The people of Québec will no longer be able to fill up their empty bottles. The SAQ has decided to put an end to their sales of wine in bulk, after sales had been falling: from 15 million Canadian dollars in 2005, to just 7.5 million dollars today, making up just 6% of the total sales made at SAQ depots. The SAQ explained their decision by saying that they will be making improvements, with product offers and discounts in their stores, which will make better economic sense for the customer than filling their own bottles. This increase in alternative sales is intended to compensate for the loss of revenue from bulk sales, with the hope that it may even exceed it.

Until now, the slowing down of the economy has not affected SAQ’s sales. (Source: WineAlley.com / Le Devoir)

Oeneo Group achieved sales of €32 million in the first quarter of 2009, a 6.8% decrease compared to the €34.3 million in sales accomplished in the first quarter of 2008. This decrease is partially due to poor results in the barrel-making division, whose sales decreased by 15.3% down to €17 million. The cork division, on the other hand, posted a 5.1% increase up to €15 million, supported by significant growth in the Diam cork range. (Source: VSB)

The debate has raged on for weeks now; winegrower trade unions, and wine producers all over France have appealed to the public to express its opposition to the proposed plan by Brussels to authorise the production of rosé through the process of blending to produce table wines without any specific geographic origin. The latter represents around 10% of rosé wine production in France and overall the production of rosé wine makes up 10 to 12% of French wine production. The issue could have been seen to be minor it has, however, created a heated public debate. On Monday 8th June Marianne Fischer-Boel announced the European Commission’s decision to maintain the ban on making rosé wine by blending red and white wine together to make wines without a specific geographic origin. The European commissioner for Agriculture commented, “It is important to listen to our wine producers when they are worried about changes in EU regulations. It was clear from what we have seen over these last few weeks that the majority of our wine-producing sector thought that to put an end to the ban on blending would taint the traditional image of the rosé wine.” (Source: WineAlley.com)

It’s got no vineyards of it sown, but a new winery hopes its “Made in Hong Kong” label will make a mark on the growing Asian market.

The 8th Estate Winery has produced Hong Kong's first wine, using grapes that are shipped frozen from other countries.

The thawing, fermentation, aging and blending of the grapes takes place at the winery, which has just released its first batch of reds, whites and ice wines.

"We always label where our grapes came from and we are quite proud to say where the varieties are sourced," said winery director Lysanne Tusar.

The 8th Estate has so far produced 100,000 bottles, of which 60,000 have been sold. The rest are being aged. (Source: Reuters)

As Brazil increases its production and vine area, the country is set to improve the quality of its wines with the launch of a new national technical network.

The National Viticulture Science and Technology Network is worth €500,000, and is charged with investments in oenology, research and modernisation throughout the country. Run by wine industry professionals and local government, it will cover three wine regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Pernambuco. (Source: Decanter.com)

The Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet, has decreed that 15 May is National Pisco Day in Chile in order to highlight the importance of this grape-based beverage for the identity of the nation. In Chile, about 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of vines are dedicated to pisco production. (Source: VSB)

The Union of Coteaux de l’Ardèche Winegrowers (UVICA), which represents 85% of the wine produced in the southern Ardèche area, are bringing out a range of bag-in-box formats in 5- and 10-litre sizes, which have been exclusively decorated by the painter and metal worker Sgarra. 6 of the 17 Ardèche “villages with character” have been chosen to provide modern illustrations for the new presentations, which highlight the terroir and heritage of the Ardèche region.  (Vinexpo Hall 1 BD 189) (Source : VSB)

The Spanish family-owned company Garcia Carrion is going to introduce the ‘Don Simon Class’ brand, one of the largest export wines in the world, in the US in a PET bottle with a screw cap.

The range includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, a Cabernet Merlot and a Chardonnay. (Vinexpo Hall 2 MN 39) (Source: VSB)

Frapin is commercialising its VSOP with new packaging, a reproduction of a traditional 16^th century bottle made of extra white glass with a gilt stopper and sold in a black and gold case. (Vinexpo Hall 1 B 304) (Source: VSB)

The Saumur merchant Gratien & Meyer, a sparkling wines specialist, now commercialises its premium cuvee Flamme as a Cremant de Loire brut, as well as with its original Saumur label. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin and Cabernet, and is aged for two years. The cuvée for this first vintage consists of 150,000 bottles. (Vinexpo Hall 1 A 220) (Source : VSB)

During Vinexpo 2009 in Bordeaux the Auriol estates will present their new range of wines with a reduced alcohol content : So’ Light comes in three different types of wine : a red Merlot, a rosé Grenache-Cinsault and a white Terret-Sauvignon, with a degree between 9 and 9.5° from finished wine. Obtained through a combination of “de-alcoholising” and membrane techniques, these wines are not only less alcoholic but also contain less calories: they don’t contain sugar (less than 2g per litre) and they have less than 60 calories in one 12cl glass. These wines will be packaged in white Bordeaux bottles with a screw cap. The range will also include 25cl bottles with a screw cap so that they can be included in the snacks section of the supermarket, next to the low-fat ready prepared meals. At an international level the concept has been tried out in sports or fitness clubs and for “nomad” consumption (camping; picnics) in packaging similar to that of a small beer bottle. (Vinexpo Hall 2 L 15) (Source: WineAlley.com)

Sweden is good example of how green packaging also makes commercial sense.

In February 2008, BIBs accounted for 52.5% of all wine sold through the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget. Added to this is the performance of the tetra-pack, which now accounts for over 9% of all wines sold, taking the total percentage of wine not sold in glass to 61.5% of the market. (Source: IWSR)

Wine connoisseurs may balk at the thought of drinking a fine vintage from a can, but glugging from a ring-pull rather than cracking open a full bottle of plonk seems to be catching on.

