The global wine trade. A U.S. perspective.
Get the Daily Brief ↗Education & careers
Dream Big Darling and The Millinger Group say the 2026–27 FLOurish program will provide more than 15 scholarships, each covering its $6,500 cost. The six-month virtual program is designed for emerging women leaders in wine and spirits. Applications are open through Dec. 4, 2026.
Hospitality
Rodrigo Briseño, head sommelier at Barcelona restaurant Disfrutar, says wine service should focus on what guests want to drink rather than rigid protocols. He oversees a cellar of more than 1,500 labels and the restaurant’s wine pairings, while emphasizing an approachable experience for both newcomers and experienced diners.
Distribution & retail
UK importer Liberty Wines has expanded its Spanish range with projects from Telmo Rodríguez, Javi Revert and Forjas del Salnés. The additions span Rueda, Toro, Valencia and Rías Baixas, with wines made from Verdejo, Tinta de Toro, Albariño and regional varieties including Arcos.
Vineyard & cellar
The Centre-Loire’s annual report describes a harvest shaped by early budburst, frost, hail and summer heat. Picking ran from 12 August to around 11 September. The Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Centre says fruit reached wineries in healthy condition, but yields varied widely; it reports fresh whites and concentrated, deeply coloured reds.
Hospitality
Decanter columnist Katherine Cole profiles Boulder’s restaurants, wine retail and professional community ahead of the Sundance Film Festival’s planned move there in January 2027. She says the festival is expected to bring 85,000 attendees and highlights the city’s dining culture, local wine events and Colorado’s restrictions on bringing outside wine to restaurants.
Education & careers
Patrick R. Dunn has launched Meet the Winemakers, a series of long-form interviews with winemakers in the United States and abroad. Each installment includes a written transcript and narrative summary, based on a consistent set of 20 questions. The first interviews feature California winemakers Scott Harvey and Adam Lee; future sessions are planned in Armenia and Georgia.
Vineyard & cellar
At a London seminar, vineyard consultant and winemaker Pedro Parra argued that heat and water stress are challenging established practices in Burgundy and other regions. He urged growers to map vineyard soils, track vine health and yields, and review whether rootstocks and winemaking methods suit changing conditions. Parra is also working on a winery project in Sussex.
Hospitality
Robert Mondavi Winery has reopened after a three-year, $200 million renovation that added a hospitality center, expanded indoor and outdoor tasting areas and upgraded production facilities. The 214,855-square-foot project also restored the estate’s signature arch and tower. The winery’s new cellar includes optical sorting, gravity-flow systems and temperature-controlled fermentation, while its visitor program offers several guided tasting experiences.
Vineyard & cellar
Manuela Lo Conte’s Sommelier India article describes how shifting weather patterns are complicating vineyard and cellar decisions in India. Producers reportedly harvested about five days earlier over the past two vintages, though seasonal variation remains considerable. The piece also examines double pruning, fruit-ripening trade-offs, soil care and disease-resistant grape varieties as possible tools for adapting.
Distribution & retail
The Korea Daily reports that California wineries are moving surplus wine through bulk sales and private labels, with examples including a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon listed by distributor Navigator Wine Collection at $29.99 against a stated $149 retail value. Grocery Outlet says winery bulk offers have grown to as many as 200,000 cases. Industry insiders cited by the paper expect the glut to persist another 12 to 24 months.
Vineyard & cellar
Zorzettig has inaugurated Cantina Viva in Colli Orientali del Friuli, bringing its production activities together while adding spaces for visitors and cultural programming. The company says the facility is designed to improve processes and working conditions, incorporates energy-efficiency and water-recovery measures, and retains its historic barrel cellar. The opening coincides with the start of a 2026 winemaking collaboration with Luca D’Attoma.
Education & careers
More than 100 sommeliers attended Coravin’s first symposium at London’s Savoy Hotel, where sessions covered wine-list economics, data, stock control, team leadership and career progression. Speakers described a difficult UK on-trade market but pointed to opportunities in premium experiences and low- and no-alcohol drinks, while stressing that sommeliers need commercial and management skills alongside wine knowledge.
Vineyard & cellar
A first-person essay on Spain’s changing wine identity highlights old-vine field blends, indigenous varieties and renewed attention to vineyard sites beyond the best-known regions. Its examples include unfortified Vinos de Pasto in Sherry, new styles from Txakolina and a revival of red grapes in Rías Baixas. The piece frames these developments as a return to inherited practices, adapted to changing conditions and tastes.
Business & markets
A Sotheby’s auction of 676 lots from Château Haut-Brion’s cellars brought in €3.4 million, within its overall estimate range. The October 1 sale included wines from 1935 to 2025. Several lots exceeded their high estimates, including a five-litre 1989 red that sold for €62,500.
Research & technology
Moët Hennessy, Analog Devices and UC Davis say they have used a chemical-sensing and machine-learning platform to identify grape and wine samples at elevated risk of developing Fresh Mushroom Aroma before the defect would typically be detected. The partners are also exploring applications in vine disease detection, soil assessment and other quality risks.
Business & markets
A Sommelier India opinion feature examines efforts to extend rosé sales beyond summer and the rise of styles that sit between rosé and red wine. It describes Bordeaux claret and southern French blouge as examples, linking demand for fresher, lower-tannin wines to warmer conditions and changing drinking preferences. The piece also discusses chilled and ice-served wines as ways to broaden occasions for lighter styles.
Research & technology
South African wine researchers are producing valuable work despite limited resources, speakers said at an industry research event near Paarl. They called for broader funding, larger coordinated research programmes and producer involvement from project design through implementation. A panelist also linked changes in Wine Australia’s funding priorities to staff reductions at the Australian Wine Research Institute, a claim requiring editorial review.
Distribution & retail
Hallgarten & Novum Wines’ August survey found that most respondents expected to spend more on wine this Christmas than in 2025, while 43.8% anticipated buying more bottles. The report also identified supermarkets as the leading shopping destination and found interest in English wine among consumers planning festive purchases.