Wine~Works
Wine & Beer Tastings with a Difference
A Major Study Endorses the ‘French Paradox’
A wide sweeping study has found a link between moderate wine consumption and a lower risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer among middle-aged men, lending more credence to the French paradox.
After following up with 35,292 men over about 28 years, researchers from the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense and Bordeaux Segalen University in France found that when more than 50 percent of their alcohol consumption came from wine, subjects showed a lower risk of death from heart disease as well as lung, lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, bladder and rectal cancers.
In numbers, moderate wine consumption was associated with a 40 percent reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, and a 20 percent reduced risk of death from cancer.
At the beginning of the study, subjects ranged in age from 40 to 65 years and hailed from Eastern France. In the end, a total of 4,035 deaths from cancer were recorded. Numbers for heart disease-related deaths were unavailable.
The results of the study were presented at WineHealth in Sydney, Australia, which wrapped up over the weekend.
When it comes to the famous French paradox, however – that long-standing belief that the health benefits of red wine negate the effects of the famously rich, high-fat diet and the risk of coronary heart disease – the scientific community is divided.
A study printed the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health also suggested that drinking up to half a glass of wine a day can boost life expectancy in males by five years after studying the driking habits of randomly selected men over a 40-year period.
But another study out of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, for instance, found that resveratrol, the magic ingredient in red wine thought to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of heart disease, had little effect in already healthy women.
Though small, the study of 29 postmenopausal women found little health improvement in those who were given 75 mg of resveratrol daily -- a large amount equal to drinking 8 liters of red wine.
The Wine Flows at Westminster
A bit of a Government feel to this week's news. Nice to see that our MP's are drinking so well. I didn't see any 2 for a tenner here!
The amout of wine drunk at government functions went up by 20% last year. A total of 5,547 bottles were consumed compared with 4,651 in 2011-12.
This was partly because of extra events to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Olympics, said the Foreign Office, which runs the wine cellar.
More than £45,000 was spent stocking the cellar - £3,000 less than the previous year - but the government says it is funded by auctioning the most expensive bottles.
The annual statement on the use of the wine cellar shows £63,000 was raised auctioning off just 54 bottles of wine - a 50% increase in sales revenue.
Among the wines the government parted company with were six bottles of Chateau Latour 1961, considered one of the top five wines produced in the Bordeaux region of France, and 12 bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1988.
Chancellor George Osborne named as Beer Drinker of the Year
I read this article the other day and was wondering whether anyone else sees any irony??
At the Parliamentary Beer Awards on Wednesday 10 July Chancellor George Osborne was named as Beer Drinker of the Year, in recognition of his decision in this year's Budget to scrap the beer duty escalator and to reduce the rate by 1p - the first cut in beer duty since 1959.
The Brewer of the Year award went to Fergus Fitzgerald from Adnams Brewery in recognition of his record for innovation which has seen him produced new beers such as East Green, Ghost Ship and Sole Star and a series of "world beers" using yeasts from other countries. Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey, who was at the awards event, said: "Congratulations to Fergus on a fantastic achievement. Brewer of the year is a coveted prize at the Annual Beer Awards and he deserves this recognition."
Other honours included a Lifetime Achievement award for Black Sheep brewery founder Paul Theakston, the Beer Sommelier of the Year title for Sophie Atherton and a Special Award for Andrew Griffiths MP, chairman of the beer group, for his work on ending the duty escalator.
Fighting over wine??
I read this article the other day and just had to share it as it is so unbelievable! Read on
A Deltona man confronted by his grandmother for drinking her two bottles of wine bit her on the shoulder, investigating Volusia deputies said.
Blake Hale, 19, also gave his 70-year-old grandpa a bloody nose, an arrest report shows.
Deputies were called to the Albury Avenue home in Deltona at 7:49 p.m. Tuesday where 59-year-old Sue Wilson reported her grandson had bitten her, investigators said.
Wilson said Hale was acting drunk when she came home and she noticed two bottles of her wine were empty, deputies said.
The woman reported Hale became defensive, angry and started yelling obscenities at her. The verbal argument escalated into a physical confrontation and Hale started to bite Wilson on the shoulder as she walked out the front door, the report said.
Wilson had a bite mark on her right shoulder, deputies said.
When deputies made contact with Wilson's 70-year-old husband, he reported Hale had punched him and given him a minor bloody nose.
Deputies arrested Hale and charged him with battery on a person 65 years or older and battery, the arrest report states.
WSTA Blames UK Duty Escalator For High Prices
I have been following the running commentary regarding our high priced alcohol, with particular interest paid to wine and quite enjoyed reading the article below, first published in 'Drinks Business'.....And they wonder why the 'booze cruise' to Calais and Boulogne remain ever popular and our pubs are closing with an increased frequency.
