Eve's Wine 101

Green Wine Future 2022 adds “Wine For The Planet” to Program

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Miami, Florida- Green Wine Future 2022, the most important professional summit featuring sustainability and climate change for the international wine sector, announces the addition of “Wine for the Planet” (W4P) to its May 23-26, 2022, program.

W4P will showcase the wine industry’s work in protecting areas of the Earth most sensitive to the climate crisis, including:

  • Antarctica, Greenland, the Arctic
  • Coral reefs in different parts of our planet
  • The Amazon and other rainforests
  • Countries already suffering from water shortages and floods

Based on documentaries recorded and presented by W4P founder Pancho Campo and his team from the above listed regions, W4P will stream free globally during regular breaks of Green Wine Future. Those interested, may view the films through Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, where the team will highlight wine tastings in Greenland, Iceland, Antarctica, the Amazon, and the Great Coral Reef.

Wine for the Planet will show:

  • The vital importance of protecting these sensitive areas from impacts of climate change
  • That we are all interconnected throughout our planet
  • That all industries must attend to these issues, regardless of their professional activity.

“Our first expedition will take us to Greenland, the Arctic and Island where we will record amazing footage of the impact of climate change on the Inuit and the local economy, but we will also taste some wine as a gesture of the industry for protecting these extreme but very sensitive areas,” says Pancho Campo.

With many more to follow, Green Wine Future now has more than 60 confirmed speakers representing all elements of the wine business – scientists, academics, media, and celebrities will all add their own unique perspectives. These wine industry luminaries are scheduled to participate both through live and pre-recorded connections from vineyards and wineries, coupled with streaming documentaries premiering at Green Wine Future 2022.

“W4P will occur virtually from five continents containing eight of the planet’s wine regions; California, Chile, Portugal, South Africa, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, to minimize its carbon footprint, to ensure that it be truly global, and to avoid impacts caused by the pandemic,” says David Furer.

The promo video, Information about The Wine for the Planet program, confirmed speakers, alliances and partners, and registrations may be found at www.greenwinefuture.com.

South African Wine Harvest Report 2021: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Wine lovers from across the globe can enjoy outstanding wines from a much cooler and later 2021 wine grape season in South Africa. This according to the annual South African Wine Harvest Report 2021.

“It seems as though the vines really took their time to prepare this year’s harvest,” says Conrad Schutte, Consultation Service Manager of the wine industry body Vinpro. “Moderate weather throughout the season, and specifically during harvest time, resulted in grapes ripening slower, while developing exceptional color and flavor.”

The 2021 wine grape crop is estimated at 1,611,137 tons, according to the latest estimate of industry body SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information & Systems) on May 19, 2021. It is 8.9% larger than the 2020 harvest.

The harvest kicked off around two weeks later than normal due to unusually cool weather conditions throughout the season, which persisted throughout harvest time and resulted in some wine grape producers harvesting their last grapes in May. Water resources were also replenished in most regions following the recent drought, which contributed to good vine growth, bunch numbers and berry sizes.

“Although these are general observations, it is always important to take the South African wine industry’s diversity over ten wine grape growing regions into account,” Schutte says.

Remarkable wines

“The late and slow harvest was definitely worth the wait. Wine lovers can really look forward to remarkable wines from the 2021 crop,” Schutte says. “The cooler weather enabled producers to harvest their grapes at exactly the right time, and viticulturists and winemakers are especially excited about good color extraction, low pH levels and high natural acidity in cases where vineyards were managed effectively, which all point to exceptional quality wines.”

The 2021 wine harvest – including juice and concentrate for non-alcoholic purposes, wine for brandy and distilling wine – is expected to amount to 300,205 gallons at an average recovery of 205.5 gallons per ton of grapes.

“We are delighted that harvest 2021 has proven to be somewhat of a silver lining for the South African wine industry, which will no doubt further bolster our international positioning,” says Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WoSA). “What stands out above all else is the consistency in quality that we have come to see over recent years. This will go a long way to convincing those who may still have been on the fence and reinforce our overall standing alongside our international competitors. It is also very promising to note that the volume and value of wine exports from South Africa are higher compared to the year-on-year figures in 2020 and 2019.”

South Africa is the ninth biggest wine producer worldwide and produces about 4% of the world’s wine. The wine industry contributes more than R55 billion (more than $3.99 billion) to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 269,069 people throughout the value chain, of which 80,183 work on farms and in cellars.

Strike a balance

Intermittent restrictions on the export and local sale of alcohol in South Africa from March 2020 to February 2021 as part of the country’s national state of disaster resulted in 171.7 million gallons of wine stock at the end of 2020, of which a large portion was not yet contracted.

“With so much stock still in the tanks at the beginning of harvest time, producers and wineries were concerned about processing and storage capacity when taking in the new harvest, many of whom rented additional storage space or restored old tanks,” says Rico Basson, Vinpro Managing Director. “However, the fact that sales reopened, along with the harvest starting later than normal, helped ease the pressure to some extent.” A number of wineries were also able to secure contracts with grape juice manufacturers, which helped work away some of the stock.

