APRIL 12, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Sonoma County wine industry group to expel Dominic Foppoli’s winery following sexual assault allegations (possible paywall)(Additional coverage below California links)
• Devastating spring frosts in France and Italy wipe out up to 95% of crop in some regions
• US whiskey and wine exporters brace for a summer of tariffs
• Beer, Spirits, & Wine – Packaged Imports Decline -6% By Value L12M through February 2021, Packaged Exports Decline -13%
• Napa Launches $42m Fire Prevention Plan
• Shocking news: Wine tastes better when it costs more money, even when it doesn’t(Sponsored link, premium paywall)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Constellation’s Wine Premiumization Strategy Is Starting To Pay Off (possible paywall)
• Ratings & reviews are useless for wine and movie recommendations, so Netflix killed them and embraced Big Data
• Duckhorn eyes potential for more winery acquisitions following IPO
• Final Call To Enter In The 2021 Sommeliers Choice Awards. Submission closes on April 20, 2021 – (Sponsored link)

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Yahyn Launches The World’s First NFT Wine Allocation
• Top sommeliers on why they take part in Sommeliers Choice Awards (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Does wine production increase wine consumption?
• Is your favorite imported wine low in stock? Blame the pandemic. (possible paywall)
• Luxembourgish wine makers register increase in online sales
• Which will be the best restaurant wine in the USA? (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Bill Harlan Appoints His Son, Will, as Managing Director of Harlan Estate
• Sonoma’s Cline Family Cellars shifts winemaking duties as Tsegeletos retires
• Napa Valley winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards hires Jay James as sales executive
• Wine e-tailer Vinfolio names Stephen Mutch tech chief
• Olney Family Vineyards family sued following death in an irrigation pond
• Sunridge Nurseries Announces New North Coast Vineyard Representative
• What’s the story behind the Public Radio wine?
• See how Phase 2 Cellars streamline systems and provide exceptional customer service.

MORE FOPPOLI SEXUAL ASSAULT COVERAGE

• Correction: Foppoli is mayor of Windsor, not Healdsburg

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• Dominic Foppoli’s ambitions embodied Windsor. Now his troubles cast a cloud over the town (possible paywall)
• Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli signals he won’t resign as outraged constituents, congressmen say he must go (possible paywall)
• A statement about The Press Democrat’s handling of the Dominic Foppoli story (possible paywall)

COVID-19

• Fact check: Did Gavin Newsom exempt wineries he founded from California COVID-19 rules? (possible paywall)

DIVERSITY

• Fine Wine and Vintage Flows: How Jay-Z Changed Champagne Culture
• A Wine Country city has a segregation problem (possible paywall)

HEALTH

• Excessive Drinking Rose During the Pandemic. Here Are Ways to Cut Back.

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• New technology ‘shines a light’ on smoke taint damage
• Tracking recovery after a bushfire
• Activated carbon the answer for the moment

DROUGHT/WATER

• Increasing groundwater salinity changes water and crop management over long timescales

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Nike Unveils Sustainable Sneaker Line Featuring Recycled Cork From Wine Industry
• Vineyard Manager at America’s Largest Biodynamic Vineyard Tells American Vineyard Magazine Going Biodynamic “A Pretty Easy Process” and “Not as Hard as You Might Think” (video)
• “It’s the nitrogen, stupid!”: The Backstory of Biodynamics
• Here’s a new online tool to find certified sustainable California wine

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• The Duckhorn Portfolio lands positive rating after quiet period ends

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Australia mulls taking China to court over trade war wine ban

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Champagne and Burgundy lead fine wine ‘boom’
• Investing in fine wine to diversify and de-risk your portfolio
• Talking Trade – Liv-ex indices reach new heights

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Tired of tasting notes? Not so fast, tough guy.
• Why Wine Lovers Are Not an Elite

MARKETING & SALES

• New online grower Champagne retailer and wine club targets growth

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• How Anyone Can Design Labels for Drinks

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Symposium for Professional Wine Writers Broadens Reach in 2021 (PDF)

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• YouTube, Reddit making huge gains in social media use. Facebook stagnant

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Save the stumps

WINE PEOPLE

• Exploring Caelesta Vineyard With Brian Farrell, Jr.
• From microbes to malo: a smooth transition for this scientist
• José Vouillamoz on Swiss Wine Grapes
• Jordann Eplenier, Winemaker Spirits of Norway Vineyard, Wisconsin (podcast)

WINE PLACES

• Nebbiolo in the Alps: A New Generation Helps Chart Valtellina’s Renaissance

WINE EDUCATION

• The OIV International Course in Ampelography is back

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• Morals Over Margins: A Blueprint for a More Equitable Hospitality Industry

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Agness Wine Cellars finds a home in Lyons, NY

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• The reduction of plant sink/source by cluster thinning does not systematically improve the composition of grape
• Glimpsing vineyard microclimates at the micro-scale

EUROPE & THE UK

• Spanish Wineries Under Investigation For Fraud
• France lifts caps on farm compensation after frost threatens harvest

DOWN UNDER

• NZ: Crops will rot if workers aren’t found – Central Otago Mayor
• NZ: Planting the seed of vineyard diversity

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• The Winemaker Behind China’s Ao Yun Talks Producing Wine At The Foot Of The Himalayas And Its New Vintage

AROUND THE GLOBE

• Label Investigation Sparks War of Words