BKWine Brief Blog

Is someone stealing your blog / web contents?

2009-07-11T20:15:00.003+02:00

Thiefs and scoundrels

It's happened to us a few times. Our blog entries show up on some other blog in their entirety. Someone is simply copying all the posts and publishing them on their blog.

Nice, you think. someone thinks what we/I write/produce is so good that they want to copy it.

Wrong!

What they are doing is stealing your work.

Why is this bad? I'm sure there are many more reasons but here are a few:

duplication of contents is not something Google likes so you're potentially losing Google rank
they may be stealing google juice away from your site (they may end up higher ranked than you)
they may get ad revenue that you should have had, if you and the thief both have ads on the sites, and if you don't have ads but they do, then they are simply profiteering off your back
your contents may show up in contexts where you don't want it to be, especially if it looks as if you have contributed it freely.
and no doubt others...

Now it's happened again to us and this time I will fight back.

The Thief

The "thief" this time is a "tourism" site called http://www.gibbstongables.com. It seems to be promoting tourism in New Zealand but is hosted out of the US.

What they do is they "scrape off" the the contents of our videos from YouTube, not only the video itself (which would be OK, that's what the embed code is for - if they put some of their own text/comments around it), but also the text that we have written about the video (what you see if you click "more" on YouTube), and even the comments from viewers. Here's an example:

Their blog post: http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
My scraped YouTube video page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ch4C3BH2U

(If my plan of action works out well the first link may no longer be there in some time.)

They even have a search function on the site that makes it easier to find what they've stolen: http://www.gibbstongables.com/?s=bkwine

This time I'm fed up with it and I will fight back.

So should you, if it happens to you!

How would one know?

"But how would I know", you might ask, "that someone is scraping my contents?"

One good way to find out (and the way I found out) is to set up some Google Alerts on well chosen keywords: http://www.google.com/alerts. I have alerts set up for, for example, "BKWine" and for our URL. It's always interesting to see if you are ever mentioned somewhere, and it also catches scrapers as an added benefit.

So, I thought I'd tell you the story of what I am doing to fight it.

Who goes there? Whois?

First, I figured out who is behind the site: do a whois lookup. It won't necessarily be of much use, but at least it can be interesting, and maybe it will give you a better contact email than what's on the thieving site. Enter the URL Here's what you can use:

http://www.whois.net/

In my case that didn't give much information so instead they suggested to use:

http://who.godaddy.com

... and it turns out that the thief is (or at least the thieving site is owned by) someone called "Domains by Proxy, Inc" in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you happen to be in Scottsdale, would you go check 15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353. Might it be a post box? Perhaps not. Funnily enough, only a stone's throw away from GoDaddy. Here they are Google Maps.

And they do list a contact email. But I'll come to that later.

The details:

DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: GIBBSTONGABLES.COM
Created on: 21-Apr-04
Expires on: 21-Apr-10
Last Updated on: 11-Jun-09

Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration GIBBSTONGABLES.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598

Technical Contact:
Private, Registration GIBBSTONGABLES.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598

So at least now we know who is stealing our contents and who we're fighting. Sort of.

What to do?

Having come this far, what can I do to fight back? I found a good description of a course of action on how to fight scraping on ProBlogger.net. Not all of it is relevant to me, so here's what I've done:

1. Complain to Google

Google is not happy with people doing this kind of things so the first thing to do is to report the culprit to Google. If Google takes notice they might even block the site from searches. How to do it is described on the ProBlogger site.

2. Complain to AdWords

If the thief is trying to make money from Google AdWords / Google AdSense you might want to send an abuse alert to them too. That's also described on the ProBlogger page. In my case they did not have any ads on the page though.

3. Alert the hoster of the site

It's also a good idea to notify the hoster of the site. This can be done under the framework of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a so called DMCA Copyright Infringement Procedure, f you think it is relevant.

The hoster in this case is "The Planet". On their site they have a Legal page with contact information and info on what to do. They even have a good instruction on how to file a DMCA complaint (pdf). You should not do that "frivolously" without knowing that it is actually stolen contents (you might be liable for legal costs if you file complaints that are not in good faith and incorrect). But if you know you're right it seems to be a good thing to do. If you do, and follow the rules, then they are obliged to remove the infringing material and notify the site owner. He in turn may respond and defend his position.

Here's the kind of notice that I will send to them (I've tried to follow the instructions that the Planet has. I imagine that if you don't they won't take notice of it).

