Gastronomy and Wine Portal

A bottle of the famous Australian winery sold at Langton’s auction became the most expensive wine ever sold in Australia.

A single bottle of Penfolds Grange signed by its founding winemaker Max Schubert has set a new world record price for any Australian wines sold at auction. The lot went under the hammer for AU$ 142,131.

The inaugural vintage of the most expensive wine of Australia was purchased this month at Langton’s auction. It broke the previous record of AU$103,000 which was also sold at Langton’s.

Penfolds Grange from Shiraz varieties with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the cult wine of Australia. The first vintage came from the experiments of Max Schubert. Having visited several countries of the Old World to study European techniques of winemaking, he was so impressed, in particular, by the wines of Bordeaux, that he decided to reproduce something similar at home. As a result of numerous experiments, this very wine was born that later became the most famous of Australia’s great wines.

The Penfolds management team, however, initially did not appreciate the work of their chief winemaker, and the first vintage was never released for sale. It was handed out to Schubert’s friends and family: to date, fewer than 20 bottles of Penfolds Grange 1951 are believed to exist.

The record-breaking bottle was resealed in 1988 because the original cork was lost and was reported to have minor damage to the wax seal label over the original white foil capsule.

“This is extraordinary,’ commented Langton’s head of auctions Tamara Grischy. ‘Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought a bottle of Australian wine would sell for this much.”

A bottle of the famous Australian winery sold at Langton’s auction became the most expensive wine ever sold in Australia.

Over 4,000 bottles of fine wines were seized by authorities in Shenzhen. Lafite, Mouton and Penfolds 707 and other high-value products estimated at more than US$ 2.31 million were found among the bottles. Smugglers rushed to ferry goods from duty-free Hong Kong to the mainland.

As the General Administration of Customs in China claimed, the seizure took place at Heung Yuen Wai Control Point, connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The latest land port – Liantang Port – was opened last August.

The smuggling was declared as 18.57 tons of imported rubber and plastic buttons, but an inspection revealed that the goods in the shipment were in fact luxury wines, various seafood and hair products, worth more than US$ 2.31 million, according to the estimate made by customs.

The contrabands found by the authorities consisted of 4174 bottles of Bordeaux first growths Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Penfolds 707, Champagne and whiskies.

On the mainland, one would pay USD 771 a bottle for Penfolds 707. And considering the picture released by the customs, at least 20 cases of the premium Australian wine can be found among the smuggled fine wines.

Demand for Penfolds, perhaps one of the best-known imported wine brands in China, surged after the country imposed about 218% anti-dumping duties on Australian wines, making wine less affordable and available.

Interestingly, while the overall supply of Australian wines to mainland China has plummeted, imports to Hong Kong have skyrocketed. From January to May this year, imports of Australian wines to Hong Kong increased by more than 340% year on year to USD 133.8 million over the same period last year.

Prepared by Oleksandra Hryhorieva based on vino-joy.com

Over 4,000 bottles of fine wines were seized by authorities in Shenzhen. Lafite, Mouton and Penfolds 707 and other high-value products estimated at more than US$ 2.31 million were found among the bottles. Smugglers rushed to ferry goods from duty-free Hong Kong to the mainland.

Hard alcohol has become the largest category of imported alcoholic beverages in China.

From January to May 2021, the volume of imported spirits grew significantly, overtaking wine, according to a report released by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products (CFNA). Hard alcohol accounted for 117% compared to the same period last year and became the largest category of imported alcoholic beverages.

Brandy has the largest share of imported spirits in China. According to published data, brandy imports totaled US $ 500 million and exceeded 17 million liters, an increase of 149% and 74% year on year, respectively. The cognac category alone accounted for more than 60% of all imports of alcoholic beverages.

The second largest imported beverage is whiskey. From January to May of this year, China purchased 10 million liters, at a cost of US $ 150 million.

Thanks to brandy, France is the main source of imported spirits, accounting for 64% of the top ten sources of imports. Together with the UK, both countries supply 80% of China’s imported spirits.

