Thatchers has partnered with the University of Bristol in a project to identify varieties of cider apples, as it looks to create new varieties for future cider making. The project, which uses DNA fingerprinting techniques to find differences in genetic make-up, is being used to single out the different varieties. The project is being led by professor Keith Edwards (pictured left) from the School of…

Asda has moved away from the conventional supermarket strategy of grouping its wine by region and instead it is listing wines by grape. Research conducted by the supermarket shows 74% of UK wine shoppers declared grape to the the most significant factor in their purchase decision. Two thirds of Brits (60%) revealed they had tried a wine from a different grape for the first time…

Six new grape varieties have been approved in the Bordeaux region. The announcement, by the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualite (INAO), a division of France’s Ministry of Agriculture, represents the culmination of a decade of research by wine scientists and growers of Bordeaux to address the impact of climate change. The four red and two white approved varieties are well-adapted to alleviate…

The map for cool climate wines is expanding, with more countries and regions gaining recognition as producers of quality wines. Alongside this, a growing number of consumers are discovering the styles produced from grapes grown in countries that have a longer growing season, often with warm summer days followed by drops in temperature at night. Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia’s regional general manager EMEA, says…

Wachau has become Austria’s newest and 15th DAC winegrowing region. Wachau submitted the draft of a DAC regulation to the Ministry of agriculture, regions and tourism, and this has now been signed by law by federal minister Elisabeth Kostinger. The protected designation of origin Wachau DAC is now the fifteenth of its kind in Austria. Chris Yorke, managing director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board…