To: ThePlanet.com Internet Services, Inc. and all subsidiaries
Name of Agent Designated to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement – Andrea Z. Almeida
1333 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 110, Dallas, TX 75207
Telephone Number of Designated Agent (214) 782-7800
Facsimile Number of Designated Agent - (214) 782-7756
E-Mail Address of Designated Agent copyright@thep....

Notification to the Designated Agent, Andrea Z Almeida

Subject: Notification of copyright infringement by site supposedly hosted by The Planet.com

Date: XXXXX

Dear Sir,

I am the owner of the copyright of material published on the YouTube “channel” bkwine: http://www.youtube.com/bkwine.

Identification of infringed copyrighted work

As example, I own the copyright of the following video and, equally, to the accompanying text:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ch4C3BH2U
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ7cq-5nPhQ
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75gpOInRtY

You will find a more extensive list at the end of this notification.

Identification of infringing material

The website http://www.gibbstongables.com/ , that according to my information is hosted by you, in your facilities, is infringing on my copyright of this material. They practice what is generally known as “scraping” or "splogging", in this case scraping contents from YouTube, thereby using the original material in its entirety without permission. (This is different form simply “embedding” a video which would not in itself constitute copyright infringement.)

As example, the above mentioned material is being used without my permission on the following pages:
1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview

I request that you remove the infringing material or disable access to it.

I hereby affirm, as the complaining party, that I believe in good faith that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright holder, its agent or the law. In fact, I am the copyright owner and I have not authorized such use.

I hereby affirm, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained in this notification is accurate, and that I am authorized to act on behalf of the holder of the exclusive right that I claim to be infringed.

In addition to the above mentioned, it seems that several other copyright owners have their material used in an inappropriate manner by the said site.

Sincerely yours,
signed, with contact details

Annex 1:

List of pages found on http://www.gibbstongables.com/ with infringing material to which I own the copyright. The list may be incomplete. The list does not include material from other copyright owners:
1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview
4. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-visual-vist-to-candialle-az-agr-in-chianti
5. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-domaine-boucabeille-interview
6. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-domaine-de-nizas-languedoc
7. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-visual-visit-to-tenute-nardi-winery-in-tuscany
8. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-mount-athos-wine-tsantali
9. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-interview-at-h-do-peso-vineyard-on-grape-varieties-etc
10. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/visual-visit-to-malhadinha-nova-winery-in-alentejo

Annex 2:

I attach pdf printouts of the pages referenced above.

I will also include pdf prints of the pages, just in case they would have been removed. (Which would be good, of course, but may cause confusion with the DMCA).

You can also use the DMCA form referenced on the ProBlogger pages that you can find here: DMCA and Cease and Desist forms. On this page you can also find some additional useful links!

4. Notify the infringer

The above done, my last step is to notify the infringer and request that he immediately remove the infringing material.

In my case they have contact web form on their page but no email. However, the WhoIs lookup through GoDaddy had a contact email address. I will use both those to send them a notification. Depending on what's happened you can send a full fledged Cease and Desist notification (see the template in the link above) or some other sort of notification.

I will opt for sending them a simpler message:

Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598

Date:

Dear Domains by Proxy, Inc,

It has come to my attention that you have made unauthorised use of my work.

The site owned and/or managed by you, according to current WhoIs lookup information, http://www.gibbstongables.com, practices what is generally called “scraping” or “splogging”, thereby copying contents from other sites without the permission of the copyright holder.

As example, I own the copyright to the following videos and, equally, to the accompanying text:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ch4C3BH2U
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ7cq-5nPhQ
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75gpOInRtY

The above mentioned material is being used in an inappropriate manner without my permission on the following pages:

1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview

This is just a few examples. There are many other occurrences of such inappropriate use of material, mine as well as that from other sources, on your site.

I request that you remove the infringing material or disable access to it within five days and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future.

For information, this copyright infringement is also the subject of a DMCA notification as well as an abuse notification to Google.

Sincerely

With that I think I've done a reasonably good effort to stop the thieving.

5. Spread the word

But I'm not the only one who have been the subject of their illegitimate use of material. I will also try and track down the others that I find on their site and alert them to that their contents is being scraped.

Good luck to you if it happens to you.

