Decanter June 2020

The art of wine Shadowplay Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France As moody light casts shadows among the tanks, a worker hoses the winery floor at Château Arnauld. The estate is one of 14 that gained the top-tier ‘Exceptionnel’ classification in the newly revised Crus Bourgeois du Médoc ranking, unveiled in February. Estates were evaluated in areas such as vineyard management, sustainability and marketing; the striking chiaroscuro of Arnauld’s cuvier certainly wins it points for appearance. Photograph: Anaka Photographe…

Drinks industry in Covid-19 health drive Corporate giants LVMH, Pernod Ricard and Diageo pledged to produce millions of bottles of hand sanitiser to aid the global fight against Covid-19. LVMH, comprising luxury brands Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, was one of the first to announce plans to reconfigure its production lines to make hydroalcoholic gels. The company said it would use three of its perfume and cosmetic factories to deliver 12 tonnes of hand sanitiser free of charge to French authorities. Paris hospitals chief Martin Hirsch thanked LVMH for its quick action: ‘They made us this offer on Saturday night (14 March) and confirmed it on Sunday.’ In a matter of days, LVMH’s move was followed by announcements from its drinks-industry rivals Pernod Ricard and Diageo. Diageo, one of the world’s largest drinks companies, promised…

Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter UK wine merchants have come up with creative delivery options during the Covid-19 lockdown. Flint Vineyard in Norfolk devised a ‘drive-thru’ service for those able to drive past its tasting room window. Wanderlust Wine initiated a contactless ‘doostep drop’ service, and Berkmann’s ‘Help 4 Hospitality’ campaign generated online sales while donating 12.5% of takings to hospitality-focused charities. Burgundy’s wine council, BIVB, has updated its online wine course in 2020 to include new content and appellation rule changes. Under the strapline ‘90 minutes is all it takes to become an expert in Bourgogne wines’, the course aims to give wine lovers a fun, free overview of the region (see www.bourgogne-wines. com). Its…

News A month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Laura Seal Drinks industry in Covid-19 health drive Corporate giants LVMH, Pernod Ricard and Diageo pledged to produce millions of bottles of hand sanitiser to aid the global fight against Covid-19. LVMH, comprising luxury brands Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, was one of the first to announce plans to reconfigure its production lines to make hydroalcoholic gels. The company said it would use three of its perfume and cosmetic factories to deliver 12 tonnes of hand sanitiser free of charge to French authorities. Paris hospitals chief Martin Hirsch thanked LVMH for its quick action: ‘They made us this offer on Saturday night (14 March) and confirmed it on Sunday.’ In a matter of days,…

Many across the wine world paused to remember one of its seminal figures, following news that Michael Broadbent MW had died on Tuesday 17 March. His son, Bartholomew Broadbent, who also works in the wine trade, announced on social media: ‘Too sad, but he had a great 92 years.’ Among his many achievements, Michael Broadbent was perhaps best known as the man who re-started Christie’s wine auctions in the 1960s. He was consequently a leading figure in the development of the international fine wine market in the second half of the 20th century, although he once remarked that he had never considered the idea that wine might one day become an investment for some people. He was also a prolific author and wine writer. He penned more than 400 columns for…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter ■ UK wine merchants have come up with creative delivery options during the Covid-19 lockdown. Flint Vineyard in Norfolk devised a ‘drive-thru’ service for those able to drive past its tasting room window. Wanderlust Wine initiated a contactless ‘doostep drop’ service, and Berkmann’s ‘Help 4 Hospitality’ campaign generated online sales while donating 12.5% of takings to hospitality-focused charities. ■ Burgundy’s wine council, BIVB, has updated its online wine course in 2020 to include new content and appellation rule changes. Under the strapline ‘90 minutes is all it takes to become an expert in Bourgogne wines’, the course aims to give wine lovers a fun, free overview of the region…