Liquor Trends - LiquorWise traced an interesting article about the surprises whicy 2012 may hold – “ liquor wise”. 2011 was a most interesting year and, from all reports, 2012 promises to be even more so.

In 2011, Cognac came roaring back. Craft beer grew more eclectic, more expensive and overwhelmingly more popular. Mixologists began raiding their pantries for all sorts of culinary cocktail ingredients. Vodka makers found a bevy of new flavourings, from smoked salmon to cupcake frosting. And Champagne, of all wines, continued its comeback by building on its unexpectedly strong growth in 2010.

The following are the opinions of some well-known professionals on they see rising on the 2102 horizon :

Doug Frost, wine consultant: “Portugal may be due for its coming-out party. The relatively cooler conditions along its coast create wines with a bit more freshness and crispness than many of Iberia’s other offerings, [and] as consumer awareness lags behind quality, prices for Portuguese wines are very good.”

Sandy Block, vice president of beverage operations for Legal Sea Foods: “Not sure if I’m behind the curve, but we’re seeing rising interest in aged tequilas [añejo and reposado] in cocktails, providing the spirit has enough zip, structure and pure agave flavor to balance the sweet elements.”

David Wondrich, author of “Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl”: “The biggest trend I see is bringing mixology down to the fun/dive-bar level — making new bars that are casual and unpretentious but will serve you a real drink, like The Prizefighter in Emeryville, Calif., Viktor & Spoils in New York City, and a bunch of other places whose names escape me.”

Jim Meehan, head mixologist at New York’s PDT and author of the new “The PDT Cocktail Book”: “Cocktails on tap, wine on tap, vermouth on tap — 10 years after many bars abandoned the soda gun, it seems as though many are growing trigger happy.”

Noah Rothbaum, editor-in-chief of Liquor.com and author of “The Business of Spirits”: “In the coming year, more people will be drinking local spirits made by the hundreds of craft distilleries that have opened around the country.”

Christine Sismondo, author of “America Walks into a Bar”: “While Americans are probably never going to be won over to the anise category, there is hope for caraway. We’re starting to see aquavit being taken up by bartenders as a cocktail ingredient. Kümmel [liqueur flavored with caraway, cumin and fennel] is all the rage in England and will hit here eventually.”

Michael Roper, co-owner of the beer-focused Chicago bar-restaurant The Hopleaf: “I think that high-flavor/lower-alcohol beers are going to be on the rise. There has been so much emphasis on huge, high-gravity beers that there is a great thirst for beers you can actually drink in a quantity of more than one. Bars and restaurants also want good beers that they can make some money on, too, [since] the patron who lingers over a 13.9-percent double imperial stout is not a profit center.”

Kip Snider, director of beverage for the beer-oriented Yard House chain: “I see an increase in the blends of styles already making a splash, like amber pale ales, Belgian [India pale ales], black IPAs and white IPAs — beers that please the taste buds with two flavor profiles.”

John Szabo, wine consultant: “For wine, thin is in, so expect to see the end of 15-percent alcohol, unbalanced prune juice and an embracing of lightness.”

John Hansell, editor and publisher of The Whisky Advocate magazine: “Whiskey companies have maxed out capacity, [and] producers don’t want to put barely legal product on the market, [so] they blend it with some of their older stuff to make it taste better. Since the age statement on a bottle has to be the age of the youngest whiskey in the blend, they will give the whiskey a name, instead. We’ve been seeing a lot of whiskey with names instead of age statements, and we will continue to do so.”