“The larger wine grape crop will require careful planning from producers and wineries to sell the current wine stock in a responsible and sustainable way. This situation will, however, also create the opportunity for innovation and growth of existing and new markets,” Basson says.

2020/21 Growing season

The weather was moderate in most regions during the post-harvest period, which led to leaves falling later than normal and vines building up good reserves. Producers also had access to sufficient water for post-harvest irrigation.

Winter was colder than the previous season, with much higher rainfall, which replenished water resources and led to sufficient cold accumulation to break dormancy.

The cold and wet weather continued into spring, which contributed to homogenous, but delayed bud break and initial growth. In the coastal region, however, the wetter conditions made the timing of disease control more challenging.

Frost damage occurred in some irrigation areas and it was expected that significant frost damage in the lower lying areas of the Northern Cape and strong winds in the Cape South Coast region would have a notable effect on these crops. Fortunately, the frost and wind occurred at an early enough developmental stage for vines to recover.

Flowering and set were mostly efficient and even, while shoot and leaf growth picked up the pace by the start of November, which necessitated additional inputs from producers to manage the fast and vigorous growth.

Temperatures remained moderate during the summer, which slowed down ripening and resulted in harvest time starting out around two weeks later than normal. Although most wine regions experienced little rainfall during harvest time, there were also almost no characteristic heat waves, and the lower day and night temperatures throughout the season led to producers waiting patiently for grapes to reach optimum ripeness.

Overview of regions

Breedekloof
A very late season, characterized by a good balance between yield and quality, as vines developed healthy canopies during a moderate growing season.

Cape South Coast
Challenging weather conditions led to a smaller crop, but enabled producers to truly make cool climate wines of exceptional quality.

Klein Karoo
Moderate weather conditions, good water availability and sufficient winter rainfall in certain areas resulted in a larger crop and great quality, although drought conditions still persist in some parts of the region, placing wine grape producers under great pressure.

Northern Cape
A good wine grape crop in terms of quality and volume, despite challenges in terms of sugar accumulation and load shedding during the peak of harvest time.

Olifants River
A later and cooler season resulted in slow, but even ripening of a somewhat larger and outstanding quality wine grape crop.

Paarl
Good water availability, sufficient reserves and cooler weather contributed to yields equal to that of 2020, which will result in elegant wines.

Robertson
Although it was a long and extended season, the vineyards realized a higher, exceptional quality yield.

Stellenbosch
A smaller crop, but outstanding quality grapes, resulting in great wines with good aging potential.

Swartland
Consumers can look forward to exceptional wines from this year’s crop, following moderate weather conditions and slow ripening.

Worcester
One of the latest harvests recorded in this region, bringing with it a larger wine grape crop and remarkable wines.

See http://www.vinpro.co.za for the full harvest report per region.

About Wines of South Africa
Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is the organization representing all South African producers of wine who export their products. WOSA, which was established in its current form in 1999, has over 500 exporters on its database, comprising all the major South African wine exporters. It is constituted as a not-for-profit company and is totally independent of any producer, wholesaling company or government department but is recognized by the South African Export Council. WOSA’s mandate is to promote the export of all South African wines in key international markets including the United States.

Vintage Eve Circa 11/2018 – How Was the Stars of Cabernet 2018? Two Words: New Discoveries

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From WineLA.com: A Cabernet showcase, bringing the best producers to Los Angeles…meet the owners, winemakers, and executives and taste over 100 top quality cabernet wines…held at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, a 5-star and 5-Diamond property.

Eve and WineLA.com founder Ian Blackburn in 2016.

This is the 10th anniversary of the Stars of Cabernet grand tasting event expertly orchestrated by Wine LA’s founder Ian Blackburn. I don’t think I’ve attended every event, but I’ve certainly covered a large number of them. With that said, I believe that this year held a lot of new discoveries for me as well as others, as the crowd was also very pleased with what they found.

The pour list is below, and as is my habit in a large public tasting, my notes are limited as to which wines captured my interest due to excellent aroma, flavor and a wholly pleasant tasting experience. I also was unable to visit every table and every wine, but I think I covered plenty of new ground. The wines I found most preferable, and that I will seek out to try to visit and purchase, are noted below in italics. (If you just want to see photos go here.)

