AUGUST 4, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Gen-X Back in Wine’s Good Books
• Finally! An Industry That Millennials Have Not Killed!
• Facing “dire water shortages,” California bans Delta pumping
• Adult Beverage E-Commerce Is Now Mainstream: Drizly report
• The Real Threat of Counterfeit Wine From Wholesalers
• Personal data is important: EU Fines Amazon $850.6 million for GDPR Violations
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• U.S. Wine DTC Value Soars 12.2% for H1, 2021; Volume Inches Up 1.8%
• Constellation Wins $2.3 Million For Legal Fees In To Kalon battle with Vineyard House
• Tobacco giant finally divests Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
• Scathing legal analysis of smoke taint rejections by wineries finds vague, inadequate and possibly illegal contracts.
• Unlock new opportunities in the bulk wine, bulk spirits, and private label business.— (Sponsored link)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Worsening wildfires in California’s wine country threaten low-wage farm workers
• Calif: Senate Bill 11 passes, to secure wildfire insurance for valley wine producers [paywall?]
• California Farmers Struggle to Secure Wildfire Insurance Coverage
• Smoke, ash, heat and drought hurting Washington agriculture
• Ambiguity remains: Frantic work on the Ahr continues after the flood disaster.

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Amid pandemic, wine clubs offered a path to financial survival
• Will Delaware be next for winery DTC shipments?
• Briefs Filed in Support of Petition Seeking Review of 8th Circuit Retail Shipping Case
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Wine grapes fall to No. 5 in Santa Barbara County crop values, strawberries No. 1, cauliflower No. 2

HEALTH

• Moderate Wine, Cheese and Coffee Consumption Linked to Healthier Hearts

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Vineyard tourism is a big source of carbon emissions. Want to help? Then buy more wine
• The West Is on Fire. It’s Past Time to Act on Climate Change.
• Climate Change Forces California Winemakers to Reconsider What Grapes Grow Where

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• U.S. Senate bill seeks to require anti-drunk driving vehicle tech
• Michigan Secures Additional 21st Amendment Enforcement Act Settlements

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• How Ausone and Cheval Blanc’s exit will affect St. Emilion

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Cork maker Amorim’s profit jumps 63% as COVID-19 rules ease
• You Can Smell the Hops Before You Drink Dogfish Head’s New Scratch and Sniff Hoppy Variety Pack
• All about Second Skin, Ruinart’s eco-friendly alternative to wasteful gift packaging
• Bota Box Is Giving Away One Of The Largest Boxes Of Wine [paywall?]

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Virginia Vineyards Association Holds In-Person Summer Technical Meeting

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• How Stories About Sangiovese Inspired a Wine Career

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Burgundy’s Other White: Once neglected, Aligoté returns in vogue
• Complex Picpoul Has Arrived
• Understanding Carmenère: a masterclass and tasting
• The Real Meaning of Funk
• There’s No Better Time to Drink South African Wine (podcast)
• The Song Of The Bard

WINE PEOPLE

• Meet the man known as the Terroir Hunter of Chile

WINE EDUCATION

• The Masters of Wine Marathon: The Entrance Exam

WINE HISTORY

• Ancient Roman wine shipwreck found near Sicily

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: New winemakers group to represent ‘cheaper end of town’

LATIN AMERICA

• Chile: How Lapostolle is putting Apalta on the fine wine map
• The great contradiction of Chile’s desert vineyard