FIVI – Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti, MTV – Movimento Turismo Vino, Assoenologi, AIS Veneto; to Official Partners UniCredit and Cattolica Assicurazioni; to Sponsors Intesa Sanpaolo, Divinea, Pix, KegSolutions; to Educational Partners WSET and WeinAkademie Österreich; to Media Partners Italian Wine Podcast, Quench Magazine, VinePair, Wine Meridian, Wine Weekly, Bevology Inc., Interpreting Wine, The UK Wine Show, WineJob, Drinks+, The Buyer, A Balanced Glass, Areni, Colangelo & Partners; to Technical Partners Mainstreaming, Caffè Ramenzoni, Morato, Chiarella, Terra & Cuore – Il gelato, Frantoi Redoro, Roberto, Loison, Fraccaro and 3 Vele.

To buy tickets for the wine2wine Business Forum platform. Special discounts are available for Vinitaly exhibitors, producers and partners of OperaWine and 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls, as well as sponsors and partners of the wine2wine Business Forum 2021.

About: wine2wine Business Forum is a dynamic international wine industry forum organized by Veronafiere and held annually in Verona, Italy, since 2014. wine2wine Business Forum 2021 took place on October 18th and 19th with a hybrid format, allowing guests to attend the conference both online and in-person. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and wine professionals eager to develop and grow their wine business worldwide. wine2wine Business Forum provides unique opportunities to share ideas on the most important issues facing the rapidly evolving wine industry and to connect with wine professionals and experts. The forum took place over two days and featured keynote sessions, seminars, and interactive workshops which aim to equip participants with practical tools to improve their business. Speakers were renowned experts in their field and among the brightest minds in the wine world from Italy and abroad. Additional information is available here or by emailing wine2wine@justdothework.it.

5 rooms, 70 parallel sessions, 155 speakers, and access to all content for a further two months: here’s how wine2wine Business Forum 2021 celebrated the “new normal”. The wine2wine Business Forum 2021 ended, after two intense days of learning and networking activities both in Verona and online. This year, in keeping with the times, the […]

Recently, Brad Pitt, who owned the Château Miraval together with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, announced the second release of Fleur de Miraval rosé Champagne.

Recall: after the divorce procedure of the star couple, since 2016, there has been a lengthy lawsuit over the division of property and custody of children, which ended this year with a decision in favor of the father. He received the right to joint upbringing, while Brad Pitt, it seems, lost 50% of the Château Miraval vineyards to Angelina Jolie without a fight. Angelina’s stake recently passed into the hands of Tenute Del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group (on this occasion Damian McKinney, CEO of Stoli Group issued a statement in which he expressed frank delight).

The first release of Fleur de Miraval rosé champagne took place in 2020. At the same time, the chateau of Hollywood stars is located in Provence, due to which it is included in the piggy bank of the famous Provencal rosé, but the right to the name champagne Miraval rosé received thanks to a collaboration with champagne growers – Pierre Péters. The permanent winemaker working with Pitt at Château Miraval is the Perrin family, which runs their own Château de Beaucastel estate in the Rhone Valley.

The second edition of Fleur de Miraval rosé champagne is named ER2, where ‘E’ stands for ‘exclusively’ and ‘R’ stands for ‘rosé’. The base for the sparkling wine was the harvest of 2017 and 75% is Chardonnay of different years (including 2012, 2014), 25% is Pinot Noir of the latest vintages. The bottling took place in April 2021 (dosage 4 g per liter). And the other day the chateau released its pink champagne to the world with a recommended price of € 320 (13,500 UAH – in Kyiv Good Wine).

Brad Pitt said that this release is a demonstration of a new level of winemaking.

Recently, Brad Pitt, who owned the Château Miraval together with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, announced the second release of Fleur de Miraval rosé Champagne. Recall: after the divorce procedure of the star couple, since 2016, there has been a lengthy lawsuit over the division of property and custody of children, which ended this year with […]

Napa Valley winemakers began using owls to control rodents in an effort to get away with pesticides.

According to the Good News Network, California winemakers are increasingly using barn owls (birds from the order owls) in their vineyards.

In accordance with the nonprofit organization Napa Green, the trend towards chemical-free grape cultivation across the state is reflected in a threefold increase in organic vineyard acreage since 2005. But avoiding chemicals attracts rodents. One of the most effective pest controls in the world is the barn owl, which lives on all continents except Antarctica, the bird is capable of eating about 3400 rodents annually.

Matt Johnson, a professor who studied pest control in vineyards, reports that of 75 California winemakers, four-fifths build nests on their hectares, thereby attracting owls. “There are over 300 barn owl nests in the Napa Valley,” comments Johnson.

