Maison Joseph Drouhin celebrates its 140th anniversary

The iconic Burgundy Maison Joseph Drouhin celebrates its 140th anniversary.

The Joseph Drouhin Domaine is one of the largest estates in Burgundy. It owns vineyards in all of Burgundy: Chablis, Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise. It is comprised of a majority of Premier and Grand Crus. Some vineyards are among the most famous in Burgundy, such as Clos des Mouches, Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne…
Drouhin family also owns an estate in Oregon (USA) planted with the two Burgundian grape varietals, pinot noir and chardonnay.

Antinori and the Future of Wine

In 2017, Albiera Antinori was appointed the first female president of the legendary Tuscany wine dynasty. She made a great interview in Wine-Searcher about her hopes and predictions for the future.

Where did it all begin?
I was born in Lausanne, a city on Lake Geneva. My childhood was idyllic – I had the chance to grow up in the family’s 15th-Century Palazzo Antinori in the center of Renaissance Florence, as well as on the family’s wine estates in Chianti Classico and Bolgheri. I’m very lucky.

As you approached adulthood, was there always the expectation from your father that you’d become involved in the family business?
Actually when I was 18, I remember that I was thinking about studying architecture or veterinary medicine. Of course, when you’re that age, you don’t always have a clear vision of your future. I guess that the first harvest at Castello della Sala back in 1986 was the best way to start understanding the world of wine, and to get interested in all the phases of the vineyard and wine, gradually, step by step.

In July 2017, you became the first woman to lead the Marchesi Antinori company. You have two sisters also involved in the business – are you enjoying the responsibility?
More than a responsibility it is an honor. Having such a long history of producing quality wines and representing Italian excellence when traveling is an honor. Obviously, there is the obligation of being compared against the generations before, and this is probably the difficult part, but together with my sisters Allegra and Alessia, who serve as vice-presidents of the family company, we will do our best especially for the people who are working with us.

You have invested in California, Washington state, Chile, Hungary, Malta and Romania. Will the future see a continuation of this strategy?
We decided to invest in Italy and abroad not just in vineyards and wineries but also with people in order to have in each estate a strong sense of identity. Regarding possible interests in new wine regions around the world, we put an eye whenever something new arises. However, that doesn’t mean that we are on the hunt for any new investments.

The heads of family wine businesses often speak openly concerning their fears about the company being sold, and the difficulty in keeping everyone happy, particularly in periods of transition or generational handover. Do you worry about this?
In our case, each generation is like a lifelong learning path; ours is not finished yet and there isn’t a specific moment when the new generation begins. It’s much more of a fluid process. Right now, there are three generations supporting each other; that is the life-blood in a business like ours, but it has to happen in a natural way, no planning nor arrangements. I hope that this will be the same for our children, too. It is a neverending cycle, a learning job that, at a certain point, becomes also a training job for the next generation. Also, in order to strengthen the bond between our family and our company, in 2012, together with my father and my sisters, we established the Trust Piero Antinori that “holds” all the properties together for 90 years. So this will keep everything together for at least three generations.

In the past, you’ve been highly critical of the quality of (some) Chianti being made in Tuscany. Have significant improvements been made, in Classico and other sub-regions?
I think that a lot of work has been done and significant improvements have been made over time in the Chianti Classico region. Nowadays there is no reason why Chianti Classico and Super Tuscans should be considered on different levels; one being a traditional expression, the other being a more international expression, due to the varieties. There are quite a few internationally recognized Super Tuscans produced in the Chianti Classico area that have well demonstrated, across the past 30 years, their capability and great quality.

You have said that Sangiovese simply “cannot travel” – do you still feel the same?
It’s true that it doesn’t travel easily. Tuscany and Sangiovese have a unique bond that goes back centuries. Here, Sangiovese has found a perfect combination of different factors that allow its perfect expression in every single Tuscan wine region where it grows. That being said, I cannot exclude that, years from now, we will be able to find another perfect match like the one between Sangiovese and Tuscany. However, to date, the most interesting expressions of Sangiovese are still to be found in Tuscany.

A debate continues to rage across Spain – particularly in Rioja – about segmentation and vineyard zoning in the Burgundian mould. If this something you would like for Chianti Classico?
Too much confusion between the appellations is usually never a help to improve perception and quality of both the wines and the single wine regions, so a terroir classification might be a good method to pursue in the future. The Chianti Classico appellation is studying a possibility of zoning the Gran Selezione but, as in other areas, there are long discussions.

