France (and some other major European wine countries) is fighting tooth and nail to maintain planting rights in Europe. And even though they have managed to obtain an extension they are far from satisfied. The new system of controlled growth (which is not so different from the system that has been in force since the [...]
Tag Archives | silly
Even the simplest French wines can now mention the grape variety, except some
How provincial protectionism makes it more difficult to sell French wines Vin de France, that is the new name for “vin de table” (wine without a specific appellation, AOP, or IGP), can now have the grape name mentioned on the label. Except for some varieties. It used to be that Vin de Table (now Vin [...]
Planting rights, no thank you!
Quite some time back I wrote a guest article on the blog Les 5 du Vin on planting rights. They have moved the blog to a new platform and the article seems to have disappeared. Or I just can’t find it. So here it is again. My article on why the anachronistic and protectionist system [...]
Fat Bastard on video
Arrogant Frog and Fat Bastard are two rather unpleasant brand names for unpretentious French wines. And they happen to be big sellers on the export market. If the names show foreigners’ idea of the French or just what the French think is the opinion of them in other countries, we really don’t know. Now the [...]
Let’s talk business: Why Planting Rights is a bad idea
“Planting rights” is an archaic system that limits the rights to plant new vines and protects the incumbent wine producers from competition. In this article Per Karlsson explains why it is bad for wine consumers and also bad for the long term health of the wine industry as a whole. My primary interest in wine [...]
Wine marketing or luxury silliness: Penfolds’ The Ampoule
In marketing you can find a lot of very strange and curious ideas, not least in the wine sector since wine marketing is very restricted in most countries. But the latest idea from Penfolds must be high up on the list among the most silly things and most over the top ideas. Or have I [...]
Should ”planting rights” be abolished or not?
“Planting Rights” is an archaic system by which winegrowers are not allowed to plant new vines (extend their vineyards) unless they have “planting rights”. Without these “rights” nothing can be planted. It has been in place for many years in the big wine producing countries in Europe, to some extent as counterpart to the government [...]
Why the system of Planting Rights should be abolished
“Planting Rights” is an archaic system by which winegrowers are not allowed to plant new vines (extend their vineyards) unless they have “planting rights”. Without these “rights” nothing can be planted. It has been in place for many years in the big wine producing countries in Europe, to some extent as a counter-party to the [...]
When marketing goes over the top and becomes grotesque: Penfolds’ “The Ampoule”
The £100,000 wine bottle now for sale In marketing you can find a lot of very strange and curious ideas, not least in the wine sector since wine marketing is very restricted in most countries. But the latest idea from Penfolds must be high up on the list among the most silly things and most [...]
What will be next? No-alcohol vodka?
Actually, that is exactly what the Swedish monopolist retailer Systembolaget has launched, but of the flavoured kind, called “snaps”, or aquavit if you prefer. Basically, aquavit is just a white spirit (vodka is a good start) with some spices. The monopoly has launched a set of 0% akvavits. is there a point? We have not [...]
Champagne in Beaujolais? Are the Champenois crazy?
We all know that Champagne is protecting its name with an almost fanatical intensity. God help the non-champagne-producer who puts the name of Champagne on the label. We read in the French wine magazine La Revue du Vin de France that the latest region to experience the wrath of the Champagne producers is Fleurie, one [...]
Sexism and equality in wine packaging
What do you think is most suggestive? Stylised pouting lips and the name “Wacky Chicks”, or A young girl with a flimsy skirt (petticoat?), with a wistful man with a flower, and the name “Untouched”? A while back we told you the story of a Swedish wine importer that had had his wine banned from [...]
Champagne raises yields with 20%
Champagne is one of the few wine regions where the permitted yield is modified almost every year. This is done in an effort to manipulate supply and demand and the prices that champagne sell for. The control organism, the interprofession Comité interprofessionnel des vins de champagne (CIVC), recently decided to raise the maximum yield for [...]
Wine and sex: don’t be fooled by pouting lips. You may be fined.
The Swedish monopoly retailer Systembolaget has cancelled sales of a wine brand called Wacky Chicks whose label is covered with pouting lips or lipstick prints, according to www.wownews.se. The monopolist considers the label to be in violation of current marketing regulations: “The combination of pouting lips and the name gives the impression, in our opinion, [...]
Vine planting rights: a return to protectionism?
A few years back all EU countries agreed to a reform of the agricultural policies concerning the wine sector. One element was to abolish the existing system with planting rights, that decrees that a grower has to ask for strictly controlled planting rights from the authorities. One consequence is e.g. that a successful producer cannot [...]
Freedom to the vines? Should planting rights be abolished?
