NEWSFETCH – September 26, 2011

TOP NEWS

• What’s Behind the Moscato Madness?
• Aussies Eye Franken-grapes To Cope With Climate Change
• Darkening economy dampens consumers’ spending plans
• SJValley grape growers see Thompson demand double
• U.S. Wine Drinkers Root for Home Team
• Will Yellow Tail Find More Green?
• Nielsen: The Power of the African-American Consumer
• Mandatory E-Verify Passes House Committee
• Gallo Restores Historic Healdsburg Winery
• Derby Wine Estates converts old Farmers Alliance building in Paso Robles
• WA: Kennewick company building $5.5 million wine warehouse
• Fine wine makes a hit at baseball parks
• New tendencies in wine designs
• Alcohol group spent nearly $1.3M lobbying in 2Q
• Wine becomes people’s choice
• Analysis of West Sonoma Coast Vintners
• Dreyfus, Ashby Boosts Burgundy Portfolio With Array Of International Wine Brands
• Santa Lucia Highlands Has Its Act Together

PUBLIC COMPANIES & INVESTING

• Facebook boosts Diageo US sales by 20%
• Montrose leads trade on Liv-ex
• Diageo eyes Asian listing
• Diageo mulls major acquisitions in emerging market

HARVEST 2011

• Napa Valley Harvest Update – White Wines
• Douro 2011: a new norm?
• Fresno Grape harvester crash lands two in hospital
• Hand-picked grapes ‘compulsory’ for Burgundy wine
• Vineyards versus the machine
• Harvest 2011: A Look Around Spain and Portugal
• Bordeaux: post-harvest conference brings positive news
• Calaveras County & Amador County – Harvest Reports
• MI: Lemon Creek Winery’s grape harvest unfazed by harsh winter
• NY: Grape growers, winemakers endure roller coaster year

HEALTH

• Two glasses of wine a week ‘cut asthma risk’ compared to heavy drinkers
• Antioxidants not behind red wine’s healthy effect on heart
• Living Alone Linked With Increased Risk of Dying From Alcohol-Related Causes
• One Thing Red Wine Can’t Do

MEDIA MATTERS

• Should wine producers listen to journalists?
• Is Patch Ready to Crash?
• Is the app economy killing online publishers?

WATER

• Federal judge who ruled in controversial water cases steps down
• USDA Invests in California Watershed

AROUND THE UNITED STATES

• AR: Dollar General approved for beer sales in 50 stores
• AZ: Phoenix’s wine-less Mass criticized
• NY: Wine technique survives, much like its maker, George O’Dell
• NY: Family Winery To Open Soon
• OR: Wine tourism blooms
• PA: Use liquor ‘flood tax’ for disasters
• PA: Who Will Be Held Responsible for the Wine Vending Machine Snafu?
• VA: Social climber’s winery auction called a success
• WA: Liquor initiative creates far more problems that it solves

EUROPE

• DOCs & DOCGs Are Meaningless if Everyone Has One
• French and Chinese join forces to fight wine fraud
• Nueva Rumasa sold to ‘vulture fund’

THE UK

• World Wine Agencies and Heritage Wine join forces to distribute Californian wine

CANADA

• Ontario wines still struggle for acceptance
• A toast to three generations of winemaking
  

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: SA wine industry labelled as lazy
• OZ: Big Wineries blame tax for the glut
• OZ: Smaller Players want Tax Status Quo

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• China and Bordeaux: A Perfect Match
• China’s Price Offensive Takes on Booze
• Victoria targets China’s wine thirst

LATIN AMERICA

• Cahors could push Malbec in Asia
• Imported Wines are Gaining in Popularity in Mexico

SOUTH AFRICA

• Local vintners – and drinkers – are slowly switching on to organic

AROUND THE GLOBE

• Is Israeli Wine as Good as California Wine?

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• 5 reasons you’re probably wasting time with QR codes
• Wine Websites Miss Out – Annual Harvest Fair Rant
• ‘Amazon tax’ compromise signed into law
• Snooth.com Announces Facebook Integration to Make Wine Tasting More Social
• Booze ‘peddled via Facebook’
• Spectrum Wine Auctions Goes Mobile with iPad and iPhone Bidding App

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Calif. wineries roll out red carpet for families
• Ken Burns Tackles Prohibition
• The California-Without-Parker Video
• Self-proclaimed ‘bad wine’ maker wins week with the pros