Crimson Wine Group has purchased Domaine Alfred, a leading California Pinot Noir producer. Included in the sale are the brand, the winery, inventory, and the 81 acres of vines. Financial details had not been disclosed. (Source: Wine Spectator)

Claire Taittinger has acquired a small domaine in the Savoie region. In partnership with Savoie negociant and producer, Philippe Viallet, Taitinger stumped up €2m for the 18ha Domaine Les Fils de René Quénard. It currently produces around 150,000 bottles per year. Claire Taittinger, whose husband Pierre-Emmanuel is general director of the eponymous Champagne house, said the investment was “totally independent” from the business in Reims. (Source: Decanter.com)

California’s Napa Valley contributes €33 billion a year to the entire US wine economy.

A study by the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) estimates that the whilst the Napa Valley produces just 4% of California’s wine grapes, the region is responsible for nearly 30% of the economic impact of wine in California, and nearly 34% of the economic impact of California’s wine to the Us economy(+15% since 2005).

Napa Valley’s wine and vineyard sector, directly, and indirectly through the services and products it generates, provides nearly 40,000 jobs, making it the county’s largest employer. (Source: Harpers.com)

Les exportations de vin néo-zélandaises continuent leur progression, selon les derniers chiffres annuels publiés par les viticulteurs de Nouvelle-Zélande. Les exportations de vin ont progressé de 14% sur l’année au 30 juin dernier. Les exportations ont atteint les 88,6 millions de litres, rapportant 440 millions d’euros. La valeur des exportations devraient dépasser les 550 millions d’euros d’ici 2010.

Les exportations vers son voisin l’Australie ont progressé de 37%, suffisamment pour dépasser la Grande-Bretagne et devenir le premier marché des vins de Nouvelle-Zélande. (Source : Impact)

With its 2009 promotional campaign, Vinexpo reasserts its position as a leading business force for industry professionals.

The Vinexpo 2009 graphic signature is based on a pen, characterising the business world. The slogan “The Signature Business Event” highlights two major aspects of Vinexpo: its ability to gather the largest number of industry decision-makers in one venue and its role of creating value in a booming market. (Source: Vinexpo)

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) in partnership with the Wine Council of Ontario has launched the largest promotional campaign ever for Ontarian wines. While net sales of imported wines have only grown by 2% over the last 5 months, those of Ontarian wines with the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) appellation have increased by more than 12%.(Source: Newswire.ca)

Amongst the 56.4 million litres of wine sold in Norway in 2007, an increase of 3.2%, 1.29 million litres or 1.7 million bottles were from Burgundy, a rise of 19%.

With Burgundy wines the Norwegian monopoly achieved sales of €31 million. (Source: Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne)