The global wine trade. A U.S. perspective.
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Moldovan growers are contending with low grape procurement prices and higher operating and transport costs, despite a projected 10% to 15% rise in wine-grape output this season. Radio Moldova reports that indicative processing-grape prices are €0.34 to €0.41 per kilogram, while one grower estimates production costs of €3,250 to €3,500 per hectare.
Research & technology
Moët Hennessy, Analog Devices and UC Davis are collaborating on a sensing and machine-learning platform to analyze chemical signatures from grapevines, juice and wine. The companies say an initial system identified samples at elevated risk of Fresh Mushroom Aroma earlier than conventional detection. They are also researching possible applications in vine disease, soil assessment and other wine defects.
Business & markets
Sula Vineyards founder Rajeev Samant says India’s small wine market remains a central growth opportunity, even as the company expands its business beyond winemaking. The Nashik-based group operates five wineries, sells about one million cases annually and has grown its hospitality capacity to around 150 rooms, according to Aabkari Times.
Hospitality
Odette wine director Vincent Tan will join Singapore-based Park90 as group wine director on Oct. 19, ending a decade at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant. The sommelier-led business is preparing launches in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Tan plans to assess Park90’s existing list and team before making changes, while Odette’s succession process remains unresolved.
Policy & regulation
A Decanter blind tasting of 105 southern Rhône cru whites found wines from every appellation represented except Laudun among its 14 Outstanding selections. The report also points to a wider shift: Gigondas began producing cru whites with the 2023 vintage, Vinsobres is set to follow in 2026, and 11 Côtes du Rhône named villages have asked appellation authorities to allow white wine production.
Vineyard & cellar
A Decanter opinion examines why Côte-Rôtie growers have not agreed on a Burgundy-style vineyard classification. The appellation spans 343 hectares and 73 lieux-dits, but those boundaries do not necessarily reflect consistent terroir. While producers have proposed ways to rank sites, the article says the appellation’s co-presidents have no current intention to establish a cru system.
Vineyard & cellar
Decanter’s annual report assessed 342 wines released between July 2025 and July 2026, finding producers divided over how to respond to climate pressures and define the region’s identity. The tasting highlighted work on old-vine genetics, strong value among Crianza wines and the small number of Gran Reservas submitted.
Research & technology
Moët Hennessy has worked with Analog Devices and University of California, Davis researchers on an AI model intended to detect emissions from a grape-growing fungus at an early stage. The New York Post reports that the approach uses sensing technology on grape samples to identify signals that winemakers previously could not detect so early.
Business & markets
California wine businesses are confronting lower demand, export losses and pressure to sell vineyards and winery assets. SFGATE reports that McManis Family Vineyards is listed for $77.95 million, while its exports to Canada fell sharply between July 2025 and July 2026. Industry experts cited in the report point to changing consumer habits and oversupply, even as some buyers see opportunities in lower-priced properties.
Business & markets
California winery McManis Family Vineyards has put its winery and associated vineyards on the market amid weaker conditions. The report says the company’s exports to Canada fell sharply between July 2025 and July 2026, while industry figures and analysts point to trade losses and changing consumption patterns as pressures on wineries and growers.
Business & markets
Rack & Riddle has appointed Laura Webb as chief marketing officer. Webb most recently served as vice president of sales, marketing and DTC at Cakebread Cellars, and previously held roles at Brown-Forman and E. & J. Gallo Winery. The company says she will lead strategy, innovation, commercialization and marketing as it expands production capacity and its Sonoma County footprint.
Business & markets
The 2026 auction recorded R18.22 million in sales and 2,220 cases sold, up 5.9% and 16% respectively from 2025. Average bottle prices fell, while whites and Cap Classique achieved a higher average price than reds for the first time in the Guild’s history. Trade buyers accounted for 44% of purchase value.
Distribution & retail
Djokovic Winery has appointed New York-based La Ville Imports as its exclusive importer, brand representative and distributor in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The companies also plan to work together on expansion into additional U.S. markets; launch availability details have not yet been announced.
Research & technology
Moët Hennessy’s Robert-Jean de Vogüé Research Center has trained machine-learning algorithms on a library of samples and data to identify wines at risk of developing Fresh Mushroom Aroma, according to Luxus Plus. The work analyzes chemical signatures in vines, must and wines, with the aim of detecting risk before traditional methods can identify the defect.
Business & markets
U.S. wine sales and grape production are under pressure as growers reduce acreage and some wineries struggle financially. California acreage in production fell to 510,000 acres in 2025, from 590,000, while its 2025 crush was the smallest since 1999, according to figures cited in The Food Institute’s report. Experts point to lower demand alongside rising production and operating challenges.
Research & technology
Education & careers
Vineyard & cellar