JULY 8, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Announces $1 Million Community Grant Distribution to Support Pandemic Relief
• Happy? Sad? Stressed? How Drinking Became the Answer to Everything [paywall?]
• RTD Alcohol, Tequila, Champagne Gain Share on Drizly
• Is Russia Really Banning French Winemakers from Using the Term ‘Champagne’?
• Inflation’s making things more expensive, but AlcBev prices rise modestly
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Claims of California North Coast wine grape smoke damage head to court
• Were smoke-impacted grapes & wine laundered? Lake County Court Battle Highlights Taint Ambiguities & Winery-Grower Tension
• Grape insurance fraud allegations, smoke taint damages to oak tanks, and the perils of handshake deals play out in Lake County courtroom
• Unlock new opportunities in the bulk wine, bulk spirits, and private label business.— (Sponsored link)

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• 2,000 Wineries And Growing, VinoShipper Compliance
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• “Excellent” vintage for Ribera del Duero despite difficult harvest
• OZ: ‘Perfect’ conditions see record wine crop
• Strong growth for Asolo Prosecco DOCG

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• G3 Enterprises opens Napa cork distributorship
• Azur Associates M&A and Business Consultancy Growth Continues, Adding Financial Professional Tracy Baron Garcia
• Shannon Family of Wines has Named Eric Hildreth as Winemaker for Super-Luxury Brands
• Wente Family Estates Announces New Sales Leaders
• Tooth & Nail Wine Co. Appoints Jim Blumling Chief Operating Officer

COVID-19

• WA: Longtime Prosser winery closes its doors after struggling through pandemic
• South African wine industry fears alcohol ban will not be lifted on “freedom day”

DIVERSITY

• This is How Diversity Happens

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• Cannabis farms not as thirsty as previously thought

DROUGHT/WATER

• Western farmers fight for fairness, businesses amid drought ‘like Hurricane Katrina’
• 2020 wildfires could be boon for water allocation
• Cal­i­fornia winemaker shares how drought has impacted her business

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• How climate change is changing the nursery profession

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Prosecco wars: Italy protests Croatia’s bid for special status for its prošek wine
• Russia to France’s Champagne region: Sorry to burst your bubble, but here, you’re just ‘sparkling wine’

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Philippe Schaus On The Future Of Moët Hennessy And Its Brands [paywall?]

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Angelina Jolie moves to sell Château Miraval
• Dreaming About Buying A Château In Bordeaux? Riku And Anna Did Just That [paywall?]
• TX: William Chris Wine Company Announces Acquisition of Hoover Valley Vineyard
• China: Tencent-Backed Alcohol Delivery Startup Said to Seek Fresh Funds [paywall?]

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Chinese official declares Beijing has targeted Australian goods as economic punishment
• Wines left on the vine from China have a new home at Naked
• Dom Perignon, Krug, Moet & Chandon Champagne Shipments Halted to Russia [paywall?]

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Fine wine market boasts more diverse regions than ever, shows mid-year report
• Price hikes and the return of ‘Bordeaux bashing’ mark Bordeaux en primeur 2020

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• How restaurants can up profits by applying neuroscience to wine lists
• Wine Service for Restaurants in a Post-COVID World

MARKETING & SALES

• Wines of Portugal promo boosts independent sales

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• These Innovative Packaging Designs Are Elevating On-the-Go Drinking

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Riesling conference in Finger Lakes to offer events for public, wine trade

MEDIA MATTERS

• How to Take Vineyard Photos that Stand Out

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Are Wines Getting Higher In Alcohol?
• Barbera Uncorked: A refreshing burst of character

WINE PEOPLE

• Remembering Jim Clendenen
• By the Bottle: DLynn Proctor
• Golden Vines applicants – Jai Singh

WINE PLACES

• Alentejo: Portugal’s Red Hot Wine Region [paywall?]
• Wind-Swept Vineyards of Santa Lucia Highlands [paywall?]

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• A Washington winery has pulled off a coup by luring the entire winemaking team from another noted producer
• Oregon’s Sparkling New Wine Chapter
• The Lemberger Revolution in New Jersey

EUROPE & THE UK

• Why Austria is a Leader in the Natural Wine Movement
• Rosé-Cremant from Bordeaux with white varieties in future?
• Decline in turnover at Feuillatte

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• The Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Making Wine in China