French wine

America loves wines from Southern Europe, with France and Italy, especially coming to mind

The wine industry in North Macedonia, from vineyards to grape farmers, risks collapse this year amid drastically lower demand and prices for this landmark product, the country's biggest association of wine producers, "Wines from Macedonia", warned.

When the famous wine correspondent from the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson, visited TILIA ESTATE in Potoče, Vipava Valley, she described its founder, Matjaž Lemut, as "the most cosmopolitan Slovenian producer". No wonder - he gained his wealth of experience in Switzerland and California, and his knowledge and passion for winemaking are highly appreciated around the globe.

At first glance, 2017 was a stellar year for French champagne, with 307 million bottles sold for a record 4.9 billion euros ($6.0 billion) - but many of those growing the grapes see little to celebrate.

France's wine production declined by 20 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year to just 36.9 million hectoliters, reports Mediapool

The reason for the decline is the unfavorable climatic conditions, according to an assessment by the Agrarian Ministry in Paris, quoted by the France press.

Too often, when we sit down for dinner at a great restaurant, the server hands the wine list to the man and expects him to make all the decisions about drinking. Fortunately, that’s changing—now, sommeliers are increasingly female, and it’s common practice to pour a taste of a bottle for both the man and woman.

Spring frost has ravaged production in some of France's most famous winemaking regions, including Champagne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy, causing at least €1 billion in damage in what vintners call the biggest disaster in a quarter century.

Temperatures plunged below freezing in late April, hurting shoots already well-developed because of earlier mild weather.

Sparkling wines from Greek and international wineries will be showcased at the Hotel Grand Bretagne in Athens on Sunday, December 18, during a day of presentations and tastings. Local bubblies as well as French Champagne and Italian Prosecco will be on offer for sampling from 2 to 8 p.m. (noon to 2 p.m. for industry professionals). Admission costs 10 euros.

"If your tastes are complex, have a Pythagoras," said the waiter. "If you want more of a fresh, fruity taste, go for Bias."

Greece’s champagne sales soared by 18% in 2014, compared to global growth that was just 0.5%. In France, consumption dropped by 1.9%. Growth was even greater in 2013 when champagne consumption soared by 56% and fell by 0.8%.