Wine Sediments

The French are charmingly smug about their devotion to red wine, Gitanes and food cooked in goose fat. A study of 34,000 Frenchmen, conducted in 1997, indicated that a glass or two or red wine each day reduced mortality rates by a startling 30%. This is despite heavy consumption of saturated fats, stressful working conditions, […]

Today’s wine bottle comes from a long history of wine storage. Originally, containers were made of stone, wood, leather or earthenware. The Greek amphora was used to store up to 30 gallons of wine or oil. During the dark ages, casks were invented, but for long term storage, they imparted a bit too much oakiness!
The […]

The AP reports that Oregon grape growers are smiling these days because of an above average grape harvest. While the exact numbers for the harvest are not available until November, the rumor is that this harvest is 15 to 20 percent higher than usual.
For the last two years, Oregon grape growers have not been so […]

While most of us are happy to buy wine to cellar briefly or drink immediately, the serious collectors among us may want to exercise some extra caution when bidding these days, as counterfeit wine discoveries are on the rise. According to an Agence France-Presse article at Yahoo.com, recent Bordeaux frauds are a buyer and seller […]

It’s hard to fight against the law of supply and demand, and the October 30th issue of Time magazine’s European edition features an in-depth cover article about how economics are wreaking havoc in the wine market. From France to Australia, winemakers are feeling the pinch as consumption, although increasing overall, cannot keep up with the […]

The old saying goes that it usually pays to follow the KISS rule - Keep It Simple, Stupid. Beverage World reports that a top European Union official appears to think this rule should be applied to European wine makers. The specific countries targeted by the comments are France, Italy and Germany, according to […]

Health Warnings on wine bottles - that is the headline in many UK newspapers this weekend announcing the governments plans to introduce a standard warning on all drink bottles next year.
It comes after pressure from the EU but is also part of the governments drive to tackle alcohol abuse and binge drinking. The warnings will […]

 
 
To AOC or not to AOC? That is the question bedeviling the French wine industry as it fights to keep its place on the world wine stage. For years, the �AOC,� or �Appellation d�Origine Contr�l�e,� symbolized both the quality and the huge variety of French wines. Now that so many other countries are producing high […]

My home town of Henley has just lost the crown to a London borough as the top internet purchasing town in the UK. It has slipped down to number two in the country; but whatever its position, the town spends thousands a week on the internet. This fact explains the ever present Ocado, Tesco and […]