Where do you stand on climate change – exaggerated threat or looming disaster?
Climate is something that people who have to deal with agriculture have always depended on. Farmers know that there are good and bad years. That is a big part of the fun. But climate is really changing. Not so much on average, but in extremes. If it rains, it pulls down half a hill. If it is hot, it is boiling hot and dry for weeks. That’s still manageable, and as temperatures are rising somewhat overall, we can also grow vines in locations that were not perfect in the past, such as northeast slopes and higher altitudes. Saying this, we all have to contribute to avoid useless wastes and to operate in a sustainable way at all levels.

In 2019, what do you feel is your key business asset, and potential weakness?
The quality of the product has always been the most important asset for all our wines together with a long and consistent history and commitment. But there are commercial limitations, climate change and declining wine consumption to worry about.

Putting wine aside, what are your other passions?
Traveling in Bolgheri, eating Asian food and horse riding. I also I have a strong passion for architecture. Generally speaking, I’m always very connected with nature, but I’m very much into art as well.

Finally – what do you want from the future?
A healthy and solid winery and new generations happily working for the family business.

An article from Wine-Searcher by James Lawrence
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/12/antinori-and-the-future-of-wine

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Buys Flora Springs Estate in Napa

Château Smith Haut Lafitte owners Daniel and Florence Cathiard announced yesterday that they completed the purchase of an historic estate winery in Rutherford, California. Originally founded in 1885 by the Scottish Rennie Brothers, and located on the lower slopes of the Mayacamas mountains, the estate includes 59 vineyard acres plus 200 forest acres. It was previously the home of Flora Springs.
The purchase does not include the Flora Springs brand which will be retained by the Komes and Garvey families. The Komes and Garvey families will move the brand to a nearby winery to continue operations. John and Carrie Komes and Julie and Pat Garvey established Flora Springs in 1978 at Komes Ranch. They are retaining the Flora Springs name; still own more than 275 acres of other vineyards in Napa Valley; will retain the Flora Springs tasting room on Highway 29; and will continue to make Flora Springs wines.
Since its purchase by these two ski champions thirty years ago, Château Smith Haut Lafitte has become one of the leading first growths of Bordeaux. The Cathiards intend to to apply to the historic Rutherford estate the same recipes which made for success in Bordeaux “low yields, organic farming of the grapes, meticulous vinification with extreme attention to details.”
In an email, Florence Cathiard told Wine Business Monthly she had been visiting wineries in Napa for the past couple of years.
“Last August we had “a coup de foudre” for the historic one block estate founded by the Rennie brothers in 1885, belonging since 1977 to the Komes & Garvey family under the name of Flora Springs,” she said. “We think the terroir is exceptional. Since the wines we shall be making there will be different, we did not buy inventory and brand. Our first harvest will be in 2020 with the help of Fabien Teitgen who, like us, has now one foot each side of & American west coasts.”
Cathiard said Ben Morken, a US oenologist & agronomic engineer who already trained at Smith Haut Lafitte, will start as winemaker on April 1, based at “Cathiard family estate” in Rutherford. Smith Haut Lafitte head winemaker Fabien Teitgen will overlook the production, traveling from Bordeaux to Napa several times a year.
“This new adventure reminds us of our beginnings at SHL 30 years ago and we have exactly the same expectations,” Cathiard said.
“Daniel and I already went to Napa three times since August to close this deal, we will undertake important work at both the winery and the main house on the estate in order to receive our guests,” she said. “We will spend a month between July and August this year to overlook improvements. … No doubt we will be in Napa a few times a year to cherish this new project.”
Cathiard said a final decision on a brand name for Cathiard estate will come later, with a possible first release in 2022.
The 280-acre estate includes 59 acres in Rutherford (with some of it in St Helena) and was founded in 1885, originally, by two brothers from Scotland, the Rennie brothers. It was subsequently purchased by Jerry and Flora Komes in 1977, and John Komes set up Flora Springs in 1978.
International Wine Associates represented the Komes and Garvey families and initiated the transaction.The purchase does not include the Flora Springs brand which will be retained by the Komes and Garvey families.

