JUNE 16, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• US AlcBev consumption up to highest levels since 2002, but wine shows weak gain
• Is the world ready for the ‘gamification’ of wine?
• Napa’s extravagant wine auction ends after 40 years, changing to be less ‘elitist’ [paywall?]
• E. &J. Gallo to begin building $423M center in South Carolina
• A Look at LBGTQIA+ Issues in Wine, and How the Industry Can Solve Them
• Diageo becomes first spirits company to sign sponsorship deal with NFL
• Comfort with dining out declines in June
• The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• U.S, EU agree truce in 17-year aircraft subsidy battle
• Deadlines and dueling appraisals set up Rabbit Ridge Winery property for an existential turning point in mid-June
• Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen 2019 Eroica Riesling Gets Wine Of The Year at 2021 Sommeliers Choice Awards — (Sponsored link)

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Underground Cellar wants to be like Robinhood but for buying and trading wine
• Bob Paulinski MW: Why I Want to Be a Judge in USA Wine Ratings –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• NielsenIQ Beverage Alcohol Update
• Wine Needs to Fight Back for Market Share
• Sommeliers Choice Awards 2021 results are out! – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Deborah Golino, UC Davis FPS Director, to Retire in July 2021
• Auction Napa Valley will be replaced with yearlong fundraising campaign when it resumes [paywall?]
• See how Phase 2 Cellars streamline systems and provide exceptional customer service.

COVID-19

• After June 17, vaccinated California workers won’t have to wear masks
• California’s reopening in Sonoma County more like turning up a dimmer than flipping a switch

DIVERSITY

• Constellation Brands and Modelo Partner to Help Empower Hispanics to Achieve the American Dream Through $500,000 Contribution to UnidosUS
• Lodi Collective Is Early Leader In Efforts To Increase Wine Industry Diversity With Partner, The Roots Fund [paywall?]
• Female Wine Industry Leaders Over 60 Years Old Are Revolutionizing The Concept Of How Chardonnay Grapes Are Used [paywall?]
• A small wine boutique is changing the face of who is a tastemaker
• Celebrating Black-owned wineries and Black winemakers, a true rarity in the world of wine

DROUGHT/WATER

• Vineyards reckon with unknowns during drought
• Drought conditions prompt restrictions for some Delta water right holders

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• First Heat, Then Frost: 2021 Chablis and Rhone Wines Off the Menu? Climate Scientists Say Climate Change Increased Chance of France’s Worst Wine Frost 60%, Losses Estimated at $4.85 Billion
• Climate change likely contributed to ‘catastrophic’ French frost: scientists
• F&W Game Changers: Now That’s Good Wine

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• NZ: Scales Corporation pulls out of bid for winemaker Villa Maria

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Truce Called in Wine Tariff War
• Paris Trade Office to drive South Australian export growth in Europe

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Petrus and DRC lead Christie’s June sale in London
• Fine wine trading tips of the week
• Richmond wine investment platform Vint expects success following breakout launch

BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR

• Réserve de la Comtesse 2020 En Primeur: “effortlessly delicious”
• Bordeaux en primeur 2020: Big releases and an upward trend in prices

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Were the wine critics wrong about 2003 in Champagne?

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Research Finds Cork Increasing Leadership Position in US with Significant Growth in Sales and Market Share During 2020

PAYMENTS

• Andrews Family Vineyards Becomes First Washington State Wine Brand to Accept Cryptocurrency

MEDIA MATTERS

• Blind Ambition: the film following Zimbabwe’s first “Wine Olympics” team

MATTERS OF TASTE

• How Your Deceiving Eyes Can Change the Taste of Wine
• Is This Wine a Work of Art?
• Elizabeth Gabay MW’s Buyer’s Guide to the rosés of Southern France

WINE PEOPLE

• I’ll Drink to That: Winemaker Dominik Sona (podcast)

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Oregon Wine Country: Mea Culpa—There’s Nothing to See Here
• Washington wine industry cheers as shipping revives in early 2021

EUROPE & THE UK

• Shake-up of Cava DO rules to come into force in January
• France: The wine industry triumphs in CAP reform
• UK: Sarah Evans retires as chairman of The Wine Society

SOUTH AFRICA

• South African wine is more than a drink; it’s a livelihood
• Vinpro: ‘Blanket approach unnecessary, unjustified and counterproductive’