One suspect who stole multiple Burgundy bottles from L’Auberge Provençale was sentenced to a year in prison on May 18; her partner remains at large. Sgt. Mike Bell of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office returned two of the bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to L’Auberge Provençale, owned by Celeste Borel and her husband. (Courtesy of L’Auberge Provençale) One of the perpetrators in the audacious theft of four bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from the restaurant and inn L’Auberge Provençale in Virginia last November will serve a year in prison. Natali Ray, 56, was sentenced to a year in...

With the wine crisis violently shaking the historical foundations of the wine industry, Martin Cubertafond, strategy consultant and lecturer at Sciences-Po, calls in this interview for a return to updated fundamentals on the operational approach to the markets. By targeting new purchasing opportunities, by opening up other places of consumption with other formats and reduced prices, by developing more diverse styles of wine, by writing different narratives... A call for modernization as much as democratization, otherwise "we will have a micro-niche of ultra-knowledgeable consumers, but a micro-niche in the end" warns the analyst, who calls for "a marketing that is...

The start of the secondary buds has blurred the heterogeneity observed in the many frozen plots of the Chablisien. The vines have regained their vigour and are entering flowering in a perfect state of health for this Burgundy vineyard. By Marion Bazireau On May 20, 2026 The Chardonnay is currently reaching the 'separate flower buds' stage. - photo credit: Manon Pinot The Chablis vineyard has regained its colours since the sleepless nights at -5°C at the end of March. "The heterogeneity of the stages in the plots affected by the frost is fading," observes Manon Pinot. "A few weeks ago,...

Liv-ex has launched a new Robert Parker Wine Advocate API, enabling fine wine businesses to integrate one of the world’s most influential wine critics scores, drinking… Critic scores continue to play a central role in the fine wine market. They influence buyer behaviour, pricing expectations and demand across regions and vintages. For wine businesses operating at scale, keeping scores up to date and consistently applied across internal systems is a real challenge. Manually updating critic scores across pricing tools, ERPs, websites and trading platforms is time-consuming and can be prone to human error. In a market where confidence, credibility and...

At last, some good news for the wine industry: tariff refunds applications are open. © Galen Crout/Unsplash | After all the hassle of ordering early and praying for quick delivery, wine importers can now claim tariff refunds from the US government. Importers around the United States got good news on Monday, as the Trump administration began accepting applications for more than 6 billion in tariff refunds. This good news won't extend far to consumers, except in an oblique manner. It's very unlikely that wines on store shelves will get cheaper, but this move might stave off price increases in the...

Two Magnums of Château Lafite Rothschild 1870, which lay undisturbed in the cellars of Glamis Castle for nearly 100 years, achieved 6,250 at a “landmark” white glove sale at Sotheby’s New York last week – breaking two records in quick succession. The first bottle sold for US6,250, more than double the high pre-sale estimate of US,000–50,000. The second nearly doubled that figure several minutes later, after fierce bidding, to achieve US0,000 (est. ,000–50,000) – four times its high pre-sale estimate. Undisturbed for a century Both bottles originally came from the historic cellars of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, where...

The international wine judge Daniele Raspini from Tuscany, attended this unique masterclass of Historical Supertuscans Comittee and shares his impressions with us. Yesterday at Vinitaly 2026, I had the privilege of living a rare experience—one of those that only happen a few times in the life of a wine lover: the opportunity to taste and, above all, compare 16 great wines from the outstanding 2021 vintage, key protagonists in the history of the Super Tuscan. It was an emotional journey into the heart of Chianti Classico, guided with remarkable expertise and sensitivity by Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, who transformed the tasting into...

On alert for the next few nights, the French vineyards fear violent frosts on plots that are well advanced in vegetative development, from Anjou to the Var, via Champagne: and even if the damage is small, it will still be necessary to hold out in April... Whether it is tonight and the next ones, the risk of frost is confirmed in the French vineyards, the question for many areas being not whether it will freeze, but at what intensity. With forecasts of -3 to -4°C under shelter in Champagne, "a descent of cold air is common at this time. What...

Experienced sommelier Neil Tabraham shares expert advice on how to navigate the path to becoming a sommelier. My own journey to becoming a sommelier was very different to the opportunities ambitious wine superstars in South Africa can seek out today. A world in which hospitality was a lifestyle, we worked hard and played harder. Colleagues became family and a sink or swim attitude to running restaurants meant a great many more failures than successes. The age-old adage: “How do you make a small fortune in restaurants? Well, you start with a large fortune”, was never truer than in the UK...

There are days when you just don’t feel like cooking—like this cold Friday. You don’t want to think. You don’t want to impress anyone. And that’s exactly when the lazy man’s pizza appears. A flatbread base, a bit of sauce, whatever’s left in the fridge from a couple of days ago, and plenty of grated cheese that melts easily—just enough to cover the fatigue of the day. It’s simple, quick, and—most importantly—you’re not waiting for the doorbell or a delivery. What it needs alongside it isn’t a “great” wine. It’s the right wine. The working man’s wine. The one you...

