Papapietro Perry Winery and Four Roses Bourbon Take Top Honors (March 6, 2026) — Winners have been announced in the fifth annual Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge. A pinot noir from Papapietro Perry (Sonoma County, Calif.) and a small batch bourbon from Four Roses Distillery (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) topped their fields to be named Best of the Best. The competition was established in 2022, in conjunction with Los Angeles-based beverage professionals (representing both the on- and off-premise channels), to highlight the best of the best wine and spirits producers in the world, and to introduce those producers to the largest market of consumers in the United States. Judging took place February 18-19, 2026. Competition this year was stellar, says event producer Debra Del Fiorentino of Wine Competitions Management & Production: “Year after year, our judges continue to be impressed with the depth in each category. The quality of product was fantastic!” Wh

Napa, California - VA Filtration and LEV2050 have established an exclusive North American distribution agreement.  VA Filtration and LEV2050 have established an exclusive distribution agreement for North America and Chile. This partnership allows VA Filtration, based in Napa, California, to be the sole distributor of LEV2050’s bioreactors and related fermentation technology. The agreement leverages VA Filtration’s established presence and expertise in wine and beverage filtration, combined with LEV2050’s innovative bioreactor systems for yeast and bacteria propagation. Through this collaboration, wineries and food producers in North America and Chile gain direct access to LEV2050’s advanced microbiology solutions, streamlining imports and support. Recent import records confirm shipments of LEV2050 bioreactors to VA Filtration, highlighting the active implementation of this exclusive distribution arrangement. “We have always been known for our innovati

Sampling is in full swing on the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 vintage and quality has been rated very positively. The great majority of sampling activity is being carried out by longstanding customers with established programmes and tenders; new buyers, and new programmes, are few. Only Chile and New Zealand experienced non-average crop sizes but in contrasting ways – Chile’s was as much as 25% short, New Zealand’s is expected to have been “very large” despite fruit going unpicked in response to generous carryover stocks.  The shortness of Chile’s crop triggered brisk early sampling by international buyers and the securing of batches by domestic buyers. Even in this context, however, the lack of new international business has been noticeable. In the Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, bulk wine markets have been proceeding steadily, with activity largely consisting of incremental demand for small volumes on a just-in-time basis.  The persi

Sampling is in full swing on the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 vintage and quality has been rated very positively. The great majority of sampling activity is being carried out by longstanding customers with established programmes and tenders; new buyers, and new programmes, are few. Only Chile and New Zealand experienced non-average crop sizes but in contrasting ways – Chile’s was as much as 25% short, New Zealand’s is expected to have been “very large” despite fruit going unpicked in response to generous carryover stocks.  The shortness of Chile’s crop triggered brisk early sampling by international buyers and the securing of batches by domestic buyers. Even in this context, however, the lack of new international business has been noticeable. In the Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, bulk wine markets have been proceeding steadily, with activity largely consisting of incremental demand for small volumes on a just-in-time basis.  The persi

Global wine consumption in 2024 is estimated by the Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV) to have reached 214.2 million hectolitres, down 3.3% versus 2023 and the lowest level since 1961. In its recently-published 2024 industry report, the OIV attributed the decline in consumption – which has “followed a relatively steady trajectory since 2018” – to significantly reduced Chinese demand and the post-pandemic inflation surge which, although having cooled since 2023, still restricts consumer purchasing power to this day. Elevated input costs have made it harder for wine to compete against alternative beverages able to charge a lower price per unit of alcohol.  The OIV estimated global production in 2024 at 225.8 million hectolitres, 4.8% down versus 2023 and, again, the lowest level since 1961. This is attributable to climactic conditions but also market adjustments, as vineyards get mothballed or pulled out altogether in response to low winegrape demand. Glo

With wineries practically betrothed to spreadsheets, early-2000s websites, and stodgy cursive fonts plucked straight from a Jane Austen character’s trembling hands, is it any surprise that our industry is behind in adopting useful AI tools with the capacity to make our businesses efficient and profitable?   Despite all appearances to the contrary, given that first paragraph – this isn’t another post trying to shame the industry into adapting. A well-connected bev alc professional need only scroll LinkedIn for about two seconds for a hearty dose of “stop complaining; this is your fault” novellas on the state of alcohol sales today.  No; the intent here is to empower you: to suggest that the AI tools available to us right now are not only developed enough, but so easily adoptable that taking action today might just be enough to usher you and your team into a sound night’s sleep for the first time since, perhaps, “the before times&rdq

The Southern Hemisphere harvests have wound down and their sizes seem variable: while Argentina’s and South Africa’s appear to have come in close to their downwardly-adjusted averages, Chile’s is estimated to be approximately 25% short; the crop sizes in Australia and New Zealand remain harder to quantify, with some grapes – mainly reds in the former, whites in the latter – unpicked to assist in balancing supply.  It is mid-spring in the Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, and despite some inclement weather across Europe through March, the vineyards of France, Italy and Spain appear in good condition. March was also wet in much of California, which has now experienced three consecutive winters of average or above-average snowpack for the first time since 1998-2000. It likely that the grape market more than conditions will dictate the 2025 harvest size in California, judging by the number of vineyards across the state yet to be pruned.  The bulk mark

The 2025 harvests in the Southern Hemisphere are now in full swing and the picture – so far – is mixed: white grape tonnages have been exceeding expectations in Australia and bunches are large and heavy in New Zealand, but Argentina and South Africa’s crops appear to be – at best – on course for their downwardly-adjusted long-term averages, while Chile’s crush could come in significantly short due to a hotter-than-normal growing season reducing yields.  Globally speaking, the bulk market can be characterised as slow and steady since mid-February, with the Southern Hemisphere focused on harvest and demand in the Northern Hemisphere dampened by flat or declining retail sales and, in Spain, some elevated pricing on those wines most needed in Europe: generics, and especially generic white. Outside of generic white, few if any wines are making bulk-market waves as need is not pressing.  Pockets of activity have arisen: domestic demand in Chile

Through the opening six weeks of 2025, the major bulk wine markets of the world continued where they left off at the end of 2024 – experiencing differing activity and pricing levels. One common theme is that the shorter winegrape crops of 2023 and 2024 have been most felt on generic wines, which appear to be in tight supply – at least in Europe, Chile and South Africa. This has led to some elevated generic-wine prices, especially in Spain where pricing increases since November have stimulated European interest in alternative sources such as France, Chile and Argentina.  The market for standard-quality varietal wines is less tight, but supply of varietal whites does feel closer to some kind of balance than reds, with carryover low in Chile, South Africa and Australia as the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 harvests get underway. Early expectations are for average-sized crops at best: Chile’s is likely to be constrained by extensive vine removals over the past 24 m