MAY 18, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Rabbit Ridge Winery property scheduled for bankruptcy auction in June.
• Global alcohol sales fell 6% during the pandemic
• Clendenen a Huge Loss for California Wine
• House lawmakers unveil bill to end ban on Postal Service shipments of alcohol
• America’s Restaurant Apocalypse Has Been Greatly Exaggerated (possible paywall)
• The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

OBITUARIES

• Jim Clendenen, Santa Barbara vintner who changed the course of California Pinot Noir, dies at 68 (possible paywall)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Why the moves of Sebastiani, Clos du Bois brands is not uncommon in wine business
• North Bay vintners raise concerns about new wine brokering/consulting firm run by failed entrepreneur and convicted felon
• The Path To Netflix-Quality Wine Recommendations Leads Through The Doors of Perception
• America’s Top Wine Buyers to Judge USA Wine Ratings 2021 – (Sponsored link)
• Pandemic pricing: Are we trying to buy less expensive wine?– Premium Paywall

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• New Kentucky Laws Allow Wine Delivered Right To The Doorstep
• Bob Paulinski MW: Why I Want to Be a Judge in USA Wine Ratings –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• The Roller Coaster Ride Of California Sparkling Wine During Covid – Ending On A High In 2021? (possible paywall)
• Lodi Winegrape Commission 2020 Annual Report (PDF)
• Pernod says wine business will not meet Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc demand
• Bloom begins in eastern Washington
• How USA Wine Ratings Judges Wines in the Same Way Consumer Do – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga may be sold, remade into wine destination
• Renowned Wine and Sensory Scientist Dr. Heymann Will Present the ASEV Merit Award Presentation on June 23
• See how Phase 2 Cellars streamline systems and provide exceptional customer service.

COVID-19

• What I Learned Starting a Wine Import Company During a Pandemic
• How California growers had to sidestep county and state programs to vaccinate farmworkers (possible paywall)

DIVERSITY

• Natasha Lorick: How Wine Unify is helping me start a career in wine

HEALTH

• Chardonnay grape residue has been found to contain human health benefits
• Alcohol may have immediate effect on atrial fibrillation risk, events

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• A Winery Carbon Footprint Self-Assessment: Why I Can’t Give Us an “A” Despite All Our Progress
• Gérard Bertrand: “I think that 50% of vineyards will be organic in 10 years’ time”

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Cocktails-to-go may become a permanent fixture in California
• NY Restaurants urge lawmakers: Keep the booze flowing

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Target matches competitors by adding beer and wine to its pickup and delivery services

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Heineken in talks to buy South African drinks maker Distell
• NZ: Villa Maria wine company owners in receivership

DISTRIBUTORS

• Sicilian wine to sell through La Place de Bordeaux for first time

WEBINARS/ONLINE MEETINGS

• A Round Up of Talks on Virtual Wine Events and More

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Napa Valley College online wine auction supports students (possible paywall)

BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR

• Bordeaux 2020 en primeur wines: What to expect
• Monbousquet 2020 En Primeur – ‘charming’
• Pavie Decesse 2020 En Primeur – ‘sleek and poised’
• Château Langoa Barton En Primeur 2020

MARKETING & SALES

• Tasting Room Tip Lines – Yea or Nay?

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• The Changing Landscape of Alternative Wine Containers

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Cheap, user-friendly smartphone app predicts vineyard yields
• TikTok’s Soaring Pandemic Popularity Grabs Advertisers’ Attention
• Facebook Opposes Class-Action Status For Advertisers Suing Over ‘Potential Reach’

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Rise to the Occasion: Making Yeast Cultivation a Career
• GuildSomm Career Series: Consulting (podcast)

MATTERS OF TASTE

• ‘It Has to Be Vibrant’: The Evolving Rosés of Provence
• It’s okay to love Chardonnay

WINE PLACES

• Cathiard Family Estate: A French Makeover Beneath the Mayacamas

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Grape genetics research reveals what makes the perfect flower

EUROPE & THE UK

• Europe Wants Americans Back
• Rioja leaves bad taste in the mouth for Basque winemakers
• James Davis MW joins Henkell Freixenet
• UK: Last chance to enter Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship
• UK: Wine Guild launches free hospitality courses

DOWN UNDER

• How to reinvigorate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in Australia
• OZ: Cutting costs while cutting vines