FEBRUARY 16, 2023 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• The paradox of the US wine industry: falling volumes, yet more regular drinkers
• California Association of Winegrape Growers Announces COVID-19 Financial Relief Legislation
• Who is drinking low/no?
• ChatGPT is for suckers
• Amazon Fees Now Taking More Than Half Of Its Merchant’s Sales.

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Beckstoffer Vineyards (“To Kalon Illuminati?”) Sues Last Bottle for To Kalon-Related Trademark Infringement
• Treasury Wine Estate reports EBIT up 17% to $307.5 million for H1, 2023
• Moet Hennessy Buys Château Minuty In Bet on Rosy Future for Luxury Rosé [paywall?]
• Grow your wine brand awareness in restaurants and bars of USA – (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Ciatti Global Market Report – February 2023 (PDF)
• Prices soar for SLO County wine grapes

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Winegrapes Are Still the Economic Driver of Sonoma County Ag
• Winemaker’s New Role Amplifies Sustainability Focus at Honig
• SingleThread in Healdsburg serves a dramatic bottle of dessert wine [paywall?]
• Acme Fine Wines shops sells the best wines you’ve never heard of [paywall?]

WEATHER

• NZ: Hurricane Destroys Hawke’s Bay Vineyards

DROUGHT/WATER

• Calif Gov Newsom waives environmental laws to store more water
• Declaring the drought over is extremely shortsighted [paywall?]

CLIMATE CHANGE

• Climate Change is Challenging the Quality of Many Traditional Method Sparkling Wines

DIVERSITY

• Representation Matters in Wine Stock Photography
• ‘Filling in the gaps’ for food access: women-run farms rethink California agriculture
• We hope wine shops of the future look like this newcomer

HEALTH

• Moderate Drinking Before And During Pregnancy Can Change A Child’s Face Shape
• What is the relationship between the pattern of alcohol consumption and subjective quality of life in healthy adults?

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Solving the Wine Packaging Sustainability Issue

REAL ESTATE

• John Terlato Sells Lake Forest Mansion for $4.5M, 25% below initial ask

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Pernod Ricard reveals ‘very strong’ sales in half-year results
• Treasury Wine Estates: Luxury Brands Rise, But Softer Consumer Trends Impact U.S. Volume [paywall?]
• Beam Suntory’s Sales Rise 11% In 2022, Including 8% Gain In North America [paywall?]
• Vintage Wine Estates Receives Notification from Nasdaq
• LVMH adds to its luxury wine portfolio

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• DuMOL Winery Acquires Dr. Galante Estate Vineyard

DISTRIBUTORS

• Why a Napa estate is selling Sauvignon Blanc via Bordeaux
• Teliani Valley Adds Gary Griggs as Vice President of Sales USA

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Vinexpo CEO: ‘I don’t want to be the biggest trade show’, but the most inclusive

WINE CRIME

• Perpetrators of Massive Wine Fraud Sentenced to House Arrest in France

MEDIA MATTERS

• Here’s why every aspiring food and wine communicator should have a blog

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Reassessing what New Zealand wine stands for

WINE PEOPLE

• Michael Accurso – Director of Emerging Wine Brands: En Route, Bella Union, and Post & Beam (podcast)
• Meet the Wertheimers, the $30.8 Billion French Brothers Behind Chanel

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Oregon winegrowers glean lessons from last year’s untimely frost

EUROPE & THE UK

• Comité Champagne reveals its plans for the next 10 years

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Could craft breweries survive by merging into supergroups?
• How the future of beer is all in its foamy head