Gastronomy and Wine Portal

French wine production is expected to drop from 24% to 30% in 2021 and be at a “historically low” level in cause of spring frost and summer late mildew attacks, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Earlier we reported that almost all of the French wine-growing areas had suffered several consecutive nights of frost in the first half of April, when the vines had already started to bud due to a mild winter. Farmers had tried to save their vines with braziers, candles, or other techniques, often in vain. The “biggest agronomic disaster of the beginning of the century”, announced the French Minister of Agriculture.

Climate change

To make things worse, the wine harvest was also affected by vine diseases such as powdery mildew and mildew, favoured by the rainy summer weather. It compiles between 32.6 million and 35.6 million hectolitres, according to the statistics service of the ministry, Agreste. This is in line with the estimates put forward in April by the wine industry. “Wine production in 2021 is forecast to be historically low, lower than those of 1991 and 2017, also affected by a severe frost in spring,” notes Agreste. “For now, the yield would be close to that of 1977, the year when the wine harvest was reduced by a destructive frost and summer precipitation,” it added.

The vagaries of the weather have revived discussions on the overhaul of crop insurance, considered more and more urgent in the face of the multiplication of extreme weather phenomena. A reform will be presented “at the start of the school year”, recently indicated the Ministry of Agriculture. The April frosts followed a period of great mildness that favoured the budding of crops, and the question of a possible link with climate change was quickly raised. Prime Minister Jean Castex announced in the wake of the freeze a cumulative total of one billion euros in aid for affected winegrowers. For scientists at the international World Weather Attribution network, there is little doubt that the likelihood of a late frost has been significantly increased by climate change and will be even more so in the future.

Second wine producing country in the world after Italy and leading exporting country, France intends to defend its market shares despite this drop in production in 2021. Especially since in 2020, its wine was not very well sold due to health restrictions linked to the pandemic, but also American surcharges decided by Donald Trump (they were suspended in June for five years by the administration of Joe Biden).

“The wine can be stored. The previous harvests will allow us to respond to our customers. We will be able to support our markets”, underlines Jérôme Despey, a winegrower in the Hérault.

Based on the materials of larvf.com

French wine production is expected to drop from 24% to 30% in 2021 and be at a “historically low” level in cause of spring frost and summer late mildew attacks, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The wreckage of an ancient Roman ship carrying wine was found off the coast of Sicily.

More recently, we talked about a unique treasure of wine and spirits discovered in the summer residence of the Greek royal family, located near Athens. And today, information about a new find came from Italy: researchers discovered the wreckage of a ship that, according to assumptions, could transport wine and olive oil in the Mediterranean Sea more than 2,000 years ago.

Ceramic amphorae, which were used in ancient Roman times to store and transport wine, were found on the seabed near the wreck of an ancient ship off the north-western coast of Sicily. Scientists date the find to the second century BC.

Experts used a remote-controlled robot to examine the shipwreck at a depth of 92 meters, near the coastal town of Isola delle Femmine and near Palermo.

The amphorae found on the seabed are of the Dressel 1 A type, thick-walled vessels that appeared in ancient Rome at the end of the 2nd century BC and were used to store and transport liquids.

“The Mediterranean Sea has consistently provided us with valuable insights into our history and finds at the bottom of the sea will help to better reconstruct the details and characteristics of the maritime trade of ancient Rome,” said Valeria La Vigni, Sicily’s naval superintendent who leads the project.

Photo: ARPA Sicilia/Soprintendenza del Mare della Regione Siciliana

The wreckage of an ancient Roman ship carrying wine was found off the coast of Sicily.

In Champagne, the centuries-old rule for the distance between planted vines was changed.

France is one of the few countries where the wine industry is strictly regulated by rules based on the experience and traditions of generations. However, the challenges of our time, in particular, climate change, have led to the fact that even here they are forced to make changes to the seemingly unshakable centuries-old rules of national viticulture. So, in 2018, the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) added a third category of acceptable grape varieties capable of “adapting to the climate and the environment”. And this year, Bordeaux officially approved six new grape varieties that best adapt to global warming conditions.

Now the changes have touched another world-famous French wine region – Champagne, where they approved a change to the long-standing rule on the maximum distance between vines. This rule states that rows of vineyards cannot be located more than 1.5 meters from each other: adherents of the rule are sure that vines at a greater distance would not have to compete strongly for water and nutrients, which would lead to a bountiful harvest with low quality berries.

The regional winegrowers’ association Syndicat General des Vignerons del la Champagne (SGV) conducted research on this issue and concluded that reducing the planting density of vineyards would bring many benefits without compromising the quality of the champagne, for example, it would make it easier to care for vines using modern technologies.

