Portocork America’s Post

🚨🍷🇦🇺 What's new for Australian winemakers this week? - The Orange and Hilltops regions in New South Wales, Australia, are experiencing growth and potential in their wine scenes, with new winemakers and expanding vineyards, emphasizing cool-climate varieties and Mediterranean varieties for Hilltops [1]. - De Bortoli Wines has launched Pinot Pinot Noir, expanding their product range and showcasing their expertise in Pinot Noir [13]. - Global wine industry events such as ProWein in Düsseldorf are introducing areas dedicated to spirits and focusing on sustainability, indicating changing trends in the drinks industry that could impact Australian winemakers [15],[18],[20],[21],[22]. - The NoviAgri project in Italy is merging winemaking tradition with technology and AI for disease management in vineyards, a trend that Australian winemakers could look into for sustainable practices [25]. 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dB49iTYP #winery #winemaking #wineindustry #australia

New wave in the wine industry- prowein24. Running from prowein last week to vineyards around the region this week I have only shared first impressions of the show that finished. Here are some more elaborated points: - Fresh wines are sought for - Whites have already taken over reds - Second gen winemakers in their 30s are on the scene - All of this paves the way for a change in the industry - Climate is a concern - fresh wines do not come from warmer spots - Sustainability is important - but with no sales not so much - Buyer structure is different - Russia is missing fully - Vineyards in cooler spots - a difficult ask With all of this in mind, I have seen a number of producers doubling down on reds, particularly from places where this has been a tradition, such as Spain. Despite that Spain has had the best appearance on the show, in my opinion. p.s. I am somehow thinking we will be blanc de noirs a bit more p.p.s. Another point of view on the fair is here: https://lnkd.in/d3zcdjv3

Can You Scale Up Fine Wine? Fine wine has always relied on rarity and scarcity to establish its appeal. Fine wine thrives on the idea (real or perceived) of small scale, artisanal, never-changing production. But are these models still viable in today’s economy? If scaling-up increases the survival rate of businesses, shouldn’t all fine wine businesses be looking at growth? In other words, does one need to be small to be scarce? Is there a limit to how big a fine wine business can be? Join ARENI Global on December 5th - 4PM GMT- to explore how and why fine wine businesses scale up, the main challenges they face and the skills and resources it takes to grow. With: - João Gomes da Silva, Chief Commercial Officer, SOGRAPE, Portugal - Vianney Gravereaux – Sales and Marketing Director, ORNELLAIA & MASSETO, Italy - Ivan Massonnat, Owner, Domaine Belargus, France - Dan Petroski, Winemaker, Massican Winery, USA This Insight Series is free and open to all. Register here: https://bit.ly/3updPQh #finewines #winebusiness #growthstrategy #sustainability #wineindustry #economics #investment #finance

🍷 The Evolution of Screwtop Wine Bottles: A Toast to Innovation and Quality 🌏 In a realm deeply rooted in tradition, the emergence of screwtop wine bottles has stirred a mix of emotions within the wine community. Despite skepticism, this innovation, first introduced in 1959, originated not from a desire to cut costs, but from a need to combat the challenges of global transportation, especially for countries like Australia plagued by cork taint—a spoilage caused by bacteria on cork. 🇦🇺 Taking a bold step forward, the Australian winery Yalumba, troubled by significant losses due to cork taint, reached out to French manufacturer Le Bouchon Mecanique for a solution, ushering in the era of the screw cap. Initial resistance was strong, and adoption was slow. However, the tides began to change in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to a significant shift in the early 2000s. 🍇 Australian winemakers, facing consumer associations of screw caps with lower quality, made a daring move to bottle their finest wines using screw caps. This gamble paid off, offering a paradigm of high-quality screwtop wine and breaking the ice for widespread acceptance. Australia's innovative spirit didn't stop there; they're also credited with the invention of boxed wine. 🔄 Over the past two decades, screw caps have undergone significant refinement. A major advancement addresses one of the chief criticisms from traditionalists: the lack of air exchange. Modern screw caps now allow a controlled interaction between the wine and air, facilitating aging without the risk of cork taint. 🔝 Today, opting for screwtop wine no longer suggests compromising on quality. The industry's journey from resistance to embrace showcases a remarkable evolution towards innovation and sustainability in wine packaging. Screwtops have proven their worth, ensuring the integrity of the wine within, challenging conventions, and reaffirming that the essence of quality lies not in the packaging but in the product itself. #AustralianWine #WineInnovation #ScrewtopRevolution #WinePackaging