The volume of wine imports from January to May this year amounted to 170 million liters, which is 1% less than last year. However, the value of imports amounted to almost US $ 700 million, an increase of 0.2% over the same period last year.

Prepared by N. Zakharchuk based on thedrinksbusiness.com

Hard alcohol has become the largest category of imported alcoholic beverages in China.

Drinks+ is a media partner of the International Economic Forum which will be held on July 30-31 online.

For the first time, an international event organized by OenoCo International will address the issues and challenges facing the wine sector in Eastern and Central Europe. The Forum aims to bring together producers, importers-exporters, sommeliers and wine educators to exchange ideas on the latest developments in the region’s wine industry.

The forum will consider the current state of affairs and problems in this area, offer professional solutions focused on the needs of manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as possible ways to expand exports and enter new international markets. The Forum is also aimed at uniting the efforts of the international community of wine professionals, local and international business, as well as government bodies, academia, civil society in order to increase the competitiveness of the wine sector in the economies of Central and Eastern Europe.

The International Economic Forum will be held for 2 days in an interactive mode with panels and webinars where participants can listen to famous speakers.

Forum program:

30 July

10:00- 10:10 am Opening Remarks

10:15- 10:45 am – Petar Raychev, SCEB Vice President & General Manager CPG, Bulgaria, “Wine Production In a Circular Economy: Minimum-Waste Technologies”

11:00- 11:30 am – Antonio Rallo, Sicilia Doc winemaker and President of Consorzio Sicilia Doc, Italy.

13:00- 13:30 – Caroline Gilby, MW, United Kingdom, “Role of a native grapes in building a marketing narrative”

13:40- 14:10 – Polly Hammond, 5forests, New Zealand, “More Human Than Human: How the Eastern European Wine Industry can leverage digital to overcome challenges, build relationships, grow brands…and sell more wine.”

15:00- 15:30 – Gheorghe Arpentin, R&D Purcari, Republic of Moldova

15:40- 16:10 – Nicolae Minciuna, Oenologist Engineer, Republic of Moldova, “Wine Tourism and its impact on local communities”

31 July

10:15- 10:45 am – Elizabeth Gabay, MW, France

11:00- 11:30 am – Robert Joseph, Editorial Consultant and Columnist of Meininger’s Wine Business International, Co-owner of Greener Planet and Grand Noir Wines- Germany, “Land or Brand? Local Grapes or International? Does the future for Eastern Europe like in appellations and traditional indigenous grape varieties? Or in brands and international ones? The answer is not as clear cut as some people would like to imagine.”

13:00- 13:30 – Tony Sasa, Director of Sales Il Palagio Wines, Italy, “The success story of Palagio to penetrate key wine markets”

13:40 -14:10 – Paula Stanca, OenoCo, Launching of Consortium-Introduction of the CWC

15:00- 15:30 – Tomislav Ivanovic, Vinopedia, Serbia, “The emergence of  Balkans’ native grapes as reference examples within the vast category of grape varietals.”

15:40- 16:10 – Scott Carney, Dean of Wine Studies, Institute of Culinary Education(ICE), United States, “Making the market move!”

The detailed program of the forum can be found here.

Drinks+ is a media partner of the International Economic Forum which will be held on July 30-31 online.

An amazing treasure of rare wines and spirits was found at the Tatoi Palace, the former summer residence of the Greek royal family, located near Athens.

The former country palace of the Greek kings, erected on the beautiful forest-covered mountain Parnis in Attica, keeps many secrets, one of which was revealed a few days ago. During the restoration work in the premises of the residence, a cache was discovered containing more than 4,000 bottles of wines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Among the rare pieces found in the collection are bottles of Château Margaux, Château de Vincennes and Château Mouton Rothschild, as well as Chivas whiskey in a ceramic bottle, released in a limited edition in honour of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as cans of soft drinks.

The Greek Ministry of Culture, which announced the find, considers it “historically significant” and hopes that as 300 cases have yet to be opened, other treasures of wine are on the way to be revealed.

