AUGUST 20, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• Wine Drinkers Know Less, Don’t Care
• How Napa’s Cakebread winery absolved itself of starting one of California’s most destructive fires [paywall?]
• French wine giant Castel accused of funding rebels in the Central African Republic
• Deadly wildfire hits vineyards in southern France
• Making wine is not enough
• Fake Amazon & Facebook reviews leave bad taste, no lasting impression
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

OBITUARIES

• OZ: Tributes flow for former Sevenhill Cellars winemaker

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Fires Finally Reach California Wine Country
• Rabbit Ridge Winery Bankruptcy Trustee Hires Farm Operator for 2021 Harvest; Most Grapes Still Unsold
• Right-wine extremist from L.A. who turned a Lodi vineyard into a shooting range cops a plea with Feds
• Constellation Wins $2.3 Million For Legal Fees In To Kalon battle with Vineyard House
• 2021 USA Wine Ratings Winners Announced – (Sponsored link)
• Wine’s generation gap may be even bigger than we think – Premium Paywall

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Fire in California

DROUGHT/WATER

• Calif Gov. Newsom says mandatory water restrictions could be coming soon
• Four of California’s five largest reservoirs below 50% of normal mid-August capacity
• In drought-ravaged Cal­i­fornia, could de­sali­nation be the answer to our water problems?

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• TX: Winemakers weigh in on this year’s grape crop

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Vintner JC Boisset’s plans for historic Calistoga Depot approved by city [paywall?]
• Family ties drive deal between Coppola and Delicato wineries [paywall?]
• Korbel’s owner to be honored at Sonoma Wine Country Auction [paywall?]
• California restaurants may get yearlong extension for serving streetside drinks

COVID-19

• Drinking at home more during the pandemic? You’re not alone

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Jackson Family Wines lays out ambitious climate initiative, hopes to bring others along [paywall?]

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Winemakers to TTB: Fix Lagging Approval on Winemaking Products
• Prince’s Estate Petitions for End to Ohio Winery’s Purple Rain Cuvée
• Dear Wine Industry…Signed, Anonymous

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Australia’s Treasury Wine toasts 2022 with bets outside China

AGRIFOODTECH

• Spectrum smart vineyard irrigation

WEBINARS/ONLINE MEETINGS

• Free Webinar: Innovative solutions for the prediction of fungal diseases in grapevine

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Talking Trade on Liv-ex – Italy holds strong

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Do Wine Tasting Competitions Matter? These Winners Say Yes.

MARKETING & SALES

• American Airlines Extends Alcohol Ban on All Flights Through 2022 – But Only in Economy

MEDIA MATTERS

• Book Review: Amber Revolution by Simon J. Woolf

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What is the ‘sweet spot’ for Champagne house styles?
• Wine & Literature
• Simplifying Wine [paywall?]

WINE TOURISM

• Chilean winery launches ground-breaking virtual tour

EUROPE & THE UK

• Call for project applications: Bernard Magrez Start-Up Win

DOWN UNDER

• Champagne sales in Australia explode during pandemic

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• ASC CEO: we want to build a winning team

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Beer Today, Better Tomorrow: Restaurants See the Benefit to Aging Beer
• Beer could be a beneficial post-workout drink, new study finds