#236 Weekly Update with Fake Rioja, Super Bowl NA Boom & Savage Valentine’s Marketing ️

Scandals, upgrades, and pure chaos - this week’s wine world news
is a wild ride. Super Bowl parties are going heavy on
non-alcoholic drinks, but meanwhile, a fake Rioja ring just got
busted. Big brands are doubling down on premium - Diageo’s NA
spirits are flying off the shelves, Treasury is chasing luxury,
and Mumm Champagne might be sold soon. Elsewhere, Lidl is
throwing shade at Harrison Ford’s whisky ad, Deliveroo is sending
sommeliers straight to your doorstep, and Louis Vuitton thinks an
$18K lobster-shaped handbag is essential. Oh, and if Valentine’s
Day didn’t go as planned, a zoo will name a cockroach after your
ex and serve it up as a snack. Let’s dive in.





Alexander Gottschalk
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-gottschalk-641838223/)





Shownotes:


(00:00:00) US non-alcoholic sales soar ahead of the Super Bowl


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/us-sales-of-non-alcoholic-drinks-surge-ahead-of-the-super-bowl/ar-AA1yEWGL


(00:04:21) Police Bust Fake Rioja Ring


https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2025/02/police-bust-fake-rioja-ring


(00:06:24) Diageo’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits Are up by 56%


https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/02/diageo-ceo-no-low-is-big-opportunity/


(00:07:49) Treasury Wine Estates sees luxury growth


https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/02/treasury-wine-estates-sees-luxury-growth-but-struggles-with-budget-brands/


(00:09:15) Pernod Ricard considers sale of Mumm champagne


https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/02/pernod-ricard-weighs-possible-sale-of-gh-mumm/


(00:10:56) Luxurious English vineyard property on sale for £3.3m


https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/luxurious-english-vineyard-property-on-sale-for-3-3m-550231


(00:13:06) Non-alcoholic wine is unacceptable for Church of
England


https://traveltomorrow.com/non-alcoholic-communion-wine-is-unacceptable-for-church-of-england/


(00:16:11) Lidl trolls Harrison Ford's whisky ad


https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/tv/its-harrison-af-ford-able-34662683


(00:17:54) Deliveroo offers doorstep sommelier service on
Valentine’s Day


https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/02/deliveroo-offering-doorstep-sommelier-service-on-valentines-day/


(00:20:47) Lidl Germany launches Prosecco Pong Kit


https://www.lidl.de/p/livarno-home-proseccopong-set-fuer-glamouroese-silvesterpartys/p100382737


(00:22:43) Louis Vuitton unveils lobster-shaped bag worth $18k


https://wwd.com/pop-culture/new-fashion-releases/ouis-vuitton-lobster-bag-info-pharrell-nigo-1236881419/


(00:23:47) Zoo names cockroach after your ex and feeds it to
animals


https://sazoo.org/crymeacockroach/