by Robin Goldstein at The New York Times

One of the most thought-provoking papers at this year’s meeting of the American Association of Wine Economics was presented by Günter Schamel, a professor at the Free University of Bolzano. Schamel’s study, which is still in progress, has thus far looked at a data set of 260 eBay auctions of empty wine bottles. In his model, the most powerful predictive variable — explaining both the incidence of sale and the final auction price of an empty bottle — is “the price a full and presumably authentic bottle could potentially fetch in the marketplace.”

by Shiv Singh at Sommelier India

One sign that the Indian wine market is getting more competitive is in how ownership stakes in major wine makers change. Indage Vintners is giving 40.28% of its company to four investors - Anam Transport Pvt. Ltd, Sanjivani Horticulture Pvt. Ltd, Arsh Advisors and Owners Ltd and Asian Sirius Energy Ltd for Rs. 90.6 crore.

by Richard Gray at The Daily Telegraph

Researchers say they can pinpoint where a wine was made, down to which barrel it was fermented in. Using a mass spectrometer, scientists analysed the compounds in vaporized samples of wine to produce detailed chemical signatures that can be matched against a database of characteristics, to identify a wine’s source.

by Suzanne Mustacich at AFP

Much to the glee of French winemakers, China confirmed its passion for red wine within the first 24 hours of the opening of the world's largest wine exhibition here, Vinexpo. Barely had the first visitors hit the stands when Hong Kong luxury goods company A&A International announced its acquisition of an historic wine estate near Bordeaux, Chateau Richelieu, a 17-hectare property surrounded by 14 hectares of vines. According to financial consultant Marc Sabate who brokered the deal, the goal is to control the brand in order to distribute the estate's 70,000 bottle production in China.

by Paul Franson from Wines and Vines

The Internet has spawned a myriad of sites selling and marketing wine, most unlicensed and depending on others for fulfillment and licensing, but California's Alcohol Beverage Control department warns both the licensed and unlicensed partners that this practice is illegal.

by Meraiah Foley at The New York Times

Just a few years ago, Australia was being hailed as the great international success story of the wine business, challenging the dominance of France, Italy and Spain. From 1999 to 2007, foreign sales grew more than threefold, making Australia the world’s fourth-largest exporter.  But even as its star appeared to be rising, the Australian wine industry was sliding, selling a greater volume of wine at increasingly lower prices. Last year, the average price per litre of Australian wine sold overseas was about 25% lower than it was a decade ago, a level many say is unsustainable.