When wine is too cheap | New Brief #270
2026-03-02
What is the right price for a wine? It depends on the perspective from which you look at it. For the consumer, it is a price that makes them happy. For the producer, it is
What is the right price for a wine? It depends on the perspective from which you look at it. For the consumer, it is a price that makes them happy. For the producer, it is
Sometimes you get the feeling that wine enthusiasts are more focussed on competition and excelling than anything else. In Sweden, this year’s blind tasting championship has just taken place. Someone won. Someone became Sweden’s best
Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, was shocked when he recently found ready-made spaghetti carbonara with the wrong ingredients in the shop at the European Parliament. Carbonara is made with four ingredients (plus spaghetti, of
Sometimes, one marvels at how all the wines produced manage to find consumers. And the right consumer. The one who enjoys that particular wine. Also, more than half of all wines are consumed in a
For an industry that celebrates tradition and old myths, the wine industry is surprisingly obsessed with news, from the Swedish wine monopoly’s new releases several times a month, manically followed by wine enthusiasts, to visitors’
The French winemaker we had in front of us the other week on the Rhône wine tour looked a little stumped. He had just been asked a question that seemed to be quite straightforward: “Is
“Volcanic origin is not a marketing concept,” says Jean-Baptiste Deroche, referring to the fact that wines can now be certified “volcanic origin” by the Vinora association of which he is chairman. Perhaps not the origin
“Choosing wine for a barbecue can be a challenge.” That’s what it said in a food magazine I read last week when we were in Sweden (in the middle of barbecue season, and indeed, we
No one can have missed that the buzzword in today’s wine industry is adaptation. But that’s nothing new. Wine producers have always had to adapt to changing market conditions. Maybe just a bit more right
This past spring, we have been to Champagne and Bordeaux, among other places. Wine regions that are undeniably masters of their respective wine styles. They have a lot in common, not just the fact that
Our guide at Champagne Leclerc-Briant tells us with a certain pride in her voice that they have planted the grape voltis, Champagne’s eighth permitted (with restrictions) grape variety. This is proof that the house is
There is no real answer to the eternal question “what is your favourite wine”; not for us and probably not for other wine enthusiasts. Much of the fun of wine is about discovery. Discovering new
The Prowein Business Report takes the pulse of the wine industry once a year. The new report states that the wine industry is at a crucial crossroads. That is pretty much what many others are
We all occasionally long for a break from the fast pace of daily life. One way of doing that is to spend time with your food. And I do not just mean eating and drinking,
New trends don’t appear just because the calendar says it’s a new year. But at the end of December, many people have a go at predicting everything new that will happen in the wine world.
The wine world is being flooded with labels. I recently read that Champagne Bollinger was awarded the label “Entreprise du Patrimoine vivant” (roughly “a company that keeps historical tradition alive”); I didn’t even know one
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has probably happened to one or two of our readers as
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has probably happened to one or two of our readers as
What can others learn from Italy? The country has been incredibly dominant in the Swedish market for several years. Italy sells twice as much as Spain and almost twice as much as France. Are the
A wine can be typical or not typical. Typical of what? It can be typical of a grape, a region, a vintage, or a producer. However, most people who taste wine know that it is
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look impressive? This article explains (in quite a lot of detail)
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time someone asked, I realised a little later that I could
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the vineyard,” Stellios Boutaris of Greece’s Kir-Yanni Estate told us back
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it used to be better in the old days when it
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to try something new instead. And there is plenty of new
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to express it in their work. All wine enthusiasts know roughly
It is quite difficult to describe flavours so that others can understand. Flavours, especially when it comes to wine, are mostly described with similes. The wine smells of strawberries or tastes of black currants. Of
In the US, the big news from the wine world this week has been that the American Court of Master Sommeliers is said to have scrapped the Old World and New World definitions in their
The other month, we wrote in the Brief about rules and regulations in the wine industry. The other day, I had reason to ponder this subject again when discussing how to interpret a wine label
Our heads are spinning right now from all the impressions from the autumn wine tours, the wine regions we visited and above all the many growers we met. The Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Champagne, Tuscany, Ribera
What is the right price for a wine? It depends on the perspective from which you look at it. For the consumer, it is a
Sometimes you get the feeling that wine enthusiasts are more focussed on competition and excelling than anything else. In Sweden, this year’s blind tasting championship
Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, was shocked when he recently found ready-made spaghetti carbonara with the wrong ingredients in the shop at the European
Sometimes, one marvels at how all the wines produced manage to find consumers. And the right consumer. The one who enjoys that particular wine. Also,
For an industry that celebrates tradition and old myths, the wine industry is surprisingly obsessed with news, from the Swedish wine monopoly’s new releases several
The French winemaker we had in front of us the other week on the Rhône wine tour looked a little stumped. He had just been
“Volcanic origin is not a marketing concept,” says Jean-Baptiste Deroche, referring to the fact that wines can now be certified “volcanic origin” by the Vinora
“Choosing wine for a barbecue can be a challenge.” That’s what it said in a food magazine I read last week when we were in
No one can have missed that the buzzword in today’s wine industry is adaptation. But that’s nothing new. Wine producers have always had to adapt
This past spring, we have been to Champagne and Bordeaux, among other places. Wine regions that are undeniably masters of their respective wine styles. They
Our guide at Champagne Leclerc-Briant tells us with a certain pride in her voice that they have planted the grape voltis, Champagne’s eighth permitted (with
There is no real answer to the eternal question “what is your favourite wine”; not for us and probably not for other wine enthusiasts. Much
The Prowein Business Report takes the pulse of the wine industry once a year. The new report states that the wine industry is at a
We all occasionally long for a break from the fast pace of daily life. One way of doing that is to spend time with your
New trends don’t appear just because the calendar says it’s a new year. But at the end of December, many people have a go at
The wine world is being flooded with labels. I recently read that Champagne Bollinger was awarded the label “Entreprise du Patrimoine vivant” (roughly “a company
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has
Everyone who reads the Brief is probably more or less a wine enthusiast. We are, of course. We have been called geeks and it has
What can others learn from Italy? The country has been incredibly dominant in the Swedish market for several years. Italy sells twice as much as
A wine can be typical or not typical. Typical of what? It can be typical of a grape, a region, a vintage, or a producer.
Are wine competition medals a useful buying indicator for consumers? Or are wine competitions a scam where producers buy medals to make their bottles look
“What is your favourite wine (or favourite region)?” I get asked this a lot, and it is an impossible question to answer. The last time
No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel. “Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the
The alcohol content in wine has been controversial for some time. We often hear people complain that the alcohol is too high and that it
Surveys show that young people who drink wine are no longer loyal to a particular brand. This is good; maybe they will be curious to
One word that stands out in all wine communication today is “terroir”. Wine drinkers claim to find it in the wine, and winemakers strive to
It is quite difficult to describe flavours so that others can understand. Flavours, especially when it comes to wine, are mostly described with similes. The
In the US, the big news from the wine world this week has been that the American Court of Master Sommeliers is said to have
The other month, we wrote in the Brief about rules and regulations in the wine industry. The other day, I had reason to ponder this
Our heads are spinning right now from all the impressions from the autumn wine tours, the wine regions we visited and above all the many
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