STARS OF CABERNET WINE LIST

ADDENDUM WINES
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Skellenger Lane, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2015 Stagecoach Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak

ALLEGRETTO VINEYARDS
2014 Malbec, Paso Robles
2015 Tannat, Paso Robles
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Willow Creek
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Willow Creek

ALMAVIVA WINERY
2009 Bordeaux Red Blend, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile
2014 Bordeaux Red Blend, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile
2015 Bordeaux Red Blend, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile

ANDERSON CONN VALLEY 
2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 “Eloge” Prop Red Blend, Napa Valley
2016 “Right Bank” Prop Red Blend, Napa Valley
2015 “Signature” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

BERNARDUS – I have visited this winery in Carmel Valley in the past and was pleased to taste this vertical presentation, the 2010 being my overall favorite.
2010 Marinus Estate, Marinus Red, Carmel Valley
2011 Marinus Estate, Marinus Red, Carmel Valley
2012 Marinus Estate, Marinus Red, Carmel Valley
2013 Marinus Signature Estate, Marinus Red, Carmel Valley

CAMI
2014 Red Wine Blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Red Wine Blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

CHATEAU POTELLE VGS
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley
2016 FOURMEAUX, Red Blend, Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley
2016 Zinfandel, Alta Vista Vineyard, Moon Mountain, Sonoma County
2016 Potelle Two, Red Blend, Napa Valley

CHATEAU BOSWELL
2015 “At Anchor,” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

CLOS DU VAL
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

DUCKHORN WINE COMPANY – The opportunity to taste the 2006 Estate Cab was a mindblower. Hope you have some in your cellar. Also enjoyed the 2015 as well.
2015 Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet
2016 Decoy Sonoma County Cabernet
2006 Duckhorn Estate “Patzimaro Vineyard” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS – The 2014 was my favorite, however I enjoyed the older 2013 almost as much.
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Winston Hill Red, Rutherford
2016 Chardonnay, Carneros, Sonoma County

HAWK & HORSE VINEYARDS –A favorite at every STARS of Cab event I think, the Hawk and Horse 2009 Cab blew my socks off. Noticing a trend of liking some of these older Cabs…
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills Lake County
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills Lake County
2012 Latigo Cabernet Sauvignon Dessert Wine, Red Hills Lake County

HERB LAMB VINEYARDS – HL Vineyards was a new one for me. I noted that I enjoyed the 2014 best.
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

HERTELENDY VINEYARDS – Another new winery discovery for me, I enjoyed both reds that were poured: the 2014 Cab and 2015 blend. This is a winery to  watch.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Chardonnay, Ritchie Vineyard, Russian River Valley
2015 Signature Mountain Blend, Napa Valley

HESTAN VINEYARDS
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stephanie, Napa Valley
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Napa Valley
2015 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

JACK WINERY
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2016 Proprietary Red Blend, Napa Valley
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

JONATA
2006 El Desafio De Jonata “the Defiance” Cabernet Sauvignon, Ballard
Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley
2015 The Hilt “Estate” Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
2014 Jonata Todos Red Wine Vineyard Blend Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley

LADERA VINEYARDS – Another new discovery from Napa Valley. Meeting and tasting with managing partner Kacey Stotesbery – and I was completely charmed by the reds. I took her card with the idea of visiting soon.
2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain

LAUREL GLEN VINEYARDS 
2015 Counterpoint Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate, Sonoma Mountain

MAISON D’AMIS – Enjoyed the 2014 Red Wine Napa Valley for its percentage of Cabernet Franc.
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Red Wine Napa Valley
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2016 Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg

MARCIANO ESTATE WINERY – Only one wine to taste here? No problem. It was pretty good.
2015 Marciano Estate M Proprietary Red Wine

MERRY VALE VINEYARDS – 2014 and 2015 were both quite grand. I hadn’t had a Merry Vale wine in awhile, glad I revisited.
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Profile Red Wine, Napa Valley

MORAGA BEL AIR –This private vineyard in Bel Air, that sells to wine clubs and some local restaurants, was a treat to taste. The 2009 was stellar. Hope to get to try more in the future.
2009 Moraga Red, Los Angeles County
2014 Moraga Red, Los Angeles County
2014 Moraga White, Los Angeles County
2016 Moraga White,  Los Angeles County

NELLCÔTE WINERY – Liked both of these Cabs extremely well.
2015 ‘Rallye 76’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 ‘500 Chevaux’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

PALAZZO WINE 
2013 ‘Right Bank’ Reserve Proprietary Red Blend, Napa Valley
2016 ‘Left Bank’ Red Cuvee / Master Blend Series, Napa Valley

RELIC WINE CELLARS – I passed over the Pinot Noir as my taste buds were set to Cab, but the Rhone Blend, Grenache and Cab bottlings were all excellent.
2015 Ritual Rhone Blend, Napa Valley
2015 Paras Grenache, Napa Valley
2015 Putnam Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
2014 Artefact Cabernet, Napa Valley

RIBOLI FAMILY WINES
2014 Stormwatch Bordeaux Blend, Paso Robles
2013 Riboli Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2014 San Antonio “Centennial Blend”, Paso Robles
2014 Artefact Cabernet, Napa Valley

ROY ESTATE
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Proprietary Red, Napa Valley

S.R. TONELLA CELLARS – There was also a 2010 Cab that I enjoyed at this table, as well as the 2015. And yes, another new one for me to discover.
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Estate
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Estate
2017 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Rutherford/Oakville

TRUJILLO WINES
2015 Trujillo Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Madelynne Red Blend, Napa Valley

TUCK BECKSTOFFER ESTATE
2014 Amulet, Napa Valley
2014 Mockingbird Red Label, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2014 Mockingbird Blue Label, Cabernet Sauvignon, Saint Helena
2015 Dancing Hares, Red Wine, Saint Helena