(Article from Beer, Wine & Spirits, edited by LiquorWise)

Liquor & Wine - LiquorWise are always looking for articles which may interest liquor licence holders or potential liquor licence holders. Although not always strictly related to liquor licensing itself, articles on affordability and making it easier to choose is part of the LiquorWise philosophy. Picking a wine that you’ll enjoy can be a daunting task, whether staring down the aisles of a liquor store or glancing at the wine menu at a restaurant. Therefore, we found the South African Wine Index (SAWi) a great help to consumers and liquor licence holders. The Index is a multi vintage wine rating, deducted from the combined preferences of a diverse group of wine judges from various wine competitions, providing a condensed result point. Other considerations include quality consistency while a nominal point is added for additional accolades like a trophy winner. Top wine producers met at the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Camps Bay at the end of November to celebrate the extraordinary achievements attained by a category of wines as identified by the latest Index results. The Top 24 Wines selected are the following : Bouchard Finlyson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, Eagles Nest Shiraz, Hamilton Russell Chardonnay and Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Klein Constantia Vin De Constance, Rijks Private Cellar Pinotage, Kanonkop Pinotage, Saronsberg Shiraz and Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Saronsberg Full Circle, De Krans Cape Tawny Port, Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal and Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc, La Motte Shiraz Viognier, Paul Cluver Chardonnay, Neethlingshof Noble Late Harvest Riesling, Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve and Kleine Zalze Barrel Fermented Chenin BlancOak Valley Pinot Noir, Lomond Pincushion Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenzicht Cabernet Sauvignon, KWV Mentors Shiraz, Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling. LiquorWise trust that readers will agree with the wine producers that the wines are worth buying (and drinking, of course!)

Liquor Store – George Park Liquor Store of the Strand (Western Cape) as announced that it delivers all liquor products free of charge in the Helderberg area. It boasts that its beer prices are the best, hard liquor very competitive and promises a great wine list. Ice is free if a minimum order is place. They will deliver for Xmas parties and functions. (Article by LiquorWise)

SAB, the South African subsidiary of SABMiller recorded good growth in emerging markets, but complains of the government dragging its heels to lift the Gauteng moratorium on new liquor licences. The would-be tavern owners will be hurt by the current moratorium on granting new liquor licences in Gauteng. Norman Adami, managing director and chairman of South African Breweries (SAB), said that the lack of capacity was frustrating. "We want to see a healthy industry that is normalised, but in order to have a healthy, normalised industry, you need to have an appropriate number of licences to serve the broader society," said Mr Adami. He compared South Africa to Poland and Colombia, which have similar figures for gross domestic product per capita and population size. Colombia has 480000 licensed liquor outlets and Poland more than 300000, but South Africa has only 60000, which suggests there could be as many as 180000 unlicensed outlets alongside the country’s legitimate resellers. "It’s very much a vestige of the past — an overhang from the Nationalist government," Mr Adami said. He added it was a form of "reverse discrimination", and that although SAB did not expect to sell any more or any less beer in the short to medium term as a result, the industry needed certainty to attract long-term investment. "The previous government tried to police the shebeens out of existence for 40 years without success. Why would this government be any different from the last?" he said. The global brewer expects emerging markets to account for most of its growth over the next few years. In the US and Europe, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation moved down 6% in the period. "Within each business they are optimising their performance — we don’t foresee that in the next six months conditions are going to change materially, but we also believe emerging markets are going to perform and will be able to offset any temporary weakness," he said. In South Africa, the company increased revenues and profits, despite steady beer volumes and a fall of 3% in soft-drink sales. "We were very pleased with our performance given relatively soft economic conditions in South Africa with the consumer under pressure," Mr Adami said. "Castle Light performed particularly well selling at a premium price," he said. Analysts had expressed concern about whether margins in South Africa would hold, but Mr Adami said the company had been able to grow margins for the past two years. "The South African business reflects a consolidated margin of the beer, soft drinks and Appletizer business and our share of Distell . That would give a lower margin than the beer business," he said. (Business Day Article, edited by LiquorWise)

