An organic wine from Chile has oenophiles in San Francisco turning up their noses. But there’s nothing wrong with the wine. It’s the name that bothers them: Palin Syrah, which comes way to close a certain governor from the state of Alaska!

And in the Republican stronghold of Texas, a store, once had cases stacked 20 high, but now only 74 bottles remain… (Source: Foxnews.com)

AIVSO is the first federation in France to unite AOCs and vins de pays.

For Paul Fabre, AIVSO director, "the fact that the Ministry’s Guidance Council has recognised our federation is a first decisive step for our region, because now we can join forces, share resources, especially in exports and build a strategy with a rationale in a highly competitive context”. (Source: Décision Boissons)

The area of vines grown in the province of Neuquén in Argentinean Patagonia has doubled in five years. At San Patricio del Chañar and Añelo there were 954 hectares of vines in 2003, compared to almost 2,000 today, according to the National Institute of Winegrowing. Last year, production increased by 36.5% compared to 2006, reaching nearly 85,000 hectolitres, mainly of red. (Source: VSB)

A new structure has now been created for Pernod Ricard’s Denmark operations, following its takeover over the V&S Group on 23 July 2008. According to Jan Rose Pedersen, CEO of Pernod Ricard Denmark, the new name for the new giant will probably be Pernod Ricard Denmark, but this won’t be finally decided until the end of the year. (Source: Wine Business International.com)

No other country in the world consumes as much sparkling wine, or “sekt” as Germany. In 2007, that was 3.8 litres per head, but down from over five in the early 1990s. In 2007, total domestic sales of all sparkling wine were more than 413m bottles, 335m of which were “made in Germany”.

2 000 sparkling wine producers in Germany are estimated, and Germany boasts three of the world’s five largest wine producers. (Source: Wine Business International)

Advertising of alcoholic beverages could soon appear on the Web. Despite strong opposition from anti-alcohol organisations, the French Minister of Health has accepted in view of the development of new technologies, that Internet becomes a vehicle for drinks advertising. “The promotion of alcoholic beverages must bear clearly visible health warnings that are adapted to Internet and should respect the principle of neutrality required by the ‘Evin’ law”, added the Minister, Roselyne Bachelot. (Source: Le Figaro)

Bulgaria’s Executive Agency on Vine and Wine revealed that as many as 6,200 hectares of new vineyards were planted, bringing the country’s total vineyard area to 136,000 by the end of 2007. This is good news for producers, as Bulgaria has long suffered shortage of sufficient quantity. (Source: Wine Business International.com)