According to Giuseppe Liberatore, director general of Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, the market for white wines from Tuscany reached €1.9 million in China in 2011, accounting for 11.6% of the region’s total.

“The export of quality white wines to China in 2011 is in net growth, reaching approximately €1.9 million and equal to 11.6% of the Tuscan total in the world, making the country the third market,” he said at a press conference during the BuyWine fair taking place in Florence on February 16, with many Asian journalists and buyers in attendence.

Speaking of red wine exports, he added, “The Chinese market passed from 10th to 8th place in just one year, and the export of Tuscan red wines from January to September 2011 almost trippled, passing from €1.7 in 2010 to €4.3 in 2011.”

Outside China, Liberatore stressed the growth in Brazil. “With approximately 3.4 million red wines exported during the first nine months of 2011 (1.1% of the total Tuscan imports) Brazil is the tenth market for Tuscany and in one year has grown 54.2%.”

Photo credit: François Poincet

Speaking at a tasting in London yesterday, Paul Pontallier (pictured) said, “I hope that in two to three years we will be 100% organic for the wines of Château Margaux, but not for our second or third wines.”

Continuing he explained, “It makes sense that we will start there because the best plots have the best drainage, the most vigour, and the least sensitivity to mildew and powdery mildew.”

The comments followed a blind tasting of three different Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2010 vintage, each grown using different farming practices since the beginning of 2008, but all from the same block.

After the tasting, it was revealed that the wines were made using biodynamic, organic and conventional viticultural practices, with the latter system giving the greatest alcohol at 13.8% abv, and the organic yielding the highest tannin index.

Referring to the wines tasted, Pontallier said, “I felt that the conventionally farmed wine was the most tannic, while I liked the organic the most, which I felt had the finest tannins.”

He also stated, “As a general practice we want to go close to organic farming and I started that 25 years ago, and now we are at the point where we are very close to organic farming.

“We haven’t used any pesticides or insecticides for over 10 years but will still spray chemicals against mildew, powdery mildew and sometimes botrytis, because we feel we might be caught by surprise and lose an entire year.”

The event also included tastings of other Château Margaux experiments, such as wines made with or without the addition of a small proportion of stems, as well as wines aged under different closures.

While Pontallier said he believed destemming gave the best wine, he also noted that a miniscule amount of stems for wines from certain plots, “could be of interest”.

As for closures, he said that the wines aged under artificial cork were “catastrophic” and chose not to show them.

From the wines poured yesterday – Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2003 vintage – it was the wine under natural cork that was the “youngest and freshest”, said Pontallier, while the wine aged under “impermeable screwcap was probably my preferred because I find the mouth softer.”

However, he added, “For now it may be the better wine, but what about five to 10 years time? I’m fascinated by the evolution.”

When asked whether he would consider switching to screwcaps if the wine was still better in another 10 years, he said, “Why not, because we are intellectually prepared for that – otherwise why experiment?”

“Our number one priority is to make the best possible wine, and if scewcap is better, then I don’t know how we could resist the temptation to change.”

Concluding the event, which was designed to share the results of Margaux’s experiments, Pontallier said, “We should never stop feeling like students.”

Oregon

The prediction comes from Silicon Valley Bank, which surveyed winery owners in Oregon, Washington and California.

“Tasting room visits at Oregon wineries grew by 12.9% last year, the biggest increase on the West Coast,” the bank’s executive vice president, Rob McMillan, said in his address at the annual Oregon Wine Industry Symposium in Portland yesterday (21 February).

“These visits are important because direct sales are an important factor in most Oregon wineries’ overall sales,” he added.

Direct to consumer sales account for 21% of all Oregon winery sales, according to a 2011 study by California-based Full Glass Research, commissioned by the Oregon Wine Board.

Oregon wineries have continued to increase their sales outside the Northwest, with 65% of Oregon wine shipments going to states outside the Pacific Northwest.

“Oregon Pinot Noir is growing at more than 10% annually, while sales of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling are also increasing,” Full Glass owner Christian Miller said.

According to the study, sales of Oregon wine have increased by 60% in the past five years, to US$252 million, and have nearly doubled in the past decade.

Speakers at Tuesday’s symposium said Oregon wine growers may benefit from better weather this year, after two years of cool, wet springs, and from a shortfall in California’s 2011 wine grape crop.