PS: Doing a bit of internet digging it turns out that the owner of the domain, Domains By Proxy, Inc is owned by the CEO of GoDaddy internet hosting. They advertize their business as

Did you know that for each domain name you register, anyone - anywhere, anytime - can find out your name, home address, phone number and email address?

Sounds completely above-the-board, doesn't it?

INAO approves new appellations: St Pourçain and Bugey

2009-07-03T09:06:00.000+02:00

On may 28 INAO approved two new appellations: Saint Pourçain, and Bugey with Roussette de Bugey. Saint Pourçain is made from gamay or pinot noir grapes and covers some 600 ha. Bugey extends over 500 ha a little east of Burgundy. AOC/AOP Bugey can be red, white or rosé, or even sparkling. Roussette du Bugey is a white wine made only from the altesse grape (locally known as roussette).

New – last? – somersault in the tragicomedy of the Saint Emilion classification

2009-07-01T09:04:00.002+02:00

A new court ruling (will it be the last in a dozen or so?) has established that both the classification from 1996 and the one from 2006 will be valid. In other words, the chateaux that were classified in 1996 will all retain their honorific label and those that were upgraded in 2006 will keep it too. However, no downgrades will be done. Of course. Depressing. One wonders if the main purpose of classifications (in general, and this in particular) is to blow smoke in the eyes of the consumers. Read more: www.decanter.com and www.winealley.com

(BTW, I quite like the illustration. Try and figure out the relevance!)

France lowers the VAT on restaurants

2009-06-30T09:05:00.001+02:00

France has decided to lower the VAT on restaurant meals from 19.6% (the standard VAT) to 5.5% in an effort to stimulate the sector that is suffering from the difficult economic times (and since many years from the French 35 hour working week). The new VAT should take effect already on July 1. The VAT on wine will unfortunately not change but remain on 19.6%.

World’s best syrah

2009-06-29T09:29:00.000+02:00

Syrah du Monde is the competition for wines made from the syrah grape. It is of course held in the Rhône valley. This year’s top ten wines included syrahs from South Africa, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Switzerland (!), USA and Italy. Not bad. You can find the full list of winners here: www.syrah-du-monde.com

La Clape becomes AOC/AOP

2009-06-26T09:15:00.001+02:00

On May 29 La Clape was approved as an AOC/AOP. the wines used to be sold as “Coteaux du Languedoc – La Clape” but now they will be, simply, “AOC La Clape”. The district is close to the coast in the Languedoc, mostly on a small mountain that used to be an island but is now connected to the mainland. Many interesting wine producers and certainly wines that merit to become better known. If they will achieve that by removing ‘Languedoc’ from the label remains to be seen.

EU abandons reform plans for rosé wines

2009-06-26T09:14:00.001+02:00

Some time back the EU countries agreed to a big reform of the wine sector. One thing that was agreed was to allow rosé wine to be made by blending white and red wine. This is already permitted, but only in Champagne. The idea was to make it a generally allowed practice. When time approached to reconfirm the agreement some wine producer woke up and started protesting, especially in France, and then also in Italy and Spain. They claimed that it would mean a catastrophe for rosé wines. Why it would be so horrible was difficult to understand. But due to these protests it has been decided to withdraw this proposal so it will not be allowed to make blended rosé. Except in Champagne of course. Now we are waiting for the producers to start campaigning for a change in the rules in Champagne. Or was it simply a way to try and protect one’s position against evil new competitors? Read more www.independent.co.uk

Les Echos de Bordeaux

2009-06-26T09:13:00.002+02:00

If you want to practice your French, and read about wine, you can subscribe to the newsletter Les Echos de Bordeaux. Les Echos is published by Agence Fleuri, which is a marketing agency focussing on wine. More info here: agence-fleurie.com (to subscribe to their newsletter you need to go to ‘Nous contacter’)

Charity auction in Piedmont

2009-06-26T09:13:00.001+02:00

On 23 May, 2009 Piedmont’s grand Albergo dell'Agenzia, home of Slow Food's Wine Bank, hosted the 7th annual wine & art auction 'Sorsi di Pace' to benefit the charity Emergency. Each of the 24 magnums of Barolo, Gattinara, Ghemme, and IGT wines were adorned with work from a different contemporary artist. The auction raised 16,000 euro, all of which goes to assist those in need in Sudan and other African countries.

