Did you know that as much as 20% of the fine wine worldwide is fake?

Or that counterfeit bottles bought and returned based on lack of authenticity are being resold as authentic by the same merchants over and over again? Every day, auction houses and merchants that are considered reputable by many either knowingly or unknowingly sell counterfeit bottles of wine.

Counterfeiting techniques are becoming more sophisticated, and criminals have realized that wine fraud is both lucrative and low risk. This combination is very dangerous as the global supply is rife with scores of recently made fake bottles as well as hundreds of millions in counterfeits from convicted counterfeiters. With all these fakes, many of them so well made, infiltrating our markets, it is becoming increasingly difficulty for even experienced wine experts to distinguish a fake bottle of wine from a real one.

Whether you work in the wine industry or simply love to purchase and enjoy fine wine, chances are good that you’ll experience wine fraud at some point. Learning about the tricks of the counterfeiters and the trade of authenticators is the only way to avoid counterfeits and protect yourself, or your organization, from buying, collecting or selling counterfeit wine.

As the founder of WineFraud.com and Chai Consulting, and the foremost global authority on wine fraud and counterfeit wine, I’d like to personally invite you the Wine Fraud, Counterfeiting & Authentication Presentation and TCM Authentication Trainings Levels I and II at the Hyatt Grand Hotel in Hong Kong 7-9 February, 2017. Join me and my team and find out how to spot and avoid fakes, and safeguard your organization from counterfeit bottles. Click here to register.

In the Wine Fraud, Counterfeiting & Authentication Presentation, we’ll discuss the history of counterfeit wine from ancient times through the Rodenstock and Kurniawan cases right up to cases making headlines today, or those we are helping investigate. You’ll get an in-depth look at the different types of bottle counterfeiting and how to recognize them so you can avoid being a victim. We will discuss the power and security of our groundbreaking, recently launched Chai Wine Vault. Powered by Everledger. This unprecedented blockchain technology enables owners and potential buyers to track a bottle’s authenticity from producer to glass – no matter how many times a bottle is traded or moved.

Over the course of two days, enthusiasts and collectors, wine professionals and wine merchants and those who might eventually want to become professional wine authenticators can embark on Authentication Training Level I and II. This training covers:

·      Current counterfeits flooding the markets

·      How to authenticate wine labels, bottles, glass, capsules, and cork

·      Natural/authentic vs applied aging, and the techniques we see most often

·      Issues of consistency, what that means, and why it’s so important

·      The latest counterfeiting techniques

·      Hands-on workshopping with counterfeit bottles to put your knowledge into practice

·      Hands-on workshopping with bottles you bring in to be authenticated to put your knowledge into practice

In our advanced Level II Authentication Training, offered for the first time exclusively in Hong Kong we offer a level of training including information that has taken me almost two decades accumulate. We will delve into the actual anti-fraud measure and considerations to look for in inspecting all of the most counterfeited bottles in the world. We will look more in depth at ink, paper, print methods and all the red flags that should alert someone that a bottle is going from problematic to counterfeit with each new piece of information uncovered during the process of authentication. By the end of the training, you and your team will have learned enough to start looking at bottles differently so you can begin to protect your business from fraudulent sales, and ensure all purchases you make are worth the investment.

I know you care about the authenticity of fine wine as much as I do, and I hope we will get a chance to meet at the training in February.  Sign up soon to reserve your spot, as space is very limited.  Click here to register online at winefraud.com.

*****

Dubbed ‘The Sherlock Holmes of Wines’, Maureen Downey, an independent expert on fine and rare wine and foremost authority on counterfeit wine, has compiled the world’s largest database on the subject.  Specializing in authentication and valuation Ms. Downey has personally inspected hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of authentic and counterfeit wine, advising the world’s top collectors in purchasing, selling, and managing their collections with her firm, Chai Consulting. She also personally assisted the government prosecution in the first and only wine counterfeiting case tried by the U.S. government, and continues to work with and advise law enforcement on the investigation and prosecution of wine fraudsters.

In 2015, she launched WineFraud.com to help assist both the wine trade and collectors become educated about the realities of wine fraud and counterfeiting in global markets, as well as how to authenticate fine wines. It now has over 24,000 images of both authentic and counterfeit bottles, labels, ink, corks and capsules to aid members in authentication.

