Are wine and cigarettes the secret to French longevity? And other food and drink news

Are wine and cigarettes the secret to French longevity? - A report published by the OECD this week revealed that the French enjoy one of the world’s highest life expectancies. It also showed they are among the West’s biggest consumers of tobacco and alcohol.

Legendary Belgian brewery Cantillon faces problems as climate change ruins traditional brewing methods - The boss of legendary Belgian brewery Cantillon has said he has been forced to stop production due to climate change, as an unusually warm autumn has meant temperatures are too high to cool the beer overnight.

Cantillon has been making what are considered some of the world's best sour, spontaneously fermented lambic beers in its Brussels brewery since it opened in 1900. According to the traditional recipe, Cantillon leaves their wort, the fermenting mix of grain and warm water, overnight in the cool late October air so it is exposed to the wild yeasts around it.

Can Domino's takeout the Italian pizza market?

What Every Wine Geek Needs to Know, Right Now - Listen up: Do you know what these phrases mean: “Pet-nat,” “concrete eggs,” “en rama,” “koshu,” or “red blotch”? You’re not up to speed with the latest trends if you don’t. These terms tip off changes in the ever-more-evolving wine world that affect what you’re drinking.  Fortunately, they also happen to be among the 350 new entries in the just-published 4th edition of the weighty, authoritative, indispensable Oxford Companion to Wine, so it’s easy to catch up.

China’s Winemakers Seek Their Own Napa Valley -  The winery, Silver Heights, has been a pioneer in China, bringing sophisticated Western winemaking techniques to what had been an industry focused on bulk production. ... Taking a cue from that boutique-winery model, Ningxia has ambitions to become the Napa Valley of China. Local winemakers have won prestigious awards, and plans are underway to double the region’s vineyards and create a wine tourism hub. Foreign investors have also taken notice. The French Champagne maker Möet & Chandon makes sparkling wines there, while the spirits giant Pernod Ricard is spending heavily to modernize its local winery.

Winemakers promise Alsace red 'revolution' - Long known for its top-of-the-range white wines, the northeastern French region of Alsace has begun touting its reds, which are rapidly becoming worthy rivals to the great Burgundies.