The Achaia Claus winery team, which was invited to the palace for a consultation, is collecting information and cataloguing. The winery, founded in 1861, is one of the oldest in Greece.

“The Tatoi wine and spirits collection, in addition to its significant collector value, is also of great scientific and research interest. The restoration work to showcase the former royal estate is complex. For the evaluation of the wine collection, we are working with specialist scientists who have know-how, both on an oenological level and for its historic validation,” said the minister of culture, Lina Mendoni.

After the completion of the restoration work and the study of the collection, part of it suitable for exposure will be exhibited to the public in the palace basements.

Prepared by I.Chernova based on thedrinksbusiness.com

An amazing treasure of rare wines and spirits was found at the Tatoi Palace, the former summer residence of the Greek royal family, located near Athens.

Scotland introduced Spearhead Scotch whiskey for production of which infrared barrels have been used.

Spearhead whole grain Scotch whiskey is produced in the Loch Lomond distillery, which is located in the city of Alexandria in the west of Scotland. The uniqueness of the drink is that it is aged in American oak barrels from bourbon, which have been additionally toasted with infrared light.

According to the creators, this procedure allows you to maximize the natural aromas of wood and give the drink “a complex and rich range of sweet notes.” The Scotch whiskey is characterized by a soft velvety taste with notes of violets, black currants, blackberries, vanilla pod, caramel and dark chocolate, making it a light neat dram, or an exciting base for longer drinks and cocktails.

Calum Leslie, Head of Innovation at Loch Lomond Group, said: “We have been working very hard to create an innovative new Scotch Whisky and we are pleased to finally launch Spearhead to market.”

“While this style of whisky is very popular in the Irish and American markets, there isn’t anything comparable in the Scotch sector. Spearhead is one of a kind, championing the single grain, and taking a non-traditional approach to whisky making that will resonate with people new to Scotch. It’s the perfect whisky for those who prefer the sweetness of a bourbon or enjoy a long-whisky based serve, with Spearhead taking a twist on some classic cocktails,” he concludes.

The new Scotch whiskey is already available in the UK for £30 a bottle and will hit supermarket shelves around the world by the end of summer.

Photo: asiantrader.biz

Scotland introduced Spearhead Scotch whiskey for production of which infrared barrels have been used.

Premium sparkling tea brand Saicho goes along with the expending low-to-no alcohol trend and offers ‘non-alcoholic drink that would speak the language of wine’.

Saicho bottles sparkling tea in new formats of 200ml and 750ml. By forming a current proposition, the company hopes to respond to a need of consumers in the low ABV market. Offering a ‘unique and refreshing’ alternative to alcohol drinks may help the Saicho brand to build stronger connection with their consumer base.

“Rather like a single estate wine, each tea has been selected from different regions, harvested at a certain time to create varying acidities, sweetness and mouthfeel that would complement certain foods and flavours rather than overpower them”, Saicho indicated.

Here we talk about completely new experience of food and drink pairing. 24 hours are needed to cold-brew Saicho teas. They are ‘lightly sweetened’ with grape juice. Darjeeling, Jasmine and Hojicha compose the tea range.

Charlie Winkworth-Smith, founder of Saicho, reflected on the launch: “At Saicho we are on a mission to bring sparkling tea to the drinks receptions and dining tables of the world. Whether eating in a fine dining restaurant, enjoying a drink at a wine bar or just at home with family and friends, the new size bottles allow Saicho teas to be enjoyed in new ways and are a direct response to the suggestions of our customers and stockists. We hope that our knowledge, passion, hard work and hands-on approach shines through in every glass.”

The price of 750ml Saicho tea bottle compiles £10.99. And 200ml will be sold in packs of 6 for £19.99.

Photo: Saicho

Premium sparkling tea brand Saicho goes along with the expending low-to-no alcohol trend and offers ‘non-alcoholic drink that would speak the language of wine’.

Renowned alcoholic beverage producers Moët Hennessy and Campari Group intend to create Europe’s largest e-commerce platform.

