▻ Omnibus XXXX
Episode Summary:-
There seems to be a magic to vintages ending in “5,” and 2025 is no different. John Stimpfig reports on the 2025 harvest from Europe, while Elin McCoy looks at the vintage in California, Washington State and Oregon. Across the board, there are smiling faces in the vineyards, and while yields may be down in most countries, quality looks promising.
On the other hand, the anti-alcohol lobby continues to cause comment. John relates how Laura Catena has been out promoting the cardiovascular benefits of wine, especially in people over 40 years of age. The fact that Laura is a doctor as well as a renowned Argentine vintner adds power to her elbow. She will be the keynote speaker at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium this January in Sacramento, California, along with journalist Felicity Carter, who has done so much to expose the anti-alcohol lobby within the World Health Organisation.
Another group which has stood up to the anti-alcohol lobby is the AIV, Academie du Vin International, an august group of some of the wine world’s most renowned personalities, so much so that it’s known as “the Counsel of the Wise’”.They have written an appeal to the Heads of State and Governments attending the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly, defending wine’s role (see letter below).
John then looks back on the diverse lives of four extraordinary wine men. Patrick McGovern, known as the Indiana Jones of Ancient Alcohol was the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine Fermented Beverages at the University of Pennsylvania. His biomolecular research led to the discovery of the oldest evidence of wine in Georgia, 8,000 years ago.
Sarah and John discuss the charming Patrice Noyelle, the former CEO of Champagne Pol Roger, who was the first non-family director to lead the Maison, and who presided over a period of wide-ranging modernisation and re-investment. A great Anglophile, he was at the helm when the company was awarded a Royal Warrant, and Pol Roger was chosen for Prince William’s wedding to Catherine Middleton, in magnums
Jan Boland Coetzee was as well known for rugby as for wine. He was instrumental in putting Kanonkop on the map and, afterwards, Vriesenhof. He was instrumental in establishing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa, and John recounts the story of how this came about.
Another pioneer who recently left us was Peter Hall of Breaky Bottom, the man whom Andrew Jefford described as “the father of the contemporary English wine scene.” He taught himself winemaking from a paperback, and went on to lead the way in putting English wine on the world wine map.
Over in the US, Elin McCoy discusses the 2025 harvest in California, Oregon and Washington State; as in Europe, there is optimism about quality in the air. However, she is saddened to see that grapes are sitting on the vines, even in Napa Valley, as demand is down.
Elin also looks back on the life of Jed Steele, who pioneered modern winemaking in Lake County, but is perhaps best known for Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, the best-selling Chardonnay in the US, which came about by a mistake in fermentation.
In October, New York became the de facto centre of the wine world, as producers flew in for the New York Wine Experience. Elin caught up with Andrea Felluga, from Livio Felluga estate, who was showing two new single-vineyard whites, one devoted to Sauvignon Blanc and the other Pinot Grigio. White wine is the bright success story at the moment, she heard. Christian Moreau from Chablis tells Elin, “Chablis is selling everything!” Not surprising that the smart Saskia de Rothschild has bought the renowned Chablis estate William Fèvre; she was also showing Elin the latest wines as well as wines from Domaine d’Aussières, her Corbières estate. Elin pronounces them outstanding value for money.
Another white which caught Elin’s attention was the just-launched Timorasso from Pio Cesare – this indigenous grape from the Piedmonte is causing waves and is earning the nickname White Barolo. She caught up with it and Frederica Boffa, who took over the estate at 23 years old when her father unexpectedly died.
Not to be outdone, California was he scene of the Old Vines Conference, now in its seventh edition and its most ambitious get-together yet: Elin met luminaries a-plenty, Jancis Robinson MW, Rosa Kruger, Paul Draper, Laura Catena to name a few. Founded by Sarah Abbott MW and Leo Austin, the conference was billed as “a meeting of minds” for global viticulture.
Among the many highlights, Elin cited the old-vine registry, started by Jancis Robinson MW, and taken on by Alder Yarrow, which now contains 8,000 vineyards worldwide on the register. There were seminars and field visits. Elin picks out the seminar on Criolla, MC’d by new Master of Wine, Amanda Barnes, of particular note. Elin confesses “I thought Criolla was one grape, but it turns out it is a whole family of grapes.” Perhaps the most significant of all is the research from Campo de Borja, as part of its “historical Garnachas” project in association with the Universities of Navarra and Zaragoa. The results were remarkably consistent, with fruit from old vines displaying greater complexity and a more intense phenolic structure. Importantly, there is belief that understanding these old vines will give clues on how vines can adapt to climate change.
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 38.10
“2025- Forty years of terrific vintages ending in a “5.” – John Stimpfig
– What John and Sarah have been up to in October.
– How the industry is fighting back at the anti-alcohol lobby, Laura Catena and the Academie du Vin Internationale.
– 2025 Vintage round-up in Europe.
– Obituaries; Patrick McGovern, Patrice Noyelle, Jan Boland Cotzee and Peter Hall. -
38.11 – 01.20
“Chablis is selling everything!” – Christian Moreau
– 2025 Vintage overview for California, Washington State and Oregon.