New figures released have shown the UK consumers are paying the fourth highest prices for alcohol in Europe. In some instances UK consumers are paying 43% more for their alcohol than some of their European counterparts.
The figures have been published by Eurostat and the Office for National Statistics and compare consumer price levels across the EU. They confirm that Britons are paying more for their alcohol than most other EU countries apart from Sweden, Finland and Ireland.
Responding to the new figures Mile Beale, WSTA chief executive said: “The government has been putting increasing pressure on consumers with continuous tax rises on wine and spirits for the past five years. Tax now accounts for 57% of the cost of a bottle of wine and 79% of a bottle of vodka.
“These figures show that British consumers are being squeezed much more than our European counterparts. At a time when cost of living increases are hitting families hard the government needs to urgently reconsider its unpopular wine and spirits duty escalator.”
In his most recent Budget chancellor George Osborne stopped the duty escalator for beer and further cut beer duty by 1p per pint, but the escalator, which was introduced by former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling, remains in place for wine and spirits.
China will become world’s 6th largest wine producing country by 2016.
China will have moved from eighth-largest wine producer in the world in 2012 to the sixth largest by 2016, putting it ahead of Australia and Chile, according to data from Vinexpo.
It means that China is now a major wine-producing country, with wine production forecast to grow by 54% to reach 166 million 9-litre cases in the five-year period.
The 18 Chinese exhibitors at Vinexpo this year include the province of Sichuan, which for the first time has taken a regional pavilion to showcase its wine and spirits producers.
Vinexpo organisers said: "The striking number of Chinese winemakers, distillers and visitors at Vinexpo this year emphasises more than ever the exhibition's international scope.
Their presence also signals a fundamental change in their relationship with Europe. It is summed up in the phrase often heard this week: "They used to come to taste and learn; now they come to sell."
The organisers added that sales in Europe and the establishment of distribution agreements are their primary aims.
However, recent "sensitive" trade disputes between France and China were highlighted by France's foreign trade minister, Nicole Bricq. He said that wine and spirits were a major sector in the French economy and that distant markets did not always play by the same rules. "Our policy is to support the sector," he said.
He added that everything necessary would be done to prevent obstacles to the wine trade.
Nonetheless, the French wine industry is in a positive frame of mind. Bricq said that initiatives were in hand to protect geographical appellations, such as those recently agreed with China over Champagne.
Do wine producers need to rethink bottle sizes?
An interesting article recently published in Harpers and one that touches a chord with us here at Wine-Works, as we are always on the look out for wine in various sized bottles, especially 500ml.
Wine producers should rethink the relative pariah status of mid-sized bottles as health-conscious consumers look for treats in smaller portions, according to a senior Mintel analyst.
Just 3% of innovation in the UK wine industry over the past 12 months has involved bottle sizes between 25cl and 50cl, and this needs to change, Mintel global drinks analyst Jonny Forsyth told attendees of the London International Wine Fair this week.
Most multiple retailers stock only a token number of half-bottles in their wine aisles, and the concept has received a lukewarm response from the industry in general, despite some high-profile advocates for smaller bottle sizes in recent years – including Jancis Robinson MW.
Forsyth said a wider range of mid-sized bottles would help wine firms and retailers to target key consumer trends.
For example, calories in alcoholic drinks are becoming a significant issue for younger drinkers, he said, adding that, across food and drink in general, "55% of UK consumers are trying to lose weight by cutting down on portion sizes". "The industry is missing a trick with 25cl to 50cl bottles," he said.
"To stiumulate sales, the wine industry needs to work harder to meet changing consumer needs," said Forsyth. "Consumers want to feel like they're being healthy but also have a licence to indulge."
A lot of downsizing in terms of wine packaging has focused on single-serve portions. But Forsyth argued that opportunities are relatively limited in this format, because most consumers see drinking wine as a social act.
Forsyth also highlighted other opportunities for innovation, in particular a consumer trend towards spicier flavours and aromas in food and drink in the UK.
However, Mintel research shows there is consumer scepticism towards too much flavour innovation in wine. Around 60% of those surveyed said they would not drink a wine with an "unusual flavour", such as chocolate, although younger consumers appeared more amenable to the idea.
Four Gold Medals for English Wines!
We here at Wine-Works are proud to be big supporters of English wines featuring them in many of our tasting events and are absolutely delighted to reproduce the following article from Harpers.
Well done to all the wine makers! We feel confident that the future can only get better and eagerly look forward to sampling as many English wines as possible in 2013. We'd like to see the wine drinking public support our indigenous wine makers and enjoy the fruits of their labours!
