Wine and Vintages: Interesting Stories from Wine Searcher Magazine

Here is the latest Wine News from Wine Searcher Magazine.

Are You Ready for a 1000-Point Wine?
A new wine website develops a scale that also takes price and availability into account when scoring wines.

Far Niente Family Feud Ends with Winery Sale
Another California winery changes hands, but it looks like this sale will defuse an internal struggle.

US Prepares for Another English Invasion
English wine producers turn their back on Europe in favor of a charm offensive on the East Coast.

Jackson Family Wines Swallows Up Another Small Producer
The hungry company sets its sights on another Pinot Noir producer to bolster its portfolio.

Languedoc Loses a Champion with Winemaker's Death
From campaigning against the Mondavis to getting top prices for local wines, Aimé Guibert lived a full life.

America Without Tiers – Changing Wine Distribution
America’s three-tier system can be frustrating but, asks Liza B. Zimmerman, what would life be like without it?

Latest Bordeaux Releases Offer Value
A spate of newly released wine from some of the bigger names has merchants smiling.

DRC Raises its Head at Auction Again
An auction in Switzerland has something for all wine lovers – if they can afford it.

Germany and Alsace’s Battle of the Rieslings
What do German winemakers think of Alsatian Riesling and vice-versa? Tom Hyland finds out.

The Battle of the Wine Masters
Master of Wine or Master Sommelier qualification – is one better than the other? asks Sam Behrend.

Ex-Aussie Prime Minister’s Wine Spending Spree
The beer-drinking politician turned to the grape after a leadership battle almost toppled him.

Con-cours – Fakes Uncovered at Wine Competition
Two companies nabbed for supplying altered wine in a major competition.

Champagne and the Power of Positive Thinking
Can beaming out good vibes to vines make a better Champagne? Caroline Henry meets a man who thinks so.

Whisky and Burgundy Spice Up Spring Sales
The last auctions before summer feature a cornucopia of vinous delights – and some serious spirits.

South African Wine’s U-Turn on Terroir
Although it was once home to generic blends, James Lawrence finds plenty of variety in the country’s rejuvenated wine landscape.

First Bordeaux Prices Raise Merchant Hopes
Wine merchants are optimistic that the wines being sold en primeur are realistically priced, for a change.

The Ultimate Wine Lover’s Learning Experience
We go looking for wine schools among the vines and find … not very many.

Champagne Gets Into the En Primeur Spirit
It isn’t just Bordeaux offering buyers a sneak preview of the last vintage.

Australia’s Winemakers Look to an Uncertain Future
The gap between perception and reality must be bridged, James Lawrence says, if Australian wine is to flourish.

Grape Escape from Extinction Bears Fruit
A project to revive near-extinct varieties in Spain is no longer just an experiment.

Wine Industry Toasts Production, Consumption Rise
The global wine trade turns in a healthy performance as wine lovers increase consumption.

More Wine Brands Go Under the Hammer
The big players are getting bigger, as two more small wineries get swallowed up.

Château Palmer Puts Barrel on the Block
The Margaux classed growth is putting a unique offering on sale in Hong Kong.

Winemaker Malbec Dies in Auto Accident
The consultant and former Latour winemaker was killed in the early hours of Saturday.

California’s New Wave of Sparkling Wine
A new breed of California bubbly is emerging, James Lawrence discovers, and from some surprising places.

Acker Wine Auction Sale Raises Questions
A self-confessed “loan shark” buys one the world’s biggest auction houses. W. Blake Gray asks: What gives?

Wrestling With Tannin in 2015 Bordeaux
In his third report from Bordeaux, Adam Lechmere finds that uneven tannin levels caused headaches for producers.

Italian Wine Gets a Big Push in China
An online promotion could be a huge shot in the arm for the Italian wine industry.

Constellation Buying Brands Rather Than Wineries
Two wine behemoths are expanding, but doing so in very different ways, according to W. Blake Gray.

Bordeaux 2015: The Year of Choosing Carefully
There are some beautiful wines from the vintage, but not all have been created equal, Adam Lechmere discovers.

Win or Lose Wines for Tax Day
With April 15 approaching, Elizabeth Cash comes up with wine recommendations, whichever way your Tax Day goes.

First Taste of 2015 Bordeaux Full of Promise
In the first of his reports from Bordeaux En Primeur, Adam Lechmere looks at Graves, Médoc and the Right Bank.

No Bling-Bling for Heidsieck’s Bubbles
The Champagne house plans to rely on the quality of the wine, rather than fancy packaging.

Liv-ex Rise Reflects Investor Confidence in Wine
Fine wine is finally starting to move in the right direction for collectors and investors.

Graham’s Celebrates Queen’s Birthday with Rare Port
A unique blend of old Ports goes on sale to mark the British monarch’s 90th birthday.

