Page 2 - Rupert Millar News Today

Graham Gooch’s wine collection for sale 3rd February, 2021 by Rupert Millar Fine wines from the collection of former England cricketer Graham Gooch have gone on sale through From Vineyards Direct. A personal friend of chairman Johnny Wheeler and “enthusiastic customer” of the company over the years, Gooch apparently has had a “longstanding interest and passion in ‘better wine’.” Whee...

Château Fleur Cardinale begins organic conversion 3rd February, 2021 by Rupert Millar St Emilion grand cru Château Fleur Cardinale has begun its conversion to organic farming which is due to be completed by 2024. Owners Caroline and Ludovic Decoster made the announcement, saying it was the next step after 10 years of “painstaking work” in the vineyards to improve the estate’s vine-growing ...

New lager yeast developed 1st February, 2021 by Rupert Millar A new way of creating non-GMO lager yeast strains has been found by a bioengineering company, which it says could help “broaden the diversity of commercial lager beer strains” for big and small brewers. The new strain has been developed by bioengineering company Renaissance BioScience in Vancouver and the paper proposes it be classi...

PFV nominates five families for €100,000 prize 27th January, 2021 by Rupert Millar The wine group Primum Familiae Vini (PFV) has announced its shortlist of five family business, including The Goring Hotel, a Japanese pottery and Michelangelo’s gold leaf provider, for its 2021 ‘Family is Sustainability’ prize. The group, made of 12 historic European wine producers, has selected five family-...

Bordeaux négoce urge on this year’s campaign 27th January, 2021 by Rupert Millar The union representing 80 Bordeaux négociants has said it is “ready” for this year’s campaign and urged the UGC to stick the traditional timing of May-July releases – and the pricing pattern of last year. Philippe Tapie, president of the Bordeaux Négoce Committee for classified growths, said: “With my c...

INAO approves six new grapes in Bordeaux 27th January, 2021 by Rupert Millar The Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) has formally approved the use of six new varieties in Bordeaux that were first proposed in 2019. Portuguese variety Touriga Nacional which is one of the new red varieties to be approved The French agricultural governing body has approved the use of four new red...

Cullen and Bodegas Emina commit to IWCA 25th January, 2021 by Rupert Millar The International Wineries for Climate Action group has welcomed two new applicant members, Cullen Wines and Bodega Emina. The wineries have committed to the IWCA’s action plant to begin reducing their carbon emissions. All members have to produce at least 20% of their own power through renewable energy, reduce 25% of th...

The Drinks Business 25 January 2021 By Rupert Millar Leading Spanish winery Vega Sicilia has announced a new trade distribution partnership in the UK with Berkmann Wine Cellars with immediate effect. The agreement covers Great Britain and the Channel Islands and covers all trade channels although Berry Bros & Rudd, parent of the winery’s former agent Fields, Morris & Verdin, will continue to import the wines for sales to private clients. The latest vintage releases from Ve...

The Drinks Business 25 January 2021 By Rupert Millar Symington Family Estates has added a new wine to its ‘Altano’ range from the Douro to support the Rewilding Portugal initiative, including in ‘bag-in-tube’ format. The ‘Altano Rewilding Edition’ is a blend of classic red varieties from the Douro Valley, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca and as well as being offered in bottle, the new blend will also be packaged in a 2.25 litre bag-in-tube format –...

Bordeaux Index reports sales of US$125m in 2020 22nd January, 2021 by Rupert Millar Fine wine and spirit merchant Bordeaux Index has reported total sales in 2020 of US$125 million (£90.8m), with “strong performances… despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic”. The results were particularly driven by “the intensity of the buying in Asia”, said founder and CEO Gary Boom, with the merch...