ased in Autun, in southern Burgundy (Saône-et-Loire), Benoît Laly has won France’s 2026 Best Wine Merchant competition. Founded by the professional wine merchant organisation SCP in 2014, as of this year, the biennial competition is organised by Cavistes & Co magazine. Laly competed against 40 fellow wine merchants in the final stages, after an initial online selection, followed by semi-finals involving 15 candidates and a final contested by eight. Jean-Philippe Leroy from the Vinothentik store in Chabeuil (Drôme) and Olivier Marotte from De La Vigne à L’Olivier in Lambesc (Bouches-du-Rhône) were runners-up, completing the podium alongside the manager of Cave...

The sharp decline in global bulk wine and spirits exports tells only part of the story. Behind the figures lies a market undergoing profound structural change driven by shifting sourcing strategies between producer countries and destination markets, evolving end uses, price pressure and the reconfiguration of global trade flows. Between April 2025 and March 2026, global bulk wine exports fell by 10.3% in volume and 11.8% in value, while average prices remained relatively stable at €0.78 per litre*. Against this backdrop, World Bulk Wine Exhibition ) returns to Amsterdam on 30 November and 1 December 2026 for its 18th edition....

The legendary French producer turned a local tradition into an international wine celebration, creating a seasonal ritual that remains perfectly suited to today’s drinking culture. This advertising content was produced in collaboration with Seven Fifty partner, Georges Duboeuf. Georges Duboeuf understood the appeal of a good party. When he founded his namesake wine company in 1964, Beaujolais Nouveau was simply a regional French tradition, celebrated for its youthful freshness and the arrival of the first wines of the harvest. A wine industry pioneer, Duboeuf saw an opportunity to bring that excitement to a much larger audience, eventually making the annual...

Sotheby’s has teamed up with Château Mouton Rothschild on a centenary auction marking 100 years of the artist-label tradition said to be “one of the defining expressions of Mouton Rothschild’s identity”. The sale, which will commence on 4 February 2027, will see bottles from the inaugural 1924 vintage onwards go under the hammer, along with historic vintages, a limited number of previously unreleased large formats and commemorative lots, The 2024 vintage will also be included, the label of which will be revealed ahead of the sale, on 1 December 2026, as well as a barrel of the 2025 vintage. Some...

The Barca-Velha Golden Vines MW Scholarships offer each winner an unparalleled opportunity to support their Master of Wine (MW) studies, alongside creating a bespoke internship programme with the support of a panel of mentors, enabling them to learn from some of the world’s greatest fine wine and rare spirit estates. Each Scholar will receive £35,000 in funding to support their MW studies and internship programme, as well as a unique SOGRAPE Portugal experience. During this experience, the Scholars will visit SOGRAPE’s wineries and vineyards in the Douro Valley and elsewhere, while learning from Portugal’s leading family wine company. Winners were...

He helped millions of Americans discover the pleasures and virtues of wine, transforming the magazine into an international benchmark. Marvin R. Shanken, the longtime editor-in-chief and publisher of “Wine Spectator”, has passed away at the age of 83. He was the one who turned the U.S. magazine into one of the industry’s leading international publications, helping millions of Americans discover the pleasures and virtues of wine and encouraging producers to always offer the very best. Shanken, who led “Wine Spectator” for over 50 years, had taken it over back in 1979, when it was a struggling publication distributed for free...

Two international competitions to celebrate the diversity of white, red and rosé wines On 3 and 4 April 2027, the Strasbourg Exhibition Centre will host two major international wine events: The 29th edition of the Strasbourg International White Wine Competition, a competition unique in the world and dedicated exclusively to white wines, and a member of VINOFED and the UIOE. The 2nd edition of the European Red & Rosé Wine Contest, a competition dedicated to the diversity of red and rosé wines from the member countries of the European Union and the Council of Europe. 2026 WINNERS GRAND PRIX DU...

Would you like to test your knowledge against the standards of the world’s top sommeliers? Allwinestories offers you a prestigious opportunity: Download now, exclusively from our platform, the complete set of written questions from the quarterfinals and semifinals of the ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) World Competition. The competition held in Lisbon, Portugal Winner NIKOLAI HARAM SVORTE A unique “snapshot” of the requirements, topics, and depth of knowledge shaping the future of the global wine industry. Dive into the heart of the competition, study the official topics, and test your skills on the path of ASI’s top sommeliers. Download...

Michèle Chantôme Receives ASI Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award in Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal (13, October) — This evening, the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) is delighted to co-host, together with CIM Douro, the ASI Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award Gala Dinner. The invitation-only dinner took place at the Pavilhão de Exposições da Tapada da Ajuda, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, and was held in conjunction with the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World 2026 in Lisbon. As headline sponsor and co-host of this prestigious evening, CIM Douro will bring to Lisbon the identity, heritage and excellence of one of...

Marchesi Antinori fine wines are literally flying off the shelves. Between the nights of October 2nd and October 4th, a major theft took place in Cortona, where the renowned Tuscan, Italian, and globally acclaimed wine producer operates its logistics and shipping hub. More than 30,000 bottles, already prepared for shipment worldwide, were stolen, including some of Italy most iconic wines, namely Guado al Tasso, Solaia, and Tignanello, with a total value exceeding 5 million euros. The theft involved a significant quantity of these flagship wines, which are among the company most representative labels and among the most sought-after by international...