Lindquist Hits a Homer With Dodgers Wines
As the baseball season starts, one team might have a slight advantage on the wine front.

Swapping Street Cred for Safe Wine Choices
There’s a new invention for wine lovers with more money than sense. Yep, another one.

Margaux Mourns Pontallier’s Death
One of Bordeaux’s biggest names passed away this week. Adam Lechmere remembers Margaux’s urbane managing director.

Bidding Adieu to the Master of Châteauneuf
Former wine correspondent for The European newspaper Frank Ward remembers legendary winemaker Henri Bonneau.

Koch Makes Room in his Wine Cellar
The anti-fraud campaigner is auctioning off a vast treasury of fine wine in May.

Bordeaux Enjoys the Fruits of the Golden Weather
The first taste of the 2015 vintage in London reflects the above-average growing season.

Master Somms Chase the Corporate Dollar
The prestigious credential is being used as a ticket off the restaurant floor, Liza B Zimmerman discovers.

Wine to Die For – The Last Supper Wine List
What would you drink with your last meal? Elizabeth Cash asked a bunch of wine professionals that very question.

Arsenic in Wine Lawsuit Thrown Out
A “meritless” legal action is dismissed, but an appeal could be on the cards.

Non-profit Winery to Fund Workers’ Healthcare
Washington wineries set up a business to help vineyard workers with their health costs.

Presidential Brandy Hits the Auction Block
An impressive collection of spirits marks every president from Washington to Carter.

Tasting Ranks Château Margaux First Among Equals
A Spanish tasting suggests some first growth Bordeaux houses might be resting on their laurels.

Domaine Drouhin Releases Roserock Wines
The first wines from the Eola-Amity Hills vineyard is set for release this month.

The Changing Tastes of US Wine Drinkers
The Wine Market Council’s latest research shows up some unusual trends.

CIVC Send in the Clowns Against Champín
Champagne’s lawyers go into overkill mode – again – over a Spanish soda.

Wine Brand’s Sporting Connection Raises Eyebrows
A surprising sponsorship deal pits a New Zealand wine brand against its own national rugby team.

Wine Book a Hit and Myth Affair
Resident viticultural expert Tom Jarvis tackles a book that aims to disprove some of wine’s most enduring conventional wisdoms.

Exploring Moldova's Underground Wine World
In a forgotten corner of Europe, Liza B. Zimmerman finds an industry reinventing itself after a stark history.

Sunken Treasure Surfaces at Wine Sale
A bottle of once-lost Champagne heads up an extraordinary auction in Paris this week.

American Wine Drinkers Cut Back on Butter
Fewer people are ordering big, brash Chardonnays – at least that’s what somms are saying.

Premier Cru Boss Loses $100K Car
Not delivering on wine promises proves expensive – on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ornellaia Auction a Lesson in Wine History
Desirable older vintages from the prestigious winery go on sale.

Ridge Fined Over Farmworker Violations
Winery rapped on the knuckles over the state of its worker accommodation.

Van Winkle Awakens Interest in Auction
A Carolina auction house is promising plenty of Pappy at an upcoming sale.

Local Vignerons Call for a Backpedal Over Tour de France Wine
A New World wine sponsor for the Tour de France has ruffled feathers in the winemaking south.

Taking Wine Travel to the Limit
Wine writer Amanda Barnes is taking off on the ultimate vineyard tour – a two-year, 80-region interactive voyage.

Ringing the Changes at Château Angélus
After buying out her father, Stephanie de Boüard promises changes at the illustrious estate.

Film Review – Somm: Into the Bottle
Sam Behrend takes a look at the new Somm film, and finds it agreeable to his palate.

Vin Clair – Where Great Champagne is Born
Caroline Henry goes behind the scenes at Champagne’s assemblage process.

Bordeaux Added to Pesticide Blacklist
Vineyard sprays blamed for shocking levels of banned chemical traces found in children.

Wine Fraud Allegations Refuse to Die
Authentication expert links Hong Kong auction house to Rudy Kurniawan.

CDC Won’t Stop Women Drinking Wine
The Centers for Disease Control recommendation that women quit drinking is getting a predictable reaction.

Uncovering Value in the Wines of Tuscany
As Brunello, Bolgheri and the Super Tuscans skyrocket in price, Tom Hyland goes looking for bargains.

New Wine Sparks Sexism Claims
An Australian winery’s new label riles feminists and throws up some iffy search results.

Premier Cru Boss Takes the Fifth
The FBI investigation into a Ponzi scheme at the Berkeley retailer could impact owner’s own legal troubles.

Napa Innovator Mondavi Dies
Napa loses one of its founding fathers with the passing of Peter Mondavi Sr on the weekend.

German Wine Decline – by the Numbers
A recent article suggested Germany’s wine industry was struggling – we look at the figures behind the story.