Some interesting things happening in the world of wine news this week.
French Winemakers Hijack Spanish Trucks, Dump Their Wine
Winemakers in Southern France hijacked a few trucks loaded with Spanish wine and proceeded to empty their contents onto the road and into the sewer. Roughly 150 angry vintners from Aude and Pyénées-Orientales stormed the trucks yesterday and liberated 90,000 bottles worth of red and white wine from the holding tanks. Three other trucks were allowed to carry on, albeit with the words “vin non conforme” (non conforming wine) spray painted on their sides.
Credit: Raymond Roig/AP/Getty
Winemakers in the region feel that French wine hasn’t been given the protection it needs against an increasing number of foreign imports. Some complained that Spanish producers are mixing their wares with South American wine and even sticking “Made in France” labels on their bottles. The organization of growers and winemakers has been pushing for more regulation from the government, with no luck. Their next target might be Italy, which imports wine through the port of Sète. (Read more)
Italy Teaches 6 Year Olds How To Drink Wine
Europe is so progressive. Take Italy for example, where children as young as six will get lessons on how to taste wine. A parliamentary bill introduced the idea as a way to teach the youth about the history and culture of wine in Italy. Dario Stefano, the senator behind the bill, said ‘Italy is now the biggest wine producer in the world, it is our history, and we should be happy and proud to teach our children about it.’
One caveat – the kids won’t actually drink the wine. They’ll learn about drinking it, and why it’s important to not abuse alcohol, which actually seems like a pretty smart approach. (Read more)
Meanwhile…
In other wine-related news worth your time, the Wine Spectator explores whether Chenin Blanc is the “great forgotten grape”. It’s En Primeur time in Bordeaux, and The Drinks Business is reporting the Liv-Ex 100 index has seen it’s largest gain in three years. Dr. Vino explores the news about Constellation Wine buying the Prisoner label from Huneeus Vintners for a whopping $285 million. Huneeus previously purchased the wine for $40 million in 2010, turning a nice profit on their investment. Finally, Wine Folly sheds some light on the murky world of white label wines, explaining why their lack of transparency often leads to disappointing, overpriced wines.
