сряда, 28 октомври 2009 г.

Karolinka In & Around Bulgaria

Today I was out and about running some errands. At some point, I was struck by the thought that today would be the perfect day to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine. The sun is out with only a few clouds in the sky, it’s not too hot and the city seems to be turning green. If that doesn’t warrant a glass of wine, I don’t know what does.

The thing is when I got home after my errands instead of having a glass of wine I started reading up on Bulgarian grape varietals, growing regions and wineries. In fact I’ve just spent the last two-plus hours reading about wine. Obsessive? Maybe. Interesting? Oh, yes.


http://karolinkabulgaria.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/bulgarian-wine/#comment-1393

неделя, 25 октомври 2009 г.

China’s changing palette

понеделник, 19 октомври 2009 г.

събота, 17 октомври 2009 г.

The global wine market in 2010

Prognoses about the economic health of wine companies must focus on the potential and opportunties for export.

This is because in nearly all wine producing countries, with the notable exceptions of the USA and Australia, per capita wine consumption is decreasing.

Most producers will start to commercialise their 2009 harvest in 2010, even if not sending out the actual bottles of wine, apart from Prosecco which is always precociously sold the year of its harvest. The quality in Europe looks promising. Harvests for 2009 push France once again into the top spot as the world’s top producer with 48,1miohl (an improvement of 12% over 2008 which was particularly low yielding).

According to recent estimates Italian wine production is estimated at 46,5miohl for 2009 harvest. Spain will likely be in 3rd place, with a volume around 39,9miohl.

Climate change may bring some positive ffects for producers in the short term and certainly the Champenois, for example, are sangine on the issue of global warming despite recent figures showing a catastrophic collapse of Champagne sales worldwide — a 30% decline year on year[1]. One would expect these to improve in 2010 along with the economic fortunes of its importers.

The CIA World Fact Book lists countries in order of their GDP real growth rate. Three of the largest countries performing best in 2008, China (16), India (18) and Russia (69) offer increasing opportunities for wine exporters. However, the recent recession has demonstrated the fragility of these as importer partners (viz. Champagne). Nonetheless, particularly where blue chip wines are concerned, China has become a major force with many of the larger international auction houses and brokers turning their attention on Hong Kong. This will likely continue through 2010.

Italy is and will probably remain the highest exporter of wine worldwide in 2010. This is linked to a number of factors not least of which are the diversity, quality and innovative approach of the country’s winemakers. France may well continue to lose ground (in volume terms) but it is still the number one exporter worldwide for premium wines, a position it is unlikely to lose in the forseeable future. However, both South America (Argentina and Chile) and the USA are likely to increase market share in the future.

Sources: OIV, ISMEA, finewinejournal.com, MPRA, CIVC, CIA World FactBook.

Tables

Estimated vineyard coverage for 2008 (mha):

Spain 1165
France 852
Italy 840
USA 411
Portugal 250
Argentina 225
Romania 201
Chile 198
Australia 173
South Africa 132
Greece 116
Germany 102
Brazil 100
Bulgaria 95
Russia 75
Hungary72
Austria 51
New-Zealand 35
Switzerland 15

Source: http://wineindustryreport.finewinepress.com/2009/10/16/the-global-wine-market-in-2010/



понеделник, 5 октомври 2009 г.

2009 harvest is shaping up to be memorable

After a brutal year for the wine industry, California's 2009 harvest is shaping up to be a glorious success. Much of the Pinot Noir and white grapes are already off the vine, and even those winemakers who have been waiting for grapes like Cabernet are finding pleasure in the fruit.

"It's delicious," says Cathy Corison of Corison Winery in St. Helena.

The story she tells is similar to other winemakers'. A relatively cool, dry spring and summer provided the cold nights needed to maintain grapes' essential acidity - the only exception being heat waves in late August and early September, which actually allowed some growers to play catch-up.

"We were thinking we were about 10 days behind most of the year, and that pretty much moved us up," says Nicholas Miller, whose family runs Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Otherwise? "An ideal growing season."