Decanter February 2020

The art of wine Dawn in the vineyard Pernand-Vergelesses, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France As the sun rises over the vineyards of Domaine Chandon de Briailles, a young man prepares the ground with his horse, Prosper. Horses and other livestock play a crucial role in biodynamic vineyard management, ploughing and fertilising the pesticide-free soil. Chandon de Briailles began farming its 13.7ha biodynamically in 2005, and has had full Demeter certification since the 2011 vintage. Prosperous, indeed. Photograph: Jerome Genée…

US ramps up French wine tariff dispute Threats from US officials to impose wine import tariffs of ‘up to 100%’ on Champagne and sparkling wines from France have sparked frustration among French export bodies and producers as trade conflicts continue to target their industry. The tax increases were proposed as a retaliation to France’s digital services tax, which is said by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to ‘discriminate against’ US tech companies. Totalling $2.4bn, the tariffs would target premium French products including handbags, Roquefort cheese and ‘sparkling wine made from grapes’, according to a provisional list released by the US government. Under these conditions, Champagne producers would face higher barriers to the fast-growing US market than the producers of French still wine who were hit by a 25% import tariff enacted…

A nationwide blind tasting conducted by Majestic Wine claims to have revealed the true preferences of British wine drinkers. More than 25,000 people blind-tasted a variety of red and white wines across Majestic’s 200 stores and voted for their favourites. Sicilian red variety Nero d’Avola came top in 78% of stores, while Sauvignon Blanc was the white wine of choice in 68% of stores. A luxury package including lunch or dinner for four at Château Lafite Rothschild sold for more than £11,000 at a Sotheby’s auction held in aid of Cité du Vin Bordeaux wine museum. The auction featured more than 40 lots donated by prestigious wine estates, including Château d’Yquem, Haut-Brion and Penfolds. The 10-day online sale raised about £300,000 to fund Cité du Vin’s 2020 cultural programme. California…

News Month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Laura Seal US ramps up French wine tariff dispute Photograph: Olivier Douliery/Getty Threats from US officials to impose wine import tariffs of ‘up to 100%’ on Champagne and sparkling wines from France have sparked frustration among French export bodies and producers as trade conflicts continue to target their industry. The tax increases were proposed as a retaliation to France’s digital services tax, which is said by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to ‘discriminate against’ US tech companies. Totalling $2.4bn, the tariffs would target premium French products including handbags, Roquefort cheese and ‘sparkling wine made from grapes’, according to a provisional list released by the US government. Under these conditions, Champagne producers would…

Spreading the message Dr Richard Smart is a distinguished wine consultant with a long history of warning about the effects of climate change (he was kind enough to contribute to the first article I wrote for Decanter on the subject, in 2005). But the criticisms of Decanter in his letter in the last edition are neither accurate nor fair. Decanter has been highlighting the issue for years. In the past year, it has published magazine articles exploring the environmental impact of wine production (‘Wine: a sustainable option?’, April 2019); the need for the wine industry to play a leading role in mitigating climate change (‘Climate change: time to act’, July 2019), as well as website articles stressing the need for the wine industry to act (see, for example, ‘Al Gore tells wine…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter ■ A nationwide blind tasting conducted by Majestic Wine claims to have revealed the true preferences of British wine drinkers. More than 25,000 people blind-tasted a variety of red and white wines across Majestic’s 200 stores and voted for their favourites. Sicilian red variety Nero d’Avola came top in 78% of stores, while Sauvignon Blanc was the white wine of choice in 68% of stores. ■ A luxury package including lunch or dinner for four at Château Lafite Rothschild sold for more than £11,000 at a Sotheby’s auction held in aid of Cité du Vin Bordeaux wine museum. The auction featured more than 40 lots donated by prestigious wine…