Episode Summary:-
As the harvest draws to a close in the northern hemisphere, John Stimpfig and Elin McCoy report on the 2026 vintage. Headline news from John is that France’s production is the lowest of all time, with its volume down a massive 33.8 million hectolitres, a 6% decline on 2025, and a 17% decline on the 5-year average. It is not all down to the weather; part of the decrease is due to vines being pulled up. In the US, yields are down 30% or more on the earliest vintage since 1999. The bright spot, Elin reports, is that it is a high-quality vintage.
In Champagne, the CIVC has allowed vintners to make champagne with alcohol up to 15%. John cautions against reading too much into this, as it is only a temporary measure and it only applies to a small number of producers.
John looks back on the life of Matthew Jukes, the incredibly popular and well-loved wine journalist, who died on a family holiday at the age of 58. Matthew had many strings to his bow: He wrote 14 books, appeared on television, was a columnist for the Daily Mail, but perhaps his most significant role was championing great Australian wine with his top 100 Australian wine event. John also discusses the lives of Italian enologist Franco Bernabei, who was considered one of the greatest experts on Sangiovese, and Vittorio Frescobaldi, who was president of his family firm and one of the Italian wine industry’s great leaders.
One story that has created a huge amount of media attention is from the latest 67 Mall Pall Communication Awards, where the winner, a Nigerian sommelier named Fikayo Ifaturoti, won the Best Global Wine Communicator in Short-Form Writing award for her entry “The Stradivarius Violin x 1969 Bollinger VVF”. Several well-known wine writers have accused her of using Artificial Intelligence to write the article, for which she received a £3,000 prize. John and Sarah discuss the fallout and 67 Pall Mall’s response.
One item of news Sarah believes should win a £3,000 prize is the return of Woof and Wine, which is taking place along the Coonawarra Wineries Walking Trail on 14-15th November, a chance to explore Coonawarra’s wineries with your best four-legged friend. Sarah believes this is exactly what the wine industry needs, and hopes other regions copy the idea.
Over in the US, Elin reports on the good and bad news coming out of the state. Bad news first. Sales are down by 50 million cases since 2021, and between October 2024 and August 2025, 38,000 acres of vines were pulled up. This follows 47,000 acres of vines being pulled up there between August 2025 and August 2026. Many wineries are in debt or over-extended, with several closing. For consumers, there are some bright spots, such as a lot of top Napa wine that isn’t sold is going into private labels, which sell at a fraction of the price of the estate wines. All of this is against the backdrop of people drinking less: A trend?
Elin finishes her report on two remarkable new books, “The Story of Gastronomy and Wine,” from the library of Château Haut-Brion, and “Bordeaux Chronicles,” with photographs by Peter Aaron and text by Jane Anson. Both highly recommended.
Running Order:-
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0.00 – 34.00
“France’s volume is down by a massive 33.8 million hectolitres, a 6% decline on 2025.” – John Stimpfig
– 2026 harvest report in France.
– Champagne’s temporary increase in alcohol levels.
– Obituaries; Matthew Jukes, Franco Bernabei, Vittorio Frescobaldi.
– 67 Pall Mall Communicator Awards AI controversy.
– Coonawarra’s Wine and Woof weekend. -
34.01 – 01.11
“2026 California yields are way down, some 30% or more.” – Elin McCoy
– 2026 Harvest report California.
– Jean-Charles Boisset and Jackson Family invest in sparkling wine.
– Decline of wine sales in California.
– Bankruptcy and debt in California wine industry.
– Book reviews. “The Story of Gastronomy and Wine from the library of Château Haut Brion” and “Bordeaux Chronicles” Peter Aaron and Jane Anson.
This month, harvest reports from the northern hemisphere, controversy over alleged use of artificial intelligence in the 67 Pall Mall Communicator Awards, Champagne alcohol level change, doom and gloom in the California wine industry, remembering Matthew Jukes, and the return of Coonawarra’s Woof and Wine.