Top 50 most-read stories of 2012

blank 50 Barbaresco winemaker Angelo Rocca dies Tuesday 9 October 2012 Celebrated Barbaresco wine producer Angelo Rocca has died in a plane crash.

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blank 49 Spectrum and Vanquish withdraw DRC lots from auction Wednesday 8 February 2012 Spectrum and Vanquish have withdrawn 13 lots worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from tonight's London auction because of 'apparent label discrepancies'.

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blank 48 White House banquet wines revealed Thursday 15 March 2012 The names of the wines served at the Obama-Cameron state banquet on Wednesday night have been revealed, despite the White House's efforts to keep them under wraps.

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blank 47 Only three chateaux demoted in new St Emilion classification Friday 7 September 2012 All the demoted chateaux from 2006 have made it through the St Emilion classification this time, except Chateau La Tour du Pin Figeac.

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blank 46 Bordeaux 2011: Chateau 'Yquem holds back 2011 from en primeur campaign Tuesday 12 June 2012 The director of Chateau d'Yquem, Pierre Lurton, has said he will not be releasing the 2011 vintage en primeur at this time.

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blank 45 Champagne growing season 'worst in decades' Thursday 16 August 2012 Champagne has had the worst growing season for several decades and the prospects for the 2012 harvest look increasingly bleak.

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blank 44 Chinese wine consumers steer clear of modern labels, says research Tuesday 10 July 2012 Chinese wine consumers are suspicious of 'modern' label design and prefer more traditional styles, a new report is claiming.

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blank 43 Chateaux boycott Chinese name poster in 'misunderstanding' Thursday 1 March 2012 Christieâs China has become embroiled in a âmisunderstandingâ with Bordeaux over translations of chateau names into Chinese.

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blank 42 Bordeaux 2011: Calls for price drop after 'arrogant' 2010s Monday 30 January 2012 Bordeaux was 'arrogant' in its pricing last year, the managing director of Chateau Lafite has told Decanter.com as merchants call on Bordeaux to come down in price on the 2011s. Read the full story here

blank 41 Spectrum and Vanquish: Kurniawan wines are not in sale Tuesday 7 February 2012 Auctioneers Spectrum and wine merchant Vanquish have taken the unprecedented step of categorically denying that the consigner in tomorrow's London sale is Rudy Kurniawan.

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blank 40 Waverley TBS goes into administration Wednesday 3 October 2012 Waverley TBS, one of the UK's biggest drinks wholesalers, has gone into administration. Read the full story here

blank 39 Robert Parker Singapore investor 'named' as Soo Hoo Khoon Peng Thursday 13 December 2012 A source close to the deal that Robert Parker has struck with a group of Singapore businessmen to sell Wine Advocate have confirmed the main shareholder is Soo Hoo Khoon Peng, formerly of wine importers Hermitage.

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blank 38 Laboure-Roi directors detained in wine fraud probe Thursday 14 June 2012 Four directors of Maison LabourÃ©-Roi, the 180-year-old Burgundy negociant house, have been accused of various counts of wine fraud.

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blank 37 Wine investment firm disappears Tuesday 28 August 2012 Another UK-based wine investment company has disappeared leaving many of its customers empty handed. Read the full story here

blank 36 Ponsot worked 'closely with FBI' for Kurniawan arrest Wednesday 14 March 2012 The arrest of Rudy Kurniawan on multiple charges of fraud is the result of years of evidence-gathering on the part of the Burgundy owner whose name is identified with one of the most notorious wine scandals of recent years. Read the full story here

blank 35 Bordeaux braces itself for 'winemaker's vintage' Thursday 30 August 2012 by The Bordeaux 2012 harvest will be several weeks later than in recent years â and France's overall harvest will be the smallest since 1991, according to the agriculture minister. Read the full story here