Chocolate and vanilla calvados

2009-06-25T09:24:00.000+02:00

At Vinexpo Château du Breuil will launch two new products: First a calvados “Chocolate Blend”, which, if we understand it correctly, is not a chocolate flavoured calvados but one that has been specifically blended to go well together with dark chocolate. And then we have a Calvados-Vanille, which is not really a calvados but an aperitif (only 16% alcohol), with a base of calvados and flavoured with vanilla. Tempted? (We neither, we admit. Why would you, when plain old ‘normal’ calvados is maybe the best digestif you can get!) But we have tasted neither of the new products so we’re not in the right position to judge. More info: www.chateau-breuil.fr

The World’s wine markets by 2030

2009-06-25T09:23:00.000+02:00

The American Association of Wine Economists has chosen “The World’s wine markets by 2030” as the theme for next year’s AAWE conference. They are calling for papers on the subject. Potential speakers should contact Kym Anderson. The conference will take place in Adelaide on February 7-9, 2010. More info http://www.wine-economics.org

French export markets

2009-06-24T09:07:00.000+02:00

The latest export numbers we found was from 2006: a total of 14 million litres were exported (excluding sparkling wines). 58% were red or rosé and 42% white. The main export destinations:

UK: 20% of the exports
Germany: 17%
Belgium: 12%
Netherlands: 10%
USA: 8%
Japan: 4%
Canada: 4%
Switzerland: 3%
Denmark: 3%
Others: 19%

(Source: Viniflhor)

The end of the greatness of Vino Nobile? Italian wine bloggers in furore…

2009-06-23T09:03:00.000+02:00

… due to a proposal from the local wine authorities (consorzio) for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to increase from 20% to 30% the allowed contents of “international” grape varieties. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is almost synonymous with sangiovese. At least for most people. The grape is locally known as prugnolo gentile and is closely linked to the regions soil and history. Today a Vino Nobile must contain at least 70% of prugnolo gentile, and can also have up to 20% of canaiolo nero, and 20% other red grapes, such as cabernet, merlot or syrah. The proposal is to increase the allowance of “foreign” grapes to 30%. Why transform this historic wine into a copy of the recently invented “super Tuscans”?, ask the Italian wine bloggers, as well as the well known wine journalist Franco Ziliani. Is a wine not unique because of its heritage and its traditions, which in this case is closely linked to sangiovese? Who would gain from changing VNdM to a more international style? These are the questions that the bloggers and journalists ask Federico Carletti, owner of the big winery Poliziano and also president of the Consorzio. They have not yet had any answer. We will continue to follow the issue. www.sommelier.it, www.vinoalvino.org, www.winesurf.it

Les italiennes montent à Paris - The Italian ladies come to Paris!

2009-06-23T09:01:00.000+02:00

« The Italian women arrive in Paris »… that’s what they did a few days ago. 12 female winemakers from all over Italy came to Paris t present their wines. They come from all over Italy and the common denominator is that they’re all organic. They call it “natural wines”. Here was Helena Dante from the biodynamic Azienda la Colombaia (se more under this month’s producer picks) and Isabella Pelizzati-Perego from Azienda AR.PE.PE in Valtellina in northern Italy. She grows 10 ha of nebbiolo. ”I like to follow the old traditions”, she says, ”with long skin maceration (30-40 days) and long barrel aging”. The wines are light in colour but very complex and with depths of flavour.

Daniela de Gruttola at Azienda Cantina Giardino in Campania in the south also makes very interesting wines from the white greco variety. The wines get long skin maceration, 7 days, which is unusual for whites. The result is a deep golden colour with lots of body (“gras”/fat they would say in France) and a touch of caramel (albeit dry). From Sicily we have Arianna Occhipinto from the winery carrying her own name. Her reds are full of character, made from nero d’avola and frappato. We particularly liked her Siccagno, a pure nero d’avola cuvée, with good fruit and excellent balance. Her’s the list of all 12, worth looking out for:

Piemonte: Alessandra Bera, Azienda Bera (tasty Barbera d’Asti)
Emilia-Romagna: Elena Panteleoni, Azienda La Stoppa (The white Ageno 2005 is made from a very aromatic variation of the muscat blended with some trebbiano – a very aromatic wine, but entirely dry. Also has plenty of aromas of apricot and peaches. Very interesting.)
Toscana: Margherita and Francesca Padovani, Azienda Fonterenza (nice Brunello, quite powerful, with 40 days maceration on the skins). Helena Dante, Azienda la Colombaia. Rossella Bencini Tesi, Fattoria di Bachereto
Veneto: Cecilia Trucchi, Azienda Villa Bellini (good Valpolicella with funny labels and incredible black currant flavours and spices)
Trentino: Elisabetta Foradori, Azienda Foradori (our favourite is the Foradori Teroldego Rotaliano DOC, made from the teroldego grape)
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia: Franca Princic, Azienda Dario Princic (interesting pinot grigio with long skin maceration. Dark colour, citrus aromas.)
Valtellina: Isabella Pelizzati-Perego, Azienda AR.PE.PE
Abruzzo: Sofia Pepe, Azienda Pepe (she has a wide range of vintages of a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo) Siciliy: Arianna Occhipinti, Azienda Occhipinti
Campania: Daniela de Gruttola, Azienda Cantina Giardino

More wine prizes : women journalists' trophy

2009-06-22T09:29:00.001+02:00

Coup de Coeur des Femmes Journalistes is the name of another competition where we recently were part of the judging panel. The competition is run by the wine cooperatives in four of the départements in southern France: l’Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales and Gard. In other words, it covers Roussillon, Languedoc and parts of the southern Rhône valley. We were a group of 20 female journalists from all over France and we tasted the wines that had been awarded gold medals in the annual ”Concours Régional des vins de la coopération”. Our task was to select and agree on a “coup de coeur”, our favourite, for each colour. Discussions were animated (you can imagine) but an agreement was finally reached. The selected wines will be the representatives and “standard bearers” for the cooperatives for the coming year.

Our Coup de Coeurs:

White wine: Muscat Sec Cuvée Vermeil du Crès 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc, from Les Vignerons de Sérignan
Red wine : Cuvée Latude 2006, Coteaux du Languedoc Pézenas from La Fontesole à
Fontès Rosé: Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc from Cellier du Val des Pins Montaud
Vin Doux Naturel (sweet): Banyuls Grand Cru 1998 Cuvée du President Henry Vidal, from Cellier des Templiers

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – prize winning wines

2009-06-22T09:25:00.000+02:00

At the end of April Valencia was host to the 16th edition of the annual wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. CMB has grown from a modest start in 1994 to become one of the world’s biggest wine competitions. The first edition had 861 wines. This year they had over 6000 wines and spirits from 54 countries. There were 250 judges from 41 countries (BKWine representing Sweden). Italy, Spain, France and Portugal were the winners of the “Best Wine of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2009”. The top scores went to:

Best Sparkling: Champagne Bourgeois Cuvée du Dernier Siècle, Brut millésimé 2002 (FR)
Best White: Adega Vila Real Grande Reserva, Douro 2005 (PT)
Best Rosé: Chiaretto Giovanni Avanzi, Garda Classico 2008 (IT)
Best Red: Protos Crianza, Ribera del Duero 2006 (ES)
Best Sweet: Nes, Passito di Pantelleria 2007 (IT)
Best Spirit : Osteria di Rubbiara, Pedroni, Grappa di Vinaccia di Lambrusco Invecchiata (IT)

Congratulations! And also a big hand for, for example, the excellent and modestly prices Bordeaux Château Thieuley who won a gold medal for a white sauvignon-sémillon wine; Gerovassiliou from Greece with a gold medal for his syrah 2006; Château Pech-Latt in Corbières with a silver medal for Tamanova 2006; and Château Saint-Jacques d’Alba in Minervois with a gold medal for their La Chapelle 2006. One of the big surprises (when the names were revealed after the blind tasting) was two fantastic wines from La Mancha in Spain: Condesa de Leganza Reserva 1998 and Varones Tempranillo Gran Reserva 1996. But were awarded well deserved gold medals. There are many, many other wines that we would like to mention (e.g. some excellent whites from Sicily – another big surprise!) but space does not allow it. Instead we recommend a visit to the web site www.concoursmondial.com where you will find the full list of winners.

Valencia: rice and wine – but no paella

2009-06-19T09:18:00.000+02:00

At the end of April I was in Valencia to taste wines, lots of wines. I was there for the big wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles which this year, inn spite of its name, was held in Valencia, the third biggest city of Spain. I didn’t know much about Valencia before going there, but I did know one thing. Valencia is known for its paella. And I love paella so what a wonderful occasion to taste the real thing, I though. But it turned out to be a difficult “fish” to catch. Sadly, I never actually managed to get a real paella during my days in Valencia and it wasn’t for lack of trying or for lack of rice. Valencia has the biggest rice paddies outside of south eastern Asia. A bit south of the city, close to a sweet water lagoon called Albufera, they have huge plantations of rice that end up in the paellas, and many other rice dishes. The Valencianas eat rice at least three or four time a week and all self respecting cooks claim, of course, to make the original paella valenciana. And come to think of it, it’s an excellent party dish for summer if the barbecue (cook) goes on strike.

