Book excerpt: This is the second edition of the definitive analysis of the international wine trade. This new edition focuses on individual trade flows across the major importing and exporting countries, examines the increasing role of food retailers in wine selling and looks for the future trends which will shape the industry in the new millennium.The book begins by examining technical factors in the wine trade giving rise to differences in pricing and considers how wines' characteristics help to position the final products. It shows how trends in consumption are changing in different ways in the traditional and Anglo-Saxon markets and explains the effects of developments in international trade such as the role of trade barriers.The heart of the book profiles the ten major wine importing countries and considers: - Trends in the consumption of alcoholic drinks - Wine market and import patterns - The configuration of import and distribution channels - Each country's trade policy with detailed comparisons between themThe book then goes on to consider the wine trade from the exporters point of view and describes: - The challenge posed by New World producers to those based in Western Europe - The influence of the previously planned economies of the former Soviet bloc - The role of the EU and the likely effect of further European integration - The influence of tariff schedules and the GATT negotiationsThis edition will be essential reading for all wine trade professionals including: wine producers, importers and exporters, negocients, co-operatives and regional economic development agencies, and wine merchants and retailers.