Decanter March 2020

Buy Aussie wines to help bushfire relief Vineyards have suffered ‘devastating damage’ from deadly bushfires, as have wider communities, said government body Wine Australia. However, it warned that a complete picture will take time to assemble. Understandably, Australia’s wine industry has not been the major focus amid fires that have killed at least 28 people, destroyed homes and caused mass evacuations. More than 10 million hectares of land burned between September 2019 and January 2020, with New South Wales and Victoria hit hardest. Until full damage assessments can take place, Wine Australia has sought to provide context on the situation for vineyard owners and their customers. ‘We are confident that, as of 6 January 2020, less than 1% of Australian vineyards were potentially impacted,’ a spokesperson for the organisation told Decanter. Adelaide Hills was one…

News Month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Laura Seal Buy Aussie wines to help bushfire relief Vineyards have suffered ‘devastating damage’ from deadly bushfires, as have wider communities, said government body Wine Australia. However, it warned that a complete picture will take time to assemble. Understandably, Australia’s wine industry has not been the major focus amid fires that have killed at least 28 people, destroyed homes and caused mass evacuations. More than 10 million hectares of land burned between September 2019 and January 2020, with New South Wales and Victoria hit hardest. Until full damage assessments can take place, Wine Australia has sought to provide context on the situation for vineyard owners and their customers. ‘We are confident that, as of 6…

Rivetto has become the first winery in Barolo and Barbaresco to be certified biodynamic by Demeter. The estate, located in the Barolo cru of Briccolina, underwent a 10-year transformation to meet Demeter’s biodynamic standards. Fourth-generation winemaker Enrico Rivetto sacrificed 1.2ha of vines in order to create a biodiverse estate, introducing other crops, 550 trees and donkeys. A device that claims to pour the ‘perfect’ glass of wine has won an innovation award at the CES 2020 tech show in Las Vegas. The Albicchiere, or ‘Albi’, can be loaded with a wine bottle or a ‘smart bag’, which is said to keep wine fresh for six months. Early investors were offered the device for £190. The first Underwater Wine Congress was held in Bilbao last December. Fifty experts, including oenologists and…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter ■ Rivetto has become the first winery in Barolo and Barbaresco to be certified biodynamic by Demeter. The estate, located in the Barolo cru of Briccolina, underwent a 10-year transformation to meet Demeter’s biodynamic standards. Fourth-generation winemaker Enrico Rivetto sacrificed 1.2ha of vines in order to create a biodiverse estate, introducing other crops, 550 trees and donkeys. ■ A device that claims to pour the ‘perfect’ glass of wine has won an innovation award at the CES 2020 tech show in Las Vegas. The Albicchiere, or ‘Albi’, can be loaded with a wine bottle or a ‘smart bag’, which is said to keep wine fresh for six months. Early…

Paper plea If 2019 will be remembered for the focus on climate change and ocean plastic, it looks like 2020 might go down as the year we start doing something about it. As a long-standing subscriber, I am aware of the focus Decanter has placed on this subject over many months and years. And now my January edition has landed on my doorstep sans plastic wrapping; we now have a paper envelope. A huge congratulations and well done! But please, for the sake of the rainforests, can we stop all the loose leaf inserts as well? David Montgomery, Surrey Wine and health As someone with health issues which are, I suspect, not totally unrelated to agricultural chemicals, including a tumour associated with a common constituent of herbicides, I now buy organic/biodynamic wines wherever possible. So…

Letters Your letters Enraged or inspired by what you’ve read? Email editor@decanter.com, or write to: The Editor, Decanter, 1st Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, UK Paper plea If 2019 will be remembered for the focus on climate change and ocean plastic, it looks like 2020 might go down as the year we start doing something about it. As a long-standing subscriber, I am aware of the focus Decanter has placed on this subject over many months and years. And now my January edition has landed on my doorstep sans plastic wrapping; we now have a paper envelope. A huge congratulations and well done! But please, for the sake of the rainforests, can we stop all the loose leaf inserts as well? David Montgomery, Surrey Wine and health As…