Wine news February 8, 2017

Bloomberg reports that working women in Japan are drinking more wine than ever. "Chilean vintners have emerged as the biggest beneficiary of Japan’s booming wine market. Their low-priced, fruit-driven product has found a receptive niche among women in their 40s and 50s, who have helped boost wine consumption to a new record every year since 2012."

The Wine Enthusiast visits Arizona. "With its diverse topography and elevation ranging from 3,200 to 5,000 feet (the average elevation for vinegrowing here is 4,300 feet), Glomski says that while Arizona looks like parts of the Rhône Valley, Italy and Spain, “there are some notable differences that we’re learning to manage, and some of us have gotten our butts kicked in the assumptions we’ve had wrong."

The Independent on what really goes inside your wine. "The animal rights campaign group Peta even warns on its website of the animal-derived fining agents which can be used including “blood and bone marrow, milk protein, chitin (fibre from crustacean shells), egg white derivative, fish oil, gelatin and isinglass (gelatin from fish bladder membranes)”.

The Drinks Business reports that Australia is going for freshness. "Australia is fortunate in that is has more warmth and sunshine than many cool-climate countries and is able to achieve phenolic ripeness with depth of fruit flavour,” says Hancock, adding, “The Chardonnays coming out of Margaret River, the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Tumbarumba are all a little bit different in character, which adds to their interest."

Julia Harding on JancisRobinson.com about the microbial terroir. "Microbial terroir is all about the influence of site-specific fungi and bacteria on the flavour of wine."