VINEYARD 29
2016 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Aida Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena
2015 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena

THE UNFILTERED COLLECTION
2014 AXR Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2014 Debate, Cabernet Sauvignon, To Kalon, Dr. Crane, Missouri Hopper
2014 Clark-Claudon Vineyards ‘Eternity’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
2011 Michel Rolland “MR”, Napa Valley

CHÂTEAU GABY – The 2014 Cuvee stole the show for me at this table. And it was another new wine for me.
2014 Cuvee, Bordeaux Canon-Fronsac, France
2012 Chateau Gaby Bordeaux Canon-Fronsac, France
2014 Chateau Du Parc, St. Emillion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France
2014 Chateau Moya, Cotes de Bordeaux, France

THE UNFILTERED COLLECTION – Tickled to find some Bordeaux from South Africa being offered. I really enjoyed the 2014 Finlayson Cabernet Franc, hoping to find that one again! And the last one that was new for me!
2016 Delaire Graff Botmaskop, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2015 De Toren Fusion V, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2012 Glenelly ‘Lady May’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Finlayson Family Vineyards Edgebaston GS Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Finlayson Family Wines David Finlayson Camino Africana Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Simonsig Tiara, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Rustenberg John X Merriman, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Overgaauw Tria Corda, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2015 Thelema Mountain Vineyards ‘Thelema’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 Zevenwacht Z Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

MY LIFE IN GLUTTONY: A CULINARY ADVENTURE

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JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FLA. (PRWEB) – Our fascination with food was confirmed on April 19, 1993 when Americans were introduced to the Food Network. Along with increased numbers of celebrity chefs and food-oriented reality television shows, there’s been an ever-growing demand for cookbooks and culinary storytelling.

In his latest book, My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure, Jeffrey Spear confesses “Living to eat is no longer an admission of gluttony or a problem with self-control. It has, in fact, become a badge of honor.
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” With this in mind, Spear gives readers a glimpse into his lifetime of culinary obsessions sparked by a willingness to eat just about anything and a job that takes him to some remarkable destinations around the world.

While his adventures in Malawi, Georgia, and Guyana are a bit off the beaten path, Spear also includes culinary encounters right here in the U.S. Readers will find Spear’s obsession with hot dogs in New York and flourless chocolate cake in Washington DC as compelling and engaging as his discovery of char-grilled mouse in Malawi and bunny chow in South Africa.

Over 306 pages, starting from his childhood home in Maryland to exotic destinations around the world including Ghana, Lebanon, Serbia, Hawaii, Paris, Russia, Montenegro, Buenos Aires, and Malawi (grilled mouse is a roadside treat), Spear describes the foods that made indelible impressions along the way. Including 96 crowd-pleasing and easy-to-follow recipes, from the familiar to the esoteric, this book is a gastronomic delight.

My Life in Gluttony is available nationwide on Amazon.com

—

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey Spear is an accomplished visual artist, graphic designer, cookbook author, food stylist, television personality, journalist, and cook. He is also a globally recognized food marketing consultant working with growers, manufacturers, chefs, and restaurateurs on every continent except Antarctica; helping them develop and introduce a wide variety of ingredients and brands to buyers around the world. Along the way, he also writes about food for a variety of trade and consumer magazines and online publications.

It goes without saying that Spear is exceptionally well travelled. He has enjoyed countless exotic and intriguing culinary encounters, most recently in Palestine, Malawi and the country of Georgia. He derives his greatest pleasures from everything and anything associated with food. Whether he’s eating, writing, or talking about it, wandering the aisles in a grocery stores, or preparing lavish dinner parties, food is his idea of a really good time.

My Life in Gluttony – A Culinary Adventure is his third and most ambitious cookbook preceded by The First Coast Heritage Cookbook and Yum! Tasty Recipes from Culinary Greats.

When not engaged with food, Jeffrey can be found relaxing on the sand, reading a good book, swimming in the surf, watching the passing wildlife, and enjoying the sun in his hometown of Jacksonville Beach.

Second Annual International Canned Wine Competition Gives Gold to Aluminum

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BOONVILLE, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — In the only event of its kind in the world, over two hundred canned wines flexed their aluminum muscles at the second annual International Canned Wine Competition held July 21-23 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, California. Seventy producers from around the globe sent in a total of 226 entries.  Wines were submitted from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain as well as from many parts of the U.S.A. While California and Oregon producers took their share of honors, many of the 96 gold medals went to wines from less prominent regions.

Best of Show White Wine honors went to Archer McRae Beverages’ Joiy Wine “Savvy Society” Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.  Best Rosé was Hall Wines’ BACA 2019 “Ring Around the Rosé” from California, and Best Red was Fourth Wave Wine’s “Take it to the Grave” 2018 Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Australia.

Erosion Wine Co. from Napa took home five gold medals and a package design award for their exquisite jewel-like can designs.  The Uncommon sent four wines from England; all four won gold medals and the series won package design recognition for their charming illustrations.