An article from Wine Business by Cyril Penn
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=225021

Australia fires: Adelaide Hills region, Vineyard owner’s grief and determination

Australia’s deadly wildfires have devastated huge swathes of territory and left thousands homeless. Many businesses have also been destroyed, among them vineyards which have taken generations to grow, as the BBC’s Peter Hoskins writes.
“It’s a bit like losing a parent, a mother or father,” says James Tilbrook.
He is no stranger to wildfires. The Adelaide Hills region, where his winery and vineyard once stood, had twice been hit by major blazes in the two decades he’s tended this land.
When smoke appeared on the horizon on the morning of 20 December he knew it was going to be bad but could only hope his 20 acres (8 hectares) would again be spared.
As the flames grew closer there was nothing that could be done but flee the fire. He returned to a scene of almost total devastation.
For him, the emotional impact was akin to losing a close family member and the grieving process that follows.
“You know, the very first day that it happens, or maybe up to a week afterwards, you’re absolutely in shock and then you go to the funeral… and it’s another shock.”
Within a matter of hours the Tilbrook family had been left without a livelihood, as well as facing the huge cost of replacing what had been lost in the fire.
“From the business point of view, we’ve lost our income, we’ve lost our livelihood.”
“I’m reckoning that two years-worth of income, plus the equipment, conservatively, is about half a million (Australian) dollars (£262,800; $344,000).
“Then there’s all the cost of the vineyard… potentially another $200,000… You’re talking about $700,000.”

Much left to burn
Mr Tilbrook’s story is one that has been seen time and time again as the bushfires swept across Australia, hitting large parts of the wine industry.
Since September, at least 27 people have died in fires, which have destroyed more than 10 million hectares across the country.
The fires, and the severe drought that contributed to them, is seriously affecting producers, according to industry lobby group Australian Grape and Wine.
Tony Battaglene, the group’s chief executive told the BBC that the situation may not improve any time soon.
“I wish the worst was behind us. Our bushfire season in Australia traditionally starts around December and will go on for three or four months. We have started very early this year, so it’s very early days indeed.”
“From the photos and the pictures you’ll see, it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot more to burn, but I can assure you there is.”
Australian Grape and Wine says Queensland and the Adelaide Hills region have been hit particularly hard.
In Queensland it predicts that production for 2020 is likely to be a fraction of last year’s due to water shortages.
The fires have also potentially wiped out a third of wine production in the Adelaide Hills region, according to the area’s industry association.
Of the region’s 3,300 hectares of vineyards, around 1,100 hectares have been directly affected by the bushfires. Producers don’t just face the direct impact of the blazes but also smoke damage, or so-called “smoke taint”.
Bushfire smoke can permeate the skin of the grapes as they ripen, causing wine to have an unpleasant smoky taste.

‘Battle on… keep trying’
Geoff Weaver owns a vineyard at Lenswood, high in the Adelaide Hills, which was also damaged in December.
He told the BBC: “We’ve lost all our sheds and equipment. We’ve also lost about 30% of our vines.”
But Mr Weaver sent a defiant message to his fellow winemakers, telling them: “Battle on. Keep trying to make the best wine you possibly can and challenge the world markets with the best wines we can make in Australia.”
That spirit of determination was echoed by James Tilbrook.
“A mixture of anger getting angry about stuff that you shouldn’t really get angry about, tears when you get upset about stuff but joy at the same time that you’ve got these little wins, and also faith in humanity that people are there to help.”
Much of that support has come through the vineyard’s Facebook page, with professionals from electricians to lawyers offering expertise, and materials, as well as people who just came along to help out.
“I’ve basically put out posts that have been shared and shared and shared and shared again. As a result we’ve had a lot of volunteers, we’ve had about a hundred so far.”
“We definitely couldn’t have done it without all these people.”