blank 34 Robert Parker report: 'Appearance of impropriety' in Campo/Miller arrangements Wednesday 11 April 2012 The Wine Advocate's arrangements in Spain last year created 'inappropriate ambiguity' and fell short of the high standards the organisation sets itself, an investigation has found. Read the full story here

blank 33 Olympic wines revealed Tuesday 13 March 2012 London wine merchant Bibendum has revealed a list of wines that will be served at the London Olympics this summer. Read the full story here

blank 32 Best wine for turkey? Not Pinot Noir, Decanter says Monday 19 December 2011 The best wine to go with turkey is Burgundy â but not Pinot Noir, a Decanter panel has decided. Read the full story here

blank 31 Decanter Asia Wine Awards to launch in May Wednesday 21 March 2012 Decanter is launching a new wine competition in Asia, the Decanter Asia Wine Awards, it has just announced. Read the full story here

blank 30 Pancho Campo resigns from Institute of Masters of Wine Thursday 3 May 2012 Pancho Campo, who was at the centre of last year's controversy around the organisation of wine tastings in Spain, has resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine. Read the full story here

blank 29 Wine grape 'bible' poised for publication Friday 17 August 2012 A 1,200-page guide to the world's wine grape varieties, billed as the most comprehensive ever published and co-authored by Jancis Robinson MW, is published this autumn. Read the full story here

blank 28 Kurniawan arrest tip of the iceberg, say Koch and Frye Tuesday 27 March 2012 The arrest by the FBI of Rudy Kurniawan is not enough to deter the tide of fake wine, alleged victims of counterfeiting say. Read the full story here

blank 27 New York wine merchants count cost of Hurricane Sandy Thursday 1 November 2012 The immense surge of seawater caused by Hurricane Sandy has left a number of low-lying wine merchants and restaurants reeling. Read the full story here

blank 26 Pavie and Angelus promoted in St Emilion Classification Thursday 6 September 2012 Chateau Pavieâs owner Gerard Perse was 'overcome with emotion' as his property's promotion to St Emilion Premier Grand Cru ClassÃ© A was confirmed today. Read the full story here

blank 25 Penfolds outrages merchants with 'slap in the face'; price hikes Thursday 1 March 2012 Wine merchants are turning their backs on Penfolds' Bin wines - whose annual release is today - following price increases that have been labelled a 'slap in the face'. Read the full story here

blank 24 Ancient Veuve Clicquot 'not for pleasure' Thursday 31 May 2012 The 170-year-old Veuve Clicquot expected to fetch a five-figure sum at auction next week can only be recommended for âhistorical interest, not pleasure,â Champagne expert Tom Sevenson says. Read the full story here

blank 23 France nets six International trophies at glittering DWWA Opera House awards ceremony Wednesday 5 September 2012 In an evening of celebration by producers from across the world, French winemakers delighted in multiple wins at the Decanter World Wine Awards last night. Read the full story here

blank 22 Rudy Kurniawan arrested in Los Angeles Friday 9 March 2012 Rudy Kurniawan, the millionaire wine collector, has been arrested on fraud charges. Read the full story here

blank 21 All Lafite bottles to carry Prooftag Wednesday 30 May 2012 Chateau Lafite Rothschild has said all bottles from the 2009 vintage will use Prooftag anti-fraud seals. Read the full story here

blank 20 Pernod Ricard wine division 'not for sale' Monday 13 September 2010 French drinks giant Pernod Ricard has denied that its wine division is up for sale, maintaining that the company is 'very happy' with its performance. Read the full story here

blank 19 Brad Pitt to star in The Billionaire's Vinegar Tuesday 8 May 2012 The Billionaire's Vinegar, the controversial book about the Jefferson bottles affair, is being made into a film starring Brad Pitt. Read the full story here

blank 18 New movie lifts lid on Master Sommeliers Monday 23 January 2012 A new film about to be released shines a spotlight on the gruelling world of the Master Sommelier qualification â an exam less than 200 people have ever passed. Read the full story here

