OCTOBER 11, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• 2021 will be the best year ever for a lot of wineries!
• Why Wine is Such a Slow Adopter of E-Commerce
• As drought worsens, California farmers are being paid not to grow crops
• Seltzers give Constellation a headache
• Supply chain havoc is getting worse — just in time for holiday shopping
• Experts worry summer’s robust restaurant industry rebound was ‘an artificial sugar rush’
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

OBITUARIES

• OH: Mansfield Frazier, community activist, writer and winery owner, dies at 78

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• The existential terror of choosing wine & how consumers will soon be able to avoid it
• Court filing alleges Hugh Reimers conspired with Langtry Farms insider in illegal scheme to sell smoke-tainted wine
• No, Chlorpyrifos was not invented by Nazis and is not related to Zyklon B
• 2021 USA Wine Ratings Winners Announced – (Sponsored link)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Red flag warning issued for North Bay hills as strong winds ramp up fire danger [paywall?]
• Wildfire Fuel Mapper helps landowners manage vegetation

DROUGHT/WATER

• What Water Restrictions Mean for California’s Businesses

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Biggest U.S. Retailers Charter Private Cargo Ships to Sail Around Port Delays [paywall?]
• Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits, and Private Label professionals in the US. –  (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• TTB Approved 180K Products L12M through September 2021, An Increase of 14.2K (+8.6%)
• Washington’s Paradoxical 2021 Vintage
• UK boom, China bust drives bulk wine export surge
• Burgundy 2021 – not a washout
• Rain bolsters yields of 2021 crop in Bordeaux, Champagne and Cognac
• Shortage of NZ wine in the UK amid low grape yields, strong demand

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• California passes cocktails-to-go bill
• NapaSan remains in wait-and-see mode for winery wastewater [paywall?]
• Despite pandemic, US visitors head to Napa Valley during grape harvest peak [paywall?]
• The California Winemakers ‘Bursting the Traditonelle Bubble’ with Alternative Grape Varieties
• Napa County Historical Society opens new exhibit on the local wine industry [paywall?]
• Get smart on Wine Chemistry with Clark Smith’s new online course – (Sponsored link)

HEALTH

• Another Round? What really happens when you microdose alcohol

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• California North Coast cannabis harvest shows growth in quality, plants
• California marijuana farmers find some success in wine country – and lots of hurdles
• Central Coast cannabis business to sell for $56 million

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Threatened by climate change, a California winemaker switches to carbon farming and hopes more vineyards join
• When in Rome implements climate footprint labels
• Solar panels help French winemaker keep climate change at bay

REAL ESTATE

• Restored French Cottage in Bordeaux Wine Region to Auction Without Reserve

AGRIFOODTECH

• Electric Tractors are Being Put to Work in Wine Country Vineyards

DATA & TRENDS

• Does more vineyard area mean more grape varieties?

MARKETING & SALES

• Corney & Barrow’s Maria Proshuta on how to sell wine to the on-trade

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Wine Ingredient Labeling Is Coming to the EU

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Washington Winegrowers to host WineVit 2022 in-person Feb. 7–10
• Washington State Grape Society annual meeting and trade show to be held Nov. 18–19
• Otilia Romero de Condés on pivotal WBWE 2021

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Trefethen’s $30 Guest-Worthy Chardonnay and a Mystery Solved
• What makes a wine great?
• Why everyone loves old vines
• A Great Wine Moves the Mind and the Heart

WINE PEOPLE

• Reconnecting With Steve Lutz of Lenné Estate

WINE HISTORY

• A 1,500-year-old wine factory was found in Israel. Experts say it’s the largest known winery from that era.

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• José Andrés Discusses a Way Back for Restaurants at Impact Seminar

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Mexico’s Napa Valley protests against unfettered development
• MI: Peninsula Township Board Rejects Winery Demands
• How Wine Helped Make Texas Great
• Texas Wines Show Adventurous Spirit And Love For Diversity [paywall?]

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Pruning for Sap Flow: Extending Vineyard Life & Improving Output

EUROPE & THE UK

• EU adopts new measures to support the wine and fruit and vegetable sectors

DOWN UNDER

• Wine Australia welcomes new CEO
• OZ: GM crops yet to impact wine industry

AROUND THE GLOBE

• The Case of the Poisoned Wine

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Sonoma County brewery in major legal battle with wholesaler amid competition concerns in $9 billion California beer market [paywall?]