5starWines – the Book: The exclusive wine Guide now available

October 10, 2021 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – 5StarWines – the Book is the result of this year’s edition – the 5th – of the blind wine tasting 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls, which took place on June 16-18. The printed version of the Guide, not for sale, will be distributed among leading industry experts and international buyers from all over the world. However, anyone can have access to the online version, which is now available for consultation on the event website. The Guide includes technical characteristics, tasting notes, and information about the selected wines.

In this edition, more than 600 wineries from all over the world participated, and almost half of them got selected to be part of the 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls 2022 Guide. Approximately 60 wines were tasted each day by an international jury composed of Masters of Wine, Masters of Sommelier, WSET graduates, Vinitaly International Academy Experts and Ambassadors, oenologists, and journalists. More than 2000 wines were tasted by the jury, which was divided into two categories (one for 5StarWines, and the other for Wine Without Walls which focused on certified organic, biodynamic wines and wines produced by sustainable wineries). The wines awarded a score of at least 90/100 by the jury are now featured in the official Guide 5StarWines – the Book 2022. This year 510 wines were selected: 391 for 5StarWines’ category and 119 for Wine Without Walls.

The main scope of the guide is to facilitate wineries in better promotion and education of the acclimated wines. Veronafiere is committed to promoting all awardees through all of their resources, including the distribution of the guide 5StarWines – the Book during the main wine trade fairs, B2B meetings, tastings, and masterclasses throughout the year. Moreover, the digital version of the Guide allows a widespread distribution, reaching not only wine experts, but also wine lovers across the world. The Guide is an important marketing tool for the selected wines and wineries, and guarantees them visibility through constant promotional support on a national and international scale. The wines included in 5StarWines – the Book appear also on the Wine-Searcher website, the world’s most popular wine search engine, exposing them to a broad new client base.

The Digital format of the guide is available online on the official website of the event: https://www.5starwines.it/la-guida/?lang=en. The paper version of the guide is set to be published by the end of September 2021.

About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, normally held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. 5StarWines – the Book & Wine Without Walls is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2021 edition – the fifth – over 2000 bottles took part in the competition and 510 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality, and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

Welcome to the Slow Wine Coalition

August 11, 2021 by evebushman

A new global network unites people from across the world of wine with the aim of bringing about a revolution driven by environmental sustainability, landscape protection and social and cultural growth in the countryside

The Slow Wine Coalition’s first major meeting will be in Bologna, Italy, between February 26 and March 1, 2022. Sana Slow Wine will present the Slow Wine Fair, an international gathering of vignerons, professionals and enthusiasts, with debates, Taste Workshops and walkaround tastings.

The aim is nothing less than to set out the path for a new revolution in the world of wine, uniting stakeholders along the wine production and distribution chain around an awareness that the role of wine can no longer be purely hedonistic, linked to the pleasure of tasting, but must be based on an authentic environmental sustainability, the protection of the landscape and cultural and social growth in rural wine regions. This is the Slow Wine Coalition, Slow Food’s new global network, which has grown out of the experience and principles that have evolved around the Slow Wine guide, long produced by Slow Food in Italy. The English version covers wine in the United States, with almost 300 wineries from the country’s main wine-producing states reviewed.

The Slow Food Manifesto for Good, Clean and Fair Wine

The Slow Wine Coalition wants to unite everyone involved in the wine industry—whether producers, importers, distributors, wine bar owners, restaurateurs, sommeliers, communicators, journalists or simply enthusiasts—who is inspired by the idea of good, clean and fair wine for all. The coalition’s values are encapsulated in the Slow Food Manifesto for Good, Clean and Fair Wine, a guide that sets out not just a series of principles for winegrowing, agronomy and enology, but also looks to biodiversity, the value of the land and the relationship with those who work in the vineyard and the winery.

Slow Wine Coalition coordinator Giancarlo Gariglio explains further: “The manifesto, previewed in Bologna on October 11, 2020 during SANA Restart, is the result of a long journey that crosses all of Slow Food’s history. Inspired by the experiences of the hundreds of vignerons who gathered in Montecatini and Florence in 2009 for the second edition of Vignerons d’Europe, it is not intended to be a closed document, but a starting point for debate and discussion. The roots of our association were sunk deep amidst the vines back in the early 1980s. Over 40 years the association has grown and expanded its horizons, but the link with wine has always been maintained, thanks to Slow Wine. Despite that project’s success—uniting many enthusiasts under the banner of good, clean and fair wine—the guide, the website, the events and the large group of collaborators have not been enough to create a community. In this historic phase we realized that no challenge can be overcome on one’s own. This is why it is essential to create a community united around recognized, shared values.”

The three pillars of the Slow Wine Coalition: environmental sustainability, protection of the landscape and cultural and social growth in the countryside

Pollution, the loss of biodiversity caused by the use of weedkillers and desiccants, the imposition of monocultures in the most successful wine regions, the exploitation of workers… These are just some of the black marks that still stain the world of wine, the legacy of an outdated farming culture that many producers are now rejecting in favor of a real revolution that is slowly reshaping the industry. The road ahead is long, and particularly at the start will require a collective effort, guided by those who have already taken the first steps.