blank 17 Natalie MacLean: 'What I am doing is legal and right' Wednesday 19 December 2012 Canadian wine critic Natalie MacLean has denied offering wine reviews in return for website subscriptions, but has promised to fully reference third-party reviews amid growing scrutiny of her practices. Read the full story here

blank 16 Fine wine company disappears leaving clients empty-handed Thursday 2 February 2012 Another UK fine wine company has disappeared from the radar leaving orders unfulfilled â while its director sets up a similar company under another name. Read the full story here

blank 15 Bordeaux approves official Chinese names Friday 24 February 2012 Bordeaux's classified growths have approved the first-ever standardised Chinese translation of their names, Decanter.com can exclusively reveal. Read the full story here

blank 14 Bomb squad destroys WWII wine cache Monday 6 February 2012 by Adam Lechmere A cache of pre-World War II wine found in a suburban garden was destroyed by the British army bomb squad, a reader recounts in this month's issue of Decanter magazine. Read the full story here

blank 13 Lafite 2008 value drops 45% as fine wine prices fall Wednesday 4 January 2012 Fine wine prices in 2011 showed their most dramatic fall since 2008 â with some values dropping by nearly half. Read the full story here

blank 12 Margaret River 'should be protected' says minister as coal application dismissed Sunday 1 January 2012 Plans to develop coal mining in Australiaâs Margaret River wine region have been rejected â but campaigners fear their fight is not yet over Read the full story here

blank 11 Chateau Margaux unveils organic and screwcap wines Wednesday 22 February 2012 Organics and screwcaps could be the way forward for Chateau Margaux, according to new research by the Bordeaux first growth. Read the full story here

blank 10 Penfolds commissions Â£100,000 ampoule for Block 42 Friday 29 June 2012 In an extraordinary act of homage, Penfolds is releasing its ultra-rare Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 in a hand-blown glass ampoule in a hand-tooled wooden cabinet â for the price of a dozen cases of rare Bordeaux. Read the full story here

blank 9 Robert Parker steps down as Editor-in-Chief of the Wine Advocate Monday 10 December 2012 Significant changes are underway at the Wine Advocate as Robert Parker has announced he has taken on three new Asian investors and is opening up a new office in Singapore, from where the magazine will be run. Read the full story here

blank 8 Chapoutier pours scorn on natural winemakers Tuesday 31 January 2012 Renowned Rhone producer Michel Chapoutier has added to the natural wine debate by denouncing natural winemakers as out-of-touch hippies making defective wines. Read the full story here

blank 7 David Lynch reveals Dom Perignon design Tuesday 24 July 2012 Twin Peaks director David Lynch, one of Hollywood's most renowned film makers, has revealed his new design for Dom Perignon. Read the full story here

blank 6 Lidl enlists MWs for premium list Monday 24 September 2012 Low-cost supermarket retailer Lidl is spending Â£1m on its first ever premium wine range for the UK, enlisting a quartet of Masters of Wine to taste and rank the products.

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blank 5 Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 results unveiled Tuesday 22 May 2012 The 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards results were officially announced this morning at The London International Wine Fair.

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blank 4 Barossa rejects McDonald's Tuesday 12 October 2010 Fast food giant McDonaldâs has been told it cannot open a restaurant in Australiaâs Barossa Valley after an acrimonious planning battle which threatened to split the local community.

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blank 3 Two more AVAs approved Sunday 1 January 2012 Two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) have been approved.

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blank 2 Crushpad Bordeaux to open at Lynch Bages Thursday 26 April 2012 The Cazes family of Chateau Lynch Bages has taken a stake in Crushpad Bordeaux, an offshoot of the Californian custom wine operation.

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blank 1 London Olympics to generate Â£300m for wine trade, says study

Thursday 19 January 2012

London's hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars stand to make an extra Â£300m from the Olympics - but there are major challenges to overcome as well, new research suggests.