JULY 1, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Farewell to the Cult of the Somm
• Direct-to-Consumer (DtC) Shipping Essentials: How to Get a License
• The Way We Buy Wine Now
• Alcohol ads now try to appeal to all genders. Somehow, they’re still sexist [paywall?]
• Farmworker advocates renew call for extreme heat rules after Oregon laborer dies
• Consumer confidence plateaus well below Jan 2020 level
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 5: Looking Ahead
• Were smoke-impacted grapes & wine laundered? Lake County Court Battle Highlights Taint Ambiguities & Winery-Grower Tension
• Grape insurance fraud allegations, smoke taint damages to oak tanks, and the perils of handshake deals play out in Lake County courtroom
• Unlock new opportunities in the bulk wine, bulk spirits, and private label business.— (Sponsored link)

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Let the USPS ship alcohol. It will help post office finances and raise spirits nationwide
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Neighbor Sues Napa County Over Napa Valley Winery Approval
• Kayla Berthoud Joins La Prenda Team as Director of Operations

DIVERSITY

• Meet the Black Winemakers Who Are Diversifying Oregon’s Wine Scene
• These LGBTQ+ Wine Pros Are Shaking Up an Age-Old Industry

HEALTH

• Australians are embracing ‘mindful drinking’ — and the alcohol industry is also getting sober curious

DROUGHT/WATER

• ‘Megadrought’ along border strains US-Mexico water relations

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Sustainable winemaking ‘highly compatible’ with quality of taste, says Robert Parker Wine Advocate (video)
• Bee conservation abuzz at Troon
• Frost damage in vineyards linked to climate change – study

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• NY Governor Cuomo and the Cocktail Calamity: The Follow-up Sequel to Cuomo Chips

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Oregon’s Evenstad Estates expands in Burgundy
• TPG  Looking at going public [paywall?]

MARKETING & SALES

• Authenticity is worth its weight in gold

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Laura Catena on the Storytelling Power of Wine Labels

MEDIA MATTERS

• Petaluman’s new book explores the greening of Wine Country
• Robert Parker unveils ‘green’ search filters and emblem
• Review: “Sparkling – The Story of Champagne”
• Happy [Belated] 10th Blogiversary, The Academic Wino!

WINE PEOPLE

• How Daniel Daou has discovered the European soul of Paso Robles
• By the Bottle: Christy Canterbury, MW
• Meet the Zimbabwean sommeliers breaking barriers, one cork at a time
• Sommelier’s cancer journey inspires wine collaboration for research

WINE PLACES

• ‘We Are Not Constrained by Tradition’: The Budding Wine Scene in Fredericksburg, Texas
• Franciacorta: A Sparkling DOCG Wine Appellation [paywall?]
• Bears In The Vineyard And Other Challenges Of Being An Emerging Wine Region In El Dorado County [paywall?]

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Goose Gap is Washington’s 19th American Viticultural Area
• Meet Washington’s newest AVAs Part 2: Goose Gap
• MSU researchers analyzing novel technique to improve Michigan wine production

EUROPE & THE UK

• OIV teams up with leading producers for research

DOWN UNDER

• Australia claims world first with new system providing product assurance on wine exports
• Increased protection for Australian wine brands

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Major reshuffle for China’s top wine exporters
• Alcohol sales in Asia Pacific due to end year up 2%

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Indiana Rye whiskey granted official status