Visit the LiquorWise Website – The Most Comprehensive Liquor Licensing Website in SA! Vanessa Clark explores growth opportunities for the South African spirits market over the coming year. Spring has sprung in the South African spirits market. Windows are being flung open, images revamped, and new markets introduced to novel ways of enjoying spirits. This is despite a Euromonitor report, Spirits in South Africa, says that contrary to expectations that the 2010 FIFA World Cup would increase sales of alcoholic drinks across all sectors, beer was the only market to see any significant growth as a result of the event. The report found that volumes of spirit sales were heavily impacted by the economic downturn in 2010, but that this is expected to reverse as consumers start seeing increased disposable income. Distell, South Africa's leading producer of spirits with a 32% market share, has a slightly different spin on this. The company believes the conspicuous consumption patterns of pre-2007 have been replaced with "more mindful consumption in line with today's tougher times" and that this has resulted in premium brands that offer quality, luxury and value doing well with consumers. This certainly touches on two significant trends emerging in the South African spirits market: the rise of the premium and super-premium brand and a more sophisticated consumer realising spirits are not just for mixing with ice and a slug of soda. These have in turn led to a rise in popularity of sipping spirits, artisan distillers and spirits and food pairing, in line with international lifestyle trends. The South African spirits staple, 'burnt wine' or brandy, provides a good insight into the rise of the premium spirits sector. The brandy renaissance Poor old South African brandy. Just like the Biblical prophets who were accepted everywhere except their home countries, at home brandy all too often still conjures up a picture of beer-bellied men standing around a braai knocking back brandy with lashings of Coke. Around the globe however, South African brandy is recognised as being among the world's best, winning the International Wine and Spirits Competition's (IWSC) Best Worldwide Brandy trophy ten times in the past 13 years. Most recently this was won by Van Ryn's 20 Year Old Collector's Reserve in 2011, making this the fifth consecutive year a South African brandy has held this title. In addition, this year South African spirits won seven best-in-class golds and nine additional gold awards. South African brandies also scooped six gold medals at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine and spirit competition this year, up from two last year. In South Africa, which is the fifth largest brandy producer in the world, traditionally wine-orientated Veritas added a brandy category to its awards in 2010. In addition, the Fine Brandy Festival, now in its fourth year, underwent a makeover, 'adding more luxe and fun lifestyle features which will appeal to the 'cool' crowd,' says Reade-Jahn. The plan is to extend the festival from its Gauteng base to other cities in South Africa over the next few years. Distell's head of spirits, Caroline Snyman, sings from the same song sheet when it comes to South African brandy, saying the local changes in the brandy market mirror the resurgence of cognac in emerging markets such as China, where VSOP (very special old pale) brandy products are considered a trade up from 12-year-old Scotch whisky. She points to the rejuvenation of one of South Africa's most popular brandies, Oude Meester, via an ad campaign featuring Oscar and Grammy award-winning Jamie Foxx; as well as the alignment of Flight of the Fish Eagle alongside hip-hop artists and an imaginary executive airline Eagle Air, which takes invitation-only guests to glamorous cosmopolitan destinations. What about whisky? Snyman says the whisky market also continues to grow, but that this is not at the expense of the brandy market. South Africa is one of the leading global markets for whiskies and we have also seen some highly regarded local brands emerging, such as Three Ships, which are being well received both locally and internationally. International brands such as Scottish Leader, Black Bottle and the specialty Bunnahabhain range are starting to establish themselves in South Africa as well, she says. A more discerning palate The SA Brandy Foundation's Reade-Jahn also sees consumers trading up to premium and super-premium brands, with most growth taking place in the luxury sector. South Africa's super-premium spirit sector is worth around R1.52 billion, with premium brandies amounting to a quarter of that. From Russia with love 'The great northern concept of drinking spirits neat, but always with food and friends, is finding credence here: chilled premium vodka with Cape sushi, or yellowtail gravad lax, or oysters, for example,' says Jorgensen. 'Following the craft revolutions in the US and Europe, there are more and more local producers of spirits daring to put their toes in a traditionally difficult market.' 'The flavour and subtlety of sipping vodka, like a pot still brandy, or Cognac, and many single malt whiskys, is better appreciated with an alcohol content lower than in a 43% spirit. At the higher level the fine flavour and delicacy of the product is masked by the burn of high alcohol content,' says Jorgensen. 'Given that vodka is a highly rectified and relatively neutral tasting product, these flavours are indeed subtle, and tend to be significantly masked at 43% alcohol.' In addition, this ruling is at odds with international standards, and in order to import vodka into South Africa, international distillers may have to produce a South Africa-specific version of their spirit, reducing our exposure to the premium end of the market. Finally, South African distillers, obliged to produce a 43% product, are prevented from entering international competition where the maximum alcohol level required to compete is 40%. What is certain is that the South African spirits market is in the middle of a massive transformation, starting from a very solid base. With more variety and more choice, we may just start viewing our local market in the same way our spirits are viewed abroad. What's your favourite flavour? It probably started with Patrón XO Café, the tequila and coffee liqueur. Suddenly tequila wasn't only for slamming or mixing, but instead for rather civilised sipping. Since then, a deluge of flavoured spirits has entered the South African drinks market. Most recent to follow in Patrón's footsteps with a flavoured tequila is Pernod Ricard's Olmeca Fusion Dark Chocolate Tequila. Released in September, the drink has a relatively low alcohol level at 35% and is described as having "a smooth, silk-like texture that perfectly accompanies the rich dark chocolate flavour, balanced with a dash of tequila." Serving suggestions include as chilled shooter, on the rocks, or as the basis for a cocktail. Two flavoured vodkas have recently been launched into the South African market:Local brand Lovoka offers a caramel and chocolate flavoured vodka-based liqueur that is aimed at both the shooter and the cocktail markets. Europe's Thunder Toffee Vodka has also made it to South African shores. With its roots in après ski society, the producers claim to have developed a recipe that delivers a silky smooth, balanced flavour. (Article by Food Review, edited by LiquorWise)