Until now the Belgian beer has only been available in 330ml bottles but now is being released for the first time in 750ml format for a, “much more powerful flavour and less oxidation” according to master brewer, Jef Versele.

All of the brewery’s beers are refermented in the bottle and aged for three to six months in the brewer’s cellars before release. As with wines in a larger bottle – especially Champagne – the greater ratio of liquid to either the oxygen trapped inside at bottling and also the yeast makes a significant impact on the taste of the beer.

“The bigger the bottle, the better the quality of the beer,” said Versele.

St Stefanus only launched in the UK six months ago but figures show that the popularity of craft beers is causing it to outperform other sectors within beer and Belgian beer specifically holds a premium in the on- and off-trades.

Lucy Jordan, director of trade marketing at Miller Brands, said: “Craft beers are increasing in popularity; the specialist beer market is in 21.4% value growth, compared to 3.1% for the total market.

“Belgian beers are particularly popular and command a 59% price premium in the on-trade and 52% in the off-trade over the average bottled lager.”

The company believes that its new Gallo Family Vineyards and Barefoot Moscato styles could appeal to as many as three million UK consumers whose needs, according to Gallo managing director for Europe & Africa, Bill Roberts, “are not being met by the white wine offer on shelves today.”

Having seen Moscato sales in the US leap by 73% in the last year, with Gallo brands holding a 42% share of this market, Roberts announced a plan “to invest more money in Moscato than we have ever invested in any single product launch in the UK.”

However, he stopped short of predicting quite the same level of success for Moscato as it has enjoyed in the US, where the grape has now eclipsed Sauvignon Blanc to become the country’s third biggest selling white variety. “I would be surprised if it got to that level,” he admitted.

Amy Engelhardt, international marketing director for Gallo, suggested that the trend towards sweeter wine styles was not restricted to a female consumer base. “I do think the sweet trend is quite balanced,” she commented. “A significant number of men are also interested in sweeter flavours.”

The 8.5% abv, “lusciously sweet” Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato is due to appear across UK on-trade and off-trade channels from March with an RRP of £6.79.

The Barefoot Moscato, described by Roberts as “a little sweeter” than the Gallo brand, has already seen a limited UK release but is now due to be rolled out in larger quantities.

The company also confirmed ongoing UK investment in other styles, in particular its Gallo Summer Red, launched last year, and E&J Brandy, which Roberts reported “saw 24% growth last year in a challenging market.”

Attributing this success largely to the launch of its 35cl format, Roberts said the company was doubling its investment in a product it believes “really has the opportunity to revitalise the brandy market in the UK.”

In total, Gallo reported a sales increase of 14m cases worldwide, split fairly evenly between its domestic and export markets.

In the UK, the company attributed its 3.5% volume increase within a declining category to its decision three years ago to move away from entry level styles towards varietal wines, which now account for 95% of its sales.

Summing up this latest launch, Roberts concluded: “We’re just trying to find and meet a need that consumers may or may not know they’re looking for.”

The brand, part of the Chivas Brothers portfolio, has strong links with the British Monarchy, including sponsoring charity polo events. Last year Prince Harry played in the Sentebale Polo Cup in Brazil, an event that Royal Salute will again support this year.

Christian Porta, the chairman and CEO, of Chivas Brothers, declined to reveal the format of the celebrations based on Royal Salute, saying that they would be announced “soon”.

Pernod Ricard announced that in the first half of its financial year, which ran to the end of December, Royal Salute saw its sales volumes increase by 27% over the same period in 2010. The value of those sales rose by 34%.

The Royal Salute events will form part of Pernod Ricard’s focus on UK heritage in 2012. In addition, the group is launching a limited “London” edition of Absolut vodka in packaging designed by creative artist Jamie Hewlett, as announced previously by the drinks business.

The company said it was looking for a sales uplift of “about 10%” as a result of the launch of the Absolut London bottle.

This year it will also augment its “London” advertising theme for Beefeater gin in Spain.

Speaking in London today (21 February), he said that the measures to support the Greek economy agreed in Brussels earlier this week plus those put in place at the end of last year, were sufficient to convince him that stability would be returned to the country and the single currency over the medium term.

“We don’t have any contingency plan in connection with the possible destruction of the euro, because I don’t believe that will happen,” Pringuet said.