But is there any wine in Valencia? There certainly is – plenty of wine in all colours, both around Valencia and the neighbouring city of Alicante, where thirsty tourists down much of it. If you want to go up a notch in quality you might want to make a trip to Utile-Requena, a few tens of kilometres inland at 900 meters altitude. The climate is hard, very warm summers and very cold winters. The dominant grape is bobal, a local variety. It is sometimes blended with tempranillo and garnacha. They make a lot of rosé, rosada, and some good, powerful and fruity reds. The big and modern Bodega Murviedo is a good source. Try for example their Corolilla Crinaza, a 100% bobal. Most of Spanish cava (sparkling) come from Penedes but Utile-Requena also produces some. Coto d’Arcis Cava Brut nature, without dosage, dry and delicious, and Hoya de Cadenas Cava Brut made from 100% macabeo, appley with a fresh acidity, are two that stuck in my memory.

Another name to remember in DO Valencia is Bodegas Enguera. Started in 1999, they are an organic vineyard. The label design is modern and so are their wines. Easy to drink, soft but with a good backbone structure. Cañada Negra 2008 is a blend of tempranillo and syrah that has been given a short aging in Hungarian oak. Benali 2007 is a monastrell/syrah mix with 16 months in French oak barrels.

Spain is not always sunshine. Taking a walk in the old city centre, the rain starts pouring and I take refuge in a small bar. I ask for a fino sherry and I get a glass of not unknown Tio Pepe. Nothing wrong with old Tio of course and it was delicious together with a few olives. So even if this was really about Valencia I’ll finish with a call to all of you to drink more dry sherry (as well as Valencia wine!). Dry sherry is the perfect aperitif now in summer time – and any other time. You can’t find dryer than fino and it is the perfect aperitif to get your appetite going for dinner. And that’s what aperitif is for, isn’t it?
-Britt

The state of the international wine market

2009-06-18T09:25:00.002+02:00

Sopexa, the French marketing agency for wine and other agricultural products, has conducted a big survey called the Wine Trade Monitor. The study is based on 1400 respondents in 16 countries. The survey will be repeated annually. It will be presented at Vinexpo in Bordeaux later in June but already today BKWine Brief can reveal some of the most interesting conclusions from the study (NB: it only covers still wine, no sparkling, no spirits):

The wine market in 2008: 51% of the respondents said they had a growth in wine sales in 2008 and 23% had stable sales. In other words 74% were stable or growing, in spite of crisis
2009: 48% were positive re sales in 2009
But the optimism varies by country:

The optimists: China, Netherlands, India, Hong Kong, Belgium
Pessimists: Taiwan, Russia, Denmark, Switzerland, USA

Rosé continues to be popular: 25% see an increase in demand. Big country differences here too:

Optimists: UK, Denmark, Netherlands, USA, Canada
Pessimists: China, Taiwan, Korea, Switzerland

Three segments are seen as particularly interesting:

AOC/AOP/IGP wines
Varietal wines
Organic wines

An impressive 25% see a positive evolution for organic wines. A high number, considering that it is a very small percentage of all wine that is organic. (Something like 2% if we’re not mistaken.)
But the demand for the segments varies by market

AOC/AOP: Asia (in general), Denmark, Belgium, Canada (19+%)
Varietal wines: India, Singapore, Germany, USA, UK (45+%)
Organic: Canada, Japan, USA, Denmark, Netherlands (29+%)

Comment: AOC/AOP wines should therefore not be seen as a loosing proposition compared to varietal wines. Rather, they are different and complementary segments. If you take into consideration the size of the respective markets varietal wines are ahead today (the %-figure indicate the size of the listed countries as part of total French exports, only major countries counted). Looking ahead AOC/AOP will probably gain in importance since the Asian markets are expected to grow more.
Grape varieties:

Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay: by far most popular (82% and 72% of respondents cited those)
Merlot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and syrah are in a tight second group (44-59%)
Malbec, pinot gris, and riesling are also relatively well positioned (20-30%)
Potential niche varieties: tempranillo, grenache, chenin blanc