Try this experiment: Walk into the nearest wine shop and ask for an “everyday wine” recommendation. Refuse to give a price range, and see what the merchant suggests. My guess is you’re out 15 bucks. Critics seem to be pushing this price point as an appropriate range for “everyday wine”— even though the phrase can’t possibly be taken literally. If you and your significant other were to drink five bottles of wine a week, at $15 per bottle, your annual wine outlay would approach $4,000. That’s more than the average family spends on groceries. Granted, few Americans actually drink that much wine—annual consumption is around one bottle per month (PDF) per capita—but perhaps they would if the industry hadn’t taught them that truly affordable wine isn’t worth drinking. The evidence is right across the Atlantic: In Europe, consumption is 3-to-6 times higher than in the United States. But only the most affluent would spend 11 euros to drink a bottle of wine at home on a Wednesday night. Europeans seem perfectly comfortable cracking open a 1-eurotetra-pak of wine for guests. Germans, for example, pay just $1.79 on average for a bottle of wine. Not long ago, American wine-buying habits were very similar to the Germans’. In 1995, 59 percent of the wine purchased in the United States sold for less than $3 per bottle. By 2006, controlling for inflation, that share had dropped to 29 percent. Wines over $14 per bottle more than quadrupled their share of the market during the same period. Looking at raw consumption rather than market share, sales of over-$14 wine increased sevenfold. Sales of wines that cost less than $3 per bottle actually declined 28 percent, during a period when overall wine consumption was rapidly increasing. There are plenty of reasons to go back to our 1990s habits, and to start using 15 bucks to buy four or five bottles instead of just one. Ernest Gallo, who, along with his brother Julio, popularized wine among the American masses, understood the psychology of wine better than anyone. He used to pour two glasses of wine for potential buyers, telling them that one sold for 5 cents, and the other for 10. According to Gallo, his guinea pigs invariably chose the more expensive option. What they didn’t know was that the two wines were exactly the same. Researchers have recently reproduced Gallo’s results, proving that our appreciation of a wine depends on how much we think it costs. If you can break yourself of this psychological quirk—or have your spouse lie to you about the cost of your wine—you’ll save a small fortune. You’re also likely aware of the piles of studies showing that you can’t reliably pick out expensive wines in a blind taste test. Many studies show that laymen actually prefer cheaper wines (PDF). Professional wine critics are quick to point out that they, unlike you and I, can distinguish between high- and low-cost bottles in blinded experiments. Here’s the question they can’t answer for you: So what? The only thing these “successes” prove is that a small group of people have gotten very good at sniffing out the traits that the wine industry thinks entitle them to more money. If hints of cassis, subtle earthiness, and jammy notes don’t interest you, you are not a lesser person. Wine is not art. There’s no reason to believe that aligning your tastes with those of a self-appointed elite will enrich your life, or make you more insightful or sensitive. If wine critics want to spend lavishly on the wine they like, that’s great. Leave them to their fun. Be grateful that you can gain just as much pleasure, if not more, without bankrupting yourself. I’m not without sympathy for the American winemakers who keep wine prices high. Real estate is pricey in California, and some vintners claim they have to charge $20 or more per bottle just to break even. That’s a shame, but wine-buying isn’t an act of philanthropy. If you can’t tell the difference between an expensive wine from a small family vineyard and their cheaper competitors—or you think the cheap stuff is superior—save your money. You are under no obligation to keep vineyards afloat. A little consolidation might be a good thing. Do we really need tiny winemaking estates up and down the West Coast, not to mention Long Island, Michigan, Virginia, and Missouri? There’s also an enormous range in the retail price of a single bottle of wine, which means the $15 bottle you bought at one store might be a $6 bottle elsewhere. A recent studyfound that a wine selling for $695 in California went for $2,000 in Illinois. The Yellowtail Merlot offered for $4.99 in Buffalo cost more than twice that much in Jersey City. Such discrepancies are due not only to taxes and varying distribution schemes but to individual store owners trying to wring a few more dollars out of clueless consumers. Again, the key here is that higher prices do not reliably reflect quality. Finally, rest assured that cheap wine in the United States is good, to the extent that the term has any objective meaning. Falling market share over the last 15 years has forced discount vintners to compete with upmarket brands, and modern technology has enabled them to crank out consistent wines, case after case. So, if you win your $3 gamble on the first bottle, you know you’ll like the next. And, in a sense, we have an advantage over Europe, since our discount offerings are usually a notch better. European bargain wines can be hit or miss, because they’re made by cooperatives that sometimes have outdated equipment, poor inventory management, and even substandard sanitation practices. Charles Shaw and the best American box wines rarely have such problems. You’re probably hoping for some recommendations. You don’t need them. Reviews and recommendations are great for cars or televisions or overpriced wines, because bad decisions are expensive. If you hate your cheap bottle of wine, just uncork another. (Article by Brian Palmer, edited by LiquorWise)

