FEBRUARY 26, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• 9th Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Orion Imports Challenge to Calif Law
• Building Bridges: Wine Innovators Pave The Way For Future Generations (possible paywall)
• Profits, sustainability potential in specialty foods/beverages say North Coast event speakers
• COVID Variants! Mutations! Strains! Why so many versions of basically the same thing popping up every day in different places?
• Wag-riculture: For the love of farm dogs (possible paywall)
• Does wine compliance make you cry? We’re here to help with that but need your input!(Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Covid’s Impact on Wine Tasting
• The Duckhorn Portfolio files for an estimated $300 million IPO
• How genes wreck wine recommendations
• SPACial Report: Pat Roney on the Vintage Wine Estates Merger (Podcast)
• Sommeliers Choice Awards launches Shelf talkers and Tasting notes for entrants – (Sponsored link)

DIVERSITY

• Black Winemaker Dances to his Own Tune
• How One Professional Alcohol Organization Is Reaching Beyond Women To Become More Inclusive (possible paywall)
• Wine Business Monthly and Dream Big Darling Offer New Round of Scholarships to Central Coast Insights
• Tiffanie Barriere on fighting for diversity
• This May Be Why Moët Hennessy Bought Half Of Jay-Z’s Champagne Business
• The Essential Black-Owned Spirits and Wines You Need To Try Right Now

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Tennessee: Don’t Let Lawmakers Take Your Wine Choices Away
• Alcohol delivery service may be coming to South Carolina
• Becoming a Master Sommelier in the midst of a global pandemic (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• TX: It could take weeks and months to know full impact of freeze on vineyards
• Grow Your Wine Brand In USA with 2021 Sommeliers Choice Awards (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Legislation aims to replenish California tourism marketing funds depleted under pandemic restrictions
• Longtime wine, beer, spirits industry analyst Danny Brager joins Napa’s Azur Associates
• Napa’s Wineshipping names Chet Gandi chief information officer
• California Wine Country law firm Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty launches regulatory compliance service
• Food (and wine) for the soul: Darioush winery keeps busy in the pandemic (possible paywall)
• California Democrats seek to add 535,000 acres of wilderness in state
• Napa Before The Grape Vines: Three Snapshots Of The Napa Valley From The 1960s (possible paywall)
• See how Phase 2 Cellars streamline systems and provide exceptional customer service.

COVID-19

• Can Your Organization Require Workers Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

HEALTH

• One Major Side Effect of Drinking Red Wine, Says New Study

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• The Restaurant at Meadowood Returns with Pop-Up at Ojai Valley Inn
• Sonoma County DA seeks Kincade fire evidence from PG&E

DROUGHT/WATER

• Water Year 2021 in California: The Suspense Continues

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• California Wine Industry Sustainability Highlighted in Recent Report
• Calif: Grants available for Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Program
• How Family Equals Sustainability (podcast)
• NZ: Lawson’s Dry Hills achieves carbon zero certification

RECYCLED WASTEWATER

• One California community shows how to take the waste out of water

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Terra Vera Raises $2 Million in Seed Funding Round

DISTRIBUTORS

• Daniel Lambert on steps needed to build a successful agency business

MARKETING & SALES

• Graft Wine Shop Co-Owners Miles White and Femi Oyediran Have ‘New Ways of Doing Business’
• 2019, or the year of the coronavinous

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Vinitaly is still happening in June 2021
• Wine Competition Concours Mondial De Bruxelles Changes Venues (possible paywall)

PAYMENTS

• Gin Company Accepts First U.S. Bitcoin Payment from Distributor

MEDIA MATTERS

• The Wine Curmudgeon moves to paid subscriptions beginning March 15
• Dynamic Guides To The World of Wine
• André Simon Awards: Wine from Another Galaxy

MATTERS OF TASTE

• How Etna counters preconceived notions about fine wine
• All about terroir
• The evolution of Mendoza Malbec
• Regional fingerprints (possible paywall)

WINE EDUCATION

• 10 new Masters of Wine for 2021 with first in Italy

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Bill would allow workers to enforce Oregon labor regulations (possible paywall)

EUROPE & THE UK

• Independent winemakers furious with Luxair’s move to replace local products

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Winemakers fume over timing of controlled burns in Macedon Ranges
• Big changes Wine Australia

LATIN AMERICA

• Argentinian winery reveals ‘stunning’ results of ocean wine ageing

SOUTH AFRICA

• ‘Sin Tax’ Hike on Alcohol in South Africa Will Backfire, Wine Exporter Says (possible paywall)

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Bourbon Exports Plunge 50% in Wake of Trump’s Trade War
• Ohio’s Diverse Agriculture Creates Local Craft Spirits