JUNE 18, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• How drinks brands can make a success of DTC
• Planning, reservations, appointments: In a post-COVID drinking world, spontaneity will be gone [paywall?]
• Juneteenth 2021: Most banks will be open this year
• By-appointment tasting room visitors almost 2X as likely to join your club than drop-ins
• AVA Avalanche
• The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Restaurant sales continue improvement in May but guest traffic worsens
• 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

• Can Retailers Do Direct-to-Consumer (DtC) Wine Shipping?
• 3 Top Priorities Right Now for Wineries and Their Ecommerce Data
• Bob Paulinski MW: Why I Want to Be a Judge in USA Wine Ratings –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Sommeliers Choice Awards 2021 results are out! – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Former Geyser Peak tasting room in Sonoma County reborn as Orsi Family Vineyards winery
• Mia Carta opens in downtown Napa: Six family-owned wineries form a collective tasting room [paywall?]
• Wine Institute’s new chair sees ‘golden opportunities’
• Napa County Farm Bureau names Agriculturist of the Year, Friend of Agriculture for 2021
• OLE Health Foundation’s SALUD Napa Valley Fundraiser raises more than $500,000
• See how Phase 2 Cellars streamline systems and provide exceptional customer service.

COVID-19

• Wisconsin Judge Pauses Debt Relief For Black, Disadvantaged Farmers
• The restaurants that sued the SBA for discrimination received almost $1 million in Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants
• UK hospitality firms threaten legal action over continued lockdown
• UK: How the on-trade can overcome Covid-19

DROUGHT/WATER

• The West has a dangerous lack of water and will
• Calif. farmers making tough decisions because of drought

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Three American Viticultural Areas Established

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Constellation Brands Invests in Aaron Paul & Bryan Cranston’s Artesanal ‘Dos Hombres’ Mezcal

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Oregon Winery Buys into Burgundy
• NZ: Villa Maria without a buyer after all

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• US punitive tariffs suspended for five years

WEBINARS/ONLINE MEETINGS

• Registration Open for WAVEx Webinar: Working with High pH Wines

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Sixth Annual Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction to Feature 92 One-of-a-Kind Wines from the 2019 Vintage with Record-Breaking Winery Participation

BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR

• How Bordeaux winemakers are setting their prices after the pandemic
• Bélair-Monange 2020 En Primeur: “outstanding”
• ‘Highly successful’ Pontet-Canet 2020 released as more big names emerge

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Must we taste like a pro? [paywall?]

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• David Kermode: ‘all the fun of the fair’ at all-new Millésimes Alsace
• BC Wine & Spirits Summit Set for June 24th

MEDIA MATTERS

• By the Bottle: Ron Washam

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Unraveling Geologic Metaphors
• Matching trellis to terroir
• Summer in the Vineyard Sets the Stage for Harvest
• How sweet it is [paywall?]

WINE PEOPLE

• Will Loïc Pasquet of Liber Pater turn Georgia into a fine-wine frontier?
• Aileen Sevier, VP of Strategy and Marketing for Early Mountain Vineyards (podcast)
• Mike Cox, La Prenda (podcast)
• Jordan Mackay, author and journalist on Conversation with Jason (video)

WINE HISTORY

• How Two Centuries of Failure Finally Birthed American Wine
• Wine History Mystery: The Case of the Holy Bone Luge and the King’s Missing Arm

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• SC: L&C to Serve New Gallo Winery Complex
• MSU researchers analyzing novel technique to improve Michigan wine production

EUROPE & THE UK

• Chianti Classico introduces new sites
• Enhancing synergies between the three Provence appellations

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Ningxia Xiaopu Winemaker Ian Dai on China’s Evolving Industry