$443,000 worth of wine was sold at the on-site store at the World Wine and Food Expo at the Moncton Coliseum during its operating hours over the weekend and $92,000 of that in the store's first operating hour. Bill Vance, sommelier and chairman of the event said that the expo has once again shocked organizers and it's not just because of the record sales, it's because of its popularity. "The weekend was the biggest weekend ever, sales and attendance were up," he said.Somehow the word is getting out that this is the place to be to be for education on wine and food, said Vance. "There were a lot of new people, a lot of first timers and what we noted was they were from all over the province. I have no doubt that the people who came for the first time will be back." The grand tastings, on Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings, saw a stunning increase in attendance, he said. "We had about 5,500, which is easily above 10 per cent from last year." Everyone involved was surprised. "We were very surprised by it, obviously very happy about it, but it took all of us and the wine agents from around the Maritimes, it took everybody off guard," he said. The grand tasting brought in a younger crowd, but a very respectful crowd, said Vance. "It was a lot of fun. It was a very social event, for sure. But very well behaved and people were respectful of the people working in the booths, which is very nice to see in a younger crowd." This year's expo saw a lot of new and successful events, one of which was the internationally famous Riedel Crystal wine-tasting seminar at the downtown Empress Theatre last Monday. "The Riedal tasting, with (Doug Cohn) from New York city," said Vance. "That was really high end and a once in a lifetime opportunity to get that calibre of glasses at a price that we could sell at a reasonable price." Over the week, they were approached by many people who'd attended the Riegal tasting and who said they were so impressed with it, said Vance. "They said that by far it was the most extraordinary wine experience they'd ever had." Having Food Network star Laura Calder in town for a few days was a really nice addition to the expo, said Vance. "She doesn't seem to have any idea really of how popular she is and how much people like her, and I think she was really overwhelmed by that experience." Often times, people like Calder fly into a city, do a book signing, then take off later that day. But because she was here for a few days, she really got to sit back and take it all in, said Vance. "She really got a sense to see what her impact is on (people). People were coming up to her book signing at the Coliseum on Friday and buying every one of her cookbooks, having her sign them all and having their pictures taken with her." Her trip to Moncton will stick with her, said Vance. "She left Moncton on Friday afternoon at four o'clock, and I can honestly that I don't think she'll ever forget her trip here." They'd like build on the Calder experience for next year and bring other stars to the city, said Vance. "We'd like to do that again next year, of course with a different author." The first day of the expo, Oct. 29, saw a prestige tasting at Tait House, which was a quick sell out and was a great way to kick off the week, the chairman said. "Just a beautiful dinner. Chris MacAdam, as far as I'm concerned, served the best meal I've ever had from him." The expo has a partnership with several charities and proceeds from ticket sales, coat checks and tickets on items like wine fridges are donated. The Tree of Hope campaign, Sistema, the Capitol Theatre Foundation and the Fyffe Foundation all benefit. "The funds (the Tree of Hope campaign) collected were up quite a bit from last year," said Vance. The overall sales from the on-site store at last year's expo was $486,000, which was the highest on record, and $416,000 in 2009. Sales are down from last year, but that's a give-in with the state of the economy, said Nora Lacey, manager of communications for the New Brunswick Liquor Commission. "Given the challenges we are facing with the economy, it is not entirely surprising that we are down slightly from the record high last year," she said. As wine continues to be a growth category for NB Liquor, any remaining expo products were expected to sell in NB Liquor stores over the coming weeks. "The remaining festival product is distributed to the top wine stores in the province," she explained.The expo isn't just about drinking wine and making money,said Lacey. "The expo is a great opportunity to educate our customers about the different types of wine available here in New Brunswick, and it's a good opportunity for the supplier community to be able to showcase their brands in such a unique setting like the World Wine and Food Expo." (Article by Times&Transcript Canada East - Edited by LiquorWise)

