The coopers François Frères have taken a 50% share in Stavin, a group specialised in oak products for winemaking, and made a commitment to complete a full takeover in the mid-term. Stavin is located in California and achieves annual sales of €7.16 million. (Source: VSB)

69,000 hectolitres of Bordeaux wines were exported to China in 2008, a 60% increase compared to 2007, representing sales turnover of €53 million and growth of 19%.

From 2000 to 2008, exports of Bordeaux wines to China were multiplied by 35. China is today the 8^th largest customer of Bordeaux wines and the 9^th largest in terms of value. (Source: Revue Vinicole Internationale)

The total area of German vineyards growing Riesling vines increased by 700 hectares (1,730 acres) in 2008 and has now reached 22,434 hectares (55,437 acres). Riesling, which is especially popular in the Moselle and Rhineland-Palatinate regions of Germany, now covers 22% of the total German winegrowing surface area.

Germany alone accounts for 60% of the total surface area in the world on which Riesling is grown. (Source: VSB)

According to OIV, the total wine harvest in the southern hemisphere should not exceed 50,000 hectolitres in 2009, down 6.1% compared to 2008.

Of the 4 leading producer countries – Chile, Argentina, Australia and South Africa, who account for more than 85% of the total volume – only Chile increased its volume to 8,800 hectolitres, a 1.3% rise. (Source: Décision Boissons)

The Argentine wine company Argento are about to launch their brand from Mendoza into the US through Lion Nathan USA.

Next month’s launch comes on the back of recent distribution expansion into countries such as China, Poland, Argentina and Australia and takes the number of countries in which Argento is available globally to 46.(Source: Harpers.com)

Since April, The Edrington Group has opened two direct distribution subsidiaries for its products in Taiwan and in Korea, which replace Maxxium. Edrington has also initiated a similar trend in Europe by opening distribution subsidiaries in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, while joining forces with Beam Global Spirits & Wine to distribute both partners’ products in 18 other countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. (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)