A survey by World Wine Watch reveals most men don’t feel less ‘manly’ drinking bubbles in front of their peers, though two in three men only enjoy sparkling wine in the company of a woman while some buy Champagne to show off their spending power and splash out on Cristal.

By the Bordeaux Chauvinist, who reviews the "Clos De Lunes" series in time for the full moon this Halloween weekend. The Bordeaux Chauvinist is a guest sommelier columnist for World Wine Watch, advising on good value for money wines of all appellations and regions (but he remains a Bordeaux Chauvinist).

A ranking of the world's most valuable wine brands is led by Moët & Chandon, followed by China's Changyu. LVMH's Chandon and Veuve Clicquot join in at third and fourth place.

Shares in Australia’s largest wine producer, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), have recovered slightly after the company was hit with a temporarily 169% tariff on its wine exports to China, as TWE seeks to sell its surplus wine elsewhere, make more wine in France or potentially China to avoid the tariff which will kill its Chinese sales.

Shares in Australia's largest wine producer, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), fell to their lowest level in five years this week on possible tariffs or bans being placed on its exports to China. The company has also paused on a demerger of its famous Penfolds brand, to focus on boosting its operations.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has targeted Treasury Wine Estates, Casella Wines, Pernod Richard and Australia Swan Vintage as part of its anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) investigations into Australian wine exports.
Australian wine exports dip

The number of sparkling wine drinkers in the US is growing, with a 17% increase in the number of monthly drinkers since 2018, with US drinkers increasingly favouring Italian wines, though they turn to Champagne for quality, according to a report.
Tell us whether you prefer French, Italian or Australian bubbles here.

South Korea is being put forward as a top wine market for winemakers to target, second only to the US and ahead of China, having survived COVID-19 comparatively well with wine consumption expected to rise robustly, according to Wine Australia.

With July the driest month on record in Champagne, producers will have less grapes with which to produce the region’s famous wines. But according to the vineyard director at Taittinger, there were positives from the drought too, with less mould and mildew to harm fruit.

As fires rage in the Napa Valley and threaten US wine production, the drought has worsened in France, with more areas reaching 'crisis' level water restrictions in September after the warmest European winter on record, as households and farmers face severe water restrictions.

Australia’s largest wine producer Treasury Wine Estates has committed to achieving 50% woman in leadership roles by 2025 and to reducing carbon emissions by 3.1% globally.

Shares in Treasury Wine Estates, Australia's biggest wine firm, have fallen to their lowest since January 2016 on China's wine dumping probe. Australian wine exports fell just 1% to $2.84bn in 2019–20.
TWE targets more female bosses

A battle between Australia’s largest liquor retailer and France’s LVMH, which led to supply shortages of the world’s famous Champagnes Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot at its stores, has been settled.

One in two Chinese wine drinkers and almost one in three Australians buy their wine online, followed by 25% in the US, according to new research, with the level of internet shopping boosted by COVID-19.
Are you are drinking more in COVID here.

This year’s Champagne grape quality was 'excellent', in part thanks to the severe drought in France. But global warming is challenging winemakers to maintain finesse and keep down alcohol levels.
Do 'real' men drink Champagne? Tell us what you think here.

Wholesale red and white wine prices have dropped in France since March given the impact of COVID-19, while values have rebounded in Spain in recent months, according to data from the European Commission.

Many people have turned to alcohol while more people are drinking alone during the Covid-19 pandemic after being forced to stay at home, according to the latest Global Drug Survey, the world's largest annual drug survey.

Australia might be in recession, but official alcohol sales are soaring and - but very few Australians admit to drinking more.

Tell us if you are drinking more in COVID here.

As Pierre Gasly recently celebrated his F1 victory in Monza – the first Frenchman to do so since 1996 – the Champagne cork was popping hard on the podium. But with which Champagne brand was Gasly celebrating?

Some Australians are drinking more alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially females in child caring roles and males who've lost jobs.

Tell us if you are drinking more in COVID here.

Consumers are increasingly drinking wine outside mealtimes, and the trend has gained momentum since the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to the latest data from a UK research firm.

Tell us if you are drinking more in COVID here.

China has begun an anti-dumping probe into Australian wine imports. Australia is now the biggest importer of wine into China, having overtaken France in 2019.

Australia's largest listed wine company says its net profit has dropped 25% to $315.8, but a Chinese sales recovery has helped lift the company's shares to their highest in months as it restarts VIP wine dinners in China.

A new report, the Total Beverage Alcohol Overview for June 2002, reveals the value of total beverage alcohol imports in the US (including bulk and packaged) fell 2% by value over the last twelve months and plummeted 24% by value over the last three months Is the coronavirus stumps sales of alcohol.

The WHO has recently produced a factsheet on alcohol consumption and COVID-19, which provides a sobering reminder not to drink too much.

Tell us if you are drinking more in COVID here.

By Nicki Bourlioufas The Australian winegrape crush in 2020 was 1.52 million tonnes – the lowest since 2007 given the impact of drought and bushfires, according to the National Vintage Report 2020 from Wine Australia. The 2020 crush was 12 per cent lower than the 2019 crush, and 13 per cent below the ten-year averageRead More

By Nicki Bourlioufas Wine sales in full-service US restaurants and bars will not return to 2019 levels until after 2022, creating huge financial pressures for wine suppliers, according to Rabobank’s Quarterly Wine Report for the second quarter. Covid-19 containment measures in the US, such as lockdown orders and social distancing, have pummelled on-premise wine sales.Read More

Wine being sold in a can is increasingly making an appearance on liquor shop shelves. While Australians prefer their wine in a glass, well-known brands are increasingly appearing in a can and a broad range of wines has seen big growth in canned wines available in Australia.