The Week in Wine

The Week in Wine Episode 44

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504841/fan_mail/new] Don drinks an Alsace blend from New Zealand producer Yealands while our end-of-month roundup is dominated by spirits headlines, with value Tequila and high-end Bourbon grabbing much of the attention in June. Bordeaux prices, the news that the worst is still to come for the French wine industry and a surprise show from Chile also add to the month's big stories. There's speculation that the wine world might be getting tired of tariff talk and a brief look at a story on the evolution of style and soil in Sancerre in the light of climate change. We also touch in the ongoing crisis in Cognac and a tidbit from the tiny Pécharmant appellation of South West France which has landed itself in hot water after choosing an events company tied to Christian nationalists and with reports of far-right slogans and outright racism at previous iterations. This week's stories are dominated by news that Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. is launching a range of wines in his home country; a couple in a €7 million scam in northern Loire; proposed changes to the Crémant de Loire production parameters; massive Spanish producer Felix Solis posts a bumper year in 2025 and a bottle commemorating Diego Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' is re-released. ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine. Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine [https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine] You can get in touch with us at editor@wine-searcher.com [editor@wine-searcher.com]

The Week in Wine Episode 43

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504841/fan_mail/new] Don has a Guinness with the rugby and Olly has a light red wine blend from a small producer in New Zealand (Halite). Don asks if winemaking nations correlate to soccer success and we look at some of the great, best-value Tequilas on the market at the moment. The news this week revolves around more trade tariffs although some of our stories span: investment interest in Napa; why UK wines never really seem to take off; and a fascinating look at the "Bermuda Triangle of wine" in southeastern Europe. Other news includes Languedoc winemaker Gérard Bertrand's it-will-only-get-worse outlook for the French wine industry (although there are positives); the first sparkling wine release for Marques de Riscal; climate change threats to viticulture in Chile; Miguel Torres releases his memoirs; and more on what is clearly going to be an early harvest for French winemakers. ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine. Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine [https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine] You can get in touch with us at editor@wine-searcher.com [editor@wine-searcher.com]

The Week in Wine Episode 42

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504841/fan_mail/new] US soft diplomacy hits Don via a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon while Olly is still enjoying the aftertaste of a Barolo from Rivetto. The best-value Tequilas tops our most-read stories of the week, closely followed by a fascinating story looking at why Chile isn't getting past the notion of good value. Other top stories include: Langhe's fight against climate change: Port's recent declaration (for 2024) as well as the likelihood of a 2025 declaration; and falling prices in Napa. But this week, it's all about soccer with French former midfielder Jean Tigana in the headlines as well as Rioja winery Marques de Murrietta announcing its 2022 red is the wine gracing the tables in VIP lounges for the FIFA World Cup! Hail hits Burgundy; there's talk of early harvests across France (particularly in Muscadet); Remy Cointreau announces a 20% drop in its Cognac production; there's Prieto Picudo for the Pope and Bodegas Bianchi in Argentina looks to be navigating a way out of its debt situation. ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine. Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine [https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine] You can get in touch with us at editor@wine-searcher.com [editor@wine-searcher.com]

The State of Wine in the USA Special

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504841/fan_mail/new] Star Wars, Soundgarden and My Chemical Romance? Wine-Searcher's US Editor W. Blake Gray talks to Don and Olly about the current state of wine in the United States. Blake looks at the state of the Californian wine industry (with a particular focus on Silicon Valley Bank's Direct to Consumer Wine Report which just came out); the state of Ohio's appeal to the US Supreme Court (which could see a ruling on interstate shipping in the not to distant future); and the struggle to get facts through in the wine and health debate. ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine. Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine [https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine] You can get in touch with us at editor@wine-searcher.com [editor@wine-searcher.com]

Bordeaux En Primeur 2025 Weather Special

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504841/fan_mail/new] "Two Englishmen talking about the weather..." Wine-Searcher's editor Don Kavanaugh bravely entertains David Allen MW and Olly Styles as the pair battle it out over the effects of the weather in the 2025 Bordeaux growing season. In the blue corner, David Allen MW defends Bordeaux estates from accusations that the weather patterns over the 2025 growing season (noteworthy as they are) actually have no bearing on the properties of the final wines produced in the region – a charge leveled by Olly Styles, in the red corner, in a recent opinion piece on the website. Will it go the full 12 rounds? ABOUT THE WEEK IN WINE The Week in Wine goes out every Monday morning so that you can turn up to work with great talking points from the latest news across the world of wine. Hosted by wine-searcher editor Don Kavanagh with wine writer Olly Styles – who also produces the podcast – nearly all of the stories we discuss can be found on https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine [https://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine] You can get in touch with us at editor@wine-searcher.com [editor@wine-searcher.com]