A recent survey has shown that the gene responsible for the oxydation of ingested alcohol can work either slowly or quite quickly, depending on individuals. Top Robert Mondavi says goodbye Nancy Light, The Robert Mondavi Co. spokesperson, recently anounced that Robert Mondavi was retiring. They will follow the line of changes set up by their father and carry on with the inovating projects already in progress while Robert Mondavi will remain President of Honor of the company he has run for the past 50 years. Top Vintage 2001 in South Africa Distell, the largest South African wine-producer, created by the merger between Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery and Distillers' Corporation, bets on some real blockbuster wines this year. Winter was not cold enough and did not allow the vines to rest properly, especially for early white grape-varieties.
Consequently yields are significantly lower than last year's crop.
After three successive very hot summers, this year was quite cooler thus offering better quality. But this summer the Cape benefited from a Mediterranean climate with quite cool temperatures, low rainfall and moderate humidity. United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have recently signed an agreement allowing freer wine imports and exports among those four great wine-producing and consuming countries. Vintners will thus be able to make their wine in line with the tradition of their region instead of having to comply with the complex regulations which so far restricted exportations. In 2000, the United States wine exports to Canada, Australia and New Zealand amounted to 93.3 million dollars while imports from those three countries reached 100 million dollars.