In November 2016, Maureen and Everledger join forces to launch the Chai Wine Vault, an unprecedented solution for securing the authenticity and provenance of fine wine.

Everledger is a trusted, global ledger in the diamond industry with 1,000,000 stones currently secured on the blockchain. Everledger has extended the platform’s technology to create the Chai Wine Vault, a digital vault to solve the problem of counterfeit bottles with a digital record of provenance and a guarantee of authenticity stored in the immutable blockchain. Chai Wine Vault certification will ensure buyer confidence and protect the future investment value of wine assets for generations to come.

Today Ms. Downey is considered one of the top women in wine, and can currently be seen combatting counterfeits in the Netflix film, Sour Grapes.

Download the Chai Wine Vault Press Release.

“As a wine merchant of 25 years + experience and having worked for a number of London’s top wine merchants, Maureen’s approach is a breath of fresh air in helping both traders and consumers see through the secrecy and be able to understand what is real and what is not.”

– Jamie Graham, Founder of Brunswick Fine Wines

“It was brilliant.  Really enjoyed the day and learnt so much.”

- Richard Bampfield

“This was just phenomenal. I absolutely loved it. It’s hard to know where to begin on the things I loved. The presentation was fascinating, the time with the bottles invaluable. It really was a remarkable day.”

- Joe Fattorini

“I thought the Wine Authentication and training was absolutely fantastic, it was a real honour to attend. I learned a tremendous amount and it was absolutely fascinating. It was a privilege to experience such world class knowledge first hand. The presenters were all wonderful and Maureen herself was simply inspirational.

Thank you all so much for a really unforgettable experience. I feel that going forward I would be in a position to spot some of the ‘red flags’ which is very reassuring.”

- Kate Ridett, Fine Wine Vintages

Cheers!!

Luiz Alberto (on behalf of Maureen Downey - Chai Consulting)

• Founder of the #winelover community
• Founder of the #lifelover community

• Master of Wine candidate

• Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• Italian Wine Ambassador

• I combine my passion for wine with social media

• Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub
• On Instagram: 1winelover

CHIANTI CLASSICO AND CHAMPAGNE: TOGETHER TOWARDS THE FUTURE

Today in Reims a partnership agreement will be signed between Champagne and Chianti Classico

Two pillars of the global winemaking sector together to improve protection and promotion

Reims, 16th December 2016 – 62 years after signing the twinning agreement between Florence and Reims, the connection between the cities is reinforced with another link, shared by their wines produced in the surrounding territory: Chianti Classico and Champagne.

Mayor Dario Nardella and his French counterpart Arnaud Robinet had already committed two years ago to renewing the partnership established in 1954 by then Mayor, Giorgio La Pira.

 “This is a historical twinning,” said Mayor Nardella on that occasion, “which has allowed our two cities to establish a friendship in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity. The relationship between institutions has translated into a partnership between our communities and cultural associations. In culture, education, and economy we will create more opportunities for exchange, to reinforce and animate our connection”.

Over the years the partnership between the two cities has remained active and promoted exchanges and projects in the areas of culture, economy, education and sport. Reims was the first twin city for Florence, and symbolizes the city’s wish to open itself to the world: that agreement in 1954 marked the beginning of international relations that La Pira desired.

Today, the signing of a Partnership Agreement between Chianti Classico and Champagne, is another important piece in the mosaic to help grow and develop a spirit of cooperation, not only between two cities but also in broader terms, between two nations.

“I would like to thank the Mayors of the cities of Reims and Florence Dario Nardella and Arnaud Robinet, and the Presidents of the Comité Champagne, Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillère, for this agreement” says Sergio Zingarelli, Chairman of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico. “Our partnership brought us together on 24th September to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Chianti Classico,” Zingarelli continues, “and today, with the signing of this agreement of cooperation, we are bringing to life a partnership which will include sharing our experiences in managing our respective governances, legally protecting the designations of origin in non-EU countries, in tourism development policies, and in promoting our heritage. Our centuries of traditions have been protected and developed through genius and artistry, and we represent two countries that are always ready to communicate their beauty and their extraordinary ability to promote their natural heritage. Today’s signing event formalizes and reinforces the partnership between two different entities based on shared values”.

Cheers!!

Luiz Alberto (on behalf of Silvia Fiorentini - Ufficio Stampa Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico)

• Founder of the #winelover community

• Master of Wine candidate

• Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• Italian Wine Ambassador

• I combine my passion for wine with social media

• Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

• On Instagram: 1winelover

Time for a break.