Many wineries have begun experimenting with sustainable cultivation systems, practicing organic and biodynamic agriculture. In the future, particularly in light of the fight against the climate crisis, this sector will have to accelerate and offer a virtuous example to other types of cultivation, which are often less fortunate when it comes to economic margins.

What’s more, the best vineyards are often located in the hills and mountains, on steep slopes, where grapes are the only way to create value and maintain human oversight of the environment. This is where a modern winery can take on a central role in defending the landscape, protecting its beauty and integrity, and encouraging the development of a tourism system attentive towards ecology and gastronomy.

Lastly, wineries are places of integration for many migrant workers who provide important labor while also settling in the hills and villages in wine-producing areas. Relationships with these workers should be aimed at valuing their existing skills and if possible giving them new ones.

Alliances as a response to the crisis in our time

Alliances, thematic networks and coalitions are the model Slow Food has identified since the first editions of Terra Madre to respond to the crisis we are living through: cross-cutting, collaborative networks that unite all the actors in a specific industry around shared values, abandoning the model of society based on competitivity. One of the most recent is the Slow Food Coffee Coalition, which brings together stakeholders along the coffee chain, from producers to roasters, distributors to connoisseurs, united by their shared passion for the beverage.

Looking forward with the Slow Wine Coalition

The Slow Wine Coalition has a packed calendar for the coming months. Already in July, Slow Food will be helping to organize meetings between the first coalition participants in Italy and abroad who will be signing the Manifesto for Good, Clean and Fair Wine and talking about the principles that inspire them.

The most important dates for all vignerons, wine-industry professionals and enthusiasts who identify with the manifesto’s principles will be February 26 to March 1, 2022. This is when the Slow Wine Fair will be held in Bologna, presented by Sana Slow Wine, an international event dedicated to good, clean and fair wine, The event, organized by BolognaFiere under Slow Food’s creative direction, will be hosting the first international gathering of the Slow Wine Coalition. This opportunity for debate and discussion among all the participants in the network has been modeled on the almost 20-year experience of Terra Madre. During the four days of the Slow Wine Fair, hundreds of producers will come together for conferences, debates and tastings and to exhibit thousands of wines from all over the world. This showcase will be enriched by a collaboration with the Società Excellence, which represents the 18 leading wine distributors in Italy. Enthusiasts will be welcome on Sunday, while Monday and Tuesday will be dedicated to professionals.

The Slow Wine Coalition is an international alliance based on the desire to explore themes that are vital to the future of our planet, a desire that will find fertile ground in which to take root in Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, thanks to the willingness of all the participants involved in this initiative. The Slow Wine Fair has developed out of the partnership between Slow Food and BolognaFiere that was launched between the 2020 editions of Sana Restart and Terra Madre Salone del Gusto. Despite the challenges of pandemic times, both events have still managed to construct a fruitful cooperation based on shared values.

The Slow Wine Fair will also see the participation of FederBio, a long-standing partner of BolognaFiere with Sana and an active collaborator with Slow Food.

Slow Food is a worldwide network of local communities founded in 1989 in order to counteract the disappearance of local food traditions and the spread of fast food culture. Since then, Slow Food has grown to become a global movement that involves millions of people in more than 160 countries and works so that we can all have access to good, clean and fair food.

The production of Cavas de Guarda Superior of the D.O. Cava will be 100% organic by 2025

May 24, 2021 by evebushman

Spain’s most exported Designation of Origin announces a turning point in sustainability as a result of its new regulations, the most demanding in the world for quality sparkling wines made using the traditional method.

The new Master of Wine, Álvaro Ribalta, moderated a pioneering roundtable focused on organic and biodynamic viticulture and oenology in Cava, a joint effort by D.O. Cava to “guarantee the conservation of the territory and the future of the sector for generations to come”.

Vilafranca del Penedès, April 2021 – The D.O. Cava has announced today that by 2025 the production of Cavas de Guarda Superior, a category of the highest quality that includes Cavas Reserva (minimum 18 months of ageing), Gran Reserva (minimum 30 months of ageing) and Cavas de Paraje Calificado (from a specific area and with a minimum of 36 months of ageing), will be 100% organic.

This milestone is the result of the demanding new regulations that the D.O. Cava has introduced, the most exacting standards in the world for quality D.O. sparkling wines made using the strict traditional method. With their enforcement, the D.O. Cava strengthens its qualitative foundations by committing to 100% organic, long aging, vineyards with a minimum age of 10 years, production limited to 10,000 kilos of grapes per hectare, mention of the year of harvest on the bottle, and rigorous traceability (guaranteed from grape harvesting to bottling).

All these controls aim to ensure the conservation of the territory and the future of the sector for generations to come, consolidating the growing trend of organic wine, which is also gaining more importance within D.O. Cava itself. Javier Pagés, president, confirms that “D.O. Cava is evolving. The number of bottles of organic Cava produced has now reached 13,780,711 units, 34.09% of which corresponds to Premium organic Cava.” He highlights the considerable effort of the D.O. in promoting organic production. “We know that both the consumer and the market are demanding it. This care and preservation of the territory is something with which we identify closely.”

