Liquor Industry News
The Wonderful World Of Wine (WWW)
By: Mark C Lenzi
CSW, CSS, CWAS, FWS, IWS*, SWS, OWE, IWM*
08-10-2026
Liquor Industry News
New Products
The Wine That Refuses to Behave
A Virginia Wine Expert Says These Are the Best Wines for Summer
These wines’ bright, acidic flavors pair well with sunshine.
Why Wine Fans Should Embrace Cruising
Cruise lines have realized that the readership profile at wine magazines aligns with their target audience.
WHICH WINE GOES BEST WITH A GLUTEN-FREE MEAL?
Gluten-free menus have become widely available, whether for medical reasons, digestive comfort or dietary choice
https://www.lasommeliere.com/en/blog/which-wine-goes-best-with-a-gluten-free-meal–n861
Is Sauvignon Blanc Dry Or Sweet? What Wine Newbies Should Know
In many ways, it would be far more accurate to describe sauvignon blanc as “crisp and bright” rather than “sweet” or “dry.”
https://www.tastingtable.com/2214242/is-sauvignon-blanc-wine-dry-or-sweet
Former Jack Daniel’s Cooperage closes in Alabama
Alabama Cooperage, previously known as Jack Daniel’s Cooperage, will close in September, resulting in 71 job losses.
Why it’s hoped Taylor’s latest innovation will go unnoticed
As db is first to report, Taylor’s Port has developed a new, lighter bottle for its fine fortified wines. We find out why CEO Adrian Bridge is hoping that consumers won’t notice.
Will Modelo and Corona brewing move from Mexico to the US?
US President Donald Trump is being urged by trade unionists to make some of America’s biggest beer brands “a lot more American”. But what is provoking the rift with Mexico over imported beer? db looks at the argument
This Nonalcoholic, Low-Calorie Beer Is The Highest-Rated Brew In Our Ranking
The nonalcoholic drink market has surged in recent years, as more and more people turn to zero-proof options.
Terragena Launches Single-Serving Frozen Wine Product
Terra Pop
PAIRING WINE WITH SALMON
5 EASY WINS
https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/features/pairing-wine-with-salmon-5-easy-wins
The 30 Best Chardonnays for 2026
One of Pinot Noir’s most famous, if not most famous, progeny, Chardonnay captured American hearts long before the heartbreak grape took center stage in the early aughts.
https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-chardonnays-2026
New Book Challenges Conventional Thinking About the Wine Business
James Silver’s The Reset Is Over Argues the Industry’s Transformation Is Complete–and Offers a Practical Blueprint for What Comes Next
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/people/article/320858
Moonshine University to close after 14 years
Flavorman will cease operations at Kentucky’s Moonshine University and its associated programs on 31 December 2026.
New Vodka
Heaven Hill’s Deep Eddy has launched a new Espresso-flavore d vodka, billed as a shortcut for making the popular Espresso Martini cocktail and other coffee-forward drinks. The 35% abv vodka is now available across the U.S. with the 750-ml. size retailing at $17; Deep Eddy Espresso is also available in 50-, 100-, and 375-ml. formats, plus larger sizes like 1- and 1.75-liter bottles. This is the 10th expression in the Deep Eddy portfolio, joining popular flavors like Ruby Red and Sweet Tea, among others. Last year, Deep Eddy was up 1% to 1.75 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
Bardstown finishes whiskey with pineapple
Lofted Spirits’ Bardstown Bourbon Company has introduced a Kentucky-exclusive expression, finished in pineapple rum casks sourced from the Caribbean.
11 Lesser-Known Beers You Should Try if You Love Hazy IPAs
Way back in the day, before craft beer rose to prominence, if a bartender served you a cloudy beer, you might send it back and start questioning the cleanliness of their tap lines. In today’s beer world, though, receiving a murky beer is considered by many to be an attractive feature.
https://vinepair.com/articles/less-popular-hazy-ipas-to-try
Your Guide to Wheat Beer, From Hefeweizen to Berliner Weisse
From fruity German hefeweizens to citrusy Belgian witbiers and refreshingly tart Berliner weisse, here’s how to tell the world’s most popular wheat beers apart, and the best bottles to try this season.
https://www.foodandwine.com/wheat-beer-styles-12023598
Why Faux Works With Food
Faux is an alcohol-free, wine-adjacent beverage made from verjus, wine grapes, fruit, and botanicals. Every ingredient has a role. Verjus provides acidity and structure. Wine grapes create a varietal foundation. Fruit brings balance and aromatic lift. Botanicals add savory complexity.
https://www.fauxwine.com/blogs/news/why-faux-works-with-faux
The Top 10 Best-Selling Beers in America
Every Decade Since the ’80s
https://vinepair.com/articles/us-best-selling-beer-brands-by-decade
How Four Roses Is Shaping the Future of Bourbon Without Forgetting Its Past
Iconic brands never tread water. Instead, they make waves. Always in motion, these outfits manage to both honor longstanding tradition and stay ahead of trends via constant innovation.
