MARCH 17, 2023 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• SVB Financial files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection, says it has $2.2B in liquidity
• SVB Bank, VC Unit Not Included in Holding Chapt11
• 2022 Grape Crush: Don’t Bet Too Heavily on a Repeat Performance
• Ecommerce and premium offer opportunities in ‘challenging’ wine market
• 2022 Grape Crush: Don’t Bet Too Heavily on a Repeat Performance
• St. Patrick’s Day spending could hit a record $6.9 billion in the U.S. [paywall?]
• Gallo chief marketer: To engage young adults, wine business must ‘create brands that people trust’
• SVB’s Implosion Was No Surprise To Those Really Paying Attention To The Numbers.
• For Sale: Exclusive “off-market” Central Coast high capacity production facility – Sponsored Link

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Sonoma County vintners nervous over collapse of SVB: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet’
• Slow decline of wine volume sales set to continue, IWSR says
• Ecommerce and premium offer opportunities in ‘challenging’ wine market

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• FDIC taps investment bank to lead Silicon Valley Bank sale
• Dow drops 400 points as First Republic’s slide rattles Wall Street: Live updates
• First Republic Bank Suspends Dividend, Receives $30 Billion Rescue
• VA: Winery with links to Jefferson acquired by Monticello’s foundation [paywall?]

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Ciatti Global Market Report – March 2023 (PDF)
• Concha y Toro grew by 4% in 2022 but fell short in key markets
• 1st signs of new growth pop up across few Sonoma County vineyards [paywall?]
• Austrian wine exports reach record value
• Turrentine in the News: Interview with American Vineyard (videos)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Tom Rinaldi’s Patent Wine Co. is making remarkable wines in Napa Valley [paywall?]

DROUGHT/WATER

• Spring Outlook: California drought cut by half with more relief to come
• Drought over? Spring outlook finds relief — and flood risk
• Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look

DIVERSITY

• 3 BIPOC-owned businesses to visit in Napa Valley [paywall?]

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Argento’s biodiversity index paves the way for an organic future
• An Italian wine region takes a sustainable approach [paywall?]
• Spain to be the frontrunner in organic fine wines, says MW

REAL ESTATE

• Templeton gap area winery up for sale

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• LVMH – How Quality Outperforms In A Downturn [freewall?]

AGRIFOODTECH

• Using AI for Good Wine Business: A Clear Example
• 5 Key Innovation Areas That Are Steering the Next Wave in Agriculture

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Hope for light at end of China tunnel for Australia?

BREXIT

• Austria’s wine exports hit a high, but Brexit Britain proves ‘challenging’

DISTRIBUTORS

• Enoteca Japan and Delicato sign exclusive deal for Francis Ford Coppola wine

DATA & TRENDS

• How To Tell If A Survey Is Credible: Minimum Standards

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Independent bottlers make this market move

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Record Attendance at California Wines “Alive” Tastings in Japan and South Korea Signals Bounce Back of Export Markets

MEDIA MATTERS

• Inside the fall of Gourmet Traveller Wine (a.k.a. Wine) magazine
• Book Review: Italian Wine Unplugged 2.0 offers a Deep Dive Into Italian Wine
• VinePair’s Adam Teeter (podcast)

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Natural wine – a murderous funk?
• Embrace the funk of ‘natural wine’ [paywall?]
• A Skeptic’s Tour of New York City’s Natural Wine Bars [paywall?]

WINE PEOPLE

• Q&A: Horst Mueller, VinLog, Kuehne & Nagel
• Legendary Dom Pérignon Cellar Master Inspires The World With His Own Japanese Sake [paywall?]

WINE PLACES

• Alder Yarrow tells the story of California’s geekiest vineyard—Lodi’s Mokelumne Glen

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• A deja vu in the world of alcohol sales: How freer wine sales will affect Colorado liquor stores
• NM: Senate committee passes nickel-per-drink increase in alcohol tax

ACADEMIA

• WineVit showcases important WSU student and faculty wine science research

EUROPE & THE UK

• Desperate Bordeaux Grapegrowers Get Aid to Pull Up Vines
• Daou brothers turn attention to Tuscany
• Budget misery for UK drinks trade
• Higher Alcohol Taxes Reduce UK Market Export-Appeal

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Toasting Saint Patrick in Wine