Low alcohol wines: Wines with low or now alcohol was overall regarded as without market potential
Price: low and mid-range dominate (71% and 67%) by far over premium and super premium (in terms of perceived demand), but with big country differences:

Low price countries: UK, USA, Canada, Singapore, Russia, and India
More premium oriented markets: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan (apparently Singapore buys both cheap and expensive)

Some conclusions:

Most interesting markets for French wines: China, Hong Kong (high potential for French wines as seen by respondents)
Less interesting markets: UK, USA, Taiwan, Russia, Switzerland, Denmark (idem)
French wine producers need to develop a greater offer of varietal wines (there is already a strong AOC/AOP offer, and this also has continued potential)
Wine producers need to pay more attention to what the market (markets) are asking for

The report from Wine Trade Monitor study will be presented in detail at Vinexpo by Sopexa on June 24 – worth a visit if you’re in Bordeaux. More info: www.e-sopexa.com

Jack recommends: Coptertino Rosso

2009-06-18T09:18:00.000+02:00

This month I have a recommendation in the ’budget’ range: 2001 Copertino Rosso (6-7 euro). Too cheap for the fine cuisine for the nice dinner you might think. But give it a try to the cheese, and do try it with a not too strong parmesan. It is made from the negro amaro grape, ripe, leathery aromas, some cherries, a touch of burnt charcoal, well balanced with some dried fruits and nuts. Perfect to drink today rather than to age further. It is made by a cooperative in Puglia in Italy.

Åsa recommends: Cartizze, Desiderio Brisol & Figli

2009-06-18T09:17:00.000+02:00

Time for bubbly. The beginning of summers gives of lots of excuses to open a bottle of sparkling wine. It may be end-of-school celebrations, barbecue with colleagues, or simply an evening with friends and family. In any case, the sparkling, or spumante, Cartizze from Desiderio Bristol & Figli is a good choice. Cartizze is made in eastern Veneto, in the Valdobbidene valley, 100% from the prosecco grape variety. It’s a “cru” wine with a fine delicate mousse, wonderful freshness and aromas of pears and apples. It has a touch of bitterness that adds balance and elegance. Serve it at around 9 degrees for aperitif. Around 20 euro. www.bisol.it

BKWine Pick: Cave Saint-Marc, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

2009-06-17T09:20:00.000+02:00

Cave Saint-Marc, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

If you want to discover the vineyards of southern Rhône the small town of Villeneuve-les-Avignon is a good base. It’s almost like a suburb of Avignon, just across the river, but actually an old town in it’s own right. When the Pope was residing in Avignon in the 14th century the cardinals lived in Villeneuve and many of the impressive old buildings date from that period. A good place to taste the local wines, Tavel, Lirac, Côtes du Rhône etc, is in the wine bar cum wine shop cum restaurant Cave Saint-Marc in the centre of the town. It seems to be THE meeting point for locals. Try for example the delicious ‘petits farcis’, spicy stuffed vegetables. The cuisine is, as one would expect, decidedly Mediterranean – aubergines, tomatoes, spices and herbs dominate.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Chai Pascal Bar à Vins, Saint Emilion

2009-06-17T09:19:00.000+02:00

Chai Pascal Bar à Vins, Saint Emilion

This charming wine bar opened in the old town of St Emilion a year ago by Pascal Fauvel, who runs the place, and Catherine Papon-Nouvel, the owner of three St Emilion chateaux: Château Gaillard, Château Petit Gravet Ainé and Clos Saint Julien (see our video with Catherine here). Catherine’s wines are of course on offer but also many of her colleagues’ wines, both in St Emilion and from other districts. It’s a very relaxed place and if you want something to eat with your wine they offer platters with Basque charcuteries, cheese and smoked salmon. Open every day 11AM to 11PM in season, closed on Sundays the rest of the year.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Château Moulin du Cadet, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux

2009-06-17T09:18:00.000+02:00

Château Moulin du Cadet, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux

Another small biodynamic recommendation this month. Classic, quite tannic and structured Bordeaux wines is the hall mark of Pierre Blois at Château Moulin du Cadet in Saint Emilion, just a short walk from the village. He has 5 ha, biodynamic since 2004. “Farming biodynamic means that you really have to be present in the vineyard all the time”, says Pierre. “You spend more hours in the field compared to conventional farming. And you also have to have staff that believe in the methods!” He’s very happy with the results. His vines are healthier and his wines have become more “lively” and with more minerality, he says. Very good wines, of a classic Saint Emilion cut.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