According to competition founder Allan Green, it was notable that 30% of the entries were Rosé wines: “Rosé has become so popular in the last few years, and it lends itself to cans: people take Rosé along for a picnic or drink it sitting by the pool.”

The competition judges came from academia, marketing and the wine trade.  Professional judge Mark Bowery noted that he has, “been judging wine professionally for 36 years, but this was my first foray into the canned category. And I’ve got to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, across the board. I was especially impressed by the varietal accuracy and deep satisfaction delivered in the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc submissions.“

Handley Cellars’ winemaker Randy Schock said, “It was amazing to see the improvement in quality across the board compared to the first International Canned Wine Competition last year.  Not just with the products oriented to the pop “seltzer” market, which were fun and refreshing, but the wines that expressed traditional bottled varietal expressions exceeded my expectations.”

Because of the Covid 19 virus, the organizers of the competition scheduled the judging over three days, with three judges on each daily panel socially distanced in a large exhibition hall.  Judges had individual sets of glassware and bussed their own samples after each flight.

Plans are already in the works for the third annual International Canned Wine Competition, to be held in July 20-22, 2021. Competition director Allan Green promises it will be “aluminating!”

Complete results and photographs are available at www.cannedwinecompetition.com.     

Wines of South Africa USA Marketing Manager Jim Clarke’s New Book on the Wine Regions of South Africa Has Been Released

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Wines of South Africa (WOSA) USA, the industry association that promotes the exports of South African wine, is proud to announce that Marketing Manager Jim Clarke’s new book, The Wines of South Africa, has just been released. Published by Infinite Ideas, it is the newest addition to its well-respected Classic Wine Library series of wine books.

“I’m excited to share my passion for South African wine in my new book, and am honored to be part of the Classic Wine Library series of authors,” Clarke notes. “The wine regions of South Africa are stunning, and producers are making world-class wines that deserve more attention. I hope that my in-depth research of this interesting, complex wine region will be seen as an important reference point for those to take a deeper dive into the South African wine industry.”

Pulling from his fifteen years of traveling to and working with the South African wine industry, in this project independent from his work at WOSA, Clarke covers the history of South African wine, the industry as it stands today, challenges facing winemaking in the region, as well as an overview of the major growing areas.

“Today South Africa is revealing its potential ever more rapidly. Since around 2008, more and more producers have been using the country’s terroir to represent itself unmasked and without affectation…The peaks of South African wine are higher, and the clumsy wines of the past are bygones…” writes Clarke in the book’s Introduction. “Today one can taste through the wines of South Africa and experience the expansive range of expression the Cape’s many terroirs are capable of … the industry is at a point where its right to a seat at the table is undisputed by anyone who has taken the time to taste. South Africa is making great wines.”

The book begins with the history of the Dutch bringing wine to South Africa, the establishment of Cape Town, and its rise to eminence as a wine producer. As it entered the modern era of its wine industry post-apartheid, there was recognition for the need of quality, terroir-driven wines as well as acknowledging the social context of wine production in South Africa. Clarke discusses the efforts being made by the wine business to address the issue of racial inequality, with education programs, worker empowerment initiatives, and land restitution all being employed to create opportunity and redress the balance. Additionally, there has been an increase in the variety of plantings in South Africa’s vineyards, reflecting the diverse terroir and climate that create the top- end wines of quality and character.

Finally, the wine regions are explored in detail, with references to the key producers as well as typical varietals and styles of wine to the area. The Wine of Origin system of Regions, Districts and Wards is also discussed. This is a must read for anyone that has an interest in modern South African wine.

The Wines of South Africa joins other prominent books on wine regions around the world in the Classic Wine Library. The series stretches back over fifty years, and has been published by Infinite Ideas since 2013. The books are written by experts on the topics, and serve as invaluable resources for students, sommeliers and others who work in the wine industry.

“Jim Clarke’s book is easily the most important work on South African wine to be published in recent years and a very welcome addition to our Classic Wine Library,” states Richard Burton, Publisher.

Clarke became interested in wine after moving to New York City in 2001 and taking a job waiting tables, training as a sommelier on the job and through classes with the American Sommelier Association. A writing competition led to an introduction to South African wine and the start of Clarke’s journalistic career. He has written for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, World of Fine Wine, Beverage Media, and Fortune, among others. In 2013, Clarke took a position as Wines of South Africa’s U.S. Marketing Manager. He remains active as a freelance writer, covering wine, sake, and related subjects. He speaks regularly at a number of wine events and judges in several international wine competitions.

The Wines of South Africa was released on July 20th, 2020 as a 322-page paperback book, and retails in the United States for $39.95. It is available online, including at Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble.

About Wines of South Africa
Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is the organization representing all South African producers of wine who export their products. WOSA, which was established in its current form in 1999, has over 500 exporters on its database, comprising all the major South African wine exporters. It is constituted as a not-for-profit company and is totally independent of any producer, wholesaling company or government department but is recognized by the South African Export Council. WOSA’s mandate is to promote the export of all South African wines in key international markets including the United States.

