AUGUST 26, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• Simultaneously evicted and not. Is Rabbit Ridge the Schrödinger’s Cat of Wineries?
• Frequent moderate drinking may be a bigger cancer risk factor than binge drinking: American Medical Assn. journal
• Caldor Fire is throwing harvest into chaos in up-and-coming El Dorado wine country [paywall?]
• Divvy-Up Announces the First Wine Sharing Shopping Cart, Bringing Winery Direct Purchasing to More Wine Lovers
• Wildfire Smoke The ‘Greatest Challenge’ Facing California Wine Industry
• Consumers speak up about the best times for you to promote fall and winter holiday offers.
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• After 25 years of modest gains, U.S. preference for wine is the same as it was in 1997.
• 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

• Caldor Fire creates worry for El Dorado County winemakers, fruit growers
• Conditions still ripe for more Northwest wildfires [paywall?]
• For These Oregon Winemakers, Smoke Taint Had a Silver Lining — Pink Wine

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• New Judge in Illinois wine retailer 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

• Napa Valley harvest report: 2021 harvest begins with high hopes [paywall?]
• With hot and dry weather, Minnesota wine experts anticipate a vintage year

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Napa County OKs Scarlett winery despite opposition from rural neighbors [paywall?]
• Sonoma County’s Rodney Strong Wine Estates names director of winemaking
• Beringer Vineyards appoints Ryan Rech as chief winemaker
• The Santa Lucia Highlands American Viticulture Area Receives Boundary Re-Alignment Approval
• San Francisco investor offers $434 million for Marin, Sonoma properties that were part of Ponzi scheme

COVID-19

• Warning of a new crisis, the restaurant industry presses Congress again for more aid

DIVERSITY

• Tahiirah Habibi on Making Wine Inclusive by Building Community

STARTUPS & NEW BRANDS

• WA: Ackley Beverage Group Announces The Launch Of Cataclysm Wine Company

HEALTH

• Study finds 3 glasses of red wine each week and a daily dose of berries can improve blood pressure

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• Breakthru Beverage Group Expands Portfolio with CBD and Relaxation Beverages Through Partnership with Recess

AMAZON

• Sonoma: Amazon freight terminal rolls out for a rematch

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Jackson Family Pushes for Greater Action on Climate Change and Sustainability
• Racing Cars Are About to Start Running on Wine Dregs [paywall?]

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Private property on Napa’s cult Ovid estate sold for $18.5m
• French vineyards become trophy buys
• South Africa: Heineken and Distell to conclude takeover talks by end September
• Historic S.African wine estate owned by Anne Cointreau goes under hammer

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• My Disdain for the Walk Around Tasting

MARKETING & SALES

• Obsessed with grapes – why wine needs to expand its brand horizons

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Women & Wine Conference Off To A Strong Third Year [paywall?]

MEDIA MATTERS

• Vox Media acquires cocktail media brand “Punch”
• 5 Wine-Infused Beach Reads To Finish Off Summer

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Understanding Clay Soils in Wine
• Racy and Ageworthy, Rioja’s White Wines Deserve Attention
• Rosemary George MW on the wine treasures of Roussillon
• Wines That Make You Think

WINE PEOPLE

• By the Bottle: Darrell Corti
• Miguel Garcia – Napa County Resource Conservation District (podcast)
• Bouncing Back Q&A: Jamie Wynne Griffiths, Propeller

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• Revolutionary broth: the birth of the restaurant and the invention of French gastronomy
• Foodservice industry 1.1% larger in July 2021 than July 2019, according to Technomic’s latest TIndex release

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• For States Dealing With the Spotted Lanternfly, the Policy Is No Mercy [paywall?]

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Chinese staycationers hunt for new drinks and Cognacs

SOUTH AFRICA

• Vinpro: ‘Hopeful for a positive outcome’

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• What is Craft Beer, Really?
• Macallan-1991 Cask sold at Bonhams for world record price