Four English wines have been awarded gold medals in the International Wine Challenge.
Four English wines have been awarded gold medals in the International Wine Challenge.
Three were picked up by sparkling wines and the fourth medal was won by a sweet wine from Surrey
Sparkling gold medal winners included Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2008 produced in Kent, Nytimeber Rosé (2008) from West Sussex and Classic Cuvée 2009 from Furleigh Estate in Bridport, Dorset.
The Classic Cuvée from Furleigh Estate was the first commercial vintage year for the vineyard.
Surrey wine estate Denbies was also awarded a gold medal for their 2011 vintage sweet white wine Noble Harvest.
A further 19 English wines were awarded silver medals.
Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the IWC, said: “We’re so pleased with the success of our English winemakers. The gold medal winning wines are absolutely stunning. They have been tasted against thousands of contenders so it is a tremendous achievement that will catapult their product to an international audience.
“It’s always brilliant to see a few surprise winners in the medals table and great to see these emerging wine regions and some great value wines triumph. The International Wine Challenge is unique. I know of no other wine competition in the world where each medal winner will have been blind tasted a minimum of three separate occasions to ensure consistency and fairness. We want high-quality wine to be available to anyone and with our medal system consumers can instantly trust the quality of the product, whatever the price.”
Recently published in Harpers Weekly.
Consumers notice ‘little difference’ between Champagne and Prosecco
I saw this article in a recent edition of Harpers....all I can say is that more people should have a Wine-Works Champagne and Sparkling Wine tasting to learn about the differences. The first paragraph below.
Over a third of sparkling wine consumers say there is "little difference" between Champagne and Prosecco, according to new research.
Mintel's British Lifestyles report said "sparkling wine... looks set to continue overshadowing its more illustrious cousin (Champagne) as the reputation of drinks such as Prosecco continues to grow, with over a third (36%) of Champagne and sparkling wine drinkers claiming that there is 'little difference' between the two".
The trend for ‘skinny wines’ continues!
The Wine Guy thought he had seen just about everything there is to see in this wide world of wine, but this is a new one.
Just when we thought this was just another American fad!
The trend, or dare I say craze for consuming wines lower in calories continues to gather momentum in the US, and what happens over the pond usually happens here, albeit a little bit later.
Here are a couple of 'skinny wines' currently available in the UK and really not that bad to drink.
Banrock Station Light is only 5.5% abv, and a small (125 ml) glass contains just 60 calories. It is an acceptable off-dry chardonnay blend from Australia. There is a distinct amount of fruit on the nose and the palate tastes of pears with a hint of cinnamon.
Weight Watchers endorsed McWilliam’s lower alcohol wine range last October. The McWilliam’s Harmony Shiraz 2011 is 2 points on their Pro Points system. At 9% abv and only 70 calories per small glass it may just be a viable option.
Essenze Vine Dancer is another McWilliams wine, but made with Marlborough, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc grapes. With an alcohol level hitting a mere 10% and 78 calories or 2 Weight Watcher points for a small glass it is one which may be worth a slurp or two.
The latest American company to jump on the bandwagon is Accolade which has just launched 'The Light Grape' range promising a mere 80 calories per 5 oz. glass. At only 8.5% abv it has the wonderful tagline of, '80 calories, 100% taste'. They are offering 4 wines under the TLG moniker, a Chardonnay, rose, a white blend of Viognier/Pinot Grigio and a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Syrah...Google the latter.
While the Wine Guy may drink the odd can of Coke Zero he prefers his wine to be of 'the full fat' variety, but then it all comes down to taste and if you are a dieter these may not be a bad option. Well it's got to better than abstention?
Jacob’s Creek creates wine for Sushi
Just in case you have ever wondered what wine to drink with your plate of sushi. Think no more as Jacob's Creek has recently launched a new wine specifically to go with sushi. Well I never?!
Called WAH, the new blend was created in partnership with Mamoru Sugiyama, Japanese sushi chef and owner of Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo called Ginza Sushi Kou.
The character for “WAH” has many meanings according to the Australian brand owner Pernod Ricard, including “Japan” itself, “Japanese cuisine”, or “story-telling” as well as being the first syllable in the word “wine”.
The new product has been blended using grapes from the Adelaide Hills to complement foods using dashi or soy sauce – above all sushi – according to Jacob’s Creek winemaker Rebekah Richardson, who worked with Sugiyama on the wine.
“Sugiyama-san taught us that the sushi dining experience is as much about taste – in terms of the balance of sweet, sour and salty – as it is all about the texture of the food,” she added.
Continuing, she explained that the new wine was created with “the necessay texture and palate weight required to match the oily richness of tuna and salmon”.