John Fearless Launches Online Shop With Global Hop Varieties And More

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NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – New aromatic opportunities are being offered through John Fearless for breweries that want to expand their brewing options. South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, USA and German hops are newly available to purchase online via JohnFearless.com. This expanse of inventory offers a much wider selection to the small, medium, and large-sized businesses that purchase beverage-making supplies from John Fearless.

As a leader in the beverage supply industry, John Fearless works hard to ensure top products are available to breweries, wineries, distilleries and non-alcoholic beverages. Quality and unique ingredients are important for craft beverages. In addition to hops, John Fearless also carries a range of products including, Muntons Malt, Brewshield, WineShield, Structan, WLT 150, Milne Microdried fruits, Humuflor Hop Essence, and used wine and spirit oak barrels.

Modern hop varietals with tropical, fruit forward aromatics have been added to the website and are now available to order 24/7:

  • A number of South African hops are currently available including: Southern Passion, African Queen, Southern Star, Southern Tropic and Southern Sublime New Zealand hops sold by John Fearless include: Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Taiheke, Wakatu™, Riwaka, and the soon to be released Hort4337 and more.
  • A wide selection of USA hops include: El Dorado, Azacca, Zappa, Centennial, Cascade and more.
  • Three hop varieties are available from Germany: Ariana (which offers a blackcurrant, grapefruit, geranium and vanilla aroma blend), Callista and Huell Melon
  • Ella™ is the flavor hop varietal available from Australia via JohnFearless.com, and it’s highly versatile while containing floral aromatics (a common feature in noble European and Australian hops)

With a focus on finding unique options for small, medium, and large sized brewing companies, John Fearless is excited about their new options for hop varietal sales. Craft brewers can explore aroma profiles from around the world to find the right fit for their beer styles. Detailed information on sizing and pricing for orders is currently available on the John Fearless website on the individual products page.

About John Fearless Co: John Fearless is dedicated to bringing specialty hops, malts and more to the small brewing community. Items sourced from all over the world are brought directly to small businesses looking to craft bold flavors, complex brews and heady aromas. With over 20 years in the beverage industry, John Fearless offers specialty hops, hop aroma, malt, beer and wine stabilizers, finishing tannins, liquid flavor extracts, quality aged barrels, MicroDried® fruits and more.

South African Wine Harvest Report 2020: Great Season, Remarkable Wines

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – South Africa’s 2020 wine grape crop will bring exceptional wines to consumers, following favorable conditions throughout the season. This according to the South African wine industry’s annual Wine Harvest Report 2020.

“Although it’s always important to take our diversity over 10 wine grape growing regions into account, the industry had a very good season overall, which we believe will bring great quality wines to consumers,” says Conrad Schutte, consultation service manager of the wine industry’s representative body Vinpro.

The 2020 wine grape crop is estimated at 1,487,991 tons, according to the latest estimate of industry body SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information & Systems) on April 24, 2020. It is 8.2% larger than the 2019 harvest.

Weather conditions were favorable in general and the bunch numbers looked promising early in the season, but windy conditions during the set and sensitive berry growth stages resulted in smaller berries and a lighter crop. The season was also characterized by great variation between and even within the same vineyard blocks in areas that experienced dry conditions.

The Stellenbosch, Swartland, Cape South Coast, Paarl and Breedekloof regions all harvested more wine grapes than in 2019, with the Olifants River region almost returning to its normal production levels after being one of the regions hardest hit by the recent drought. The Klein Karoo region still struggles with the ongoing drought, also experienced in certain parts of the Robertson region, while frost damage resulted in great crop losses in the Northern Cape.

The COVID-19 scurry

Although the harvesting season kicked off around two weeks earlier than usual, the unexpected announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown, in effect from March 26, 2020, created a scurry among many producers to harvest the last grapes of the season and complete winemaking processes in cellars. Wine-related activities were initially prohibited, but Government made a last-minute concession which allowed for the harvesting and storage activities essential to prevent the wastage of primary agricultural goods during the lockdown. At the time, around 44,092 tons still needed to be harvested.

“With uncertainties during the announcement of the lockdown some producers decided to harvest the grapes without prejudice just to get it to the cellar, while others waited for optimal ripeness to ensure exceptional quality,” Conrad says.

Wine quality exceptional

“We are excited about the exceptional wines that will flow from the 2020 wine grape crop, with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay leading the pack,” Conrad says. “The early cultivars showed very good acidity, and the color and tannin analyses in the red wines promise full wines with concentrated flavor profiles.”

The 2020 wine harvest – including juice and concentrate for non-alcoholic purposes, wine for brandy and distilling wine – is expected to amount to 276,377 gallons at an average recovery of 204.7 gallons per ton of grapes.

Ready to take our wines to the market

Following restrictions on both local sales and wine exports during South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown, the industry was relieved that Government allowed for the export of alcoholic products from May 1, 2020, including transport to ports and airports, as well as related activities to prepare wine for exports such as bottling and labeling.