– Grapes left on the vines in California.
– Obituary; Jed Steele.
– The rise of white wine and new vintages from Andrea Felluga of Livio Felluga, Saskia de Rothschild at William Fèvre, and the new Timarasso from Pio Boffa.
– Chablis’s success in the US.
– Report on The Old Vine Conference.
APPEAL BY THE INTERNATIONAL WINE ACADEMY TO HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ATTENDING THE UNITED NATIONS 80TH ANNIVERSARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK
Ladies & Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government,
On September 25th, at the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being, you will be faced with a challenging brief: how can we prevent and control noncommunicable diseases without denying the foundations of our cultures, without erasing what makes our civilization thrive?
Wine is at the heart of this question. Too often, it is reduced to a molecule of alcohol. Too simplistically, it is compared to a drug. But too rarely do we think about what it embodies. The International Wine Academy, whose members come from 20 different countries, wishes to alert you against the danger of reducing wine to a mere health risk, thereby forgetting its cultural, social and human dimension. Here is what is at stake.
TO DENORMALISE WINE WOULD DESTROY A HERITAGE – A LEGACY OF HUMANITY
Wine embodies eight millennia of human history: it is a catalyst for conviviality, joy and sharing; a connection to the land and its landscapes; a universal language linking people – from Georgia to Ancient Greece, from Oregon to Tuscany, from France to New Zealand. Unique yet global, it expresses mankind’s patience before time, humility before the earth, and the desire to celebrate together. Offering a glass of wine is a gesture that expresses peace, friendship, brotherhood, and the joy of being together.
Enjoying wine moderately is to defend the culture of taste and restraint, and perpetuate a bond that unites continents, people and generations. It is about appreciating rather than abusing, tasting rather than drinking. It is about approaching health through social and family ties, mental well-being and the joy of life – for the link between happiness and health is undeniable.
TO DENORMALISE WINE WOULD DENY ITS BENEFITS AND CLOSE SCIENTIFIC DEBATE PREMATURELY
A recent NASEM report (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, USA) concluded that “compared to no alcohol consumption, moderate consumption is associated with lower all-cause mortality.” We do not claim to settle the scientific debate, but, like many experts, we regret the absence of a large-scale randomized trial, the only viable protocol to ground conclusions on certified evidence rather than insufficient observational data.
TO DENORMALISE WINE IS TO CHOOSE PROHIBITION OVER EDUCATION AND FREEDOM
We are fully aware of the dangers of excess. We recognize the need to prevent addiction, protect the most vulnerable, and combat abuse. We embrace this responsibility, for it is through education that consumers learn to taste, compare and appreciate wine with moderation – becoming ambassadors of balance.
Through education, we believe we can both protect individual freedom to enjoy wine without abuse and promote responsibility and control. Wine thus expresses its truth through the transmission of knowledge, and know-how, and teaching moderation.
For these reasons, Ladies & Gentlemen, Heads of States and Governments, we call upon you to act in a balanced and nuanced manner: combat excesses but recognize the value of moderation; prevent risks but preserve mankind’s bond with the earth; protect public health but respect the richness of cultures and the strength of traditions. Preserving wine means defending a civilization, a way of life, a living universal heritage, a part of humanity that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.
On behalf of the International Wine Academy. Lausanne, September 2025
Guillaume d’Angerville, President & Véronique Sanders, Chancellor
www.academievin.org
Juan José Abó de Juan – Abadía Retuerta (Spain), Guillaume d’Angerville – Domaine Marquis d’Angerville (France), Angel Anocibar – Abadía Retuerta (Spain), Jane Anson – Writer (United Kingdom), Juancho Asenjo – Writer (Spain), Hans Astrom – Klein Constantia Estate (Sweden) Franky Baert – Collector (Belgium), Jesus Barquin – Equipo Navazos (Spain), Alexander van Beek – Château Giscours (Netherlands), Joshua Bergström – Bergstrom Wines (USA), Michel Bettane – Journalist (France), Etienne Bizot – Bollinger (France), Hubert Boidron – Maison Boidron (France), Wojciech Bonkowski – Critic (Poland), Bruno Eugène Borie – Château Ducru Beaucaillou (France), Claude Bourguignon – LAMS (France), Philippe Bourguignon – Writer (France), Willi Bründlmayer – Weingut Brundlmayer (Austria), Christopher Cannan – Clos Figueras (USA), Robert Gyula Cey-Bert – Writer (Hungary), Jean-André Charial – Oustau de Baumanière (France), Gérard Chave – Domaine Jean-Louis Chave (France), Jean Louis Chave – Domaine Jean-Louis Chave (France), Jean-Pierre Chevallier – Château de