Vincor Canada is making history as the first company the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed to co-brand official alcohol merchandise for the Games.

The new location is Silverado Trail Wine Studio, a winery owned by Premier Pacific Vineyards, the "high-profile" vineyard development company that happens to be Crushpad's largest supplier of grapes.

The move will take place by early March, Brill said, after some minor upgrades are made to the Wine Studio site. It comes six years after Crushpad's founding.

New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker will be the keynote speaker during a three day event, Viticulture 2010, Feb. 17- 19, at Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Cork Tree Creative, an Edwardsville public relations and marketing firm, came up with an idea to start people thinking about recycling corks and raising awareness of the company's namesake, the cork oak tree, grown primarily in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Brian Smedley from the South Australian Wine Industry Association says the state has been hit hard by reduced water allocations for irrigators and extreme heat during 2009.

Westfield winery co-owner Fred Johnson supports the idea of New York grocery stores selling wine, but he outspokenly opposes the governor's current proposal to allow it.

American senators are claiming government funding for the Napa Valley Wine Train would be 'wasteful and silly'

As economic pressures continue to impact consumers' buying habits into a "New Normal," retailers' alcohol beverage categories will be similarly shaped to take advantage of some opportunities and address shoppers' newfound frugality, according to the quarterly The Nielsen Co.'s Economic Advisor Beverage Alcohol Webinar.

As study after study suggests that wine might have health benefits, beer tends to get the short end of the stick. But food scientist and beer lover Charles Bamforth wasn't going to take that lying down, saying: "The wine guys have stolen the moral high ground. I resent the stance that people take that wine is better. It's not".

Breaking tradition tends to set some into an uproar, so we can only imagine the even-more-disgusted-than-usual face of French sommeliers when they discover that several companies from the U.S. as well as Australia are now packaging wine in aluminum cans.

Consumers still love their Washington wines but have adjusted their palates to match their pocketbooks. Washington winemakers say they largely are thankful 2009 is a memory, but some believe one impact the nation's economic recession wrought on wine lovers may linger well into the new year.

Selecting the right year, grape varietal and wine region used to be options enough for picking the perfect wine. But as more and more eco-friendly wines are finding renown among wine enthusiasts and more and more green claims are gracing bottle labels, wine drinkers who prefer a greener varietal can now add eco-certifications to their list of preferred characteristics.

In the wine business, buyers are inundated with claims of wines that over deliver, offering exceptional quality in comparison to other wines at the same price. Especially in today's economic climate, finding wines of this kind is increasingly important.

Franjo Toljanic and Mirjana Zelenika, leading Croatian wine producers are planning to start wine exports to China. According to Croatian media reports, Toljanic and Zelenika are ready to export their wine to the city of Gulin, where they also plan to open a joint branch office.

North Coast vintners have a new option for purchasing bottles and packaging. Vertical Glass & Packaging of Santa Rosa is a venture by Neil Foster, president and owner of cork distributor M.A. Silva Corks USA of Santa Rosa, and David Hammond, who has been a wine packaging marketer locally for several years and is president of Vertical.

More than 80 percent of wine and spirits shoppers would use a self-serve kiosk for product information such as tasting notes, food pairing recommendations and cellaring guidelines, according to early results in an ongoing survey being conducted by RetailCustomerExperience.com.

Ever since Ernst Loosen (pronounced loh-zen) took the reins at his family's two-century-old wine estate on the Mosel River in 1988, the world has equated German riesling with the Dr. Loosen label.

City officials are talking about how they might encourage wineries to set up tasting rooms and small retail spaces downtown.

Once the state provision passed last March allowing New York wineries to sell New York-grown-and-distilled spirits, Peconic Bay jumped to the head of the production line

With their finances on the rocks, states that control the sale of liquor to the public are looking at handing the job to private enterprise, a move that could raise revenue, streamline government and prove a boon to the spirits industry.

A new bill will be proposed tomorrow that excludes corporate-controlled grocery stores from the fight, leaving only convenience stores to seek expanded alcohol sales.

In this volatile political atmosphere, elected officials who act contrary to the views of voters are likely to find the electorate unforgiving this November.

Global Champagne sales were off 9% by volume to 293.3 million bottles (24.4m cases) and 17% by value in 2009, according to the CIVC

While the spirits markets remain difficult, inventory destocking continues and consumer behavior remains unpredictable, we believe that much of this uncertainty is now reflected in the outlook.

alifornia's vineyards and wineries can choose from a wealth of options to accredit their green credentials, and in recent weeks, five entities announced certification from three different agencies.