She also said that WAH’s aromatic components are designed to lighten the palate so the wine doesn’t overwhelm delicate sushi.
From The Drinks Business
Confused by Wine Descriptions?
I am often told by customers and students alike that they find it difficult enough to describe a wine's flavour or aroma without being further confused by some of the poetic descriptions offered on the reverse label. I thought this recent article in Harper's highlighted the problem quite succinctly.
Wine descriptions are more pompous than helpful, and most of them fail to help consumers understand the taste of the wine.
That's the damning verdict of UK wine drinkers who were asked about wine and words in a poll commissioned by Laithwaite's Wine.
The online survey of 1,000 wine drinking adults was carried out by One Poll and excluded Laithwaite's customers.
Some 55% of those polled said wine descriptions failed to help them understand the taste of wine, while nearly two thirds said they never get the same smells from wine as are suggested from the label. Only 9% said they looked to wine critics before choosing a bottle.
The respondents were also asked to select which specific words - used by critics, supermarkets and on wine labels in the last year - they found most and least helpful. The most useful terms were fresh, mellow, zesty, peachy and earthy but terms including firm skeleton, old bones, wet stone, tongue spanking and haunting were selected as the least helpful.
Asked why the descriptions were not helpful, responses included finding them meaningless, bearing no relationship to a wine's taste, pretentious and a load of poppycock.
Six out of ten people said picking out a clear fruit taste in the wine was the best way to help understand a wine's taste and also found it helpful when food pairings were suggested.
Nearly half of the group surveyed said wine descriptions could be improved by using modern day language and comparisons.
"We have probably been guilty ourselves of using overblown language in the past but this is a wake-up call to the whole wine industry to make a change," said Laithwaite's Wine's global wine consultant and taste expert Justin Howard-Sneyd MW.
"Describing wine is not an exact science. Wine and taste are very personal, very subjective things. A wine that I think tastes of cherry, could taste totally different to someone else, so it's no wonder that there is such a vast variety of language when it comes to wine descriptions," he added.
From a recent article in Harper's.
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100 VoucherThe Wine Guy says...
"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food."
"I should say upfront that I have never been in a cellar in my life. In fact, I can see no reason why anyone should ever go into a cellar unless there is wine involved."
"Beer is made by men, wine by God."
"Wine gladdens the heart of man."
"Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages."
"In wine, there's truth."
"High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water."
"This is one of the disadvantages of wine, it makes a man mistake words for thoughts."
"If we sip the wine, we find dreams coming upon us out of the imminent night"
"Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather stains of cares"
"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile"
"Wine enters through the mouth, Love, the eyes. I raise the glass to my mouth, I look at you,I sigh."
"Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized."
"Wine is like the incarnation--it is both divine and human"
"Wine makes all things possible."
"Sir, I did not count your glasses of wine, why should you number up my cups of tea?"
"Wine can be a better teacher than ink, and banter is often better than books"
"Life's too short to drink cheap wine..."
"The first kiss and the first glass of wine are the best."
"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover"
"I prefer my water in wine form."
"White wine is like electricity. Red wine looks and tastes like a liquified beefsteak."
"Great wine works wonders and is itself one"
"To take wine into our mouths is to savour a droplet of the river of human history"
"Wine gives one 'ideas,' whereas champagne gives one 'strategies."
"Men are like wine-some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age."
"Most days I juggle everything quite well, on the other days there's always red wine."
"There is truth in wine, but you never see it listed in the ingredients on the label"
"Always carry a corkscrew and the wine shall provide itself."
"Wine is like the incarnation-it is both divine and human."
"Wine improves with age. The older I get the more I like it."
"Age is just a number. It's totally irrelevant, unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine."
"My only regret in life is that I did not drink enough Champagne."
"Consuming wine in moderation daily will help people to die young as late as possible."
"Wine is the thinking person's health drink."
"Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil"
"The wine cup is the little silver well, where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell"
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance"
"Good wine is a necessity of life for me"
"Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life"
"I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself"
"God made water, but man made wine"
"Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy"
"Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures"
"A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in the retrospect"
"Like human beings, a wine's taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing"
"Compromises are for relationships, not wine"
"Language is wine upon the lips"
"Wine is wonderful stuff, but so many people are put off by the snobbery of it"
"I'm only drinking white wine because I'm on a diet and I don't eat"
"Wine has been with civilised man since the beginning"
"Whenever a man is tired, wine is a great restorer"
"Wine rejoices the heart of man and joy is the mother of all virtues"
"A waltz and a glass of wine invite an encore"
"Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing."
"Good wine carrieth a man to heaven"
"Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved."
"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine."
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