Latest news with #winemaker
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Indian winemaker Sula's profit slumps as urban consumers cut back
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Indian winemaker Sula Vineyards ( opens new tab reported a nearly 87% tumble in its quarterly profit on Wednesday due to softening demand from budget-conscious urban consumers for its more affordable wines. City dwellers, stretched thin by slow wage growth, have been tightening their belts for several quarters, pressuring sales at consumer-facing corporations, from Dove soapmaker Hindustan Unilever ( opens new tab to Yippee noodles manufacturer ITC ( opens new tab. Consolidated net profit at Sula, which draws the bulk of its revenue from urban areas, sank to 19.4 million rupees ($221,272) in the first quarter ended June 30, from 146.3 million rupees a year earlier. Sula's own brands business -- including Dindori, The Source and eponymous wines and makes up nearly 90% of revenue -- clocked an 11% decline in revenue in the quarter. "Own brands growth was muted due to continued urban demand softness," CEO Rajeev Samant said in a statement. Sula's wine tourism division posted a 22% growth and record occupancy, benefiting from affluent consumers splurging at its resorts and tasting rooms as they seek new experiences. Still, that was not enough to cancel out the decline in the company's mainstay wine business. Total revenue fell 8% to 1.18 billion rupees. Expenses, on the other hand, increased 6%. But Sula may be looking at better quarters ahead as consumer goods makers, including ITC and Hindustan Unilever, say they expect easing inflation, lower interest rates, and income tax cuts to reverse a monthslong slowdown. ($1 = 87.6750 Indian rupees)
Forbes
31-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
French Winemaker Caroline Frey Steps Away From Directing Estates
Winemaker Caroline Frey at Château La Lagune in 2022 Tom Mullen Earlier this week French winemaker Caroline Frey announced that she is stepping away from her role of directing internationally renowned iconic estates that she is also proprietor of—Château La Lagune of Bordeaux, Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné of the Rhone Valley and Château Corton C. of Burgundy. Recent illness incited her to 'reexamine my choices, my balance and my priorities.' For decades Frey has successfully managed these estates belonging to a family group founded by her father Jean-Jacques Frey. The wines, produced using biodynamic practices, are renowned throughout the world and have maintained levels of consistent quality under her guidance. Caroline's sister Delphine Frey Prost will continue working in a key role for financial management and administration of these châteaux, while Caroline will focus her efforts on a small set of vineyards in the Valais of Switzerland. These primarily produce Petite Arvine grapes and the work provides her with joy and a sense of detachment from the intricate and often onerous responsibilities associated with managing multiple vineyards throughout France. A new technical director for the family estates will soon be announced. Caroline Frey (left) and sister Delphine Frey Prost Tom Mullen Last year I scored her 2023 Château La Lagune Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend at 96 points for its purity and concentration—qualities Caroline had focused her efforts on. During a vacation last December I stopped in at the Vineum Restaurant in Tain-Hermitage in the Rhone Valley, belonging to Paul Jaboulet Aîné winery—and found the quality of the food served to be commensurate with the quality of wines. Caroline graduated at the top of her class at the University of Oenology in Bordeaux and learned much from renowned winemaker Denis Dubourdieu. After hearing this news I contacted Caroline, who responded in a message that 'I have loved the last 20 years at La Lagune, Jaboulet and Corton. A page is turning now, the continuation will be different and just as exciting.' Her legacy will endure.
