Monday, September 22, 2014

Daily Wine, Beer and Spirits news for September 22, 2014 by Philip S. Kampe





Wine news of the day, reported five days a week by Wine Media Guild journalist, Philip S. Kampe.


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Burgundy 2014
The extraordinary warm September weather may have rescued the 2014 Burgundy harvest from disaster, ripening ‘intensely aromatic whites and ‘concentrated’ reds. Devastating hailstorms earlier this year created poor prospects for this year’s harvest. In  June, up to 40% of the vines from Meusrault, Pommard, Volnay and Beaune were destroyed by ‘golf-ball sized hailstones’. Other communes received worse damage. But, September’s weather, with less than two inches of rain so far has made the harvest very positive. ‘The Chardonnay is fantastic, ripe with lots of acidity’, remarked Jerome Flous of Domaine Faiveley. He also said that the Pinot Noir is concentrated with thick skins. Expect prices to increase for the 2014 crop as supplies will be lower than normal.

Cru Bourgeois 2012
The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Medoc announced that 267 chateaux have made it into the official selections for 2012. That is up from 256 estates in 2013. The 2008 vintage was the first to be released under the new system with 243 chateaux selected. Any Medoc vineyard can apply for Cru Bourgeois status. Wines are blind tasted by independent experts and the selection for a particular vintage is always announced two years after harvest.

Tullamore D.E.W. Toasts the opening of their new Distillery
The second largest Irish whisky company, Tullamore D.E.W., celebrated the opening of its new $50m distillery in its hometown of Tullamore, located in the Irish midlands. As the first spirit flowed from the stills, cheers from hundreds of invited guests filled the building. The milestone marked the return of whisky production to the town, 60 years after the original distillery closed its doors. ‘It is a new chapter in our 185 year history’ commented senior brand manager, Cindy Wang,  She also went on to say that ‘Irish whisky is the fastest growing spirit in the world. Our new facility should keep us up with production levels needed over the next coming decades. 

Philip S. Kampe

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