Wine news July 31, 2017

CBS News reports that rosé has become popular. "Today it seems rosé is for everyone. In 2015 sales grew by 60%."

The Guardian on getting to Bordeaux by train. "The trains to Bordeaux are either the new Duplex – or double-decker – ones or older, single-deck. Both would shame any British train."

The Washington Post looks at the advantages of shipping wine directly.  "More than 5 million cases of wine were shipped by U.S. wineries directly to consumers last year, up 17 percent over 2015, according to an annual study published by Wines & Vines magazine and Ship Compliant, a company that helps wineries navigate the labyrinth of state laws and regulations governing direct shipments."

In Decanter Andrew Jefford sets off in search of Vacqueyras. "The wines are undervalued; I didn’t visit a single cellar offering both Gigondas and Vacqueyras where the Gigondas wasn’t priced more highly than its neighbour."

The Drinks Business goes inside Napa's most expensive estate. "However the asking price of White Hall Estate, if achieved, would beat them both to become the most expensive property ever sold in Napa. The palatial property is positioned within a 20-acre estate south of St Helena, surrounded by 14 acres of AVA Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and is brand new, with the development only recently completed after five years of planning, design and build."