“As an industry we are grateful and relieved to be able to resume exports. This finally enables us to showcase our exceptional new 2020 vintage wines to trade, media and consumers around the world,” comments Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa.

She continues, “We would like to thank all of our international networks of agents, importers and friends who have never wavered in their support of our wine and our people, despite the challenges we’ve faced as an industry.”

South Africa is the ninth biggest wine producer worldwide and produces about 3.3% of the world’s wine. The wine industry contributes $1.95 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs nearly 300,000 people.

2019/20 Growing season

Most regions experienced a better post-harvest period than previous years. The leaves fell around the same time or later than usual, vines were healthier and producers had access to post-harvest irrigation water.

Sufficient cold units were accumulated during the winter to break dormancy, while rainfall varied across regions but was mostly below average.

With spring came mostly favorable conditions, which contributed to a somewhat earlier but even budbreak. The early growing season was especially known for good, homogenous shoot growth.

During summer, temperatures were moderate during the ripening period, with the absence of characteristic heat peaks. These conditions particularly bode well for the flavor retention in the grapes. Rainfall during the ripening period relieved pressure on water resources in some regions, while it resulted in a surge in diseases (downy mildew, sour rot and botrytis) and necessitated proper weed control in other areas.

Overview of regions:

Breedekloof
Slightly larger crop than in 2019, mainly driven by the occurrence of wind during berry growth, which had a negative effect on flowering and set.

Cape South Coast
Better yields than the previous season, thanks to favorable climatic conditions, the implementation of Guyot pruning systems, utilization of chemicals to break dormancy and amendments to fertilization programs.

Klein Karoo
Yet another small crop due to the ongoing drought and a shrinking area under vines.

Northern Cape
Lower than expected production, due to severe frost experienced at the end of October in the lower lying areas east of Upington.

Olifants River
A great year as vines are recovering well following the drought and the region had better water supplies than during the previous season.

Paarl
A better crop than in 2019, owing to beneficial post-harvest conditions, sufficient water for irrigation and moderate temperatures during ripening.

Robertson
Smaller yields due to water shortages in certain parts of the region, as well as smaller berries caused by wind during set, a decline in new plantings and the occurrence of botrytis and sour rot following rain in January.

Stellenbosch
A bigger wine grape crop than in 2019, thanks to good reserves being accumulated in the post-harvest period, rain during critical berry growth stages and moderate climate throughout the growing season.

Swartland
Bigger yields than in 2019, characterized by good bunch figures thanks to good post-harvest and winter conditions. Soil profiles were also supplemented well through late winter rainfall.

Worcester
Varying yields throughout the region, with producers recording a somewhat larger crop than in 2019.

See https://vinpro.co.za/ for the full harvest report per region.

About Wines of South Africa
Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is the organization representing all South African producers of wine who export their products. WOSA, which was established in its current form in 1999, has over 500 exporters on its database, comprising all the major South African wine exporters. It is constituted as a not-for-profit company and is totally independent of any producer, wholesaling company or government department but is recognized by the South African Export Council. WOSA’s mandate is to promote the export of all South African wines in key international markets including the United States.

500+ Wineries Add Augmented Reality to Labels en Masse

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GEELONG WEST, Australia /PRNewswire/ — Augmented reality and artificial intelligence are propelling more than 500 wineries across the globe into futuristic marketing that cleverly connects wine-labels with millennial wine-lovers.
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Winerytale is a groundbreaking app and platform that lets every winery and wine producer create, manage and market an augmented reality experience for their own labels via a smartphone app.

See AR wine demonstration video

App creator and Winerytale founder Dave Chaffey said 524 wineries from across the world were already part of the trial and accessing the marketing potential of a marriage of artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Chaffey said in the past few years a handful of wine producers have created augmented reality apps for their specific brand.  Winerytale aims to blow the augmented reality door open to any winery in an inexpensive and easy way.

“I don’t believe anything like this has been done to this level before – bringing together artificial intelligence, augmented reality, clever technology, 500 different wineries with different visuals and branding, as well as different languages,” Chaffey said.

“This platform is purpose-built for mass adoption and accessibility to any winery wanting to take advantage of a brand marketing and sales future that will undeniably involve augmented reality.”

The technology behind the App is designed to work on any wine label, using artificial intelligence to scan and recognize labels, and augmented reality to showcase the wine’s backstory by beaming it from an imaginary space inside and outside of the bottle.

Through that technology, multimedia branding content comes alive including winery tour videos, wine tasting notes, food pairing suggestions or nearby stockists.

The Winerytale team has also created a “fanwall” for every wine label. Through the use of augmented reality, the fanwall appears to be inside the wine bottle and – driven by hashtags – displays images of the wine’s biggest fans inside the bottle.

Given this potential, field testing of the Winerytale App has attracted world-wide interest and a selection of leading wine producers are on board from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as from wine regions in South Africa, France, North America, Canada, Croatia, Lebanon and Mexico.