In September Ricca Terra (RT) releases its first batch of cask wines. I really wanted to start to understand the reasoning behind why RT is taking this journey. Luckily there has already been some robust research, which seems compelling (see graph). I looked at a simple calculation, that being, the cost/ltr of transporting wine from Adelaide to Brisbane ($400/pallet space). A pallet of wine in glass equates to 576 litres (64 cases x 9 litres per case). The cost per litre works out to be $0.69 from Adelaide to Brisbane. A pallet of 3 litre casks equates to 900 litre (300 casks/pallet x 3 litres per cask). The cost per litre is $0.44 from Adelaide to Brisbane. Another way to look at it...it's another 324 litres of wine per pallet using casks. If a wine business produced 90,000 litres of wine under glass, the total pallets used would equate to around 156 (64 cases/pallet). Sending to Brisbane from Adelaide would be an estimated cost of $62.5K. Under the same scenario, using casks, the cost would be $40K. I'm learning a lot on the run re casks. My mind boggles as to the potential savings (environmental & cost) post consumption. It's worth mentioning, cask wine has a shelf life, so a failure to pull through in sales by a prescribed due date can lead to wastage which is not the case with wine in glass. Please let me know if my thinking is wrong or if you have any additional thoughts.

England: The Next Superstar Wine Region. 📈 England's wine industry has shown notable growth since 2012, with forecasts predicting a doubling of its vineyard surface in the next eight years. 🍇 Factors such as the presence of Kimmeridgian soils (found in Chablis, Champagne, and Pouilly-Fumé), proximity to major consumption centers like London, and a wine profile aligning with current demand contribute to its potential as a "wine superpower." 📉 Despite this, the scale of its vineyards will remain relatively modest in comparison to that of well-established wine-producing countries. Challenges include high labor costs and small businesses with limited scope economies could have an impact on the development of the industry.

WHAT IWCA CAN DO FOR SMALL WINERIES / INVESTOR CALLS FOR C&C GROUP SALE / THE FIRST 2018 VINTAGE CHAMPAGNES When International Wines for Climate Action (IWCA) was established in 2019 it had just two founding members: Spain’s Familia Torres and California’s Jackson Family Wines. This year, IWCA celebrates its fifth birthday, by which point it has welcomed 48 wine producers from 12 different countries into its fold, becoming a powerful force of (and for) nature. Its membership numbers are no small feat given the administratively gruelling process, and ongoing improvement to a business that IWCA certification requires. So it’s perhaps no surprise that member companies tend to be on the larger side – the likes of Chile’s VSPT, for example, India’s Sula Vineyards and Yealands Wine Group in New Zealand. Constellation Brands and Sogrape are also on the books, as are Washington’s Ste. Michelle and Port powerhouse Symington Family Estates. However, earlier this year, with little fanfare, something rather exciting happened. Acknowledging that crunching the data in order to calculate a company’s carbon baseline is often more challenging for smaller producers with less personnel, IWCA decided to do something about it. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePHh7iWH IWCA - International Wineries for Climate Action The Drinks Business #iwca #smallwineries #small #wineries #investorcalls #investor #investments #calls #wine #champagne

Sipping Success: #Chilean Wine Takes Flight in Southeast Asia in 2022! 🍷🌏 The year 2022 saw a notable surge in the popularity of Chilean wine in Southeast Asia, indicating the growing demand for new #wines varieties and style within the region. Following up with this trend, Chilean winemakers are stepping up on their marketing and promotion to capitalize this opportunity. This surge underscores the evolving dynamics in the wine industry and the promising path that Chilean wine is treading to explore the vast horizons of the Southeast Asia market. At ProWine Singapore, we recognize these potentials and seek to provide a platform for wine #producers to join us to elevate their #brand to new heights. Whether you're an established winery or an emerging label, provide the opportunities for your brand to connect with various business forms and collaborate interesting #partnerships. Book your space today with us! https://lnkd.in/gB2Cbuah #ProWineSG2024 #ProWineSingapore #Chile #chileanwine #winebusiness #winetradefair #alcoholnews #tradefair #spirits #cocktails #redwine #winetrends #exhibitors #tradefair #networking #collaboration

“Some of the big name brands are making ethical and socially responsible practices a priority, but many are not. … But if they feel the pressure from international markets, if they feel that there is a real demand from the market, things will start to change.” We recently spoke with Gastón Federico Buchaillot Founder & CEO at The Wine Plan - Bodega & Viñedos Marguerite in Mendoza, Argentina, on the future of ethical winemaking in Argentina. #wine #wineindustry #winemaker #ethicalsourcing #sustainability #esg #socialjustice #fairtrade #ethicalleadership #ethicalbusiness #socialresponsibility #agricuture #ethicalsourcing #workersrights