The Cava D.O. towards organic production, for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world

The D.O. Cava’s firm commitment to ecology and biodynamics was reflected at a recent roundtable discussion “The D.O. Cava towards organic production, for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world,” moderated by Álvaro Ribalta Master of Wine.

During the session, in which five organic and biodynamic wineries from DO Cava took part, representing the wide range of the appellation, the most important aspects of ecology applied to the vineyard and winery were analyzed, from soil management to marketing, concluding that its benefits are extraordinary.

Special emphasis was placed on relevant issues already being actively discussed in D.O. Cava, such as the conservation and development of terroirs, biodiversity and landscapes, responsible water management, and the measurement and reduction of the carbon dioxide footprint or greenhouse gases that affect global warming. The benefits of using recyclable and compostable materials in both bottles and packaging (recycled paper, non-polluting inks and plant-based plastics, among others) were also addressed.

The speakers who brought their considerable experience and knowledge to the roundtable were Eva Plazas (Vilarnau oenologist), Mireia Pujol-Busquets (Alta Alella assistant manager), Salvi Moliner (Oriol Rossell oenologist), Marta Casas (Parés Baltà oenologist), Toni Cantos (Juvé & Camps oenology director) and Isabel Vidal (vine and wine sector spokesperson for the agricultural union, Joves Agricultors i Ramaders de Catalunya).

D.O. Cava, committed to origin, land and sustainability

With more than 60% of sales to the international market, Cava is the Spanish D.O. that exports the most wine: its 370 associated wineries are present in over 100 countries. The D.O. encompasses more than 38,000 hectares of vineyards and more than 6,800 winegrowers. Cava harmonizes perfectly with every type of gastronomy, and is made using the traditional method, with a strict commitment to origin, land, and sustainability.

Web: Cava.wine

Facebook: facebook.com/do.cava

Instagram: instagram.com/Cava.do/

Twitter: twitter.com/DO_Cava

YouTube: youtube.com/c/doCava

BORDEAUX REACHES NEW MILESTONES IN SUSTAINABILITY AND BIODIVERSITY ACTION WITH 65% of VINEYARDS CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL

May 4, 2021 by evebushman

BORDEAUX, FRANCE (PRWEB) – The Bordeaux wine region has reached new milestones in their commitment to sustainability efforts that encompass a wide spectrum of initiatives from vineyard and cellar management, preservation of natural habitats and resources to workplace safety and supply chain efficiency. Bordeaux is one of the first wine regions to have approved new grape varieties that can alleviate hydric stress associated with temperature increases and shorter growing cycles. More than 65% of the Bordeaux vineyards are certified environmental — a new benchmark for the region. Bordeaux also leads all French AOPs in volume of High Environmental Value (HVE) certifications for their wineries, having accomplished the top level of sustainable certification in France and a 30% increase in organic agriculture.

No single model of sustainability is the same, but the people behind Bordeaux wine share a collective commitment to proactively act to address climate change by preserving scarce water and energy resources; protecting fragile ecosystems; and championing biodiversity from best vineyard practices to alternative packaging. Bordeaux’s vision is an expansive one that includes efforts to sustain the wine community by enhancing worker safety, job satisfaction and training and development for current and future generations.

We are pleased to share the stories of 10 Earth Day Heroes from Bordeaux who exemplify sustainability in action. Our Earth Day Heroes showcase a full spectrum of choices to address today’s significant environmental and societal agenda, including why certification matters; how to inspire their teams; the challenge of educating and engaging consumers; pioneer efforts to develop eco-friendly packaging and supply chain efficiency; and how sustainability and organic winemaking impact the taste and quality of their cuvées.

Meet our 2021 Earth Day Heroes and read their full profiles.

Château Guiraud (Sauternes): Pioneers in permaculture, Château Guiraud was the first Grand Cru Classé in Bordeaux to attain organic certification. The team’s integrated approach has attracted more than 700 species of pollinators to the vineyard.
Château Jean Faure (Saint-Émilion): Certified organic and biodynamic, Jean Faure credits responsible agriculture for the freshness of the estate fruit and rising consumer demand.
Château Brown (Pessac-Léognan): A flower farm and orchard of fruit trees support Château Brown’s natural ecosystem where bees, insects and birds thrive with the vines. Eco-friendly packaging helps to preserve scarce resources and resonates with consumers.
Château Roquefort (Entre-deux-Mers): Château Roquefort balances space for vine cultivation with natural growth; Only 45% of the estate is for the vineyard, the rest is forest, woods and fields.
Vignobles Rousseau (Bordeaux Supérieur): The team at Vignobles Rousseau has planted nearly 13,000 square feet of giant bamboo on their estate to act as a protective, natural barrier to block harmful emissions. They also endorse a vision of sustainability that encompasses equity for every employee and all visitors.
Groupe Grands Chais de France (multiple Bordeaux AOCs): Representing more than 20% of French wine exports, GCF’s global reach allows the company to have significant impact with one of the most efficient logistics and supply chain centers in Europe and intensive employee training in CSR and sustainable management.
Le GDON (The Group for the Defense against Harmful Organisms of the Vine): Each year, seasonal employees from GDON walk 19,539 miles to monitor vineyards across Bordeaux for disease and drastically reduce the need for harmful pesticides.
Château Brillette (Moulis en Médoc): Conservation is paramount at Château Brillette. Oak barrels are delivered free of plastic wrappings and boxes, saving 1.5 containers of waste with each shipment.
Bordeaux Families: Affectionately known as “Les Bee GIEE’s,” this grower cooperative farms organically and, as the name implies, the honeybee is central to their ambitious “Bee Plan.”
Jules Lebègue (Saint-Émilion, Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Médoc, Bordeaux): A négociant, Jules Lebègue partners with winegrowers to adopt environmentally friendly practices and attain HVE3 and organic certification.