An article from BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50979489

Wine vs. Big Tech in Government Hearings over Tariffs on French Bubbly

Two days of public testimony saw tech giants argue that France needs to be punished, while wine importers and retailers said they would be the ones to suffer
It was Google versus Veuve Clicquot at the U.S. International Trade Commission building in Washington, D.C., earlier this week, as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer held two days of hearings over whether the government should impose 100 percent tariffs on French sparkling wines, handbags, cookware and other goods. On one panel, lobbyists for tech companies argued that the tariffs were necessary to punish France for its digital service tax, which the Trump administration believes unfairly discriminates against American companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google.
On multiple other panels, nearly two dozen members of the U.S. wine industry argued that the tariffs were mis-targeted and would end up punishing thousands of American workers at importers, distributors, restaurants and retailers across the country.
“The domino effect of unintended consequences from the proposed tariffs would be catastrophic for tens of thousands of American businesses,” Ben Aneff, managing director of Tribeca Wine Merchants, a New York retailer, told Lighthizer and other officials at the hearing. He said those tariffs, as well as those proposed in a separate trade fight over airplane manufacturers, posed “the greatest threat to the wine industry since Prohibition.”
The sparkling wine spat is completely separate from the airplane battle. In that dispute, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs in October on most wines from France, Spain and Germany in retaliation for government subsidies given to Airbus. The European Union and the U.S. have yet to reach an agreement in that battle, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is considering raising the tariffs to 100 percent and extending them to all E.U. wines. The USTR is accepting comments on the proposal through Jan. 13.
The sparkling dispute stems from France’s digital services tax, which imposes a 3 percent digital services tax on firms with more €750 million in global revenue, and €25 million in revenue in France. The Trump Administration argues the tax unfairly targets American Internet companies, while sparing French firms. USTR outlined its findings in a report released in early December, and also announced plans to impose 100 percent retaliatory duties on as much as $2.4 billion worth of French goods, including all sparkling wines. The French government argues that big international tech firms are profiting off of French consumers but not paying sufficient taxes.
While the big tech firms skipped the hearings, their lobbyists argued the tariffs were painful but necessary. The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents Facebook, Amazon and Google, urged the USTR to pass the tariffs in order to warn other nations who are considering similar taxes. “USTR [should] use remedial tools at its disposal to deter France and to send a strong message to other countries who are finalizing or have proposed a similar national digital tax,” Rachael Stelly, policy counsel at the CCIA, testified.
Sam Rizzo, policy director at the Information Technology Industry Council, echoed that. “Today’s hearing … is about more than the French digital services tax,” he said. “It is about preventing the wide-scale application of targeted, unilateral taxes, which stand to undermine a functioning international tax system and compromise the predictability it has afforded to companies to conduct business globally.”
That was little comfort to the wine companies who testified, most of whom operate on much smaller profit margins than Facebook. “These tariffs from the Airbus dispute are already having a negative impact on wine retailers across the country. I have already laid off four employees,” said Jeff Zacharia, of retailer Zachy’s. He was testifying on behalf of the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR). “Imposing more tariffs on wines from France because of the France digital service tax will completely devastate our members. I’m sure that if these extra tariffs go into effect I will lay off more employees.

An article from Wine Spectator by Mitch Frank
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/wine-versus-big-tech-in-government-hearings-over-tariffs-on-french-bubbly

10 Food and Beverage Trends to Know for 2020

According to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ sixth annual “Culinary & Cocktails Trend Forecast” — which surveys 130 chefs, sommeliers, general managers and bartenders from 75 Kimpton restaurants and bars — here are hottest trends that will take over the food and beverage industry next year.

1. Alternative diets become mainstream.
Diets once considered alternative are now the norm, so expect to see gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and keto options become menu mainstays. According to 31% of chefs surveyed, it is no longer enough to have just one or two of these options on the menu. Oat and hemp milks will continue to dominate menus in 2020, alongside nut-based, dairy-free cheeses; and we’ll see more gluten-free options in traditionally carb-centric dishes like pasta and breads, using almond flour, rice flour, guar gum, or tapioca.

2. Healthy ingredients take the spotlight.
Superfoods are now commonplace, and we’ll see more up-and-coming healthy items, like nutritional yeast, ashwagandha, collagen peptides, and seaweed. As an evolution of last year’s trend, fermented foods with gut-healthy probiotics are continuing to grow in popularity, with tempeh, pickled vegetables, infused vinegars, and fermented dairy products popping up on more menus across the globe.

3. Plant-based goes mainstream.
The Kimpton study said that 51% of respondents predict plant-based meat alternatives will solidify their mainstream status in 2020, and there will be even more plant-based takes on traditional meat dishes. In fact, 30% of chefs predicted vegetable tartare will be infiltrating restaurant menus in the New Year. Chefs will also be adding more vegetables into pasta, pizza, breads, and sauces; and even creating full-vegetable burgers, jerky and chips, made from ingredients like mushrooms, eggplant, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, or cauliflower.

4. Love for Levantine cuisine.
Levantine cuisine — including Israeli, Turkish, and Lebanese — is predicted as the most influential style for menus in 2020, according to nearly 40% of chefs surveyed. S’chug (a Mediterranean hot sauce) and muhammara (a red pepper and walnut spread found in Turkish and Levantine dishes) topped the list for spreads and sauces in this year’s forecast.

5. Cross-cultural fusions increase.
Dishes that bridge culinary regions will be among the most popular trends, with more than half of chefs incorporating cross-cultural fusion dishes onto menus such as Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisine, French with Scandinavian flavors, Cantonese Chinese and Peruvian (or Chifa), and American South with Japanese. Expect to see regional and indigenous-inspired cuisine, including more Native American, Scandinavian, Peruvian, and Russian influences.

