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When it comes to politics, wine makes for strange bedfellows. Even in these most partisan of political times, people of divergent beliefs can socialize over wine and almost be guaranteed that it will not devolve into a shouting match about welfare or war or whatnot.

French wine producers exported less wine in the first half but made more money than a year earlier as overseas markets opted for more expensive wines, a report said.

Livermore wineries will come uncorked this weekend in honor of the 125th grape harvest in the Livermore Valley. For about $50, patrons can wet their whistles via a shuttle bus tour of the wineries. More than 30 buses will travel along seven different routes, with multiple winery stops on each route.

New figures released yesterday reveal that international demand for France's inexpensive plonk is drying up at an unprecedented rate, as cash-strapped British and American consumers forgo their dinnertime tipple.

In the second of a series of articles related to trends in the online wine industry, Global Wine & Spirits is now taking a look at who drives wine consumption worldwide and what the role of the Internet is in market growth.

Listed wine company Delegat's Group has reported a 77 percent rise in annual net profit to $19.1 million, citing a year of record sales performance and market share milestones.

Stag's Leap Winery has found e-mail to be a great way to get out in front of customers. The winery uses e-mail to communicate with loyalty wine club members and people who have signed up to receive information.

There is nothing complicated about allowing consumers to buy the wine they prefer over the Internet and having it shipped, while still ensuring compliance with state tax and underage drinking laws. Most other states have figured it out, but the Politburo that runs Pennsylvania's booze monopoly prefers to treat it as indecipherable rocket science.

Wine major Australian Vintage has posted its first annual profit in three years and forecast further growth despite turmoil among its major competitors.

When it comes to young, fresh and relatively inexpensive white wines, the kind that I like to drink in these last warm weeks of summer or with simple seafood in any season, there is an excellent source for such wines in France, in Bordeaux, that deserves a good deal more attention than it gets.

"There's a new direction here at Charles Krug, and a renewed commitment to producing wines of surpassing quality," said Peter Mondavi Jr. proprietor. "David's passion and creativity will reinforce all of our efforts to take our Peter Mondavi Family wines to a whole new level."

"He did not want to be part of it," he said of Grgich, to whom he refers to as "Mr. Grgich". The producers and director had conversations with him. I could understand after knowing and working with Mr. Grgich, why he would have that response because he wanted it to have more accuracy, not so much Hollywood, and not have them (portray wine) so matter of fact."

There are changes the college presidents and their brethren might well endorse: (1) raising the age of enlistment into the armed services to 21 years so that 18-year-olds, who should be college freshmen, aren't instead drowning in alcohol, flying on drugs, or dying in senseless combat, all far from home; (2) increasing taxes on alcohol so drinkers would better contribute to the excess costs of alcohol-related health consequences.

For thousands of public health professionals, researchers and community and youth advocates, this announcement, dubbed the Amethyst Initiative, is troubling. Many of the arguments seem quite rational. If one can fight for his country, why not be able to drink a beer? If we could make drinking alcohol less of a "rite of passage" maybe kids would drink less?