It has been a whirlwind of a year for Maryna Calow, former communications manager for Wines of South Africa (WoSA). Bringing more than 20 years of expertise in strategic marketing, public relations, publishing and stakeholder engagement, Maryna is a deeply respected voice in the wine industry. She spent nearly decade as global communications manager for WoSA, representing South Africa's wines in key global markets and working closely with producers, government and international media to elevate the country's wine reputation. After leaving WoSA in January 2026, she started LuxePulse, a boutique consultancy specialising in strategic marketing, communications and public relations for...

Fragos has joined the team at Haselgrove as CEO and chief winemaker. Image supplied Chairman of McLaren Vale-based winery Haselgrove, Don Totino, has today announced the appointment of esteemed winemaker Michael Fragos to the role of CEO and chief winemaker. The appointment comes after it was announced last month by Endeavour Group that Fragos had departed from his long-term position at Chapel Hill, where he worked in winemaking roles for 22 years. Haselgrove said Fragos needs no introduction to the McLaren Vale community, growing up on a local vineyard and having worked 37 vintages “crafting some of the region’s most...

A firefighter of Paris Fire Brigade strikes the smoldering debris with a shovel in Marcheprime west of Bordeaux on July 26, 2026 as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde) since July 22. Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP via Getty Images Massive wildfires burned 103,000 acres near Bordeaux, forcing evacuations and threatening nearby towns and key infrastructure. Local winemakers dispatched equipment and staff to assist exhausted firefighters, successfully protecting the region’s major vineyards from fire. Bordeaux growers expect an early 2026 harvest with minimal smoke taint, though long-term climate threats and declining tourism...

Liquid Icons, the Gérard Basset Foundation & Artémis Domaines Continue to Support Wine Professionals Displaced by War and Conflict. Liquid Icons, the Gérard Basset Foundation, and Artémis Domaines are honoured to announce that Eleonora Kolieichik, originally from Eastern Ukraine, and Anastasiia Igorevna Fedchenko, originally from Odesa, are the two recipients of the 2026 Artémis Domaines Golden Vines Victims of Conflict Scholarships. Created in partnership with Artémis Domaines, these scholarships provide meaningful assistance and career progression for wine professionals whose lives and careers have been affected by war and geopolitical conflict. Each recipient is awarded a fully funded, six-month bespoke internship...

After more than 50 years at the two-Michelin-starred Auberge de l'Ill, famous sommelier Serge Dubs will retire this Monday, July 13, 2026. Over time, close bonds have been forged—not only between the glass and the plate, but also between the sommelier and the Haeberlin family. In the kitchens of the Auberge de l'Ill (Illhaeusern, Haut-Rhin), the atmosphere is somewhat formal. Not because the lunch service is approaching, but because Serge Dubs' retirement is near—the definitive end of his tenure, after more than 50 years as a sommelier at the establishment. "He's wonderful," "look at him crying." Wine. This is what...

Recognised as the 'Oscars of Fine Wine', the internationally renowned programme of events will take place across some of London's most iconic venues, including The Old Bailey. London, UK – 9 July 2026 – The Golden Vines, one of the world's leading celebrations of fine wine and rare spirits, will return to London from 6th-8th November 2026 for its highly anticipated sixth edition. Returning to the city where it was founded, the internationally acclaimed event will bring together leading figures from the worlds of fine wine, rare spirits, gastronomy and philanthropy for an exclusive three-day programme, culminating in the prestigious...

Declining wine consumption among young adults, particularly for red wine, calls for innovation. Non-fermentable sweeteners avoid the risks of re-fermentation and offer nutritional advantages. Three studies using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and hedonic evaluations assessed erythritol, rebaudioside-A and xylitol additions to red wine young adult panels. In all cases, sweetened wines were better liked, with sweet, soft and fruity as positive drivers of liking, and bitter, acid and bland as negative drivers. Context and materials Wine consumption has declined globally, with red wine sales falling 15 % over the last 15 years1. Young adults are a key target for innovation in the...

“Latour has always had a solid, noble dignity. When a smile emerges, it is no chummy twinkle; more the revealing of a considered beneficence.” Photography by Iannis Giakoumopoulos. Perhaps Lafite can claim more glamour, Margaux more romance, and Haut-Brion more history, but Latour has always had a sort of solid, noble dignity. You could describe it as Saintsbury described Hermitage: “manly.” Its wines start life rough-hewn, uncompromising, unsmiling. When a smile eventually emerges, it is no chummy twinkle; more the revealing of a considered beneficence. You feel privileged that such a stern authority should bestow such warmth on you. That...

As the US celebrates its 250th anniversary this weekend, where does wine fit into the national mood? Karen MacNeil argues that Americans should take the chance to embrace a longstanding and unique wine culture. The Statue of Liberty was crumbling. But in 1986, after five years and 0 million, the statue – an extraordinary gift from France – was “relit” in a thrilling nationwide celebration presided over by then President Ronald Reagan. No matter what your political persuasion today, the relighting of the Statue of Liberty was a magical event in America. I was, at the time, the first food...