CNET
31-07-2025
- General
- CNET
Turns Out, Sniffing Your Wine Isn't Just for Show
Ordering wine can feel like a performance if you're not a seasoned sipper. There's the swirling, the sniffing, the obligatory nod after a tiny pour, and it's easy to assume it's all just for show or to see if you like the wine. But that initial sample isn't about taste at all. It's a quality check. That first pour is your chance to make sure the wine hasn't gone bad. Sometimes, bottles can spoil-especially if they've been improperly stored or have a faulty cork-and the result is something called a "corked" wine. It might smell musty, like wet cardboard or mildew, and it definitely won't taste like what the winemaker intended. Giving your wine a quick sniff before you sip helps you catch any issues before the bottle gets fully poured, saving your palate and your night. Because of that, you don't even need to sip the wine, but it's fine if you do. If you want to show you're a wine drinker in the know, though, simply give it a big swirling sniff, since a bad bottle is usually detectable by smell alone. But that flex is valuable only if you know how to sniff out a bad bottle. An estimated 1% to 7% of bottles are corked -- we'll explain what that means below. Knowing what to look, taste and smell for is key when scrutinizing wine for problems. To get the full scoop on corked wine and how to tell a good bottle from a bad one, we turned to the experts. Here's everything to know. What is corked wine? "A corked wine is caused by a compound called trichloroanisole, or TCA, which contaminates the cork, bottle or wine itself during harvest, production or even shipping," said Vinnie Miliano, bar manager for the famed Waldorf Astoria Chicago. Corked wine can come from a restaurant wine cellar or your own collection. Cavan Images / Getty Images TCA often exists as fungi in corks but can also present itself in pesticides, preservatives and cleaning products found in wineries. Barrels and cardboard boxes can also be sources of "contamination," even if high-quality control standards have been rigorously implemented. "A corked wine isn't harmful to consume, but it certainly isn't pleasant to drink and will definitely detract from the experience," Miliano said. Despite the temporary awkwardness and disruption of dinner service, it's OK to send something back that doesn't taste up to par. After all, if you're shelling out hard-earned cash to treat yourself and a loved one, you don't want the evening to go, well, sour. We asked Miliano, as well as Courtney Cheney, the beverage operations manager for Ocean Prime, to explain how to tell if a wine is corked and the proper protocol of flagging the issue with a sommelier or server. (For more wine tips, read a sommelier's best tips for finding budget bottles and see how to properly store every type of open wine.) How to tell if a wine is corked Corked wine may smell like musty like wet cardboard or a damp basement. There are typically two immediate indicators to detect if a wine has been corked: aroma and taste. "A corked wine will typically smell off, with scents of wet cardboard, mustiness, or like a damp basement," Miliano said. "If you taste it, you'll notice the taste can be muted or unpleasant, lacking the expected fruit and structure." Cheney echoes these exact descriptions, adding that a corked wine will also taste "flat with a distinct astringency in severe cases that will also lack fruitiness." And while one may believe that some tannin-heavy varietals are more prone to corking than others, TCA doesn't discriminate. "It is easier, however, to recognize cork taint in wines that are unoaked, due to more powerful aromatics that accompany oak aging," Cheney said. "It's [also] more likely to occur in wines with traditional corks." Read more: We Asked a Wine Pro if Open Red Wine Lasts Longer in the Fridge How to send back corked wine Don't be shy about sending back a corked bottle of wine. d3sign/Getty Images Should you stumble across a corked bottle, a trained wine professional or bar manager will likely remedy the unfortunate circumstance. "The best approach is the simplest," Miliano said. "Politely inform your server or sommelier. There will be no offense taken, and most hospitality professionals are trained to handle the situation gracefully." This may include tasting the wine themselves before replacing the bottle or glass. If you're not entirely sure, you can also rely on their expert palates for an explanation and/or final confirmation. "I once had an entire case of wonderful Rioja completely corked," said Miliano, who also says that there is no need to "feel embarrassed or angry" in the moment. Quality verification is merely part of the process and an important step to determine if additional inventory is affected. "You can also check the cork, which should be presented to you upon your server opening the bottle," added Cheney. "If it smells musty and dank, it is likely corked." Of course, if there is any type of pushback, escalate it higher to restaurant managers or owners after your meal. This can be done via email to avoid confrontation. Read more: 7 Surprising Recipes You Can Add Wine To Nothing to wine about Any restaurant worth its salt will replace a corked bottle with a good one free of charge. Media Whalestock/iStock/Getty Images Cheney wrapped up the concept of wine corking best: "Cork taint is a naturally occurring fault in wines, so most restaurants will replace the bottle without further question or charge." While an offensive sip may be unlucky, remember that it's probably the worst thing that will happen to you that day. Accept it, say something about it and move on. It's nobody's fault (not even the winemaker's), and you more than deserve a stress-free, delicious meal that's worth every dollar you spend.
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Might this unique penny stock be a millionaire-maker at 43p?