Fellow #winelover-s and dear friends,

After consulting with some of my closest friends and core members of this community, I decided that it was best to make public that I’m taking a break (yes, this relationship is very personal and emotional) from managing the internal affairs of the #winelover community. I have been spending many hours every week, working on different projects to try to make our community better, but now it seems that I totally lost my patience in dealing with the “politics” involved in it. Not only that, I have things that are very important in my personal life as well and I will make good use of the extra time to improve this aspect of my life.

It doesn’t mean that I’ll stop supporting the community. After all, I am its founder and I have all the intentions to help it keep going strong. That means that I’ll still work to keep the group “spam free”, promote things that fellow #winelover-s do, attend events when I can, etc. I just don’t have the will to put my heart and soul to get things done when the rejection for the things I am trying to do seems to be bigger than the support for it.

It feels like a “back to the the basics” decision. We didn’t have complicated political discussions when we started, perhaps we don’t need then now. However, it doesn’t mean that it is forever either. This is a temporary decision that I may revert if I find that my heart will find joy in doing it again. Time will tell...

I still have to decide what I’ll do about the future of the #winelover against cancer foundation, but this is a conversation for another day.

Anyway, my apologies for what looks to be a negative message, but I had to express that I just can't take the pain of having to justify everything I do or say any longer.

With that being said, I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity of meeting some of my dearest friends during our "#winelover journey" and nobody can take that away from me... so thank you so much again for all the support through the years!!

We will make something good out of this.

Cheers!!

Luiz Alberto

• Founder of the #winelover community

• Master of Wine candidate

• Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• Italian Wine Ambassador

• I combine my passion for wine with social media

• Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

• On Instagram: 1winelover

New Wines of Ancient Thrace to continue its promotional program in Chicago, Illinois and Houston, Texas, USA after big success in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong.

The recent success of the Bulgarian Wine Export Association in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong and the kind words of many wine buyers and wine specialists from these promising markets show the right direction of the quality of the presented wines of New Wines of Ancient Thrace and the possibilities for penetration on the American market.

Two important events are in the schedule of Bulgarian Wine Export Association (BWEA) – beginning of May the wineries will attend the World Wine Meeting Chicago and then in June they will return to Houston for the second time participating in Wine & Food Week.

The events will attract importers, distributors, major retailers, media, supermarkets and restaurant owners, wine professionals from Chicago and Houston area. Several events are included in the program of the wineries’ representatives who believe that the wine business and the wine loving audience in Chicago and Houston will be thrilled by the new wines, coming in this growing wine market.

New Wines of Ancient Thrace is a promotional campaign of the Bulgarian Wine Export Association (BWEA), established in 2012 with the main objective to actively introduce high-quality European wines to new markets. The main activities of the Association include: wine promotion, organization of conferences, workshops and seminars with promotional and informative purposes, support for the increase of wine export through the creation and management of projects, financed by EU funds, to penetrate to some of the most important world wine markets, to show the new modern face of the old Thracian wines.

 “We are thrilled to return in the States with many more activities this year!” says Galina Niforou, BWEA chairwoman. “The quality of our wines was never so high, we have all the necessary elements for competing in this important wine market – good quality, good price/quality ratio, interesting new local varieties, great packaging and highly motivated winemakers to do their best for making even better wines year after year. I’m sure that all the wineries, participating in this project will find the right distributor and will start selling their wines in the US market. Have you ever tried Mavrud? Or Melnik, Rubin and Gamza? You will be amazed! Our wines are really the well kept secret from the land of Spartacus!”

Thrace is one of the oldest wine producing areas in the world with evidence of wine production dating back to 4 000 BC. The Thracians were numerous tribes who worshipped wine as a divine drink. Thracian wine was even mentioned in Homer’s The Illiadas the finest wine there was.

It is believed that the world’s first documented wine appellation was designated in nowadays in this land  when in II century AD emperor Antonius Pius proclaimed the vineyards in Lower Mizia (part of Thrace) as protected.

New Wines of Ancient Thrace  proudly highlights  the facts that wine has been made in this land for 6 thousands years. Cult of the god of wine Dionysus actually originated from ancient Thrace. The Thracians drank their wine undiluted with water; this was the main difference from the ancient Greeks who poured 3 parts of water and one part of wine into their Phiale.