Based on this, the SGV board approved changes to increase the distance between vines up to 2.2 m. In addition, according to the SGV study, vineyards with lower planting densities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% with the use of better equipment.

Critics of the innovation are concerned that the use of modern equipment in the vineyards could damage the reputation of the region, known in the world for the hand-picking of grapes, carried out for several centuries. In addition, the use of technology will deprive many of the people currently employed in the vineyards of their jobs.

SGV President Maxime Toubart said the rules still need additional INAO approval and will not be binding: “It will just make our work in the vineyards easier and bring significant economic benefits. This is not a dogma, but another additional tool to be more successful in our aspiration to produce quality products – wines that deserve to be called champagne.”

Photo: decanter.com

In Champagne, the centuries-old rule for the distance between planted vines was changed.

Bonhams will be holding a rare whiskey sale in Hong Kong on August 20, featuring a 30-year-old cask of Macallan 1991 Scotch whisky.

Distilled in December 1991, the Macallan whiskey was poured into a Sherry cask in 2017, giving the drink a unique flavour with notes of clove, resin, dried fruit, and soft tannins. The high alcohol content (about 51.5%) opens up the possibility of both subsequent long-term storage and bottling.

Daniel Lam, Bonhams director of wine and spirits in Asia, commented on the upcoming auction: “Whisky casks hitting 30 years old or above are exceedingly rare in the current market. This 1991 Macallan cask on offer in our August sale is an all-rounder of its class: it comes from a prestigious distiller, is casked in top-notch wood, a high-alcohol content and an attractive estimate. We expect a lot of interest as the market now matures towards collecting casks.”

The cask is estimated at approximately HK$ 4 million ($ 514,300 USD).

In November 2019, Bonhams already put up for auction a 30-year-old whiskey cask of Macallan Distillery, when the lot was sold for HK$ 4,464,000, which became the world record for the sale of whiskey in a cask.

Photo: bonhams.com

Bonhams will be holding a rare whiskey sale in Hong Kong on August 20, featuring a 30-year-old cask of Macallan 1991 Scotch whisky.

The famous auction house and the charitable division of the London Worshipful Company of Distillers have agreed to cooperate on the sale of unique Scotch whiskey samples to support disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

The partnership will last six years, during which three auctions will be held, where ultra-rare and unique drinks will be presented for sale. The first auction, titled “The Distillers One of One”, will take place at Barnbugle Castle near Edinburgh on December 3, 2021. The auction will feature over 40 lots showcasing the craftsmanship, innovation and value of Scotch whiskey, with a total initial cost of lots of 250,000 pounds.

All funds raised through the auction will go to a foundation created by The Distillers’ Charity, which aims to support disadvantaged young people in Scotland, change their living conditions and provide them with opportunities for positive change in their lives.

Jonathan Driver, Master of The Worshipful Company of Distillers, said: “Our ties with the Scotch Whisky Industry have been invaluable in creating this landmark sale, and the generosity shown has been overwhelming. Across the spectrum of the industry from independents to family-owned and global companies, we have come together in a collective endeavour to support the youth of today in Scotland through practical training and education. We are also delighted to have Sotheby’s on board to help with our philanthropic mission which will have far-reaching benefits for decades to come.”

The famous auction house and the charitable division of the London Worshipful Company of Distillers have agreed to cooperate on the sale of unique Scotch whiskey samples to support disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

The “exceptional” rainfall at the start of summer led to “unprecedented attacks of mildew”, the CIVC reports, which already estimates “between 20 and 25%” the losses on the scale of the 34,000 hectares of the Champagne vineyard.

This summer brought heavy rainfalls to some regions of France. Recently, we have covered the problem in Alsace where the 15,600 hectares of vines are subjected to mildew, powdery mildew, brown and grey rot – which combine fungal diseases in a downward spiral.

The weather conditions are unfavorable this year. Moving to Champagne: “If the entire vineyard is concerned, there is a great heterogeneity of situations with losses ranging from a few percentages to more than 50%”, specifies the Interprofessional Committee of Champagne Wine (CIVC), which adds to these losses “30% due to spring frost.”

“The thousands of hectares of the Marne Valley, as well as some sectors of the Aube are particularly affected by this fungus which likes humidity and heat”, confirms Maxime Toubart, president of the General Syndicate of Winegrowers (SGV) and co-president of the CIVC.

“In two months, around 300 mm of rain fell. It’s huge especially when the vines need sun to ripen!” he explains. “In the Marne, the sectors of Sézannais, the Côte des Blancs and part of the Montagne de Reims are currently spared.”

