“We’re averaging around 15 hectolitres per hectare for Vin de Constance, which is incredibly low, so our prices will have to reflect this leap in quality,” – assuming the a link between lower yields and higher quality are made here (a reasonable one), when did this “leap” happen, I wonder, as it implies a leap down in quality of the vintages before that? Surely the yields for VdC has been low for quite a few years now. My guess is that they want to hike prices to (a) get increased publicity (b) make more money and (c) compete on a more similar level with great sweet wines around the world. Then again, they have the right to hike prices of their own products for whatever reason, I suppose…

How to make friends and influence people Mr Astrom! "It’s better now it’s not South African-owned." Why? Rude comments on complacent Joostes(!) Dishing out disrespect like this certainly doesn't endear me to the new 'brand owners'. (30,000 bottles this harvest - up from 10,000 AND at much lower yields - seems money can buy you big volumes and big talk.)