Before I get to global news, a few fun things from our team: Paula Sidore, our German specialist at JancisRobinson.com, interviewed Jancis on her podcast ‘Trink Talks’. The interview is a succinct 30 minutes jam-packed with info. Which, if you can’t tell, is the way I like my podcasts. We also had another episode of Vintners’ Tales drop yesterday. This one features the late John Avery MW whose father started Averys of Bristol – one of the UK’s most pioneering wine merchants – now owned by Direct Wines. I never had the chance to meet John Avery, but I get the impression from this interview that he was a very kind and humble man.
I also want to give everyone a heads up that nominations for the Old Vine Hero Awards are now open. The awards recognize the work being done to nurture and study old-vine vineyards and cover five categories: next generation, best viticulture team, communication and education, research, and old vines and new technology. If you know people who are passionate about preserving old vines, please nominate them by 21 February! Or if you are that person, please go nominate yourself! Winners will be announced on 31 March.
On the subject of awards, last week I replaced this newscast with an article on breaking into wine communications. That article contains a list of annual wine-writing competitions, fellowships and mentorships with their submission dates. Right now, the 67 Pall Mall Global Wine Communicator Awards, the Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship, the Field Blends Trip Awards and the IACP awards are all open. So take a look at that list – and let me know if I missed anything!
On to the news!
Bordeaux’s new cru bourgeois classification
For châteaux in Bordeaux’s Médoc who weren’t included in the 1855 classification, there is another classification: the Crus Bourgeois. This list was first put together in 1932 by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture. However, it didn’t become a legal classification until 2003 when the number of châteaux was cut from 444 to 247 and producers were divided into three tiers: Crus Bourgeois, Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs and Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels. As one might expect, many of the châteaux who were cut or who didn’t place as they expected were angry and, after legal proceedings, the whole classification was annulled in 2007. In 2010, the classification was reinstated with a single-tier structure and with a new list reported annually. Then, in 2020, the classification was altered once again so that reclassification happened only once every five years and the three-tier structure was reinstated. In 2020, 249 châteaux were classified.
On Monday 10 February the 2025 classification was announced. There are just 170 Crus Bourgeois this year, a 32% drop from 2020’s list. It’s unclear why this is but it seems safe to assume, based on the quality of the wines from producers who are no longer included anywhere in the classification, that these châteaux withdrew of their own accord – perhaps because they are critical of the Crus Bourgeois system, because of the economic situation in Bordeaux and the cost of membership (fees for promotion and stickers), or because of the increased requirements for application in 2025 compared with 2020 (a blind tasting of the last five vintages as well as increased environmental certifications).
Of the 170 châteaux, 120 are recognized as Crus Bourgeois, 36 as Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs and 14 as Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels. Six of the 14 CBEs retained their place from the 2020 classification (Malescasse, de Malleret, du Taillan, d’Arsac, Paveil de Luze, Le Crock). The other eight were promoted from their 2020 Supérieur status (La Cardonne, Castéra, Laujac, Paloumey, Reysson, Reverdi, Mongravey, Lafitte Carcassset).
Trump tariffs and funding freezes create havoc
It’s been a roller-coaster ride with US tariffs for the last few weeks. On 1 February Trump imposed 10% tariffs on China and 25% tariffs on Mexico as well as Canada, the US’s top wine export market. In response, Canada immediately slapped a 25% tariff on imported US goods and, within a day or two, most Canadian provinces announced they were pulling US alcohol from their shelves.
On 3 February the Trump administration struck a 30-day deal with Canada and Mexico to pause the tariffs. But, if no long-term deal is struck, the US will very likely lose its top wine export market. As Robert P Koch, president and CEO of the trade group the Wine Institute said in a statement, ‘Canada is the single most important export market for US wines with retail sales in excess of $1.1 billion annually.’ While the US does consume 88% of its domestic wine production, demand for wine is shrinking. While Canada can easily replace US wine with those of other international suppliers who would gladly take the business, I don’t think the US would have an easy time replacing the Canadian market. We haven’t developed other export markets nearly enough to absorb that much overflow. I have my fingers crossed that a permanent deal is struck.
In addition to the threat posed by tariffs, the Trump administration froze funding for federal grants and loans at the end of January. Despite the fact that the blanket freeze was rescinded within 48 hours many organizations are still having issues accessing funding, including those in the agricultural sector. Grape growers have seen funding from grants that they were already awarded frozen. Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Grape Growers, has said that for many growers, that money was already spent and they were counting on reimbursement.
In a letter to Gary Washington, the acting secretary of the USDA, three congressional representatives wrote, ‘To be clear, the people impacted by this funding freeze are hardworking, rural Americans and small businesses. These grant recipients operate on thin margins and were relying on these funds to continue critical research, operate their business, and support farmers. Pulling the rug out from these recipients runs counter to the mission of the USDA and will quickly and significantly cripple economic development in rural America, with a ripple effect that hurts businesses and jobs that indirectly benefit from federal investment.’
UK wine industry employment falters
While I’ve reported on many of the potential impacts of the UK autumn budget on the drinks trade, I haven’t touched on employment, an aspect that is becoming clear now. On 30 January Berry Bros & Rudd announced that they were laying off 30 employees. On 2 February The Wine Society announced that they had entered into a hiring freeze. Both businesses have cited the rise in National Insurance contributions following the Chancellor’s Budget as well as the recent implementation of the long-expected duty-escalator. There has also been a 6.7% rise in the national minimum wage. The Guardian recently reported that the UK’s hospitality industry is facing an extra £1 billion in costs with £2.4 billion due to hit in April. Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, has proposed that the government introduce a new lower rate of National Insurance contribution for employees who earn lower wages or earn less due to part-time employment.
Campanian winemaker Walter Mastroberardino dies
On 4 February Walter Mastroberardino passed away at the age of 92. He, along with his brother Antonio Mastroberardino, was instrumental in developing the reputation of Campania, refusing to replace the indigenous Aglianico with high-production varieties post–World War II and working hard to improve the wines made from it. They also invested in and promoted the local white-wine varieties Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino. A family schism in the early 1990s inspired Walter to leave the family estate and establish Terredora di Paolo in 1994, eventually growing the estate to its current 180 hectares (445 acres). His children, Daniela and Paolo Mastroberardino, carry on the business. I hope you’ll all join me in raising a glass of Aglianico.
That’s all for this episode of the wine news. If you enjoy this newscast and would like to see it continue, please subscribe to JancisRobinson.com. And if you have breaking news in your area, please email [email protected].
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