ABOUT Bordeaux Wine Council (C.I.V.B.)
Bordeaux Wine Council (C.I.V.B.) was created by the French Law dated August 18, 1948. It unites representatives from the three families in the Bordeaux wine industry: winegrowers, merchants and traders. The CIVB’s 4 missions:

Marketing mission: stimulate demand for Bordeaux wines, recruit new, younger consumers and ensure their loyalty to the brand. Provide education for the trade and strengthen relationships.
Technical mission: build knowledge, protect the quality of Bordeaux wines and anticipate new requirements related to environmental, CSR and food safety regulations.
Economic mission: provide intelligence on production, the market, the environment and sale of Bordeaux wines around the world.
The industry’s general interests: protect the terroirs, fight counterfeiting, develop wine tourism.

5StarWines and Wine Without Walls 2021: the blind tasting that will embrace sustainable wines

May 3, 2021 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Robert Joseph, Bernard Burtschy, Daniele Cernilli and Gabriele Gorelli MW will all be part of the General Chairmen Panel, they will be making their way to Verona alongside over 80 other judges; The work of tasting samples will take place at a safety-built tasting station (safety protocols implemented by Veronafiere). This set-up this year will differ slightly from last year’s tasting activities. The 2020 edition of 5StarWines (coined the “Agile” edition) was mainly done online, via video conference and WebApp. International judges tasted and scored wines from their very own home. This year, 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls will be, for the most part, held in Verona, in person.

In 2020, the Wine Without Walls’ section was dedicated to only certified organic or biodynamic wineries. This year the category will expand to include “sustainable” wineries; while there no official regulation, they stand out for their virtuous efforts and conduct in the vineyard and in the cellar. At the time of registration each participating winery will have to provide their issued certification/documentation, issued by the control body and also select the section (organic, biodynamic, sustainable) in which they wish to compete and be judged.

The sustainable category as with the other two, will have an assigned tasting panel, and wines obtaining a score equal or higher than 90/100 will then be included in the special Wine Without Walls section of the 5StarWines – the Book. This annual Guide is an important acknowledgment to the wineries themselves as well as providing informative details on a meaningful segment within the wine sector. The Guide is also an effective promotional and commercial tool, distributed to an international audience of trade operators and wine professionals. The coveted awards distributed to Wine Without Walls top scoring wines are as follows: “Best Winery – Wine Without Walls” and “Best Wine – Wine Without Walls”. Additional dedicated wine tastings and podcast interviews will be reserved to Trophy Winners.

The anticipated event will take place in Verona on June 16th-18th, we remind participants that registrations are now open. All wineries that choose to register before April 2nd can take advantage of a 15% discount. For more information visit https://www.5starwines.it/apply-now/?lang=en.

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About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. The event is now in its fifth edition. 5StarWines – the Book is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals will taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2020 edition, over 2,000 bottles took part in the competition and 847 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality, and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

Evidence mounts that eco-friendly wine tastes better, From a Kedge Expert

March 6, 2021 by evebushman

Consumers have shown that they are willing to pay extra for organic produce grown without pesticides, even if it doesn’t taste better.

That has not been the case for organic wine. Organic-labeled wines generally sell at prices similar to those of non-organic wines. And that’s despite growing evidence that they actually do taste better.

Olivier Gergaud, an economist at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France.

A new study by Magali Delmas, an environmental economist at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Olivier Gergaud, an economist at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France, found that organic wines are judged to be higher quality by experts — but that the difference is not just a matter of whether the wines came from organic or conventionally grown grapes.

That is, the difference in quality is apparent for wines that certified organic by a third-party accreditation service, but not for those that are self-labeled by a French wine industry-backed group for using conscientious practices.

Three esteemed wine guides — Gault Millau, Gilbert Gaillard and Bettane Desseauve — scored the third-party–certified wines an average of 6.2% higher than those that were certified organic by an industry-backed group. The findings are based on ratings data for 128,182 French wines that were produced from 1995 to 2015.