Local ornithologist John C. Robinson says a barn owl nest can be built in an area where a winemaker sees a problem with small mammals and a bird will come to the rescue.

Scientists are now urging other winemakers to think about this solution: firstly, it is an opportunity to let the species flourish, and secondly, it is the cheapest way to control pests.

Napa Valley winemakers began using owls to control rodents in an effort to get away with pesticides. According to the Good News Network, California winemakers are increasingly using barn owls (birds from the order owls) in their vineyards. In accordance with the nonprofit organization Napa Green, the trend towards chemical-free grape cultivation across the state […]

Starting from November 5, 2021, and until February 3, 2022, XY Partners, in partnership with Tekwill and Startup Moldova, will organize the first accelerator in the wine industry. The acceleration program is created exclusively for teams interested in developing technology products and services in the wine industry.

Benefits of participating in the program:

• Throughout the program, the selected startups will pilot and implement their idea in collaboration with the leading Moldovan wineries.
• Founders state the main challenges for their startup and are then paired with relevant experts from the business and wine industries to solve those challenges and grow their business.
• The program curriculum was designed to meet the knowledge needs of a wine startup; The program includes deep dives and workshops focused on wine retailing, digital marketing in wine promotion as well as in business topics such as customer acquisition and minimum viable product development.
• Creating relationships with potential partners or customers for your business.

The program will last three months and will take place in an online format, which will encourage the participation in the program of people from any corner of the world.

Only 30 participants will be selected to participate in the program, guided by experts from over 12 wineries in Moldova. Participants will also benefit from mentoring sessions with over 15 international experts in the wine industry and over 20 entrepreneurship workshops.

Participation in the program is free.

If you have an innovative idea in the wine sector, complete the application form by November 1^st, 2021.

For more details, check the following facebook page. XY Accelerator’s Digital Partner is Gustos Life.

Wine Accelerator is implemented by XY and supported by USAID and The Government of Sweden, under the scope of Tekwill and Startup Moldova projects.

Starting from November 5, 2021, and until February 3, 2022, XY Partners, in partnership with Tekwill and Startup Moldova, will organize the first accelerator in the wine industry. The acceleration program is created exclusively for teams interested in developing technology products and services in the wine industry.

New members of International Wineries for Climate Action will work on the issue of climate crisis.

International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) has recruited 12 new members from all over the world to its team. New entrants will work on the climate crisis and commit to take immediate action to reduce carbon emissions.

International Wineries for Climate Action was founded in 2019 by Familia Torres (Spain) and Jackson Family Wines (USA). It is a collaborative working group for sustainable wineries focused on a science-based approach to reducing the carbon footprint of the wine industry. Each member of the IWCA takes responsibility for building a cleaner and more sustainable wine community for future generations.

Château Troplong Mondot

The IWCA, registered as a non-profit organization, currently has over 20 members from seven countries on five continents, and is governed by a seven-member supervisory board.

The IWCA is open to wineries from any country who recognize that climate change is the greatest threat to the wine industry and who are motivated by urgency to accelerate strategies and innovative solutions to combat climate change.

New members of International Wineries for Climate Action are: A to Z Wineworks (Oregon, USA), Cakebread Cellars (California, USA), Château Troplong Mondot (Bordeaux, France), Constellation Brands (California, USA), Crimson Wine Group (California, USA), Gloria Ferrer (California, USA), Herència Altés (Spain), Hunt Country Vineyards (New York, USA), Medlock Ames (California, USA), Ridge Vineyards (California, USA), Sula Vineyards (Nashik, India ), Yalumba Family Winemakers (Barossa, South Australia).

Prepared by A. Bantysheva based on torres.es

Photo: decanter.com, tenzingws.com

New members of International Wineries for Climate Action will work on the issue of climate crisis.

The eighth edition of the “Fascinant Week-end” Vignobles & Découvertes will take place from October 14 to 17 in six French vineyards. For the first time, Bordeaux is hosting the event, with more than 130 activities offered to the general public in the vineyard.

The return of the “Fascinant Week-end” Vineyards & Discoveries is planned from October 14 to 17. Initiated by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region in 2014, this public event then spread to other vineyards – Occitanie, Alsace, Champagne… In 2021, it is organized for the first time throughout France, with the ambition to become the major national wine tourism event. Six wine regions and 50 destinations labelled Vignobles & Découverte will therefore welcome the general public for 4 days, and for the first time, Bordeaux is joining the party!