Premium spirits producer Moët Hennessy and Italian wine, spirits and soft drinks producer Campari Group have entered into an agreement to create and develop a premium online sale platform for wines and spirits. The new project will be based on Tannico, an online premium alcohol store owned by the Campari Group. The companies plan to make the online platform the European leader in e-commerce.

Tannico already holds about 30% of the European wine and spirits e-commerce market, the companies said, with sales of over € 70 million (US $ 82.9 million) last year. The company will be headed by the current CEO of Tannico, Marco Magnocavallo.

“With the joint support of Moët Hennessy and Campari, the Tannico platform will be able to consolidate the fragmented European e-commerce sector, offer quality, large-scale and integrated market entry and meet the needs of all wine and spirits suppliers,” said Magnocavallo.

Renowned alcoholic beverage producers Moët Hennessy and Campari Group intend to create Europe’s largest e-commerce platform.

The 19th OIV General Assembly approved 19 resolutions on 12th July, elected a new president and heads of working bodies. An occasion also, for the French government to propose Dijon to the OIV member states as host city for the new organisation’s headquarters, and to adopt Russian as the 6th official language of the OIV.

First and foremost, the OIV proceeded with the personnel update. The new President was elected. Luigi Moio now assumes a 3-year mandate, succeeding Regina Vanderlinde. The Scientific and Technical Committee has also been renewed with new heads of working bodies elected.

Luigi Moio has been a scientific expert for the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies since 1998. From 2009 to 2014 he was Chairman of the Technology Expert Group of the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) and from 2015 to 2018 of the Oenology Commission. He was the OIV’s 2nd Vice-President.

Dijon proposed as the new OIV host city

Following the elections, the long-awaited proposal from the French government concerning the new host city of the OIV headquarters was presented. Dijon was chosen by the French Ministry of Agriculture over Bordeaux and Reims candidatures.

Welcoming the headquarters of the OIV by international agreement, the French state provides the rent for the OIV and must now find a lasting solution. Due to changes of owner and destination, the OIV left its opulent Parisian address of 18, rue d’Aguesseau (which it had occupied since 1966) for 35, rue de Monceau (still in the 8th district of Paris) at the end of 2019. But it was a short-term solution as the organization needs more space in new premises.

In view of the French proposal, the OIV Member States now have a period of reflection and will vote on whether to accept it at the next meetings in October 2021.

Russian language adopted

After several months of negotiations, Russian has been adopted by the OIV Member States. This will be the 6th OIV official language to be adopted. This new measure will enable the Russian-speaking community to better understand and appropriate the international standards and practices that the OIV has adopted to improve the conditions of production and marketing of vine and wine products.

Based on the OIV press release

Photos: OIV

The 19th OIV General Assembly approved 19 resolutions on 12th July, elected a new president and heads of working bodies. An occasion also, for the French government to propose Dijon to the OIV member states as host city for the new organisation’s headquarters, and to adopt Russian as the 6th official language of the OIV.

Heavy hail storms hit the wine region of Gattinara, damaging up to 100% of the vines.

A series of powerful storms with high winds and heavy hail swept through the Italian wine-growing region of Gattinara in Piedmont, causing significant damage to the vineyards. Eyewitnesses said that large hazelnut-sized hailstones cut the leaves and damaged the skin of the young berries. According to winemakers, in some vineyards, 80-100% of the vines were affected.

Lorella Zoppis, co-owner of Antoniolo winery, noted that there has been no such damage since 1971: “Unfortunately, now there are heavy rainstorms almost every year, but usually damage from them can only be observed in certain areas. In this case, the disaster struck almost all vineyards on the territory of Gattinara, as well as part of Bramaterra, Costa della Sesia and Gemme.”

Usually, hail has a very local impact, but in recent years the intensity of storms has increased, which, according to scientists, is associated with climate change. The elements can cause especially severe damage during a period when young grapes are not yet strong enough to withstand such unfavorable conditions. It will take a few more weeks for winemakers to determine how long it will take for the vines to recover and what the actual loss is.

Heavy hail storms hit the wine region of Gattinara, damaging up to 100% of the vines.