Wines that were certified as biodynamic by the third-party association performed even better, scoring 11.8% higher. Biodynamic wines take organic farming a step further, using methods that time planting, trimming and harvests to coincide with seasonal and lunar cycles, and integrating animals for a more complete ecosystem.

“Organic and biodynamic wines showed much higher quality,” Delmas said. “It’s another example of sustainable goods providing additional benefits to consumers.”

The paper, published in Ecological Economics, follows a 2016 study by Delmas aind Gergaud that yielded similar findings for California wines. In that research, critics scored eco-labeled, organic California wines 4.1% better than unlabeled wines — those not certified by a third-party organization as organic or biodynamic.

A biodynamic vineyard near Ukiah, California. Biodynamic farming uses methods that time planting, trimming and harvests to coincide with seasonal and lunar cycles, and integrate animals for a more complete ecosystem.

Delmas conducted the new study on French varietals to understand whether the results would hold in the world’s second-largest wine producing country (after Italy). France’s wine-making traditions date back 2,600 years, and in 2019, the nation produced over 1 billion gallons of wine — enough to fill the 90,000-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena 7.4 times.

Conventionally grown wine grapes use more pesticides than most other crops, Delmas said. That puts the health of farm workers, wildlife and neighboring communities at risk.

The dangers of pesticides’ use in winemaking was highlighted dramatically in 2014, when teachers and students at a rural school in Bordeaux were hospitalized due to exposure to the toxic chemicals. Protests followed, and winemakers faced strong public pressure. The wine industry in France has evolved more rapidly towards organic farming methods since then.

Rather than turning to third parties to certify that their wines are either organic or biodynamic — which would involve inspections and audits to ensure products meet certain criteria — some French winemakers devised their own industry certification standard. In the new study, wines that were self-labeled as having been produced using conscientious practices according to that standard received scores that weren’t measurably different from those of conventional wines.

Overall, more French winemakers are going organic or biodynamic. Among the wines analyzed in the study, just 3.87% of wines were third-party certified as organic or biodynamic from 1995 to 2000; the figure increased to 7.37% for wines produced between 2001 and 2015. Delmas said owners of smaller vineyards don’t want their families and farmworkers exposed to pesticides, and larger vineyards are beginning to follow their lead.

That’s worth clinking glasses about.

“It seems like another step in the right direction,” Delmas said. “Not just for the health and the environment, but for wine quality.”

The challenge of communicating to consumers that organic wines actually taste better, however, is another hurdle. In her 2018 book “The Green Bundle: Pairing the Market with the Planet”. Delmas suggests that wine producers advertise their products’ quality rather than their environmental benefits. And that they communicate that organic and biodynamic practices are actually in line with centuries-old practices — a nod to the fact that the industry is so steeped in tradition — whereas the use of synthetic pesticides didn’t begin until the 1930s.

About Olivier Gergaud :

Olivier Gergaud is Professor of Economics at KEDGE Business School and affiliate researcher at LIEPP in Sciences Po Paris. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Reims, 2000 and an accreditation to supervise research from Sciences-Po Paris, 2009. His research areas are Cultural Economics, Wine Economics, Sports Economics, Economics of Pro-Social Behavior and Restaurants Economics. He has been visiting professor at different European (Sciences Po Paris, Université Libre de Bruxelles) and North American universities (NYU, UCLA, HEC Montréal). He has been awarded several prizes including the President’s prize during the 12th International Conference of the Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI) and a Certificate of Merit for his Ph.D. from the French Economic Association. Olivier Gergaud has published several papers on different topics in applied economics, some of which appeared in international journals such as Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, Journal of Portfolio Management, Family Business Review, Journal of Sports Economics, Journal of Wine Economics, Journal of Cultural Economics and got substantial coverage in the media (e.g., The New York Times, The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Financial Time, Le Monde, France 5, etc.). In addition, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Wine Economics and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Prediction Markets.?

About KEDGE Business School:

KEDGE Business School is a benchmark French business school with 4 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulon), 3 overseas (2 in China, in Shanghai and Suzhou, and 1 in Africa in Dakar) and 3 partner campuses (Avignon, Bastia and Bayonne). The KEDGE community is made up of 14,800 students (23% of whom are international students), 192 full-time lecturers (45% of whom are international), 201 international academic partners and 70,000 graduates worldwide. KEDGE offers a portfolio of 36 training programmes in management and design for students and industry professionals. It also provides customised educational programmes for businesses at national and international levels. KEDGE Business School is AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA-accredited, and is a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. It is also recognised by the French government, with officially approved programmes, and is EESPIG-certified. KEDGE is ranked 34st by the Financial Times in the European Business School rankings and 41th globally for its Executive MBA.

kedge.edu

Quintessa Introduces Inaugural Decade Release with 2010 Vintage

September 30, 2020 by evebushman

ST. HELENA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Quintessa is honored to announce its inaugural Decade Release, a library release that consists of a limited number of bottles of 2010 Quintessa set aside to evolve for one decade in the caves where it originated. First made exclusively available to Quintessa Vineyard Circle members in 3-packs of 750ml bottles and in 1.5 L (magnum) bottles, the Quintessa Decade Release is now available in highly limited quantities in the wholesale market.