6. Restaurants with a purpose emerge.
Partnerships with local artists, distillers, farmers, purveyors, community members, and more will be important to diners and restaurants alike. Sustainability will also continue to take center stage, as diners demand transparency across ingredients, sourcing and production, and policies to reduce restaurants’ environmental footprints.

7. Spritzes will reign supreme.
Influences from Mediterranean regions will shape bar menus, according to nearly half (46%) of respondents. Light, refreshing, often low-alcohol spritzes will be all over bar menus in 2020. These lower-sugar, crisper cocktails are the next evolution of the Spanish Gin & Tonic, which took over bars a few years ago.

8. Mezcal dominates liquors.
Mezcal will continue to dominate in 2020, with more than a third of respondents choosing it as the predicted spirit of choice next year. Expect to see the rise of alternative-grain spirits like Baijiu, Shochu, and Soju, which originated in China, Japan, and Korea, respectively. Whisky highballs — a trend largely driven by the popularity of lighter Japanese whiskies — are predicted to gain a cult following next year, followed closely by spiked seltzers and the return of the Paloma.

9. Sour beers and organic wines rise up.
Bartenders predict the rise of sour beers in the year ahead, following the popularity of hazy or juicy IPAs and high-alcohol kombuchas as a beer alternative. Next year’s biggest wine trend will be the emergence of more natural wines, or wines farmed organically without adding or removing anything in the cellar. Orange wines and Pét-Nat sparkling wines are also becoming more popular with wine aficionados.

10. Spritz culture will also affect coffee.
Coffee spritzes will be the drink of 2020, according to nearly a third of respondents. Drinks like the Espresso Tonic will be requested all year round. The other top coffee trends for 2020 include nitro coffee on tap, cold brew alternatives, and CBD coffee.

An article from Travel Market Report by Jessica Montevago
https://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/10-Food-and-Beverage-Trends-to-Know-for-2020

Essex farmer claims first British Baijiu

Baijiu, China’s most popular and enduring spirit, has continued its outward march into international markets over the past year with a new London-based spirits body and a global partnership with Pernod Ricard. And now it has a variant homegrown in the UK.
The product, via Essex farmer Pete Thompson, uses 100% British grown sorghum grains and is launching on January 25 to coincide with Chinese New Year.
Thompson’s Baijiu has been made in partnership with the English Spirit Distillery. Fermentation using enzymes in the traditional way is followed by distillation, which raises the abv to a hefty 50%.
The Thompson family has been growing vegetables for the UK Chinese restaurant sector for three generations.
The fruit grower recently spoke to Harpers about the development of the family’s range of spirits, Reliquum, which has been made from left over food products which would have otherwise gone to waste.
The product is in step with a number of other ‘otherwise discarded’ NPDs that have hit the market recently, including William Grant and Sons’ Discarded coffee vermouth and banana peel rum.
“We’ve always made sloe gin like farming families do from apricots and plums,” said Thompson, who also makes an eau de vie-spiked gin and more recently, a Calvados-inspired apple brandy from apples leftover apples on his Essex orchards.
“We’ve always tried to work holistically. But recently, we’ve been looking at people who are doing all sorts of interesting things with preserves and fermentation. Really, you can do something with everything. With spring onions and cabbage, we could be making kimchi. And now there’s the Baijiu which we’re making out of our sorghum, as most of our core farming business goes to UK restaurants and Chinese supermarkets.”
Baijiu often tops the IWSR and others’ lists as the most-widely drunk spirit in the world thanks almost entirely to its popularity with China’s 1.4 billion-strong population.
It is largely unknown to British palates.
Thompson however believes that there is a growing market in the UK, either as a sipping spirit in the traditional Chinese fashion, or as a cocktail ingredient.
“I would equate it to a really complex mezcal. Ours is smooth and malty and has a real unami flavour,” he said.
Thompson’s Baijiu carries an RRP £45 for 500ml with 50% abv.

An article from Harpers by Jo Gilbert
https://harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/26461

 

UPDATE  22nd of January 2020 => Thank you to one of our readers for informing us V.I.P Jiu 8 – The Imperial Baijiu is an older UK Baijiu,  created in 2014. For more information https://www.vipjiu8.com

 

Chapoutier Sicamor

Chapoutier is releasing a new Crozes-Hermitage: Sicamor. 100% Syrah is a blend of different terroirs. Looking forward…

https://www.chapoutier.com