Chapel Down (LSE: CDGP) is England's leading winemaker, with vineyards across the beautiful Kent countryside. It's the only English wine company with a stock market listing, which makes this a unique penny stock. Since listing at the end of 2023, Chapel Down has lost around a quarter of its market value. However, it's up 34% from a February low and now sits at 43p. After posting a loss last year, the sparkling wine specialist said it expects to generate strong sales this year and return to full profitability. Longer term, it intends to not only dominate the English winemaking scene, but also export its bubbly globally, especially to America. Needless to say, if it becomes an exporting powerhouse, its market cap of £75m could one day froth up to a much higher figure. Indeed, it might even become a millionaire-making penny stock, depending on how much one invested. So, should I snap up some shares for my ISA, just in case? Here's my take. Our terroir shares many of the characteristics which have made Champagne so successful as a wine region. 2024 results Chapel Down has a 16% share of the English wine market. At the end of 2024, it had 1,024 planted acres of vineyards, around 10% of the UK's total. Last year, e-commerce (+22%) and on-trade (+16%) channels did well, but off-trade was weaker, as supermarkets and wine retailers reduced their stock levels. Stripping out its now-closed spirits business, revenue dropped 3% to £16.35m. This resulted in a small £1.3m loss. As mentioned though, the firm expects to return to profitability this year, then build profits over the medium term. Challenges Now, there are a few risks to be aware of here. One is that inflation is creeping back up, which could heap more pressure on consumer spending. The fourth quarter is the most important trading period for Chapel Down, as households stock up on wine. So a weak festive period would likely throw the full year's results off-kilter. Also, bad weather could result in challenging growing conditions and a lower harvest yield. Of course, this can work both ways, as there was an exceptional harvest in 2023. And while global warming should benefit English wine-growers long term, it could also throw up more extreme weather patterns. Finally, net debt stood at £9.16m at the end of 2024. That was up significantly year on year, and is worth monitoring moving forward. My move Chapel Down has signed a new agreement with Jackson Family Wines (a large drinks retailer) for the distribution of its sparkling wines in the US. Millions with English ancestry across the pond could take a special interest, which could be a big growth driver. By 2035, the firm aims to win the equivalent of 1% of the 300m bottle global Champagne market. For context, it sold around 1.5m bottles of wine last year. For the stock to really be a big winner, the company will probably need to exceed this target. But that's far from guaranteed at this point. Weighing things up, the stock is a bit too risky for me, so it won't be making me a millionaire. Of course, that doesn't mean it can't still do well. Adventurous investors might want to consider this penny stock at 43p. The post Might this unique penny stock be a millionaire-maker at 43p? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Delegat Group names Murray Annabell permanent CEO
Delegat Group has formally appointed Murray Annabell as its new chief executive officer, effective from today (1 July). He was made acting CEO earlier this year, following the departure of managing director Steve Carden at the end January. Annabell has been with the New Zealand-based winemaker for over 20 years, including the last 13 years as chief financial officer, according to a New Zealand stock exchange filing. According to the Oyster Bay brand owner, he has had "a pivotal role in shaping Delegat's financial strategy and supporting our senior leadership team". In a statement, the company's chair Jim Delegat said 'after an external search, we are thrilled Murray has accepted the Chief Executive Officer position. "Murray's extensive knowledge of our business and the global wine industry, combined with his proven leadership, are critical to the company's continued success at this important time.' Riki Maden, currently group financial controller, will take the position of acting chief financial officer whilst Delegat looks for a replacement. In April, the Barossa Valley Estate maker lowered its profit forecast for 2025, blaming the impact of US tariffs on sales. In a New Zealand stock exchange filing at the time, the company said the US move to place a 10% tariff on all imports into the country had led to 'significant uncertainty expressed by our US distributors regarding forward shipments for Q4 (April – June 2025)'. 'This uncertainty has led to a revised global case sales and profit guidance,' it said. Delegat cut its projection on operating net profit after tax to $47-50m for the FY25 year, down from the previous forecast of $55-60m. Delegat's financial year ends on 30 June. It is also projecting global case sales of 3,182,000 for the year, a 5% fall from prior estimates and 12% lower than previous year's sales. "Delegat Group names Murray Annabell permanent CEO" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