Convinced that Quintessa had all the quality elements as an estate to be a true Napa Valley classic, the only thing missing was an understanding of the wine’s capacity to age and improve with time. So in the summer of 2012, shortly after bottling the 2010 vintage, proprietors Agustin and Valeria Huneeus decided to set aside a limited number of bottles of the 2010 vintage to rest undisturbed in perfect conditions without leaving the estate.

“Wine has the capacity to reflect a place like no other, as grapes have the singularity of being fully connected to where the vines grow, including the soil, geology and the unique climatic conditions of that particular vintage,” said Estate Director Rodrigo Soto. “The resulting wine is a time capsule, and over the decade that this wine has transformed in the bottle, it clearly demonstrates that the evolution is not only real but also special and unique.”

The 2010 vintage is evidence of this incredible transformation, with black bright cherry and floral layers to dried herbs, anise & violets. From a supple silky texture to integrated layers of spice, followed by a long mineral finish. Having the time to age wine in the bottle brings balance and multiple dimensions to the glass, making the pleasure of drinking wine a completely different experience.

The 2010 growing season in the Napa Valley began with cooler than average temperatures and plentiful rainfall, which pushed bud break, flowering and fruit set back nearly two weeks. Mild, cool temperatures continued into summer which made meticulous canopy management essential to encourage consistent flavor development. Two late summer heat spikes helped the small, concentrated berries develop toward a later than average harvest.

At twenty years old in 2010, Quintessa’s biodynamic and organically farmed vines had the knowledge to work with mother nature and thrive through the seasons. Beginning on October 5th, the fruit from the Quintessa property was harvested with patience and precision to create a wine of elegance and balance, worthy of the first Decade Release.

To acquire or learn more, please visit quintessa.com/decade-release. For media inquiries, please contact Josh Zoland (jzoland@colangelopr.com) or Rachel Keigley (rkeigley@colangelopr.com) of Colangelo & Partners.

About Quintessa – http://www.quintessa.com
Quintessa is a world-class wine estate in the heart of Rutherford, Napa Valley. Inspired by the old-world Estate model, Quintessa crafts a single wine each year that expresses the Estate’s diversity and transforms the soil, vines, climate and energy into something greater than those individual elements. In order to capture the purest expression of place, Quintessa has practiced organic techniques since its founding in 1989 and transitioned to biodynamic practices in 1996.

When founders Agustin and Valeria Huneeus first set foot on the pristine, uncultivated property, they believed they had found something absolutely unique from what they had seen in Napa before. They knew that the land, spread over five hillsides, with different soil types and exposures, encompassed tremendous diversity that would lead Quintessa to become a world-class wine estate akin to the first growths of the Old World. Today, the Estate is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère on 26 vineyard blocks. Since its first vintage in 1994, Quintessa has quickly become globally recognized as a benchmark of the Napa Valley.

THE PARISIAN VERSION OF ‘WORLD WINE MEETINGS’ BECOMES WOW! MEETINGS

August 24, 2020 by evebushman

World Wine Meetings Global, the business convention established in 1984, and the WOW! (World of Organic Wines) area, launched by Vinexpo in 2017, are joining together in response to steady growth in the global market for organic products. The result is the WOW! Meetings, two days of business meetings geared to the needs of the international organic community, which will take place on February 13 and 14, 2021, on the eve of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021.

High expectations for organic products in France and internationally
In a global market where production and consumption of organic and biodynamic wines are constantly on the increase, the WOW! Meetings will bring together supply and demand under one roof. This unique location will fulfil the needs of producers and an increasingly diversified array of buyers. Major international buyers and European supermarkets, but also wine merchants and restaurants will benefit from ad hoc business meetings.

The WOW! Meetings – super-targeted business meetings
Producers of organic or biodynamic wines, or those in the final switch-over year will all be represented and the range of products will be extended to include beers, ciders, bulk wines and organic alcohol-free wines. The organising team will roll out its expertise to ensure each participant benefits from first-rate conditions – the venue is specifically equipped for the event; attendees are given a special welcome; the meetings schedules are tailored to individual needs; and there are multiple opportunities for additional networking. The meetings will be planned ahead of the event between producers taking part and qualified buyers, whose buying programmes have been clearly identified.

An unprecedented, seminal event for wine in Paris in February
The positioning of the WOW! Meetings will be extremely attractive and will champion the meaningful values specific to the organic market. Attendance at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris by major international buyers, along with a strong local presence by supermarket buyers, wine merchants and specialist restaurateurs who form an exceptional, close-knit fabric of businesses in Paris, will be powerful attributes underpinning the success of the WOW! Meetings. This unprecedented synergy will transform Paris in February into a major international gathering for the entire wine industry.

