AUGUST 21, 2020 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Deadly LNU fire in North Bay at 219,000 acres already one of California’s largest ever
• At least 5 dead, nearly 700,000 acres burned as massive fires threaten Northern and Central California (possible paywall)
• Drizly Closes $50 Million Funding Round
• Champagne makers may destroy record amounts of grapes to save industry from pandemic losses
• Penrose Hill v. Mabray: Did wine journalism win a significant legal victory?
• Napa wildfire complex – largest in the state – expanding. Sonoma fire also growing: Live, interactive map.
• Power shut-offs are in your future. Keep crush moving. Click to reserve your generator NOW! (Sponsored)

OBITUARIES

• Clover Hill Winery founder, one of Pa.’s grape-growing pioneers, dead at 79

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Mabray beats back defamation lawsuit by Philip James, strengthens fair commentary protections
• Harvard-controlled LLC in $120+ million deal with anonymous LLC connected with Canadian pension fund.
• Ruby Grapes sues Intercoastal Wine charging criminal pandemic profiteering.
• Streamlining a Large Custom Crush Operation for Clients and Cellar Staff (Sponsored)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Trump says Calif wildfires happen because state doesn’t rake its leaves
• Mondavi Fire briefly prompts evacuation warnings west of Highway 29
• Wineries Harvest while Wine Country Burns
• Updated: Wildfires Rage in Multiple California Wine Regions
• California Wildfires and the Wine Community – What You Need To Know
• Google is using satellite imagery and Maps to visualize wildfire size and behavior
• What’s in that wildfire smoke, and why is it so bad for your lungs?

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Champagne Harvest 2020: Earliest Start Ever Thanks To Drought And Climate Change
• Happy drink in sad times: champagne-makers gather pandemic harvest
• Fears of too much wine as Europe’s 2020 harvest begins
• How To Really Send Your Samples To Prospective Distributors and Importers (Sponsored)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• SB Vintners Proposes Assessment Fee on Tasting Room Wine Sales
• North Bay hotels see more guests in July, according to new figures
• Strong case for Lodi terroir (part 3) — soil and topography
• Napa Valley Vintners increase COVID-19 response aid
• Results Are Out For The First Edition Of Paris Wine Cup (Sponsored)

COVID & HOSPITALITY

• The pandemic pivot for wineries

DIVERSITY

• Giving Black Wine Professionals a Voice: A Live Chat with Julia Coney

HEALTH

• Hangover Cure Successfully Tested on Drunk Subjects in Finland
• Wellbeing trend fuelling organic wine sales

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• How To Build Your Online Presence To Drive Your Delivery & Curbside Sales? (Sponsored)

RECYCLED WASTEWATER

• University researchers develop effective wastewater treatment option

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Michigan Wine Lovers Seek Choice…Oh, The Humanity!
• Beyond Granholm: Predicting and preparing for the future of alcohol sales
• Lebamoff’s Cert Petition to Be Considered By Court on September 29. Petition Supporting Cert Filed By Oenophiles.
• Are states playing Nero while distilleries bleed?

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Self Service Distribution for Wine and Spirits? Yes, it’s a real thing.
• Grow Your Delivery and Curbside Pick Up Business*(Sponsored)

AGRIFOODTECH

• Vine Click: Augmented Reality in the Vineyard, and in Your Pocket

DISTRIBUTORS

• A New Alcohol Distributor Network Aims To Revolutionize The Industry
• Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Appoints Ryan Schnall to Senior Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• How the Covid crisis has made the IWSC more vital than ever

MARKETING & SALES

• A primer on shelf-talkers

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Reimagining Harvest: Keeping Field and Cellar Workers Safe Is Job #1

MEDIA MATTERS

• ‘Shadows in the Vineyard’: DRC True-Crime Story Coming to TV

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Demystifying additives in winemaking and viticulture
• On ‘Clean’ wine – ambiguity among the vines
• Merlot, Luxury Pomerol And Affordable Everyday Wine

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

• Why the James Beard Foundation is Not Announcing the Remaining 2020 Award Winners

WINE PEOPLE

• Andy Erickson on The Taste with Doug Shafer (podcast)

WINE EDUCATION

• The four types of wine students

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• As the restaurant industry suffers, the James Beard Foundation scraps its prestigious awards until 2022
• The Future of Trader Joe’s Looks Bumpy (possible paywall)
• The Future of Global Dining

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Idaho Wine Commission to shorten workweek
• B.C.’s wine industry is filled with challenges, and possibilities

ACADEMIA

• ASEV Recognizes the 2020 Best Papers in Enology and Viticulture

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• An Invasive-Species Success Story: The Eradication of the European Grapevine Moth

LATIN AMERICA

• DBR Lafite keen for Chilean brand to ‘develop its own image’

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Tuscan Wine Crossword
• How this Ontarian bought almost $1,000 worth of wine for $0

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• The Pandemic Is Delivering Fatal Blows To America’s Distilling Scene
• Beer Taxes Set To Jump