Chaffey said the wineries involved in testing the beta version of the App are small to mid-level where the App has the ability to help them reach a broader market, boosting brand recognition and sales.

“Current world consumers – millennial or not – live their lives through their phones and being able to give them the information they need, in a way they want, influencing the choices they make and harnessing that purchasing power is a no brainer,” he said.

“When you switch the Winerytale app on, it becomes instantly activated on every bottle. And having every bottle activated is like having thousands of marketing machines all going to work for these wineries.

“The app allows them to tell their story, and through the App’s connection to social media, gives insta-obsessed customers their own virtual connection to the brands they love to love.”

Through the App field trials, Winerytale is also rolling out location-based services (where the wine bottle in your hand knows where it is and adapts the content) with self-translating wine bottles to follow in 2020. For example, a European traveler in Asia, could easily view information about a wine, which changes if they are within a winery’s boundaries, in a language they can fully comprehend.
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“Through Winerytale, the wine industry is becoming an early adopter of technology that has the potential to be used across multiple industries like pharmaceutical and grocery,” Chaffey said.

“It will just build on our current internet-based consumer habits. Want to know something about a product? Ask your artificial intelligence and augmented reality-powered App!”

Download the App

The World of Fine Wine in association with Gaggenau, announces the 2019 World’s Best Wine Lists Awards winners

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London – the World’s Best Wine Lists in association with Gaggenau have been announced, with Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, receiving the honor of Wine List of the Year, Best Hotel Wine List in the World, and Champions’ League World’s Best By-the-Glass Wine List 2019.

Stock photo, not associated with event.

The World’s Best Wine Lists celebrated its sixth anniversary with a prestigious judging panel. Chaired by Neil Beckett, World of Fine Wine Editor, and featuring writer and broadcaster, Andrew Jefford; award-winning sommelier, Andreas Larsson; publisher and writer Ch’ng Poh Tiong; wine writers Elin McCoy, Francis Percival and Alder Yarrow; sommelier Luciana Girotto; and wine writer and lecturer Anne Krebiehl MW. They assessed over 1,000 of the world’s best wine lists to determine the shortlist. The nominees and winners are based on a range of criteria including breadth, depth, interest, quality, value, clarity and accuracy.

Hidden in the Crocodile River Valley in the lush Francolin Conservancy, Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient is one of South Africa’s finest luxury hotels – featuring one of the country’s best loved and most respected restaurants, worthy of its supreme praise and three top recognitions at the World’s Best Wine Lists Awards 2019. The creative cookery of Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient is well matched by a superb modern wine list containing over 5,000 selections. Described by our judges as “a phenomenal list that is a joy to explore”.

The awards are renowned as the Michelin Stars of the wine list world and include a number of best-in-class category winners including HIDE for Best Spirits List in the World; The World Residences at Sea for Best Cruise Ship Wine List in the World; Nº5 Wine Bar for Best Wine Bar List in the World; Air France for Best Airline Wine List in the World and for the sixth year in a row, Pix Pâtisserie for Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine List in the World. The night was also a celebration of new restaurants, with Chicago’s The Purple Pig being awarded Best By-the-Glass Wine List Without Coravin® in the World; and Lake Buena Vista, Florida’s Wine Bar George taking Best Micro Wine List in the World.

Best Long Wine List in the World 2019 – Geranium, Copenhagen

Best Medium-Size Wine List in the World 2019 – Sager + Wilde Hackney Road, London

Best Short Wine List in the World 2019 – Blue Hill, New York

Best Micro Wine List in the World 2019 – Wine Bar George, Lake Buena Vista

Best Regional Wine List in the World 2019 – The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia

Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine List in the World 2019 – Pix Pâtisserie, Portland

Best Dessert & Fortified Wine List in the World 2019 – Antica Bottega del Vino, Verona

Best Spirits List in the World 2019 – Hide, London

Best By-the-Glass Wine List Without Coravin® in the World 2019 – The Purple Pig, Chicago

Best By-the-Glass Wine List With Coravin® in the World 2019 – Nº5 Wine Bar, Toulouse

Best Wine Bar List in the World 2019 – Nº5 Wine Bar, Toulouse

Best Hotel Wine List in the World 2019 – Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, Pretoria

Most Original Wine List in the World 2019 – Terroir, New York

Best Designed Wine List in the World 2019 – The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa

Best Airline Wine List in the World 2019 – Air France

Best Cruise Ship Wine List in the World 2019 – The World Residences at Sea

Wine List of the Year 2019 – Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, Pretoria

Best Sake List in the World 2019 – Saké, The Rocks, Sydney

Champions’ League World’s Best Wine List 2019 – Eleven Madison Park, New York

Champions’ League Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine List 2019 – Eleven Madison Park, New York

Champions’ League Best By-the-Glass Wine List 2019 – Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, Pretoria

Champions’ League Best Dessert & Fortified Wine List 2019 – Robuchon au Dôme at Grand Hotel Lisboa, Macau

Champions’ League Best Spirits List 2019 – The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Tennessee

The full list of winners will be announced soon.