Champagne to limit production to 250m bottles for 2026
The region of Champagne is to cap the amount of wine that can be made from this year’s harvest at 8,800kg/ha – the equivalent of around 250 million bottles.
Could craft beer be seeing the start of a second wave?
In the US, craft brewing trends have held steady, declines in operating breweries have slightly increased and consumer engagement has strengthened. Jessica Mason asks: are we seeing craft beer’s resurgence?
15 Lies About Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo Tequila
A quiz about tequila that most people get wrong. What’s your score?
https://www.tequilareport.com/p/15-lies-about-blanco-reposado-and-anejo-tequila
‘Good day for Scotland’: US lifts tariffs on Scotch
“This is a good day for Scotland,” said the country’s first minister, as the US officially returned to tariff-free trading for Scotch whisky.
Bulleit creates Bourbon-rye blend
The newest core expression from Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is named ‘87 and marries both Bourbon and rye whiskeys.
Why electrolytes have become wine’s newest additive
Joel Gott Wines has released Sauvy B, a canned Sauvignon Blanc spritz with electrolytes from pink Himalayan salt – the latest sign that ‘functional’ hydration ingredients, long confined to sports drinks and hangover cures, are moving into wine.
10 reasons why Moldovan wine should be on your radar
The story of Moldovan wine is one of fortitude in facing great challenges – and now this remarkable wine nation is ready to take its place on the global stage. We pick out 10 reasons why the country is worth a closer look by those in the drinks trade.
Super Mario’s namesake planted the grapes behind Washington’s only 96-point scoring white wine
Of all the white wines produced in Washington, only one earned a top score from the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, widely considered the Oscars of the wine world. The grapes that made it were planted by the man who inspired Nintendo’s most famous character.
https://mynorthwest.com/seattles-morning-news/super-mario-white-wine/4259719
8 Affordable Sparkling Wines That Are Just As Good As Champagne, According To Sommeliers
Your wine shop run just got a lot more interesting.
https://www.delish.com/food/a71746275/best-champagne-alternatives-sparkling-wines
Samuel Adams Is Introducing a New Version of a Best-Selling Beer
Plus, 3 fan-favorite drinks are returning.
https://www.allrecipes.com/samuel-adams-new-fall-beers-12026452
Wine Experts Say Your Order Might Be Showing Your Age—Here’s Why
Team sauvy b or rosé all day?
https://www.delish.com/food/a71851702/wine-order-age-trends
Pot Still or Column Still? Why Most People Get This Wrong!
Pot stills make flavourful spirits, column stills make neutral spirits — right? Not quite. The truth is more interesting, and far more precise.
https://thespiritjournal.substack.com/p/pot-still-or-column-still-why-most
Is Your Go-To Beer Still Truly American?
The Answer May Surprise You
Jimothy the viral raccoon gets his own beer can tribute from a top Mass. brewery
While Tree House shared few details about the can, it confirmed on Instagram that, “yes they are real, and they’re beautiful,” and that they’re on sale at the Charlton location.
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/jimothy-raccoon-beer-tree-house-mass/3986746
The Unusual Way This Southern Liquor Store Sells Rare Bourbon
Southern Spirits has unique ways of making the hunt for rare whiskey fair.
https://www.southernliving.com/southern-spirits-uses-games-to-sell-rare-bourbons-12004234
The Wildest Flavored Vodkas Bartenders Actually Recommend
Bartenders share the surprising flavored vodkas they’d happily pour, from popcorn and pickle to marshmallow and Doritos.
https://www.foodandwine.com/the-best-unexpected-flavored-vodkas-12025247
What Is Blouge Wine?
The Red-White Hybrid Built for Chilling
https://wineguide101.com/what-is-blouge-wine
Say Goodbye To Mediocre Wine
This 20-Minute Rule Makes It Taste Premium
https://www.tastingtable.com/2220488/say-goodbye-to-bad-wine-20-minute-rule
Old Forester releases first whiskey from Louisville distillery
The latest addition to Old Forester’s 117 series is the first expression made entirely at the brand’s distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Wales bids for world’s first natural wine appellation
Britain could become home to the world’s first appellation dedicated to natural wine, with Welsh producers seeking protected status for wines made without synthetic chemicals, additives or industrial yeasts. The proposed Natural Wine of Wales PGI would also require grapes to be grown and spontaneously fermented in Wales.
Can we please stop calling wine “porch pounders?”
