• Pinot noir fraud update: French authorities are apparently still looking into allegations that millions of gallons of wine from southern France were fraudulently sold as pinot noir and exported to the U.S. over the last four years. I did some more reporting on this end, and a Gallo spokesman said his company is still waiting to hear whether its Red Bicyclette pinot noir is involved. Sieur d'Arques, a leading French wine company that may be part of the scandal, works with Gallo on the wine. L’Orval, another inexpensive Languedoc pinot brand, is not part of the scandale, said a spokesman for its U.S. broker.
• American Wine Bog Awards finalists: The list is here. And, in big news, the OpenWine Consortium is going to run the awards next year. Or, if you’d like something a little sillier in terms of awards, go here. Our old pal W.R. Tish – who promises a big April Fool’s treat this year – won Best Non-Blogging Wine Blogger.
• Australia harvest down by 20 percent: Looks like Mother Nature is lending a hand with the oversupply problems facing the wine business Down Under. A searing heat wave across South Australia and Victoria devastated crops, while the Victorian bushfires destroyed vines in the Yarra Valley wine-growing region.
Be careful Jeff, Sgt. Sassafras might give you an award too!
Posted by: AC | March 03, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I want to win an award for the blog that best uses the word curmudgeon in its title.
Posted by: Jeff Siegel | March 03, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Interesting update on the wine scandal!
Posted by: Randy Watson | March 03, 2009 at 12:18 PM
This pinot scandal is fascinating. Fortunately, there's lots of great wine to go 'round.
We've put together a brief behind-the-scenes video at the award-winning Gaspereau Wineries in Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia. It's worth your while!
Posted by: Canadian Tourism | March 03, 2009 at 06:15 PM
Sadly, what passes for wine journalism in this country is not interested in the scandal. It doesn't help them sell overpriced wine. As far as I know, the Decanter story and my reporting are the sum total of what's been done in the U.S.
I'm going to do something else on this next week. It's too important a story to be ignored.
Posted by: Jeff Siegel | March 04, 2009 at 06:06 AM