WINE OF THE MONTH ROSSO DI MONTALCINO '16 RIDOLFI Loc. Mercatali, 1 - Montalcino www.ridolfimontalcino.it ex-cellar price: 15 euros + taxes The estate, which had already belonged to the Florentine family, bearing the name and the coat of arms on the label, was purchased in 2011 by the entrepreneur Giuseppe Valter Peretti, owner of the Rocchetto estate, in Larciano in Chianti. We are on the north side of Montalcino, the coolest part, and the company’s 23 hectares of vineyards are cultivated, with environmentally conscious practices, on hills that reach an altitude of 300 meters. Long maceration on the skins, use of mostly large wood casks, bottle aging of at least one year to let the wine rest at its best: all this gives life to elegant and territory-driven wines, which are divided into a range that includes - in addition to different versions of Brunello - a “base”, a Reserve (produced only in the best vintages, and the Donna Rebecca, aged in barrique. We find a fresh and perky Rosso di Montalcino, and the Fiero, an Igt made with a Sangiovese blend from the Montalcino area and Merlot from Chianti.
USA. SPENDING FOR ALCOHOL GOES OVER $253 BILLION IN 2018 Spending for alcohol in the United States is growing. Americans in 2018 spent $12.4 billion more, for a total figure of $253.8 billion with an increase of 5.1%. Against a consumption in volumes for wine, beer and spirits, which recorded an increase of only just 0.2%, according to research company Bw166. Total wholesale spending in the US rose by 3.61% to $125.3 billion. In detail, in regards to wine, 431.8 million 9-liter cases brought an increase of 1.4% (including cider), compared to an expenditure that reached $72.2 billion (+ 4.91%). The average price for a bottle (0.75 liters) was $10.84 (excluding retail markups). Beer registered 200.2 million barrels (1 barrel = 117.3 liters) with a cost increase of 5% to $117.3 billion. Spirits grew by 2.9% in volume, with 235.6 million 9-liter cases, and an expense that reached $64.3 billion and an increase of 5.6%. The Bw166 analysts noted that in the United States there are 2.4 million more people (+1%) among those in the minimum drinking age, reaching 240.7 million units, with a tendency of older drinkers. Among the trends, we noted growth of direct sales as a phenomenon to keep an eye on, especially for wine and beer. According to Bw166, 2019 should be characterized by a growing fragmentation between purchased products and purchase channels.