For the Thracians, wine was a sacred element of religious practice. The best-known pieces of gold and silver, which depict ritual wine drinking situations with the god Dionysus, are found in this land.

Actually Thrace is the oldest place of wine making in Europe. Its vineyards share some of the same soil characteristics and latitude of famous wine growing regions in Bordeaux, the South of France and Central Italy.

Its tradition along with the modern state of art wineries are giving the brilliant results of high quality wines produced from indigenous grape varieties like Mavrud, Melnik, Rubin, Gamza, Dimyat, Red Misket, etc. 

The international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc are also widely planted there and giving some word class examples.

The country is devided into 5 wine regions, each with its specific terroir and climate conditions, but all of them suitable for high quality winemaking.

Grape varieties

Mavrud

Considered to date back to Ancient Thrace times, Mavrud is a red wine grape, which for centuries has been exclusively grown in the region of the ancient Filippopolis, north of the Rhodoppe Mountains. This variety is normally used for making dark wines with deep color and soft taste.  Its cultivation is difficult and requires special dedication. However, the unique quality of the wine made of Mavrud is worth the effort!

Melnik

The Melnik vine is a red grape variety, grown in the region of the Struma valley, which is characterized with Mediterranean climate. According to a legend, the wine made of Melnik vine was among the favourite wines of Winston Churchill. This variety can produce increasingly powerful wines with rich texture, exotic perfume and soft tannin.

Gamza

Cultivated since ancient times, the grape variety of Gamza, also known as “Kadarka”in many Balkan countries, is best grown in the Danube region. It produces vivid red wines with pleasant fruit taste and distinct freshness. This variety requires very specific climate conditions, which is why it is predominantly cultivated in the region of the Danube valley.

Dimyat

Known for its aromatic grapes, Dimyat has been grown for centuries in the Black Sea region. Dimyat wines have a sweet taste, strong aroma and light color. The grapes of  Dimyat ripe in late September. This grape variety is the most popular one in the Black Sea Region.

Pamid

According to the legends, ancient Thracians have been very keen consumers of Pamid wines, characterized with pleasant light and fruit taste. While it has been widely cultivated by Thracians over a number of centuries, nowadays it continues to be grown specifically in the region of the Thracian valley.

Rubin

A successful crossing between Syrah and Nebbiolo

A dark blue-colored wine grape variety, Rubin is the mostly planted in the Thracian valley region. The vines of Rubin , planted along the Thracian valley and bordered by the Strandzha Mountains, tend to produce wines with explicitly rich taste and color. Taste them and you will be amazed!

For more information about the New Wines of Ancient Thrace promotional campaign:

contact:  eng. Galina Niforou, Wine MBA - BWEA chairwoman: niforou@oinorama.com, www.winesofthrace.bg

Cheers,

Luiz Alberto (on behalf of Galina Niforou, BWEA chairwoman)

• Founder of the #winelover community

• Master of Wine candidate

• Member of the Circle of Wine Writers

• Italian Wine Ambassador

• I combine my passion for wine with social media

• Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub

• On Instagram: 1winelover

Emilia-Romagna Supports Sustainability& Food by Philip S. Kampe & Maria Reveley

Emilia-Romagna is a region in northern Italy, extending from the Apennine Mountains in the south  to the Po River in the north. It is known for its rich gastronomy, medieval cities and seaside resorts.

Bologna is the capital. It is a vibrant city that is in touch with our future. Bologna recently recognized our planet with an award presentation that took place at Eataly in Manhattan. The ceremony was titled, ' Bologna Award For International Sustainability & Food' (2nd edition, 16 October 2017, World Food Day).

The initial award was celebrated at EXPO 2015 in Milan.

The award aims at fostering scientific research and initiatives in the agricultural and agro-food industry fields conducted by people, institutions and companies who operate in line with sustainable and long-lasting development.

The jury is chaired by Andrea Segre, president of CAAB and the FICO Foundation for Education.

What is interesting about the award of 20,000euro is that the recipient agrees to donate the prize money in favor of sustainability, long-lasting and solidarity initiatives. The winners of the first edition included Italian scientist, Salvatore Ceccarelli. He won for developing the ICARDA Center in Aleppo, Syria, which, has been, since, destroyed by ISIS. The center introduced new cereals for human and animal consumption.