“But the disease is gaining ground,” notes Maxime Toubart who traced the last major mildew attack on the Champagne vineyard back to 2012. Some winegrowers will not be able to achieve the yield of 10,000 kg per hectare decided on July 21 by the inter-profession grouping together with winegrowers and champagne houses.”

“But there is still the interprofessional reserve, or 7,600 kilos per hectare for those who have the most. It plays the role of shock absorber,” emphasizes Maxime Toubart. “And we have stocks that also allow us to respond to the market.”

“Downy mildew affects the potential of the harvest but not the quality. A good vintage is still possible”, insists the president of SGV.

Photo: lachampagnedesophieclaeys.fr, vitisphere.com

The “exceptional” rainfall at the start of summer led to “unprecedented attacks of mildew”, the CIVC reports, which already estimates “between 20 and 25%” the losses on the scale of the 34,000 hectares of the Champagne vineyard.

Coca-Cola’s revenues were up 42% in the second quarter of 2021 thanks to a recovery in before-Covid marketing investments.

The world’s largest producer of soft drinks announced a 42% increase in net revenues in the second quarter of this year to $ 10.1 billion. This growth in the company itself is explained by a steady recovery in some markets after the pandemic began to decline, as well as an increase in marketing costs. Coca-Cola CFO John Murphy said they doubled their marketing costs in the quarter compared to the same period last year, returning to the 2019 level.

According to Murphy, there are three priorities in Coca-Cola‘s operations: increasing consumer-oriented marketing investments, improving the quality of expenses, and their more targeted allocation. The company’s management is confident that it is marketing innovation, efficiency and effectiveness that contribute to the growth of revenue and profits.

The course for efficiency was set back last summer, when the company announced it would focus on its core, larger and stronger brands, ditching “zombie brands” that are limited to one market and growing at a slower pace than the group’s average.

Among the segments that showed growth in 2021, Coca-Cola names the consumption channel outside the home. Compared to the decline in revenue in 2020, when sales in temporarily closed stadiums and cinemas fell because of coronavirus, this year there is an increase in sales as consumers return to before-Covid entertainment.

In addition, the company remains the leader in online retailers in the ready-to-drink non-alcoholic beverage category, with a 54% improvement YTD. Coca-Cola management said e-commerce will remain a priority in the company’s development even after the end of the pandemic.

Photo: facebook.com/TheCocaColaCoUA

Coca-Cola’s revenues were up 42% in the second quarter of 2021 thanks to a recovery in before-Covid marketing investments.

The 15,600 hectares of Alsace vines are subjected to an unprecedented trial which combines fungal diseases in a downward spiral.

During the first six months of 2021, the Alsatian vineyard was watered by 600 to 720 mm of rain depending on the zone, as much as during a whole year. Precipitation accumulations were particularly high from July 11 to 13.

“Roots grow on the trunk of waterlogged soils, the anthills become aerial,” notes Frédéric Schwaerzler, wine advisor to the Chamber of Agriculture for Haut-Rhin. Mildew and powdery mildew have a blast. Along the wine route, the pressure is less strong in the north. It gets stronger as you move south, where the precipitation has been more abundant.

“There are healthy plots, others 100% affected. On average, 40% of the bunches are attacked by mildew,” notes Marie-Noëlle Lauer, wine advisor at the Chamber of Agriculture for Bas-Rhin, according to observations made in 100 control plots. “Powdery mildew, already present in Bas-Rhin, is spreading to Haut-Rhin, alone or associated with downy mildew. It is already showing itself sometimes in bunches. It should not be underestimated because we will be dragging it to the harvest,” she adds. “The brown rot is coming out everywhere,” adds Frédéric Schwaerzler.

By mid-July, conventional domains had been already sprayed six to seven times, their organic colleagues, ten to eleven times under less-than-optimal conditions. The rains particularly annoyed them during June, a month when the vegetation grew very quickly. Winemakers who fall behind in green work have been affected more. Tractors got stuck, even overturned, fortunately without consequences for their driver. “The damage to grapes is sometimes partial. Compensation by the remaining clusters is always possible,” notes Marie-Noëlle Lauer. A return of high humidity could, however, increase the risk of rotting and recrudescence of the Drosophila population.

Prepared by O. Hryhorieva based on vitisphere.com

The 15,600 hectares of Alsace vines are subjected to an unprecedented trial which combines fungal diseases in a downward spiral.

The two initiatives by the American-Romanian company OenoCo International, the ‘Carpathian Wine Consortium’ (CWC) and the ‘Carpathian Wine Route’, generated excessive interests from both specialists in the field and the general public in Central and Eastern European countries.