Villeneuve (France), Donatella Cinelli Colombini – Fattoria del Colle (Italy), Corinne Clavien Desfayes – Oenologist (Switzerland), Raoul Cruchon – Domaine Henri Cruchon (Switzerland), Frans de Cock – Collector (Belgium), JeanPhilippe Delmas – Château Haut Brion (France), Paul Draper – Ridge Vineyards (USA), Thomas Duroux – Château Palmer (France), Kurt Feiler – Weingut Feiler-Artinger (Austria), Mariano Fernandez Ammunategui – Producer (Chile), Pierre-Henry Gagey – Louis Jadot (France), Angelo Gaja – Vini Gaja (Italy), Alberto Graci – Graci (Italy), Claude Geoffray – Château Thivin (France), Theodore Georgopoulos – Professor (Greece), Salvatore Geraci – Azienda Agricola Palari (Italy), Evangelos Gerovassiliou – Ktima Gerovassiliou (Greece), Anthony Hanson – Lecturer (United Kingdom), Gaston Hochar – Château Musar (Lebanon), Emilienne Hutin – Domaine Les Hutins (Switzerland), Joyce Kékkö-Van Rennes – Wijmkasteel Genoels-Elderen (Belgium), Andreas Keller – Editor (Switzerland), Anthony Lacey – Mistral Wine (United Kingdom), Dominique Lafon – Domaine des Comtes Lafon (France), Alois Clemens Lageder – Vignobles Alois Lageder (Italy), Jean Baptiste Lecaillon – Louis Roederer (France), Jeannie Cho Lee MW – Journalist (Korea), Pierre-Marie Lledo – Neurobiologist (France), Maria José Lopez de Heredia – Bodega López de Heredia (Spain), Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle – Bodega Artadi (Spain), Reinhard Löwenstein – Domaine Heymann-Lowenstein (Germany), Jorge Lucki – Journalist (Brazil), Philippe de Lur Saluces – Château de Fargues (France), Elie Maamari – Château Ksara (Lebanon), Axel Marchal – Professor, University of Bordeaux (France), Franco Martinetti – F. Martinetti Viniculture (Italy), Ton Mata – Recaredo (Spain), Laszlo Meszaros – Domaine de Disznoko (Hungary), Etienne de Montille – Domaine de Montille (France), Eva Moosbrugger – Domaine Schloss Gobelsburg (Austria), Jasper Morris MW – Writer (United Kingdom), Fiona Morrison MW – Journalist (United Kingdom), Roberto de la Mota – Revancha & Mendel Wines (Argentina), Dorli Muhr – Weingut Dorli Muhr (Austria), John Olney – Ridge Vineyards (USA), Raymond Paccot – Domaine La Colombe (Switzerland), Alvaro Palacios – Alvaro Palacios (Spain), Filipa Pato – Filipa Pato & William Wouters (Portugal), Jean-Pierre Perrin – Château de Beaucastel (France), Dominique Piron – Domaine du Vieux Bourg (France), Bruno Prats – Agronomist (France), Pietro Ratti – Cantina Renato Ratti (Italy), Josep Roca i Fontané – Celler de Can Roca (Spain), Pierre-André Roduit – Domaine du Grand-Brûlé (Switzerland), Raoul Salama – Château de Balleure (France), John Salvi – Writer (United Kingdom), Véronique Sanders – Château Haut Bailly (France), Erik Sauter – Writer (Netherlands), Carl von Schubert – Weingut Maximin Grunhaus (Germany), Michael Schuster – Wine Consultant (United Kingdom), Marc-André Selosse – Professor (France), Jacques Seysses – Domaine Dujac (France), Michael Silacci – Opus One (USA), Peter Sisseck – Dominio de Pingus (Denmark), Diana Snowden Seysses – Domaine Dujac & Snowden Vineyards (USA), Felipe de Solminihac – Viña Terra Noble (Chile), Oliver Spanier – Battenfeld Spanier (Germany), Serena Sutcliffe MW – Sotheby’s (United Kingdom), Pierre Tari – Collector (Switzerland), Ivo Varbanov – Ivo Varbanov Wines (Bulgaria), Christine Vernay – Domaine Georges Vernay (France), Quim Vila Betriu – Vila Viniteca (Spain), José Vouillamoz – Geneticist (Switzerland), Yannis Voyatzis – Boutari Wineries (Greece), Maurizio Zanella – Ca’ del Bosco (Italy).
Contact: info@academievin.org
Founded in 1971, the International Wine Academy is a peer group and responsible forum for reflection, bringing together around one hundred members from some twenty different nationalities. Through its work, the International Wine Academy aims to contribute to the improvement of viticulture and winemaking practices, with a strong respect for nature and a constant pursuit of ever-higher quality standards.
The International Wine Academy conducts its reflections and debates in strict independence from governmental institutions, regulatory authorities, and private influences. Its members are mainly producers, scientists, sommeliers and communicators. Admission is by invitation, and all members share a common ethic: producing wines of place, rooted in their terroir, crafted with respect for local traditions and practices, with a commitment to quality and sustainability as the fruit of a long history and ancient traditions.
Climate change, biodiversity, regenerative viticulture, carbon capture, the evolution of phytosanitary treatments, consumer habits, as well as soil enrichment and preservation, are among the key topics regularly discussed within the International Wine Academy.
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Keep up with our adventures in wine
This month we look at the 2025 harvest in Europe and North America, find out why Chablis is selling out in the US, and discover the latest research presented at The Old Vines Conference, plus the industry hits back at the anti-alcohol lobby and much more.