Before I get to global news, a bit of site news. On Monday 14 July we began publishing entries to our annual wine writing competition! This year’s theme – an ode to a grape variety – has proven incredibly popular, garnering 309 submissions – the largest number in the competition’s history. The judges have their work cut out for them with choosing only the best entries to publish! All of these are free to read on our site and once we’ve announced our shortlist early in September, we’ll be asking you to help us choose the winners.
WHO pushes for higher prices on alcohol
On Wednesday 2 July, the World Health Organization released the news that they were launching an initiative to encourage countries to raise the price of alcohol, tobacco and sugary drinks by 50% by 2035 through health taxes. They are calling this initiative ‘3 by 35’. The WHO cites rising rates of noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia, shrinking development aid and growing public debt as the reasons for this initiative. They also state: ‘Many countries have expressed interest in transitioning toward more self-reliant, domestically funded health systems and are turning to WHO for guidance.’ They have a stated goal of raising US$1 trillion over the next 10 years.
While the WHO’s global healthcare goals are laudable, especially in the current political and economic climate, I can’t get behind their blanket anti-alcohol stance. And if the WHO’s call for greatly increased taxation on beverage alcohol generally is successful in all markets, it will be very bad news for an already-beleaguered wine industry.
More choice for Canada’s wine consumers
On Tuesday 15 July, it was announced that nine of Canada’s provinces and one territory had signed an agreement allowing direct-to-consumer alcohol sales between provinces by May 2026. This means that Canadian consumers will be able to order alcohol from producers or retailers anywhere in the country. According to Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s minister of transport and internal trade, the agreement aims to create ‘a more united Canadian economy’. From the wine side, it will also give Canadian consumers more choices in what they can buy.
Ireland delays cancer warnings
As I have previously mentioned on this newscast, in 2024 Ireland implemented a requirement that by May 2026 all alcohol have a label stating, ‘There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.’ They were on track to be first country to implement this requirement. According to a 15 July Politico article, this requirement will be delayed by at least three years for fear that US tariffs will prove detrimental to the country’s beverage exports. Enterprise minister Peter Burke has said that he believes that the Republic should wait for an EU-wide requirement on cancer warnings, telling parliament, ‘Acting unilaterally on a sector that is vulnerable through tariffs is not a good idea’.
Increased aid for Australian wine
On Thursday 10 July, Australia’s government pledged an additional AUS$1.1 million to the $3.5 million Grape and Wine Sector Long-term Viability Support Package. This money will be used to expand international markets, encourage diversification activities and conduct research. You can read more about it in Jancis’s article, published today, Keeping faith in Australian wine.
A gentler alternative to SO2?
On 20 June, the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), an intergovernmental organisation consisting of 50 member states, adopted 14 new resolutions. Most of them are interesting only to winemakers – from best practices on how to count yeast cells in wine to best practices for determining the total acidity of grape must. But there is one geeky resolution that I could not resist telling you about. Fumaric acid – which is a naturally occurring organic acid that occurs in plants but also that humans produce when exposed to sunlight – was added to a list of compounds used for acidifying wines last year. This year it was added to a list of compounds used for microbiological control. Apparently, it’s proven useful for inhibiting malolactic fermentation, thereby preserving malic acid and making wines taste fresher, while reducing the need for SO2. I love when this industry finds gentler alternatives to products already in use!
Nine new Master Sommeliers
On 22 June, the European branch of the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) announced nine new Master Sommeliers from eight countries. This is a record pass level and brings the total number of Master Sommeliers worldwide to 291. Congratulations and thank you to Wine News listener Tony Lécuroux, who shared this news, as well as to his fellow new MSs: Andreas Rosendal, the first Swedish MS; Sotiris Neophytidis, the first Cypriot MS; Agnieszka Swiecka, the first female MS from Poland; Roberto Duran, the first Spanish MS; Jan Van Heesvelde, Fabien Mène, Jonathan Gouveia and Stephen Towler. This is an incredible accomplishment!
In the same vein, yesterday, 17 July, the American branch of the CMS announced the completion of the largest advanced sommelier examination in the organisation’s history. 55 out of 87 candidates passed. Congratulations to all!
A new use for wine bags
On 5 July, ABC news published a story on a man named James McAnaulty who uses a partially inflated bag from bag-in-box wine to surf. McAnaulty has surfed on travel pillows, blow up mats and kickboards but he told ABC of the wine bag, ‘This is the pinnacle.’
That’s all for this episode of the wine news. If you enjoy this newscast and would like to see it continue, please become a member of JancisRobinson.com. And if you have breaking news in your area, please email [email protected].
This is a transcript of our weekly five-minute news broadcast, which you can watch below. You can also listen to it on The Wine News in 5 Podcast. If you enjoy this content and would like to see more like it, please become a member of our site and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