Wine makers from around the world are eager to tap demand in China as growth slows in their traditional markets. However, industry players say the increased competition and a lack of wine drinking culture mean it won't be easy. Countless vintages made by producers ranging from boutique vineyards in New Zealand to famed chateaux from France's Bordeaux region were sipped and spat by thousands of people attending a major wine and spirits trade fair last week in Hong Kong. Nearly 1,000 exhibitors from 37 countries hoping to cut deals with the 2,750 buyers were expected to attend the fair. Vineyards from countries not usually known for their wines, including Georgia, Israel, Latvia and Malta were in attendance for the first time. Many are keen to get a foothold in China's wine market, which has taken off in recent years, particularly at the high end, as newly wealthy collectors splurge for bottles of fine French wines at auctions in Hong Kong. The southern Chinese city abolished wine import duties in 2008 in a bid to become a regional wine center and imports surged by nearly 60 percent in the first nine months of 2011 to $940 million. "People think that because China has 1.4 billion people, it's easy to come here and sell wine, and that's the catch," said Pancho Campo, president of the Wine Academy of Spain. In September, a private Chinese buyer paid 4.2 million Hong Kong dollars ($541,000) for a 300-bottle collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild consisting of 25 cases spanning 1981 to 2005 at a Christie's auction. That was the highest price for a single lot of wine at auction this year in a sale that raised $7.7 million in total. China is the world's fastest growing market for still light wine and is forecast this year to overtake Britain as the fifth biggest market, according to a September report by UK-based International Wine and Spirit Research. The report forecast that China's wine consumption will double to 250 million 12-bottle cases by 2016, from 125 million in 2010. If growth rates remain unchanged, the country could become the world's biggest wine market in the next 20 years, the report said. The tantalizing prospect of such rapid growth drew Daniel and Lesley Jackson, husband and wife owners of Redoubt Hill Vineyard, a boutique winemaker in New Zealand's Marlborough region — famed for its sauvignon blanc — to the trade fair for the first time. "The traditional markets, apart from Australia, are a bit stressed at the moment — Europe, Britain, America. Asia, obviously their economy is doing really well," said Daniel Jackson. The Jacksons were trying to find a distributor in Hong Kong and China for bottles of their sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, which retail for $35 New Zealand dollars ($28). Winemakers are hoping growth in China will offset flagging sales in traditionally key markets such as Europe, where a long term decline in wine drinking has been exacerbated by the continent's government debt crisis. China's status as the world's biggest and fastest growing consumer market has drawn many foreign businesses in pursuit of big profits. But some, retailers in particular, have found that size alone doesn't guarantee success, forcing them to pull out or change marketing strategy amid tough competition — and in some cases after misreading local preferences. China's wine market is split between the high end, where the wealthy spend thousands of dollars on bottles as an investment or to drink at restaurants on special occasions and the low end, dominated by local and foreign producers selling wine for just a few dollars a bottle or in large containers. The middle market doesn't really exist, said Campo, who is also president of the Wine Academy of Spain. That will be a particular challenge for so-called New World winemakers from countries such as Australia, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, who will face tougher competition on prices, said Antonio Gaudioso, export manager at Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano, a cooperative in Italy's Tuscany region. That's because in China, when it comes to foreign wines, red wine from France is prized much more than those from other countries — even those from other Old World producers Italy and Spain. Regardless of their origin, winemakers will have to work hard to educate China's new middle classes about wine and spend money promoting their vintages as they develop the middle market, both Campo and Gaudioso said.A key challenge will be adapting to a different culture of imbibing at meals. "It has nothing to do with food pairing, it's just to do with ganbei," said Campo, referring to the Chinese equivalent of "cheers." The word is a common utterance at formal banquets where diners take turns toasting each other with baijiu, a clear sorghum liquor with more than 50 percent alcohol content — usually until everyone is blind drunk. "If these people, whenever they have a dinner and they can include wine as one option to baijiu, you're talking about millions of barrels that can be consumed throughout China," he said. (Article by Associated Press – Edited by LiquorWise)