“Our challenge is to meet the needs of the industry and to align as closely as possible with its expectations. The challenge surrounding organic products is such that we felt compelled to create this dedicated business event. Organic is no longer simply a trend, but a full-fledged industry driver. The Wow! Meetings will provide organic wines with a business meeting platform, on the eve of our major Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris exhibition”, points out Vinexpo CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse.

Organic wines will also be showcased as part of the WONDERFUL programme during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris where producers will have stands and there will be opportunities to take the floor and host dedicated tastings. And the WOW! area will continue to form an integral part of Vinexpo events internationally.

The World Wine Meetings umbrella brand, which hosts business events worldwide, will continue to gain traction internationally and starting in 2022 will provide new events in markets with high potential for growth.

About the WORLD WINE MEETINGS
Organised by Comexposium, the WWM and its concept of business meetings offer a unique way to meet importers from the main purchasing regions over two and a half days. For over 30 years, this global prospecting tool has been executed in several cities around the world to serve the export needs of its community of producers.

About WOW!
WOW! World of Organic Wines is the Vinexpo area dedicated to the international range of organic and biodynamic wines. WOW! is a reflection of Vinexpo’s determination to reach out to small and medium-sized wine companies by allowing exhibitors to take part in a prominent international event.

About VINEXPO and COMEXPOSIUM
Vinexpo Holding (owned by the Bordeaux-Gironde chamber of commerce – CCIBG) and Comexposium (the global events organiser) are in exclusive negotiations to join forces and create a new entity which will become the world’s leading wine and spirits events organiser. The new company will manage a portfolio of 10 renowned and iconic events with a view to developing an expanded, renewed and high-performance range of events. The project has the whole-hearted support of all the wine marketing boards, Vinexpo’s strategic council and the board of Wine Paris.

THE ORIGINAL WINE OF THE MONTH CLUB® LAUNCHES THE PURE WINE SERIES

March 18, 2020 by evebushman

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The original Wine of the Month Club®, the nation’s first wine subscription company founded in Los Angeles in 1972, has just launched its Pure Wine Series featuring the purest wines on the planet with a selection of wines that are organic, biodynamic, sustainably produced and more.

Paul Kalemkiarian talks wine with evewine101.com founder Eve Bushman.

With a movement toward more natural wine, where little interference or manipulation is done by the winemaker, the demand for such wines is growing in the marketplace. But, as Paul Kalemkiarian, second-generation owner of Wine of the Month Club, is quick to point out, not all natural wines are ones you’d want to drink. Buzzwords–such as sustainable, organic and biodynamic–require stringent definitions and certifications to be included on a wine label; however, a wine that markets itself as a natural wine–inferring that it’s held to a higher standard– offers a false sense of credence as no such certification exists for “natural wines.”

“This is where I come in,” explains Paul. “Just because a wine label says it’s ‘natural,’ ‘organic,’ or ‘certified sustainable,’ doesn’t mean it tastes good. I have created the Pure Wine Series to highlight the best wines I find in these categories and send them directly to those who are as interested as I am in exploring this subject.”

Bottles from the Pure Wine Series represent several attributes, from sustainable practices such as dry farming and certified organic farming to wines with no added sugar, low sulfur, and those approved by various diets, including vegan, keto and paleo. Members can choose to have two or three bottles shipped to their home or office every 1-3 months, and shipping is always free.

Kalemkiarian has tasted more than 100,000 wines in his lifetime. Every week he conducts his own Tuesday Tasting where he’ll taste up to 70 wines from all over the world. Only the very best will be selected and shipped to his members, including those that make the cut for the Pure Wine Series.

“My dad, who started Wine of the Month Club nearly 50 years ago and still enjoys a glass of wine at age 91, taught me the importance of tasting every wine,” says Kalemkirian. “Whether it smells like vinegar or rotten eggs, you still need to taste it and learn from its flaws. I taste a lot of bad wines that we end up tossing in the garbage, and it pains me when I see that same wine emerge in the marketplace. But that’s what sets us apart from other wine clubs. We don’t rely on algorithms or buy overproduced wine from Europe, we taste each and every wine that will eventually be uncorked by our thousands of members. It may seem old-fashioned, but it’s how we’ve done things for nearly half a century.”

For more information on Wine of the Month Club and its various membership options, visit wineofthemonthclub.com or call 800.949.WINE (9463) Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PST).

About Wine of the Month Club

Founded in 1972, the Original Wine of the Month Club® began in Los Angeles, California as the creation of innovative wine shop owner and first-generation immigrant, Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. “Paul Sr.,” as he’s now known, owned and operated Palos Verdes Wines and Spirits, a premier wine shop in the LA/Malibu area. Kalemkiarian initially conceived of the idea of a monthly wine subscription service to fulfill the needs of loyal Palos Verdes Peninsula customers who had moved out of the area. This idea quickly evolved into Wine of the Month Club, the first wine-by-mail company in the country.