The Vignobles & Découvertes en Gironde label have put every effort to offer visitors more than 130 activities, the full program of which is available on the Fascinant Week-end website. From a traditional tasting to food and wine pairings, through aperitifs, concerts, cinema, or escape games, the entertainment offer is very wide, including for families. Other highlights of the weekend are free tapas and film evenings from October 15 to 17, organized in six magical places in the Bordeaux vineyards:

Friday October 15 at 20h:
Le sens de la fête by Olivier Nakache et Eric Toledano at the Maison des vins de Bourg
Tu seras mon fils (You will be my son) by Gilles Legrand at the Château Roquefort
Saturday October 16 at 20h:
La Belle Époque by Nicolas Bedos at the Château Hostens-Picant
Antoinette dans les Cévennes (My Donkey, My Lover & I) by Michael Dudok de Wit at the Château Royal de Cazeneuve
Sunday October 17 at 16h:
Donne moi des ailes by Nicolas Vanier at the Château Citran
Adieu les cons (Bye Bye Morons) by Albert Dupontel at the Château du Taillan

Apart from Bordeaux, more than 600 different events await the public, in Occitanie, Provence, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Champagne and Alsace.

The eighth edition of the “Fascinant Week-end” Vignobles & Découvertes will take place from October 14 to 17 in six French vineyards. For the first time, Bordeaux is hosting the event, with more than 130 activities offered to the general public in the vineyard.

Communication Media Group Drinks+ became a media partner of the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), the most established global wine tourism conference and trade event for the wine and culinary tourism industry.

Wine tourism, despite the problems caused by the pandemic, is a growing category and especially in need of innovation. And in strengthening this direction, the organizers of IWINETC and the Wine Travel Awards (WTA), established by Communication Media Group Drinks+, see opportunities for overcoming the crisis.

Therefore, the partnership between these two parties is an important step on the path of support and promotion of enogastronomic tourism.

The 13^th edition of IWINETC will take place at the brand new 5* The Lodge Wine & Business Hotel 26 & 27 October 2021. The venue has fabulous views of the Douro and Porto from the banks of the UNESCO World Heritage area in Vila Nova de Gaia.

In partnership with the Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board, IWINETC will incorporate one and a half days of plenary talks, panel discussions, case studies, and speeches, one-to-one business meetings, a comprehensive networking programme and several post tours programmes to the four wine regions defined in the newly launched Wine Tourism Routes namely Douro and Porto, Vinho Verde, Távora-Varosa and Trás-os-Montes.

The conference slogan for 2021 is “Bouncing Back”. IWINETC’s  1,5-day Conference programme will leave attendees inspired and motivated to apply their learnings to their place of work and/or businesses.

Judith Lewis will deliver a speech on Post-Pandemic Digital Recovery for the wine and culinary tourism industry. Following this, Peter Syme will look at the wine tourism industry at the post pandemic period, including the aspect of digital changes. Chris Torres will present market research which aims to better inform tour and activity providers on how to market their businesses in 2021/22, including which demographics and product types to focus on. Felicity Carter, one of the WTA jury members, will show how to stand out in a crowded market and get customer attention at all levels – destination, region, place, providers of wine tourism experiences and Adrian Bridge, awarded wine personality of the year, will be looking at the biggest investment in Europe in 2020 at €105M – WOW.

Commenting on IWINETC 2021, Anthony Swift, IWINETC Event Director, said: “We’re excited about this year’s IWINETC as it’s been 10 years since we last held the event in Porto and it will be interesting to see the huge development that has happened with respect to wine and culinary tourism in the Porto and the North of Portugal region. Working with Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board, we’ll be putting together a comprehensive content schedule, full of sessions that have a genuine practical application for our delegates. The programme is a great opportunity for wine and culinary tourism professionals to enhance their time with us in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia with targeted learning, business and networking opportunities that complement the whole event experience.”

You can find more information on the conference talk programme here.

The IWINETC registration for conference delegates can be found here.

Communication Media Group Drinks+ became a media partner of the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), the most established global wine tourism conference and trade event for the wine and culinary tourism industry.

Today at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, spirited whisky collectors from Asia and beyond competed to lay claim to a bottle of the world’s oldest single malt Scotch whisky – Decanter #1 of the Gordon & Macphail Generations 80-Years-Old, housing spirit from the Glenlivet Distillery originally laid down in 1940 in a bespoke oak cask by whisky creators Gordon & MacPhail.