The “porch pounder” is a slang word for a wine that is light in alcohol, crisp in acidity, and easy drinking. These are the wines that don’t need food or even snacks to enjoy. You simply crack it open and guzzle it down, to live up to its phrase.
https://cellarnotes.substack.com/p/can-we-please-stop-calling-wine-porch
Hard seltzer loses its sparkle as the RTD market evolves
The past decade has seen the rise and fall of hard seltzers as they have morphed into other RTD categories. Can the sector regain the effervescence that initially made it so popular?
3 Summer Sparkling Wine Cocktails
That Aren’t Aperol Spritz
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVERY WINE REGION WANTS TO BE PREMIUM?
The formula for at least some premiumization is familiar.
The Case for Buying Wine You Actually Understand
Most people buy wine slightly anxiously.
Vintage Dated Whiskies
Pick your favorite year. Vintage-dated bottlings are a rare, fun treat
https://whiskyadvocate.com/vintage-dated-whiskies
The Wine That Refuses to Behave
: A Love Letter to Pét-Nat
https://sandraetaylor.substack.com/p/the-wine-that-refuses-to-behave
Beyoncé takes ownership of SirDavis American Whisky
Grammy Award-winning singer Beyoncé has taken sole ownership of SirDavis American Whisky, the brand she founded in partnership with Moët Hennessy.
Svedka introduces Vodka Water Cooler
Sazerac-owned Svedka has reimagined the office water cooler for its new ready-to-drink (RTD) canned Vodka Waters.
New Old Elk
- Old Elk, owned by Ohio’s Middle West Spirits, has announced a trio of 10-year-old whiskies, the first major new releases from Old Elk since its May 2025 acquisition by Middle West. The new releases include a Straight Bourbon, a wheat whiskey, and a wheated Bourbon, all retailing for $70 a 750-ml. The Bourbon is made from a mash of 51% corn, 34% malted barley, and 15% rye, and bottled at 52.5% abv. The wheat whiskey is distilled from 96% rye and 4% malted barley and released at 51.5% abv. Finally, Old Elk’s new wheated Bourbon is bottled at 52.5% abv and distilled from 51% corn, 46% wheat, and 3% malted barley. All three are rolling out now across the U.S.
The European Sparkling Wines Tell a Story in Every Sip
With 27 countries spanning 1.5 million square miles, 446 million inhabitants and 24 languages, the European Union (EU) is the third largest exporter of agricultural and agri-food products consumed in the U.S. Products produced in the EU not only have a long cultural history steeped in culinary tradition, but are held to rigorous standards denoted by a specially developed set of EU Quality Labels designed to assure consumers are not only getting a top-caliber product, but to also inform them about the product’s background.
Explore the Two Faces of Tuscany
It’s one of the most recognizable regional identities in the world, and it carries that recognition into everything: from wine labels to travel brochures to the produce aisle at a grocery store
https://verovino.com/vero-blog/tuscany-food-wine-tuscan-olive-oil
‘Worst crisis since WWII’: Bordeaux wildfires continue amid extreme heat
As wildfires continue to blaze near Bordeaux, in what President Emmanuel Macron has described as the toughest situation France has faced since World War II, the country’s celebrated wine region confronts a growing environmental crisis.
Australian wine exports drop to 22-year low
Australian wine exports have fallen to their lowest level in more than two decades as a worldwide decline in wine consumption weighs on demand, according to a new industry report.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/07/australian-wine-exports-drop-to-22-year-low
MGP’s whiskey sales plunge 59% in Q2
The Distilling Solutions arm of MGP Ingredients plummeted by 42% in the 2026 second quarter (Q2) as whiskey suffered a 59% drop.
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2026/07/mgps-whiskey-sales-plunge-59-in-q2
Tsingtao enters Irish whiskey with Great Northern
Chinese brewer Tsingtao has joined forces with Great Northern Distillery to make Irish whiskey for Asian consumers, with plans to open a distillery in China.
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2026/07/tsingtao-enters-irish-whiskey-with-great-northern
US wine industry risks losing ground without collective marketing
While regional trade organizations “do excellent work”, the US wine trade “does not do a fantastic job” of collective marketing, says agency founder behind anti-prohibitionist campaign.
7 Things You Should Know About Sun Cruiser
Boston Beer Company’s Other Hard Tea
https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-sun-cruiser
The Portuguese Cork Association Launches “Drink Responsibly.
Choose a Bottle with a Natural Cork.” Campaign
Beer Review
Samuel Adams’ New NA Octoberfest And Apple Spice Ale Beers Hit All The Right Autumnal Notes
https://www.tastingtable.com/2228364/sam-adams-fall-2026-beers-review
The Wonderful World of Wine (WWW) Podcast
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Podcast Award Nominations 2019, 21, 22 ,23, 24 AND 2025!!
2025 AND 2026 Tasty Award Winner!
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