Pringuet added that while the package to rescue Greece could have been agreed “quicker,” Europe’s public debt problems have been solved. “My perception is that the public debt crisis is over, ” he said.

In addition, Christian Porta, the chairman and chief executive of Pernod Ricard’s Chivas Brothers whisky arm, revealed that while the loss of demand in Greece was unwelcome, in the past year it had already more than compensated for the lost Greek sales via burgeoning sales in Turkey.

Using an annual budget of €500,000, the organisation is targeting 30 restaurants and 30 independent wine merchants in London, Manchester and Edinburgh with promotions and tastings.

Speaking to the drinks business, Nuno Vale, marketing director at ViniPortugal said, “We will be more modern, provocative and aggressive in our promotion of Portuguese wine.”

He explained that the agency was targeting a “more discerning type of customer” through the on- and off-trade, and that the chosen restaurants and merchants would be “ambassadors for Wines of Portugal”

The new campaign is being handled in the UK by PR agency Cube Communications, and will emphasise the diversity of Portuguese wine using the strap line “A World of Difference”.

Vale stressed that ViniPortugal will “communicate we have 250 grape varieties and we want to pass on the message that we have a broad range and that we have stuck to our heritage.”

However, tastings and events will highlight a core of 10 grapes, six of which will be red, and four white.

Beyond the focus on merchants and restaurants, Vale reminded that the UK would retain and expand the Portuguese “Great 50” tasting in June to include consumers.

“This year we will show the wines not only to the trade and press, but consumers too, and we will put on tastings in Manchester and Edinburgh [in addition to London].”

The UK is one of 10 key markets for Portuguese export growth over the next three years, although the greatest promotional budget is being reserved for the more dynamic US and Brazilian markets, said Vale.

Warre’s 2009 Port was bottled to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the liberation of Oporto by the British under the Duke of Wellington, a battle in which the house’s founder, William Warre (pictured), took part.

The cheque was presented to the charity at the Personal Recovery and Assessment Centre at Tedworth House in Wiltshire this week by the joint managing director Paul Symington and his cousin Clare.

Symington said: “We are really delighted that our decision to launch a Warre’s Vintage Port in honour of this young soldier should have raised so much money for today’s wounded, Captain William Warre would undoubtedly have been pleased. The Warre 2009 is an incredibly elegant and complex wine that will age superbly for many decades.”

Bryn Parry, CEO and co-founder of Help for Heroes: “We are very honoured that Warre’s Port and the Symington family chose to mark this anniversary with this donation to Help for Heroes.

“It’s heartening to think that the actions of one soldier 200 years ago have gone towards helping fellow soldiers in another era. H4H is all about ‘doing your bit’ and Warre’s support is fantastic. The money raised is greatly needed and it is hugely appreciated; ensuring the wounded and their families get the support they deserve, for life. On behalf of everyone at Help for Heroes and all those who the money will benefit, thank you.”

Warre fought as a cavalry officer in the Peninsular War under Wellington from 1809 and was awarded Portugal’s highest military honour, the Ordem de São Bento d’Aviz, for his bravery during the campaign.

Michael Silacci

Organised by Wines of Argentina, the event unites local winemakers with the some of the world’s top oenologists.

A record number of wines – 733 wines from 146 wineries, will be blind tasted at the awards this year.

Founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Silacci has been chief winemaker at Opus One since 2001, having come from Stags Leap Wine Cellars.

Grassini meanwhile, is one of the three female judges taking part of the event, alongside Barbara Tamburini, a prominent Italian wine consultant, and Marlene Soria, owner and winemaker of Château Peyre Rose in the Languedoc-Roussillon.

Also taking part in the judging are Anthony Hamilton Russell, owner and winemaker of renowned Walker Bay winery Hamilton Russell in South Africa, and Alastair Maling MW, winemaker at Villa Maria in New Zealand.

“Inviting international winemakers to judge shows just how open Argentina is to sharing what’s happening in the country with the wider wine industry,” said Andrew Maidment of Wines of Argentina.

AWA has been held every year since 2007, with the aim of promoting Argentine wine exports to key markets such as the USA, Canada, Brazil and the UK.

Designed to benchmark and reward the quality and advancement of the Argentine wine industry, the Argentina Wine Awards has become the most important event in the local wine calendar.