Allwinestories proudly presents the 60 judges of the the prestigious wine contests Mondial Des Vins Blancs Strasbourg & European Red and Rose Wine Contest. In 2026, the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès will host 2 international competitions: The 28the edition of the Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg The 1st. edition of the European Red & Rosé Wine Contest. These 2 competitions will take place on March 14 and 15, 2026 and will bring together 60 expert judges from 20 countries and 5 continents, composed of oenologists, exceptional sommeliers, wine merchants, experts in sensory analysis, journalists, specialized bloggers, VIPs...

For centuries, the world of wine has been a male-dominated field. Nevertheless, many women have left an indelible mark on the history of wine, influencing production, science, education, and the global market. From pioneering winemakers to leading critics and scientists, these women have shaped the way we perceive wine today. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin The "Grande Dame of Champagne" took over the Veuve Clicquot house in the early 19th century and turned it into a global symbol of quality. Her contribution to champagne production techniques, particularly the remuage process, is considered revolutionary. Lalou Bize-Leroy One of Burgundy's most powerful personalities, Lalou...

Joint UC Davis, USDA Research is Evaluating Calcium Spray and Wine Chemistry. Smoke from wildfires can alter grapes and affect the taste and sensory experience of wine, threatening California’s billion industry as it faces an increase in fires on the horizon. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, and U.S. Department of Agriculture spent this summer applying a calcium spray to grapes to see if the treatment can protect the fruit from smoke exposure. “Wildfire smoke exposure can lead to something called smoke taint in wines and this is an unfavorable sensory outcome in the wines themselves that relate...

"Wine is definitely not a classless affair. I'll say it differently. There is classism ingrained in wine culture..." It's safe to say that wine is a little bit of an obsession in my life; I study it, I taste and evaluate, and I even wax lyrical. But, that being said, a few days ago as I slumped heavily into my couch on a hot and slightly sweaty Sunday afternoon, I dug my index finger into the tab of an Amstel Lager can and then took a few deep, drawn out sips of the frothy liquid that once seduced the inner...

The Bordeaux protected designation of origin has approved a new claret designation aimed at fresher, lighter red wines. The move reflects climate pressure, shifting consumption patterns and a return to an older Bordeaux tradition. The Bordeaux protected designation of origin has formally validated a new wine style known as Bordeaux claret, linking it to the existing Bordeaux appellation, as reported by the Guardian. Bottles carrying the designation will appear from the 2025 vintage and are intended to revive a historic style of red once shipped to Britain from the 12th century onwards. Climate pressure and changing viticulture Producers describe the...

The Association of the Climats – World Heritage is entering a new cycle! After an exceptional year in 2025, celebrating 10 years of UNESCO World Heritage status across the entire listed area, 2026 opens under the sign of renewal: new premises at the Cité des Climats de Beaune and the arrival of Cyprien Arlaud and Lauriane André, respectively as President and Deputy President. This new era is rooted both in continuity and in the creation of fresh momentum, with a shared desire to renew the Association’s commitment and to project itself collectively into the next ten years. Before an assembly...

Chitosan and lysozyme offer promising alternatives for winemakers seeking lower-sulfite wines without sacrificing quality or consumer preference. A new study from Uruguay has examined ways to reduce or replace sulfur dioxide (SO₂) in the production of Tannat wine, a grape variety closely associated with the country. The research, conducted during the 2023 vintage in Canelones, Uruguay, focused on using chitosan and lysozyme as alternatives to traditional sulfite additions. The goal was to maintain microbial stability and wine quality while addressing growing consumer demand for wines with lower sulfite content due to health concerns. The experiment involved five different winemaking treatments:...

Ancestral sparkling wine production has seen an increase in recent years. Under the label “ancestral method” consumers can find a wide variety of products, as each producer follows their own interpretation of the process without standardised guidelines. This study aims to identify the critical aspects of the ancestral procedure and to compare it to the traditional method. Introduction Most of the Premium sparkling wines in the world, like Champagne, Cava or Franciacorta, are produced following the traditional method, which involves a second fermentation of a base wine in a crown sealed bottle1 2. By contrast, the ancestral method is a...

In 2025, a total of 266 million bottles of Champagne were sold worldwide. This represents a decline of two percent compared to 2024 (271.4 million bottles), as reported by the umbrella organization Comité Champagne. Compared to the record year 2022 (325.5 million bottles), the decline is even over 18 percent. Thus, deliveries are at their lowest level since 2001 (262.7 million bottles), except for 2020, the year of the Corona pandemic (245 million bottles). The business at the end of the year was still better than expected in the summer. In August, deliveries were almost seven percent below the previous...