Wine Sediments

It’s hard to fight against the law of supply and demand, and the October 30th issue of Time magazine’s European edition features an in-depth cover article about how economics are wreaking havoc in the wine market. From France to Australia, winemakers are feeling the pinch as consumption, although increasing overall, cannot keep up with the sheer quantity of wine being produced.

Journalist Peter Gumbel explains that China does not represent a panacea, as wine has not become the Chinese consumer treat some had hoped it would. Solutions? Gumbel feels South Africa is riding out the crisis relatively well, and that suffering wine-producing nations such as France could do worse than to take a look at that African country’s marketing and production strategies.