JANUARY 7, 2022 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• Wine fights to maintain its ‘share of throat’
• Unified Symposium uses statistical modeling and strict registration requirement to address COVID concerns
• Hard seltzer growth led by millennials and working class
• Citing inadequate wildfire plans, Lake County judge deals setback to 16,000-acre Guenoc Valley resort development
• Angélus’ withdrawal from Saint-Émilion classification throws its fate in doubt
• Consumer confidence mostly unfazed by Omicron surge
• Webinar: Alcohol marketplaces and delivery apps: Current regulatory issues – (Sponsored link)

OBITUARIES

• UK: Ehrmanns founder Peter Dauthieu dies aged 77

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• 2022 SVB State of the Industry Report Signups Open
• Breakthru Moves to Buy Missouri-Based Major Brands
• Rabbit Ridge Future Depends On Tangled Bankruptcy Assets
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• PG&E has been blamed for the Dixie Fire. Now what’s in store for the company? [paywall?]

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Add to cart: e-commerce activations to grow your wine and spirits’ online sales – (Sponsored link)

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• The New Emergence: Upcoming Wine Regions in the USA – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• CAWG President John Aguirre to Step Down After 12 Years
• Vino Vault Expands Los Angeles Wine Storage Network With Third Acquisition
• Calif: Grape growers warned of herbicide shortage
• Get smart on Wine Chemistry with Clark Smith’s new online course – (Sponsored link)

COVID-19

• Should you add a throat swab to your at-home covid test? Experts disagree. [paywall?]
• Quebec to require covid vaccination proof at cannabis, liquor stores [paywall?]

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• One Year Later—Capitol Riots, Wine, Beer, Spirits and Us
• Bill Text – AB-1617 Wine label requirements: Santa Cruz Mountains.

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Constellation Wine Revenues Are Down But Coca-Cola Agreement For New Fresca Cocktails Could Prove Profitable [paywall?]
• Winc touts Strong Wholesale Growth

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• TricorBraun Acquires Beverage Packaging Leaders Zuckerman Honickman and Vessel Packaging

AGRIFOODTECH

• John Deere unveils first autonomous tractor

DISTRIBUTORS

• Republic National Distributing Company Purchases White Mountain Beverage
• How Wineries Can Boost Their Restaurant Distribution – (Sponsored link)

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Champagne led the broader market in 2021
• The industry benchmark closes 2021 up 23%

DATA & TRENDS

• 2022 Wholesale Predictions

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Need wine advice? Put down the app and ask your local shop. [paywall?]
• Seasoned Sommelier and Wine Buyer Thomas Brenner talks us through his focus while evaluating the effectiveness of a wine program – (Sponsored link)

MARKETING & SALES

• How to Decode Wine Marketing and Get Bottles That Live Up to the Hype [paywall?]

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• U.S. raises H-2B cap

MEDIA MATTERS

• The Wine Knows: A new start for Great Northwest Wine

MATTERS OF TASTE

• A Whole Bunch of Choice
• Paul Caputo on volcanic wines from Italy’s Basilicata region
• Mature Red – A New View [paywall?]

WINE PEOPLE

• Laura Díaz Muñoz: An unexpected journey to Napa [paywall?]
• Laurent Delaunay: a new old face in Burgundy
• Unfiltered: Stefan Kobald

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Washington wine industry to set research priorities
• New York Could Make To-Go Cocktails Permanent

EUROPE & THE UK

• St-Emilion council defends classification after Angélus withdrawal

LATIN AMERICA

• The Austral Wine Route Reveals Another Side of Patagonia