Robert Mondavi Winery has always held a special place in my wine journey. My first visit came in 1986, between my junior and senior years of college, when I traveled from Texas to Northern California. Like countless others, I took the standard public tour at Mondavi — not a VIP experience, but an accessible introduction to wine for curious newcomers. That tour changed my life. For the first time, I learned the basics of winemaking: the difference between red and white wine, how grapes are sorted and pressed, why barrels matter, and how all the pieces fit together. Afterward came...

The latest vintage offers promising quality but tiny quantities; will wineries hold the pricing line? Château Pichon Baron's team has made huge improvements in the vineyard, allowing them to navigate challenging years like 2025. (Serge Chapuis) No other wine region makes a splash with a new vintage like Bordeaux. The wineries of France’s largest fine wine region use the annual futures campaign, once merely an exercise for the trade, as the chance to spark interest in the latest vintage, hosting barrel tastings for members of the trade and media, and then releasing futures in a steady stream over the following...

Cesare Cecchi, president of the consortium: “very important result to act in the right way and times considering the complexity of today”, Consorzio Vino Toscana, which protects and promotes Tuscany largest wine denomination, Toscana IGT, will now be able to speak and act on behalf of all those who claim it, whether they are members of the Consortium (which has grown from 70 members in 2019, when the renewal project began alongside the start of Cesare Cecchi presidency, to 503 members today, and over 1,750 when including winegrowers associated with cooperatives) or not. This is because the Consortium itself, headed...

Research explores cosmic radiation’s impact on Texas grapes. Texas wine grapes are headed to space. Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Home are sending hundreds of grape seeds to the International Space Station, where the seeds will spend approximately 6 months exposed to cosmic radiation before returning to Earth for planting and study. The project could produce what researchers believe to be the first wine made from grapes grown from seeds that traveled through space. The experiment is part of the Texas A&M/Aegis Aerospace Multi-Use Space Platform Integrating Research and Innovative Technology, TAMU-SPIRIT, research mission. TAMU-SPIRIT-1 is a first-of-its-kind orbital research...

ASI Strengthens Global Reach at 2026 General Assembly in Taiwan. Lebanon and India become full ASI member countries, the UAE joins the College of Applicants, and future milestones are confirmed for Lisbon, Brazil, Africa and the Middle East, Argentina and Japan. The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) recently concluded its 2026 General Assembly in Taiwan, bringing together member association presidents, partners, educators and sommeliers from around the world for meetings, cultural exchange and discussions on the past, present and future of the profession. Hosted by the Taiwan Sommelier Association under the leadership of Howard Hsia, the General Assembly combined...

Slow Food and Terra Madre founder died in his Bra at the age of 76, and transformed eating into a political, cultural, and poetic act. Carlo Petrini passed away, one of the most influential figures in gastronomic culture, and not only, of our time. Founder of Slow Food and Terra Madre, he died last night at the age of 76 in Bra, the town where he was born. With him, we lose one of the greatest intellectuals of our era, capable of transforming the simple act of eating into a political, cultural, and poetic act. His philosophy of “good, clean,...

Honored and proud to present Manuel Negrete the internationally recognized Mexican sommelier, wine educator, and judge with certifications from ASI, WSET, and the Court of Master Sommeliers. He has represented Mexico in international competitions and worked with organizations such as the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale and the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. You began your sommelier training at just 21—what drew you to the world of wine so early, and what has kept you passionate about it ever since? While I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I was looking for a job as an administrative assistant to earn some money...

Vineyard sales are far from being in decline and for the investor “scarcity beats scale”, reveals the new Wealth Report by real estate consultancy Knight Frank. But which regions are “trading up” in value terms? db reports. Much has been made of the declining desirability of owning a vineyard, with a spate of high-profile sell-ups last year suggesting that owners are cashing in their investments and getting out. However, the latest annual Wealth Report by independent real estate company Knight Frank paints a rather different picture and signals the regions worth focusing on for prospective buyers. According to the report,...

In the 1970s, French wines were revered in America, but only by an elite few. This same class of wine lovers also considered their homegrown offerings to be something of a joke. Then, on May 24th 1976, a blind tasting competition in France dubbed “The Judgment of Paris” pitted northern Californian wines against French equivalents. California triumphed, propelling the wines, their producers, and Napa Valley onto the world wine stage, while proving to both global critics and domestic drinkers alike that the United States was capable of fine wine greatness. The event kickstarted a golden age of vine plantings and...

Georgia’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songulashvili, participated in an international conference organized by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. The conference, titled ‘Recognition of the Cultural Value of Vine and Wine: International Perspectives,’ brought together international stakeholders to discuss the role of viticulture in cultural heritage and economic development. During his address, Songulashvili emphasized that wine in Georgia extends beyond its role as a beverage, describing it as an integral part of national identity and everyday life. He noted that wine culture is deeply embedded in Georgian art, literature, cinema, music and social traditions. The minister...