A few years ago the EU countries agreed a big reform of the wine production sector. A big part of this was the abolishment in time of the “planting rights” system. (It was also suggested that chaptalisation, adding sugar to increase the alcohol level, should be forbidden but winemakers protested too much.) The planting rights [...]
Languedoc to introduce Grand Cru…
Some areas in the Languedoc, that fulfil certain criteria, will be classified as Grand Cru according to a new proposal from the producers association, the CIVL. They want to have two levels: Grands Vins du Languedoc and Grand Cru du Languedoc. Grands Vins will include Minervois, Corbières, Saint Chinian, sparkling Limoux, Malpère, Faugères, Cabardès, muscat [...]
DRC wines on ice until fair monopoly trade is invented
Some of the world’s most expensive wines come from Domaine de la Romanée Conti in Burgundy. They can go for around 4000€. Per bottle. The Swedish monopoly Systembolaget received its allocation of the 2006 wines early 2009. They have still not been sold in the monopoly stores though. According to WOW News there is a [...]
Coteaux du Tricastin changes name to avoid nuclear contamination
Coteaux du Tricastin is a relatively well known appellation in the southern Rhone valley. However, it has now changed name to Grignan les Adhémar. Within France Tricastin is better known for its nuclear power plant and the wine producers have since several years campaigned for a name change of the AOC/AOP since they think the [...]
Today’s scoop
We read in The Guardian a long (it feels) article about a wine expert called Tim Hanni who, according to what the Guardian says, recommends that wine consumers should ignore what the wine critics say and drink what they like themselves… And where is the news item? Read more about this revolutionizing opinion: www.guardian.co.uk
Catastrophe relief organisations refuse donations from wine importers
In the newsletter WoW News we read that several catastrophe relief organisations in Sweden have refused or returned donations from wine importers who have wanted to support the work in Haiti. SOS Children’s Villages is one of the (heartless?) organisations. “We don’t accept money from companies who works with guns, pornography, tobacco or alcohol”, says [...]
Another bright bottle idea?
Dom Pérignon, the luxury champagne brand made by Moët & Chandon, i.e. the luxury products group LVMH, has launched a special packaging of the Dom Pérignon bottle for night clubs. It is called “lightskin” and for a reason. It is a tight fitting plastic cover that glows in the dark (maybe so that you can [...]
This month’s must-have wine gadget: the screw cap opener
Dr. Vino is a wine blogger with a talent to unearth unusual and intriguing stories. He has found this month’s wine accessory that one should definitely not be without: a “cork screw” for bottles closed with screw cap the Butterfly Wine Opener. How else will you be able to open with flair those challenging screw [...]
The magic of words: Chaume is “grand cru” or “premier cru” or both?
The French sometimes put too much stock in the magic of words and in the value of appellations, as this story, just one of several about AOC and name wrangling, shows: In 2003 a new appellation was launched in the Loire Valley, with the blessing of the INAO of course: the AC Chaume Premier Cru, [...]
Sex sells wine
No doubt it can contribute to the sales. The producer is called Domaine de l’Abbaye de Saint Hilaire. The monastic style seems to have been lost a long time ago, judging from their communications. A semi-nude young girl in a gigantic wine glass at a launch party, videos with barely covered ladies who let the [...]
Naked Absolut – Absolut irony
We read in the newsletter WoW News (no, it’s not about computer games!) that Absolut Vodka is launching a new marketing campaign: Naked Absolut: ” In An Absolut World, There Are No Labels” with e.g. the catch phrase Absolute Anticipation. They have launched a special bottle on the theme, without any label. WoW quotes Kristina [...]
Difficult times in Bordeaux – Let’s increase production!
AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur are one of several regions that have a difficult time. 2008 was a small harvest and some areas were seriously hit by hail in 2009. Export and demand in general is down. Prices are falling. So what is the response from AC Bx & Bx Sup? Increase production. Next year [...]
What is the worlds best classical symphony? The world’s best car? The best pub in London? The world’s best champagne?
Well, that would depend on what one is looking for and one’s taste you may think. But not so for wine perhaps? Many people have some kind of belief that there is an absolute scale of quality for wine. The magazine Fine Champagne has decided on what is “the world’s best champagne” in a recent [...]
Rhone vineyard next location for American ’reality show’
According to a press release from Vignobles Investissement they have been tasked by the Film Commission of Luberon Vaucluse to find a suitable winery location to record a series of reality shows. It is the American producer PBS that is producing the series. Apparently, the programs have already been shot, during the 2009 harvest. When [...]
Just like hand sewn shoes?
Chateau Angélus in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, is not making hand sewn shoes but something of the sort – haute couture. They destem their grapes by hand. When you make red wine in nine cases out of ten (or more) you destem the grape bunches. Using a destemmer, you feed it with grape bunches and out [...]
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