The second winner was the non-[rofit organization, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, founded by a group of fisherman from the northeast coast of America. The group promotes marine heritage as a common good for the planet.

The international launch of the second edition of the award was attended by the promoters of the award:

Simona Caselli, Councilor for Agriculture of the Emilia-Romagna region/

Virginio Merola, the Mayor of Bologna


Andrea Segre, President of CAAB and FICO Foundation for Nutrition, Education & Sustainability

Alessandro Bonfiglioli, CAAB General Director and Security General of the FICO Foundation for Nutrition, Education & Sustainability.

Nominations for the 2017 award can be received up to 30 April 2017. The jury will announce a short list of winner, publicly, on 30 June, with the final winner/winners announced in the month of October, 2017

Information can be attained at: www.caab.it or by sending an email to Marketing at: marketing@caab.it

Six (6) D.O. Navarra Wines For The Holidays Cost Under $75 by Philip S. Kampe

After attending an amazing tasting of D.O. Navarra wines last week, I posted an article regarding my appreciate for this spectacular D.O.
I am happy to share with you the new Six Wines from D.O.Navarra that will be opened for the Holidays.
Total cost for all six bottles of wine was under $75-many wines under $10 and the rest, under $14.
I am in store for some fun with these wines for the Holiday Season.

These are the wines...

They are priced perfectly for Holiday parties, especially when the guests are looking for a house wine.
Hopefully, I chose six 'house wines' for our guests.


Happy Holidays!

Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills Celebrates His Life In America by Philip S. Kampe

                                                                           

                                                           93 year old Mike Grgich

                                               The 'Judgement of Paris' 40th Anniversary Wine

                                                         Violetta named after Violet

                                                        40th Anniversary Chardonnay

                                                                    Violet Grgich

The Judgment of Paris, definitely the biggest judgment in favor of accepting and respecting the wines from America, occurred 40 years ago- in 1976.

If you are unaware of what happened, a Napa Valley wine from Chateau Montelena beat out its French counterparts in a blind tasting. If you read the account in George Taber’s book, ‘Judgment of Paris’, you will learn first-hand about the account, since Mr.Taber was the only journalist that was present at the event.

Recently, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Violet Grgich, a masterful storyteller and daughter of famed winemaker Mike Grgich, who combined with Stag’s Leap winemaker, Warren Winiarski to create the ‘Judgment of Paris’ winner.

Both winemakers worked for Robert Mondavi, who brought California wines to international, global attention 40 years ago. In fact, 40 years after the event, we are still talking or in this case writing about the achievement.

With the help of Violet Grgich, the opportunity to learn about her 93 year old father was intriguing. Yes, he makes great wines. Yes, Mike Grgich is a household name to wine lover’s worldwide. And Yes, everyone knows his famed wines from Grgich Hills. 

But, who is this man who entered America as an immigrant whose only dream was to see ‘paradise.’  Daughter Violet tells the story of her father’s journey from a family of eleven children (he was the youngest) to his move from Croatia to the ‘New World’, known as America.

Violet goes on to say that her father, Mike (born with the name, Miljenko) came to America after WWII. He was a survivor with a dream.

He had grown up around vineyards in his native Croatia. In his early 20’s he emigrated to California, worked in the vineyards-eventually working with the Zinfandel grape- a relative of the Plavac Muli grape-a grape he knew well in Croatia.

Somehow, the grape brought Mike’s mind back to Croatia- sort of uniting his wine experience past with the present-a feeling, he expressed-of not being alone anymore in America.

Years of hard work anf gratefulness blossomed as his winemaking skills were recognized by Robert Mondavi. He joined the team that catapulted California wines into orbit.

As time went by, his reputation as a winemaker spread and the opportunity to invest his hard earned money paid off immediately. He opened Grgich Hills. His reputation grew and is still alive.

Mike Grgich is an icon in the undustry.

To learn more about the Mike Grgich story,I suggest that you read Mike’s biography in ‘A Glass Full of Miracles.’ It is a wonderful book that affirms that a positive attitude mixed with a lot of talent breeds success.

Its easy to affirm that the wines served by Violet show the many facets of Mike’s winemaking life he excelled at. As I can attest to, Grgich Hills Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Plavac Muli (Zinfandel), Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and a Late Harvest Violetta (guess who that is named for?) confirm that 93 year Mike Grgich has found his nirvana in America.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com