Sales of cans to the wine industry are rocketing, albeit from a low bases, with consumers seeing the attraction of drinking one glass at time, becoming more environmentally aware and opting to drink on the go.

John Revess, of Rexam, one of the world’s largest can makers, said that the group had sold 6 million cans to the wine industry in 2006, a figure that increased to 35 million in 2008. He expects sales to hit 100 million in the next couple of years, with more than a billion cans of wine being consumed each year in the long run. (Source: TimesOnLine.com)

Ever since 1945, a great artist has illustrated the labels of vintages of the Château Mouton Rothschild premier cru classé as they are put on the market. The label of the 2006 vintage has been commissioned from Lucian Freud, a British painter and grandson of the psychoanalyst, reputed the world over for his contemporary figurative works. The artist, who had the privilege in 2008 of having one of his works sold for the highest price ever achieved by an artist during his or her lifetime, chose to illustrate the 2006 label with a very exotic composition featuring a small palm tree and a zebra. (Source: Objectif Aquitaine)

Tasting, decanting, carafing … now there is also qivining, using the revolutionary Qivino.

Qivino is a scientific innovation that enables you to perfectly protect the flavour,

bouquet and hue of wine in an opened bottle.

Wine keeps best in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Qivino removes the air from the bottle and places the wine under a controlled atmosphere. Its successful results have been proved scientifically.

No longer need you waste a single drop of wine from opened bottles of wine that you have qivined. (Vinexpo Hall Marketers Allée B) (Source: Vinexpo)

Finesse, Elegance and Purity… Louis Moreau Chablis style slowly shows its potential in the vintage 2008 which was recently revealed to the international press. Impressive, powerful and concentrated, the 2008’ Chablis Grand cru Monopole Clos des Hospices again brilliantly stands at the high-end of a full range of great wines. Only 2800 bottles and 60 magnums will be offered for this promising vintage.

“We are fortunate to be owner of world-renowned parcels in Premier and Grand Cru, but our production is naturally limited. In a significant low volume this year, our Chablis wines benefited from our perfectionist approach in the estate vineyard stressing on the organic labour” commented Louis Moreau. (Vinexpo Hall 1 DE 200) (Source: Vinexpo)

La Martiniquaise, having been sued by the company Ultramarine, that imports the Mexican spirit Mezcal into France, has had to change the name of its tequila Tezcal. The new name of the beverage is Tiscaz, but it keeps the same presentation. (Source: Rayon Boissons)

Remy Cointreau announces a new presentation of the Extra Old version of its Mount Gray Bajan rum, featuring a bottle engraved with the date 1703, when the distillery was founded. 35% of Mount Gray sales are in the US, 20% in the rest of the Americas, while the remainder is sold between Europe, Asia and Africa. (Vinexpo Hall 1 B – 268) (Source: VSB)

The Union des Côtes de Bordeaux has announced the creation of the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC, which will replace the Premières Côtes de Blaye, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Castillon and Côtes de Francs AOCs starting with the 2008 vintage.

Representing ¹/₆ of the total production of all Bordeaux wines with a volume of 700,000 hectolitres grown on 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres), this new appellation is a revolutionary development in the organisation of Bordeaux AOCs. (Source: AFP)

The Bordeaux firm Cheval Quancard has launched an organic Bordeaux Red and White, branded Authenta. The presentation is designed to meet the expectations of consumers of this type of wine: Diam cork, recycled paper label and unbleached Kraft cardboard. (Vinexpo Hall 1 B 211) (Source: VSB)

Armagnac sales are increasing by about 15% per year. In 2008, 6.7 million bottles were sold representing around 18% growth in France and a 13% increase in exports. The President of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l’Armagnac, Pierre Tabarin, intends to accelerate this growth with an objective of  doubling volumes sold in three years and even greater growth in terms of value by focusing on the organisation and the professionalism of operations. (Source: L’Amateur de Bordeaux)

Walders Vodka & Vanilla is a creamy liqueur uniquely infused with premium quality vodka and vanilla, blended with a natural non-dairy base. Walders is delicious over crushed ice or mixed with fruit juices for a refreshing range of cocktails. (Vinexpo Hall 3 U 338) (Source: Vinexpo)

In a new generation of beverages, called premix’, Ice Tropez is a cocktail which come to life in Saint Tropez in the south of France. This sparkling wine cocktail is mainly based upon a rosé wine, mixed up with a flavour of peach (fleur de brugnon) and carbonated water. A new generation of consumers will be seduced by the modern styled bottle containing a refreshing drink, with an amazing touch of fruit flavours. It’s rather bound to be consumed by a young and feminine market, who has the desire of tasting wine in a different ways. (Vinexpo Hall1 - E42) (Source: Vinexpo)

With a budget of €878,000 the scheme involves 9 bodegas in Rioja. The idea is to magnify the action of wine against cardiovascular diseases and cancer by ten. The findings of this research will be published by the end of 2009, and result in the production of a wine whose resveratrol and quercetin contents should be about ten times the normal amount. The wine will be sold under one brand, whose rationale will be to promote “responsible” drinking. (Source: Vino Magazine)

The Argentinean National Winegrowing Institute (INV) has managed to achieve the rejection by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office of the request to register the brand “Tierra de Argentina” from a Canadian importer for Argentinean wine bottled in situ. The rejection was based on Canadian legislation, which forbids the use of a geographical name in a commercial brand. (Source: VSB)