Nearly 50 years later, Wine of the Month Club is owned and operated by Kalemkiarian’s son, Paul Kalemkiarian Jr, known as “Paul K.” Paul K hand selects the wines for each club every month, just as his father did before him. While the quality and value have remained consistent throughout the company’s history, customers can now conveniently order and customize their subscriptions online, choosing from a variety of clubs such as the Classic Series, Vintners Series, Limited Series or regional and varietal-specific clubs such as Napa, Bordeaux and pinot noir. Each shipment comes with a newsletter including information on wine history, food pairing tips, and more, and is backed by a money-back satisfaction guarantee. More information is available online at wineofthemonthclub.com.

Discovering Folded Hills Winery – Plus Winemaker Angela Osborne

February 28, 2020 by evebushman

Once again the #LAWineWriters met up at Napa Valley Grille in Westwood to have a wine paired luncheon. This time organizer and fellow writer Cori Solomon invited us to taste through some new Rhone wines – Grenache predominant – from a winery in the Santa Ynez AVA: Folded Hills Winery Farmstead Ranch.

We were greeted by the owner, Kim Busch, and general manager Tymari Lore on the patio of the restaurant. There were no less than nine wines for us to try, along with a six course meal created by Chef Ben Diaz. (See photos here.)

What we learned about the winery:

The vineyards are situated further south than any other vineyards in the Santa Ynez AVA and provide for cooler climate wines.
The winemaker, Angela Osborne, is also known for her A Tribute to Grace wines.
Their wine club is called “The Fold” and is very event-centered.
If you like French Rhônes, many of which are lower in alcohol than the American version, know that the Folded Hills wines we tried ranged from low to mid-range at 12.10% alcohol to 14.5%, with most hovering at about 13%.
They launched in April 2017 and you can taste the wines in their Montecito tasting room or at the estate in Gaviota.
This is a small production winery, with 5,500-6,500 case production, and they tend to “sell out fast.” Owner Kim Busch added, “Yes we do sell out of most our wines, all but 2 of which are purposely higher production.”
If you visit the winery you will not only see vineyards but also fruit trees and farm animals.

According to their brochure the wines “have no residual sugar and one gram or less of carbs, no commercial additives, minimal sulfur, only native yeast, are grown organically following the biodynamic calendar, made from grapes that are 95% estate grown, hand harvested using sustainable practices in the vineyard, are vegan, and crafted consciously to be lower in alcohol…” as well as being family owned.

Below are my tasting notes on the wines and food pairings:

ONE

Beet Tartare: Yuzu, hazelnut chimichurri, radish, nasturtium, country bread.

2018 Lilly Rose Grenache: 100% Folded Hills Grenache. Salmon in color, aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, apple, lemon, graphite. Loved the beets and the Rose cooled down the heat of this dish.

TWO

The Nomad Flatbread: Salmon belly, crème fraiche, escabeche, radish, chervil.

2018 August White: 68% Folded Hills Grenache Blanc, 32% Area 51 Roussanne. White flowers, pears in light syrup, concrete, mild acidity. I loved the salmon – and had seconds – with this white Rhone.

THREE

Apple and Brie Flatbread: Granny Smith, picked red onion, triple crème brie, prosciutto, heirloom tomato velouté.

2018 Estate White Santa Ynez Valley: 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Marsanne, 25% Clarette Blanche. Apple, peach, butter, toasted oak, crisp and clean mouthfeel, and my favorite white in the tasting. Loved the apple notes in the wine with the apples in the flatbread.

FOUR

Mary’s Free-Range Chicken Wings: Thai passion fruit chili, petite frisee, Heirloom radish, cilantro.

2017 August Red: 67% Grenache, 33% Syrah. Very perfumy aromatics, velvety red fruit, black cherries, big and tannic – especially when compared to the other red wines. My fellow writers oohed and awed over the pairing; it was quite nice with the spices on the chicken.

FIVE

Yellowfin Tuna: bubu arare, porcini crema, truffle ponzu, maitake.

2017 Cluster Grenache: Whole cluster Grenache, 100% Folded Hills. Cherry cola, green peppercorn and a nice easy drinker.

2017 Estate Grenache: 100% Folded Hills Grenache. Cherry liqueur, brambles, minty and dry.

2017 Grant Grenache: 92% Grenache, 8% Syrah. Raspberry, bright, oak and tannic.

All were really nice with the tuna, and as it was served cold it was a perfect picnic as we were outdoors on a cool day with low alcohol wines. These last two Grenache were my favorites of the reds.

SIX

Charred Te Mana Lamb: honey nut squash, baby kale, pine nut relish, au poivre.

Twice Fried Brussels Sprouts: Balsamic, parmigiano reggiano, togarashi, shaved bonito.

2017 Stolpman Syrah Ballard Canyon: 100% Stolpman Syrah. Strawberry, richly oaked, cola, tart.

2016 G.S.M.: 80% Folded Hills Vineyard, 20% Thompson Vineyard. 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre. Red berries, ash, long finish.

Both wines were very nice with the lamb and Brussels Sprouts, if I could have eaten more I would have!

https://foldedhills.com/

https://www.facebook.com/foldedhills/

https://napavalleygrille.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NapaValleyGrilleWestwood/

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 16k 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.