In late August 2026, I participated as a judge at the world’s only competition dedicated to wines from heroic viticulture, the Mondial des Vins Extremes 2026. Together with my fellow judges, we visited the Azienda Agricola Pianta Grossa di Luciano Zoppo winery in the Aosta Valley, in the village of Donnas. We toured the vineyards, where the vines are cultivated on an area of approximately four hectares using the Pergola Valdostana training system. The vineyards are located on steep terraces. The soil is sandy and rich in organic matter. The sand imparts finesse and aroma to the wine, while the...

France’s 2024 Best Sommelier, Bastien Debono, has added another accolade to his CV, after being voted 2026 Sommelier of the Year by his peers at the 40th Trophées Le Chef. Since 2018, Debono has been sommelier director at the two-Michelin-starred La Table de Yoann Conte in Veyrier-du-Lac, Haute-Savoie. He previously won the Master of Port award in 2021. The award comes just ahead of the Best Sommelier of the World competition, which will take place in Lisbon from 11 to 17 October. He will be part of the team alongside Pascaline Lepeltier and Florent Martin. Debono initially trained in his...

From 11 to 17 October, candidates from 66 countries will gather in Lisbon for the 18th edition of the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World. They will be tested on their knowledge of gastronomy, evaluated on their ability to recognize wines, spirits and other beverages via blind tastings, challenged with complex service tasks and asked to pair a range of beverages with food. Yet, for all the technical skills and knowledge required for the contest, at the heart of every challenge lies a more human question: How does a sommelier use that expertise to improve the guest experience, and...

A new book dives into the extraordinary collection of “antiquarian” wine and gastronomy artefacts belonging to Bordeaux estate Château Haut-Brion. Among the rarely seen items are a dinner menu from Louis XIV’s Versailles court, and a handwritten note about wine by Pablo Picasso. New York publishing house Rizzoli New York has published a hard-backed tome that looks behind the curtain at First Growth estate Château Haut-Brion’s rarely seen private library. Founded in 1525 by Jean de Pontac, the wine estate has born witness to countless key historical moments in the epicurean fields of wine and gastronomy. And while fine wine...

As climate change rapidly redraws the historical boundaries of global viticulture, satellite topographical measurements and climate indices are now freely accessible on the most comprehensive wine map in history. WorldWineryMap.com has officially launched, introducing a massive interactive database of global wine terroir that maps 4,303,693 vineyards and 104,330 wineries across 90 countries. For every single vineyard on the map, users can access highly specific geospatial data, including elevation, solar radiation, and slope, alongside critical viticultural metrics like soil composition, the Huglin index, and average temperatures during the vine growing season. "For each parcel, we extracted the exact coordinates and calculated...

A new case of sexual assault and harassment is shaking the wine industry this harvest, exposing "a delicate period" where "the trivialization of sexist remarks, the sexualization of women's bodies, encourages predators" analyzes as much as warns the winemaker Isabelle Perraud, the spokesperson for the Paye Ton Pinard association, who listens to the victims to accompany them and calls on witnesses not to remain simple spectators. Accusations of sexual assault and harassment of a minor are shaking the harvest in Beaujolais with a chilling account of inappropriate comments and behaviors targeting a 17-year-old seasonal worker. How did you react to...

The Hospices Civils de Beaune is writing a new chapter in its history with the 166th edition of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, one of the most prestigious events in the wine world. Conducted by Sotheby’s, the world leader in wine and spirits auctions, the sale will take place on November 15 in Beaune’s historic market hall. The press day, held on Thursday, September 3, highlighted the 2026 vintage, marked by an exceptionally early harvest, as well as the 90th anniversary of the Pommard AOC, one of the most renowned appellations of the Côte de Beaune. The event also...

An event unlike any other, a weekend built upon the world’s finest wines, unparalleled luxury, Michelin-starred dinners, one-of-a-kind experiences, masterclasses and lunches. Book your ticket here 2026 Tickets, London — Liquid Icons THE GALA The Golden Vines Gala Evening is the culinary heart of the awards weekend — an unmissable celebration where fine dining, world-class wine and global gastronomy converge. Each year, guests are invited to indulge their inner gourmet and enjoy an unforgettable Michelin-level dining experience, created exclusively for this extraordinary occasion. Renowned for its uncompromising culinary standards, the Gala has consistently paid homage to some of the world’s...

Seven new Masters of Wine have been announced by the Institute of Masters of Wine, bringing the 2026 intake to 11, the largest annual cohort since 2021. The latest group also includes the first Masters of Wine based in Portugal and Hungary. The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced seven new Masters of Wine, completing its 2026 intake and taking the number of active MWs worldwide to 427. Alice Archer MW and Owain Hughes MW from the UK, Weiran Liu MW from China, Gabriella Macari MW from the US, Tiago Macena MW from Portugal, Jake Skakun MW from Canada...