Decanter January 2021

The art of wine Working in a winter wonderland Kaatschen, Saale-Unstrut, Germany It’s late January, and snow is still thick on the ground in this, one of the northernmost of Europe’s traditional wine regions. Wrapped up warm against the bitter cold, pickers harvest frozen Riesling grapes destined for eiswein. High in natural sugar, the grapes are pressed quickly to make tiny quantities of this highly prized, lusciously sweet dessert wine. Photograph: Michael Reichel/DPA/AFP via Getty Images…

Tentative hopes for US wine tariff easing Global trade tension has continued to loom over wine shipments in 2020, but in the US there was speculation that a Joe Biden-led administration might reverse tariff hikes on European wines that, according to some retailers, have driven up prices. Wine has found itself in the middle of fraught trade relations this year, from negotiations over Brexit to China’s anti-dumping probes into Australian wine. Two of the most high-profile disputes, however, have been between the EU and US over subsidies paid to Airbus and Boeing respectively. The US imposed $7.5bn of retaliatory tariffs on European imports in October 2019, including 25% levies on French, Spanish, German and UK still wines at 14% alcohol or below. The EU recently indicated it would move forward with levying $4bn of…

Month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Chris Mercer Tentative hopes for US wine tariff easing Global trade tension has continued to loom over wine shipments in 2020, but in the US there was speculation that a Joe Biden-led administration might reverse tariff hikes on European wines that, according to some retailers, have driven up prices. Wine has found itself in the middle of fraught trade relations this year, from negotiations over Brexit to China’s anti-dumping probes into Australian wine. Two of the most high-profile disputes, however, have been between the EU and US over subsidies paid to Airbus and Boeing respectively. The US imposed $7.5bn of retaliatory tariffs on European imports in October 2019, including 25% levies on French, Spanish, German and…

n French officials have approved Nyons as the 22nd ‘village’ designation within the Côtes du Rhônes Villages appellation, 22 years after local winemakers first applied. ‘The quality of our wine has finally been recognised,’ said winemaker Chantal Giniès, of organic winery Domaine Giniès. Covering an area of 300 hectares, the Nyons denomination can be used from the 2020 vintage. n Thieves stole about 500kg of grapes from the vineyards of a Canadian winery on the eve of harvest. The Quebec-based winery, Vignoble et Cidrerie Coteau Rougemont, said on Facebook that the theft took place overnight in late October and that it had filed a complaint with police. The winery offered a reward of five cases of wine for information that led to the thieves being caught. n Chinese billionaire entrepreneur…

A woman, making wine and selling Champagne? Really! They’ll be becoming surgeons, engineers and prime ministers next! Your feminist lecture on the ‘Women of Champagne’ (December issue) was really not the sort of thing for which I – and, I suspect, many others – buy Decanter. You can of course print that sort of material if you want to, but, for those who want it, it’s already freely available from the BBC in much larger volumes. I suggest you stick to wine and leave gender politics to others. Your readers will thank you for it. Alexander Pelling, Ampthill, UK The mystery of terroir Whenever winemakers discuss the quality of their wine, you get the same answer: given in French, ‘c’est le terroir’ (it’s the soil). To winemakers, and wine critics alike, it remains…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter n French officials have approved Nyons as the 22nd ‘village’ designation within the Côtes du Rhônes Villages appellation, 22 years after local winemakers first applied. ‘The quality of our wine has finally been recognised,’ said winemaker Chantal Giniès, of organic winery Domaine Giniès. Covering an area of 300 hectares, the Nyons denomination can be used from the 2020 vintage. n Thieves stole about 500kg of grapes from the vineyards of a Canadian winery on the eve of harvest. The Quebec-based winery, Vignoble et Cidrerie Coteau Rougemont, said on Facebook that the theft took place overnight in late October and that it had filed a complaint with police. The winery…