The company has recently established itself as a major player on the international wine stage by opening new markets for wines from the Central and Eastern European region. It has implemented new technologies in the potential of wine producers by offering quality wine certifications for many wineries and notably by organizing the International Economic Forum (IEF2021): ‘The Wine Industry in Eastern Europe: Challenges, Realities and Future Prospects.’

Expanding on the experience of renowned sommeliers, as well as experts from related fields, OenoCo International managed to engage in numerous studies on the wine sector of a number of countries in the aforementioned region, allowing the American-Romanian company to launch the two projects.

During the process of opening new Western markets, OenoCo International concluded that the main limitation of the Central – Eastern European wine sector is the lack of associative formulas (associations/ consortiums, etc.), which are the norm in Western countries.

Therefore, in order to meet the major objective of wineries in this region of Europe, which is export expansion to Western markets, the American-Romanian company is launching CWC during IEF2021, held online on July 30-31, 2021. Beyond optimizing export volumes, CWC will ensure international wine quality standards and will represent a reference point in the relationship with the EU institutions as well as with the national ones in each member country. The CWC aims to protect the interests of its members and also to promote the Central and Eastern European region internationally.

Moreover, OenoCo International’s professionals have recently started focusing on the sector of wine tourism. Taking into consideration the findings from two countries’ case studies – Romania and the Republic of Moldova – one can see the huge potential offered by capitalizing at maximum levels the cultural and geographical realities. All countries encompassed by CWC have fascinating histories, traditions and beautiful geographical formations. That is why, together with the Carpathian Wines Consortium (CWC), OenoCo International is also launching the ‘Carpathian Wine Route’ initiative. It is of paramount importance to emphasize the impact of the wine sector on local communities in this Central and Eastern European region. In this respect, one of OenoCo International’s main objective is the sustainable development of rural economies.

Along the same lines of the European project ‘Via Carpatia’ that will connect infrastructures in Central and Eastern European countries, OenoCo International’s project ‘Carpathian Wine Route’ complements the transnational highway, proposing an international promotion of economic and social realities especially cultural diversity. Wineries which are members of CWC will automatically be included in the ‘Carpathian Wine Route’ initiative.

OenoCo International professionals enjoy a strong relationship with renowned names in the wine industry worldwide, many of whom are participants in the international economic forum. They do believe in the OenoCo International’s vision and mission, and they will continue to endorse their projects both regionally and internationally.

OenoCo International’s exhibition of both initiatives will take place during IEF2021. All interested parties can register on the following website

The two initiatives by the American-Romanian company OenoCo International, the ‘Carpathian Wine Consortium’ (CWC) and the Carpathian Wine Route, generated excessive interests from both specialists in the field and the general public in Central and Eastern European countries.

Since June, the Correns winegrowers’ cooperative has been reviving an old habit that has been lost for 30 years: the deposit of bottles. This initiative aims to preserve the planet’s resources.

In exchange for a returned empty bottle, customers earn two points on their loyalty card. It takes 100 to get a 75 cl bottle of wine offered by the store. Consumers have the choice between white, rosé and red.

Displayed on a shelf in the middle of the store, they all have the same name “Croix de Basson 2020” inscribed in red and black letters in the center of a large white label.

Above the name, a cross is depicted on mountains, in reference to the monument at the entrance to the village of Correns. At the bottom of the label, a small logo identifies the returnable bottles.

Fight against the overproduction of bottles

“Returnable bottles limit waste, testifies a client of the cooperative of wine growers of Correns, with a smile. We are talking about recycling glass, but it costs excessively expensive, so me, I would be to return to the instructions of my grandmother’s time”.

The Association Ecoscience Provence has revived this ancient habit in the south-east of France since 2012. Co-founder of the Réseau Consigne is developing this principle in close consultation with professionals in the vineyard sector in Provence.

Ecoscience Provence suggested that the Cave Coopérative des Vignerons de Provence use returnable bottles. The project is supported by the International Union for the Valorization of New Generation Waste (SIVEDNG), which brings together 34 municipalities in the Var and has been working for 20 years to reduce waste in the region.

Deposit rather than recycling

The goal is to reduce bottle recycling, as the returnable bottle consumes 33% less water compared to a recycled bottle. The idea is also to put an end to an overproduction of bottles of wine since 40 million are produced and consumed in Paca each year.

“We say to ourselves that this is a good idea, we will do everything to make it work, says Julien Demonchaux, the technical director of the Vignerons de Correns. In the end, if it works, we will feel much better. This is a small step on the scale of all bottles on the market. If everyone is playing the game, it can really be meaningful.”

The bottles used by this wine company are made in France and in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.

Credits: francetvinfo.fr

Since June, the Correns winegrowers’ cooperative has been reviving an old habit that has been lost for 30 years: the deposit of bottles. This initiative aims to preserve the planet’s resources.