Bidders from across Asia and Europe drove the final sale price to  US$193,000 (est. US$100,000-200,000), establishing an auction record for a bottle of the world’s oldest whisky. The winning bidder was a European private collector, new to Sotheby’s.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, said: “From the moment news broke of the existence of a whisky matured in oak for eighty years, it generated a huge buzz of excitement. For those lucky enough to taste it, myself included, this is an exceptional whisky that not only lingers on the palate but also long after in the mind. As we have seen, exceedingly rare Single Malts are highly coveted, and when collectors are presented with something truly special, they are prepared to go the extra mile.”

To house this most precious of liquids, Gordon & MacPhail commissioned internationally acclaimed architect and designer, Sir David Adjaye OBE to design a unique decanter and oak case around the theme ‘Artistry in Oak’ – a fitting tribute to this landmark moment for the industry, the longest-matured ‘expression’ ever to be released featuring spirit from a Scottish distillery.

The lucky recipient of this special lot will also enjoy a whisky tasting experience for four in London, conducted by Gordon & MacPhail’s Director of Prestige, Stephen Rankin and attended by Sir David Adjaye, in addition to the framed original cask head of Cask 340 which cradled the spirit for eight decades, and a one-of-one signed lithograph of Sir David’s original, concept drawings.

As part of their release of 250 decanters (the remaining 249 decanters will be sold at retail), Gordon & MacPhail is supporting a local charity, Trees for Life whose mission is to rewild the Caledonian forest. Proceeds from the sale of Decanter #1 will be donated to resource the Trees for Life nursery which grows 100,000 rare, native trees, including oaks, from seed each year.

On February 3rd 1940, George Urquhart – from the second generation to own Gordon & MacPhail, founded in 1895 – had the foresight and vision to place into an oak cask a spirit to be enjoyed after his lifetime by future generations. Urquhart passionately believed that each cask needed to be left to reach its full potential, and only when the whisky was deemed ready should it be shared. On 5 February 2020, the decision was taken to bottle the cask’s bounty, which had been nurtured over eight decades by four generations of the Urquhart family.

Today at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, spirited whisky collectors from Asia and beyond competed to lay claim to a bottle of the world’s oldest single malt Scotch whisky – Decanter #1 of the Gordon & Macphail Generations 80-Years-Old.

Wine & Spirits Ukraine will welcome the professionals of the wine and alcoholic market on November 2-4 for the fourth time.

All Europe on one site

At the Wine & Spirits Ukraine, manufacturers from Italy, Portugal, France, Georgia, Argentina, Moldova, Great Britain, Armenia, Denmark, Lithuania and Spain will present their stands – both already well-known and those who are entering the Ukrainian market for the first time. Bulgaria, once the #4 wine exporter in the world, will debut with its wines in Ukraine. And, of course, the main exposition will be devoted to wines, alcoholic beverages and beer from Ukraine – from well-known factories, family wineries and craft producers. The catalog of exhibitors can be found here.

A full program

Wine & Spirits Ukraine is a B2B event, among the visitors of the exhibition are sommeliers, restaurateurs, retailers, distributors and importers from all regions of Ukraine, as well as buyers from the USA, Japan, Canada, Portugal, Kenya, Lithuania, Slovakia, Denmark, Germany, UAE, Turkey, the Netherlands, India, Kazakhstan and other countries.

The 2021 exhibition program is especially intense. Guests will enjoy training seminars on previously little-known wine regions – Switzerland, which will be represented by the Vice President of Swiss Wine Martin Wiederker, and Bulgaria – by Galina Niforou, President of the Bulgarian Association of Wine and Export.

There will be a series of master classes with the best wines of Italy from Marco Sabellico, editor-in-chief of Gambero Rosso, also presentations from Italian, Georgian, Moldovan, French and other producers, who will not only present their wines, but also talk about the peculiarities of the terroir and wine production in their region.

Wine & Spirits Congress this year will shift the focus from production technology to wine trade trends and focus on retail and HoReCa. As a part of the Wine & Spirits Retail and Resto Forum, senior executives and off-trade experts, restaurateurs and sommeliers will share their experiences in the development of modern wine and spirits trade and will also be awarded for the best in-store representation and the best wine and spirits list.

Tour of the best wines of Italy

For the first time in Ukraine, the media holding Gambero Rosso will present the Tre Bicchieri World Tour – a tour of the best Italian wines, winners of the Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) of the Wine Guide of Italy – the highest award for Italian producers! To select the best of the best, experts taste over 44,000 wines throughout the year! And only 1% of them are awarded the honorary Three Glasses – in 2021, 476 wines received them!

Wine & Spirits Ukraine will welcome the professionals of the wine and alcoholic market on November 2-4 for the fourth time.