Three student food technologists have come up with an innovative way to get more women to drink beer - they have made it pink. The Durban University of Technology (DUT) students have created a strawberry-flavoured beer called Pink Fantasy. Their invention forms part of DUT's Biotechnology and Food Technology 2011 Food Product Launch, which took place on Wednesday. Simone Beeharie, 20, Mishal Pillay, 20 and Sarisha Devnath, 19, are among 12 teams from the university who are creating original products. The three, all second-year students, said they designed the drink to be more appealing to women. "Beer is mainly drunk by men, so we decided to make something for women that has a less bitter flavour. Our beer has a strawberry aroma and is pink. It is more feminine," said Devnath. The trio started the project in September, using a home brewing system. They said the feedback from both genders had been encouraging. "All positive results so far, but men are still a bit apprehensive because it is pink," laughed Pillay. Some of the other projects include a black liquorice ice cream which is melt-proof, a rooibos energy drink, a nonalcoholic amarula malt drink, a nutritional light stout, the first alcoholic ripple ice cream and gluten-free bread. The trio are hoping to have their product on the market soon. "We would like to sell it and see how far we can go with it after the launch," said Beeharie. They didn't see a problem with their alcoholic invention. Their parents were aware of the beer and supported them. Devnath said they were not concerned their beer promoted the drinking of liquor among women. "We just wanted to create gender equity in alcohol," she quipped. (Sunday Times article - edited by LiquorWise)