What happened in the world of wine in December 2022? From the acquisition of Tannico to the record for Italian bubbles, up to the protests of Bordeaux producers and the reversal of Champagne on actions against climate change. Here's everything you need to know to stay ahead.
The nine news from the world of wine for December 2022 that you absolutely must know.
1. Acquisitions
Tannico has completely passed to Campari Group and Moët Hennessy: after the acquisition in 2020 of 49% of the capital, Campari and LVMH completed the purchase of all the shares of Tannico, the largest Italian wine e-commerce.
A change at the top is expected from January 1, 2023, and Thierry Bertrand-Souleau will become the new CEO.
2. Sommelier
Alessandro Nigro Imperiale won the title of best sommelier of the year established by Gault & Millau in France: it is the first time for an Italian on French soil.
Vincent Morrow was named California Sommelier of the Year by the Michelin Guide. A great sign, Morrow being one of the few black Master Sommeliers in the world.
3. Bankruptcy
Winc, a well-known American wine club, went bankrupt after raising $54.2 million in 2019 and a further $22 million the following year, when it went public. Stock exchange that has not "forgiven" the company's complex financial situation.
4. Champagne
Champagne is not standing out for its actions to combat climate change and the spread of greener policies. The denomination has progressively moved away from its "zero herbicide" objective set for 2025, an objective established in 2018. But during 2022, Maxime Toubart (President of the Syndicat général des vignerons de Champagne), has in fact reconsidered this decision, and the Herbicide ban will not be included in the Champagne AOC specifications.
In the choices of individuals, however, there is a positive result linked to the increase in organic farming in the denomination.
Furthermore, some winemakers opposed the slowdown, with an open letter sent to Le Monde.
You read about it in various places, including here and here .
In December 2022 there was another piece of news on Champagne because almost 300,000 bottles were seized from a producer (Frédéric Gallois), accused of having also used unauthorized grape varieties.
5. Record for Italian bubbles
According to research by the Uiv-Ismea Observatory, in 2022 Italian bubbles recorded almost a billion bottles produced (970 million, to be precise): a record number driven by Prosecco for a value of €2.85 billion, of of which approximately 2 are exports only.
The main markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, but also Canada, Sweden, Japan, Eastern Europe and France, where there has been significant growth (+25%) in the demand for Italian bubbles.
6. Protests in Bordeaux
Bordeaux wine producers have organized the largest protest in almost two decades to ask for government aid due to the complex situation they are facing which also involves the application of a vine uprooting program that would lead to the loss of 10% of the Bordeaux vineyards. The main causes ? The decline in demand for wine from China and the duties imposed on the United States by the Trump government, but also the energy and climate crisis.
7. Role of winemakers in Napa Valley
A case study on some Napa Valley wineries that have had a change of ownership since 2000 and which are led by a winemaker demonstrates how the number of professionals is increasing in Californian wineries and their positive contribution to change.
8. Climate change
Familia Torres, a Catalonia winery very committed to the environment, has started a structured program for the recycling of bottles.
Still on the topic of climate change, a reflection is available on the types of wine that may spread due to climate change, in particular sweet wines with high alcohol content.
9. Mourning
Francesca Colombini Cinelli died on 30 December at the age of 92. His daughter Donatella Cinelli Colombini leaves a memory of him in her blog.
She is a leading figure in all of Italian wine entrepreneurship, a pioneer of female wine entrepreneurship, one of the first and most enterprising producers of Brunello wine. After her father's death in 1976, Francesca Cinelli Colombini led the Fattoria dei Barbi - alone - for more than 20 years, during which she became the protagonist of the birth of the now well-known phenomenon of "wine tourism", with the opening his cellar to the public in the 1950s. If today Brunello is the renowned wine we know, in Italy and in the world, it is also and above all due to her.
