AUGUST 5, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Direct Sales Buck Retail Wine Trend
• Severe drought is forcing one of Sonoma’s best Syrah vineyards to make no wine [paywall?]
• No vaccine, no service: Some Northern California restaurants require staff, patrons’ compliance amid virus resurgence
• Calif: New law offers lifeline to winemakers hit by wildfire insurance premiums
• Calif: Winegrape Market Poised for a Rebound Year in 2021
• Consumer data protection now #2 & 3 in top 10 brand purchase decisions
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Gen-X Back in Wine’s Good Books
• 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

• $2 million helicopters and vintage fire trucks: How frustrated Napa residents are taking wildfire protection into their own hands [paywall?]
• Crop Insurance Premiums Did Not Change in 2021, but May Increase in 2022, USDA Says
• Smoke could stunt growth of some crops in WA state if wildfire haze intensifies
• Australian winery turning smoke tainted grapes into spirits
• Wine from Germany’s flood zone gives hope for future
• Heat was contributing factor in July death of Yakima Valley farmworker

DROUGHT/WATER

• ‘This should have been discussed six months ago’

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Hy-Vee, Schnuck Markets tap into higher demand for wine and spirits
• Wine and the Olds
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Five leading wine-exporting countries in the world: Overview
• Australian wine exports decrease

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Kastania Winery site is now home to Parum Leo [paywall?]

COVID-19

• Why Aren’t Bar Pros Returning to Work? A Lack of Empathy.

HEALTH

• How champagne and prosecco make you feel drunker faster than wine
• Why drinking water probably won’t help you avoid a hangover, according to a molecular biologist

REAL ESTATE

• Clos Pepe Vineyards with stunning villa near Santa Barbara for sale for $9.75 million [paywall?]
• Wine-Centric Homes Around The World Starting At $6 Million

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Argentinean Investment in California
• Rémy Cointreau’s Telmont Champagne Acquisition Reaffirms Its Focus On Terroir [paywall?]

AGRIFOODTECH

• Can Cutting-Edge Technology and Character Coexist in Winemaking?

DISTRIBUTORS

• UK: Alliance Wine on what makes it different to do business with

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liquid Icons to hold fine wine online auction
• LX1000 heads towards full year of gains
• Fine Wine’s Benchmark Index celebrates 20 years of insight

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• UK: Sainsbury’s and Vivino partner for wine-aisle recommendations

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• How To Start A Wine Business? Jojo Madrid Reveals The Secret Behind Premium Wine Exchange’s Success
• Wine Industry Career Series: The Anatomy of a Wine Sales Rep

MEDIA MATTERS

• So what the HELL is the NEWS here?
• A book review of “Tasting Notes”

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Progress of terroir-focused, vineyard-designate wines in Lodi
• What Gives Wine Spicy, Peppery Notes?

WINE PEOPLE

• City Winery Founder and CEO Michael Dorf Doesn’t ‘Pivot’; He Avoids ‘Fatal Crashes’
• Bouncing Back Q&A: Miriam Spiers, Alliance Wine
• Rob Dolan From Rob Dolan Wines

WINE PLACES

• How Domaine Serene Became A Global Pinot Noir Icon [paywall?]
• Porto’s New Wine District Just Got Even Bigger [paywall?]

WINE EDUCATION

• Natural wine experts launch wine school

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Everything About Wine is Bigger in Texas

EUROPE & THE UK

• The rise of English rosé

DOWN UNDER

• NZ: End of an era for Bernadino sparkling wine with the popular drop set to be discontinued

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• How dark markets could impact booze’s biggest players
• No more spirit of fair play for American whiskeys
• Drinks makers target high-end spirits for post-COVID growth