BKWine Pick: Colombaia, DOCG Chianti Colli Senesi

2009-06-17T09:17:00.000+02:00

Colombaia, DOCG Chianti Colli Senesi

It’s a small property of only 4 hectares that has recently converted to biodynamic farming. They will have completed their Demeter certification next year. The production is artisan, they avoid adding any substances and in the vineyard they have a horse instead of a tractor. The wines are very interesting and expressive. Colobaia Bianco Toscano IGT is made from malvasia and trebbiano and has a good body. The reds are mostly from sangiovese and are typical Chianti wines with good structure, some tobacco and solid acidity and some fruit. Definitely food wines rather than parlour wines.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

Some things on our wine philosphy - and BKWine Brief #71

2009-06-14T11:01:00.002+02:00

Is there anyone who has not seen Susan Boyle singing on Britain’s Got Talent? Or Diversity, the dance group who practiced in front of the bus station since there was a ‘free’ mirror wall? Incredible achievements. (If you haven’t seen it, first watch Susan Boyle’s initial performance. Watch how everyone reacts. Unbelievable. 25 million views on YouTube. Watch it here. You can see many more here.) I can’t help it, I find Britain’s Got Talent captivating. Wonderful to see all these talented people. The other night it struck me that it’s almost the same thing with wine.

Let me explain. To listen to Placido Domingo, or watch Rudolf Nureyev dance, well, of course it is amazing performances, but you wouldn’t expect anything else would you? And to get a ticket you have to mortgage the house, sort of. To listen to Susan Boyle (and watch all the others on BGT) is entirely different. It’s a discovery and it’s an experience in another dimension. To drink a Romanée Conti, a Petrus, a Grange, or a Screaming Eagle is outstanding and delicious but, (dare I say?) so what? What else did you expect? You pay thousands of euros so getting a bit of bang is only to be expected, isn’t it? But to find a small grower, in the back of beyond, that you have never heard of, and then think “wow! This is exceptional!”, that’s different. And then if the wine only costs a fraction, perhaps some tens of euros, it only makes things better.

In other words, drinking, tasting and appreciating great and famous (and expensive) wines is rather easy. It is certainly delicious wines and great experiences, but it is easy. But to find something different, the undiscovered, something that merits more attention and that surprises you, that requires a bit more effort. But it is also much more fun. And in the end perhaps you have contributed to giving some very talented but unknown wine maker a bit more of the attention and appreciation that he/she deserves. Just like those fabulous talents on Britain’s Got Talent.

So there you have a little bit of our wine drinking philosophy.

This issue of the BKWine Brief is a little different from what it usually is. We have some texts that are a little bit longer about some of the things we’ve discovered recently and fewer short stories about various wine news items. It wasn’t really intended that way. It just happened, since we had so much we wanted to share with you. But it would be interesting to hear what your reactions are! Do you prefer the longer text we write about tastings and such things? Or is it better with the short news items, like it was before? Do let us know – with praise (yes please!) or with comments and suggestions on how to make things better (yes please, that too!). We’d love to hear from you. We have some 16,000 subscribers today and we want to continue making the Brief better.

One evolution is that we are trying things in the “Web 2.0” of wine. We hope you are already familiar with our videos on BKWine TV on YouTube. (Not to mention our wine blogs.) And since some time back we’re also trying out Twitter and Facebook. At the moment it’s an experiment to try and figure out what you can do with it. But if you’re interested in that kind of things do “follow” us on Twitter and “friend” us on Facebook. Might be an opportunity for you too to see what it’s all about. You can find our links to Twitter and Facebook at the end of this intro.

It should soon be summer, even though it’s not really something you notice in Paris these days (we’ve had terrible weather this past week). That means that you should be planning for your autumn wine trip! Take a look at our autumn wine tours to Bordeaux. Or get in touch with us if you are interested in organising a custom wine tour. Last year we organised some 30 wine tours to destinations in France (of course, living in Paris), and to Portugal, Spain, Italy (Tuscany, Veneto, Piedmont), Germany, Austria… And it would be a great occasion to meet you.

Enjoy reading this month’s Brief!

Britt & Per

PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !

More on wine:

Read the entire BKWine Brief #71 here!