Irregular Update
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Copyright © Ric Einstein 2009
Welcome to this week Irregular Update.
Last weeks article, Two Tales of One Wine, generated thought provoking comments, from both sides of the judging table. Those comments are well worth reading. In case you missed the story, it takes an in-depth look at one wine that was sealed under both cork and screwcap, and the differences between them. It then looks at the possible reasons this wine won three trophies and four gold medals, when I, and a number of others, thought at best, it was worth the equivalent of a silver medal. Has there been jiggery pokery going on, or are their other reasons why this wine, to me, was way below trophy standard.
This weeks first
article is titled A Titanic Wine Struggle. Recently
Fosters announced the findings of their in-depth examination of their wine
business. Not to put to fine a point on it, Fosters paid way to much for
Southcorp and then, in a text book case on what not to do, Fosters integrated
Southcorp into their own business; badly. Very badly! The findings, whilst not
surprising, are frank, but then they need to be. If you are not prepared to
admit that you are on a sinking ship, it's hard to save it. This story examines
some of the more pertinent findings, how they got into this unholy mess in the
first place, and shows what a titanic job Fosters has ahead of itself in trying
to turn the wine business around, before the damage they have sustained from the
Southcorp Iceberg causes any more damage. It can be found
here.
Last week I ran out of time before I could address the smaller items, feedback and comments that I wished to post. The result is now a Snippet that is actually longer than this weeks article. Its titled Five in One and covers five different and diverse topics. They range from one of the most ill-conceived, bloody wacky political ideas any politician has spewed forth, to an update on the last snake oil vinous device written about, to vintage comments, and more. It can be found here.
Three new Tasting Notes this week, one of them a knockout! They can be found here.
The News section has been quiet over the past week but stories of possible interest include...
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Constellation puts Goundrey on the market
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French government new advice: 'Don't drink wine'
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Yarra Valley: 5% vineyards destroyed
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Smoke threatens state's premium wines
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Local wines take hit from NZ imports
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Bordeaux: wine boom may be over
Those stories and more can be found here.
This weeks quote. "It is is better for pearls to
pass through the lips of swine than good wine to pass through the lips of the
indifferent" - Mark Luedtke
Until next time .... Cheers Ric
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Copyright © Ric Einstein 2009