DECEMBER 9, 2021 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• Frosts, heatwaves and wildfires: the climate crisis is hitting the wine industry hard
• Foley Family Wines Acquires Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood
• Auction Period Extended for Bidding on Property Once Owned by Rabbit Ridge Winery
• The king of flashy Napa wineries just acquired a new tasting room in a prime Rutherford location [paywall?]
• Crypto Is Getting Increasingly Political in Washington. The Rest of the Country Isn’t as Polarized
• Webinar: Alcohol marketplaces and delivery apps: Current regulatory issues – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• The wine and spirit marketplace of the future lies in NFTs
• ‘This Problem Will Only Get Worse’: Wine Regions Grapple with Labor Market, Supply Chain
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• After devastating B.C. floods, business owners have new worry: Thieves
• PG&E’s tree-cutting program causing Napa County controversy [paywall?]

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• 4th Circuit Briefing Finishing Up in Retail Shipping Case From North Carolina
• Add to cart: e-commerce activations to grow your wine and spirits’ online sales – (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Dr. Andreas Brokemper on Henkell Freixenet’s global ambitions and extending sparkling wine’s reach in travel retail
• The New Emergence: Upcoming Wine Regions in the USA – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Wine and NHL mogul Bill Foley buys Sonoma’s Chateau St. Jean with plans to restore its former glory [paywall?]
• The Duckhorn Portfolio Announces First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
• STEL+MAR Wines Signs U.S. National Partnership Agreement with Integrity Wellness Brands; Looks Towards Series A Fundraise
• Get smart on Wine Chemistry with Clark Smith’s new online course – (Sponsored link)

COVID-19

• France: Less wine was consumed during the coronavirus pandemic, research reveals

HEALTH

• Fresh Research Adds to Evidence that Moderate Drinking Could Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
• Europe: CEEV calls for science-based alcohol recommendations

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• California North Coast lawmaker joins call to ease cannabis growers tax burden

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Wine in the Face of Climate Challenges, Paints Picture of Possible Future
• UI biologists discover way to produce ethanol more efficiently with yeast strain

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Constellation Brands plans new brewery in southeastern Mexico

AGRIFOODTECH

• Growers Now Have Access to AI Technology for Predicting and Addressing Microclimate Weather Risks with Agrology’s New Extreme Weather Alerts

DISTRIBUTORS

• How Wineries Can Boost Their Restaurant Distribution – (Sponsored link)

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-Ex: 2021, the most successful year for fine wine market
• DRC, rare 1874 Champagne lift Christie’s to record auction total
• Wine Market Report Shows Bankable Asset Class

DATA & TRENDS

• Half of Brits think sharing your wine knowledge over a glass is pretentious

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• How Important is Perceptual Expertise in Wine Tasting?
• Seasoned Sommelier and Wine Buyer Thomas Brenner talks us through his focus while evaluating the effectiveness of a wine program – (Sponsored link)

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• ProWein 2022: trade tickets available now

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• No Longer Interested in Restaurant Work, Enterprising Somms (and Others) Opt for the Bottle Shop

MEDIA MATTERS

• What Has Been Confirmed and Learned in My 16th Year of Wine Writing

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What’s the deal with aged rosé?
• The Past, Present and Future of Chianti, Italy’s Most Famous Wine
• I Say Variety, You Say Varietal, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Wine
• Wine: New and old vs emerging and established

WINE PEOPLE

• The incredible story of how I met the inimitable Darrell Corti, Italian wine pioneer and gastronomic “treasure.”
• ‘Veritas”: A Napa photographer follows an uncommon path to look inside the world of wine [paywall?]

WINE HISTORY

• Apocalypse, booze and Christmas: An ancient ABC

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• OR: Thieves burglarize SE Portland winery and swipe charity donations in the act
• Washington Wine Industry Foundation scholarships now open

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK: Kingsland’s Thirsty Earth aims for a “better drinks industry”
• UK: WSTA members call on Government to reconsider proposed duty hikes on Port and sherry

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Victorian wineries despair, forced to turn customers away due to staff shortages

SOUTH AFRICA

• Vinpro Extremely Disappointed in High Court Ruling

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• American Whiskey Shines its Light