AUGUST 24, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

TOP NEWS

• Mirabeau’s Stephen Cronk: wild fires are wake-up call to climate change
• Clear system can preverify COVID-19 vaccinations for reservations at US restaurants, wineries, other venues
• Wine’s primary U.S. consumer overwhelmingly affluent, college-educated women over 55. Real men drink beer.
• Anatomy of the Prosecco DOC Boom
• Wildfire smoke is transforming clouds, making rainfall less likely
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Caldor Fire shuts down El Dorado wineries [paywall?]
• 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)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Provence Wine Region Damaged by the Worst Fire in Nearly 20 Years
• Wildfires Burn Wineries and Vineyards in Provence
• More than 42,000 Californians evacuate as state battles out-of-control wildfires
• ‘They need help now:’ In Gold Country, PG&E fire victims have waited 6 years for payment [paywall?]

DROUGHT/WATER

• Homes Lose Running Water In Klamath Basin As They Compete With Farmers, Ranchers
• Where the water used for fighting California wildfires comes from
• Tension over new development rises amid water scarcity in Healdsburg

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• 7-Eleven teams with Minibar to deliver even more booze to your door
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Champagne shortages to hit at the end of the year
• Georgian Wine Exports to the U.S. Continue to Post Gains +35% Above 2020

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Rising Global Attention to California Wines
• California’s Newest AVA Produces Coastal Wines in Los Angeles County

DIVERSITY

• Meet These Five Black Wine Enthusiasts Making History In The Industry

HEALTH

• Drinking red wine helps lower blood pressure, scientists say
• Alcohol linked to 700,000 cancer cases in 2020
• Your hangover isn’t caused by dehydration, new study reveals

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Le Mans Race Cars Will Run on Fuel Made From Wine Residue Starting in 2022

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Illinois Governor signs bill making radical changes to Illinois law

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• South Africa: Cointreau family to auction historic Stellenbosch winery
• Family of Italian duke accused of tricking Sting fires back

WEBINARS/ONLINE MEETINGS

• 3 Lessons Learned from a Year of Grape Growing Webinars

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Meet the Eco-Packaging Innovations Transforming the Drinks Industry
• Single serve, but not single use: Shatterproof 187 ml wines hit the luxury market in recyclable units [paywall?]

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• The mistakes people make when they die

MEDIA MATTERS

• Just what is it we do here?
• ‘Drops of God’ U.S.-Franco-Japanese Manga Adaptation Begins Production

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Making a Case for Premium Vinho Verde
• Are We Overselling Terroir? (podcast)

WINE PEOPLE

• Paul Franson, NapaLife (podcast)

WINE HISTORY

• The Fall of Rome Led to the Rise of Today’s Wine Culture

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Celeb sommelier hobnobbed with wine industry elite days before arson arrest

ACADEMIA & RESEARCH

• OR: Tim Matz named director of wine education at Linfield University
• International Space Station on the bed of viticulture

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Farming wine grapes for aroma, flavor, & colors

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK: BWS grocery sales decline 6%

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Working holidaymakers feel forgotten amid agricultural visa push for farm workers

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Liquor company CEO identified as man who fell to his death at Citi Field
• Billionaire buys ticket into space to make ‘space beer’
• Whiskey Man Releases his Magnum Opus