FEBRUARY 21, 2022 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• The wine industry is asking the wrong question
• $250 million Napa Valley winery sale marks return of Asian buyers
• Spirit-based RTD category set to double in three years in US
• Vintage Wine Estates To Voluntary Delist Original SPAC Stock & Warrants From Toronto Stock Exchange
• Constellation Brands (STZ) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know
• Wine Should Be Accessible to Everyone
• Interest Rising For CBD-Infused Beverages, Food & Other Products — Especially Among Millennials.
• Webinar: Alcohol marketplaces and delivery apps: Current regulatory issues – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Close Shave for European Wine Industry
• Wine is healthy. Wine is dangerous. All studies on both sides of this are totally inconclusive.
• Duarte Nursery Requests Postponement of New Biden “Waters of the United States” Rule
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• Lodi Weather Network Adds AQI Data

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

• Some relief in New Zealand as harvest looks to return to normal size
• The New Emergence: Upcoming Wine Regions in the USA – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Sonoma’s Don Sebastiani & Sons promotes Kim Cotter to CFO
• Calif: Sen. Bill Dodd introduces bill to expand fundraising opportunities through online wine auctions [paywall?]
• New vineyard adviser appointed for UC Extension programs for North Bay counties [paywall?]
• The Evolution Of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, And An Auction Of Its “Legacy Collection” [paywall?]
• Dave Stare anointed ‘Wine Legend’ [paywall?]
• Well-deserved attention for Santa Barbara wine country
• Get smart on Wine Chemistry with Clark Smith’s new online course – (Sponsored link)

COVID-19

• Australia Finally Lifts Its 2-Year Travel Restrictions Since Covid Outbreak [paywall?]

DIVERSITY

• Pennsylvania’s only Black-owned winery working to unite the world one glass at a time
• The Ebony Test Kitchen, Where Black Cuisine Was Celebrated, Is Reborn
• Pernod Ricard India boosts focus on diversity and inclusion

HEALTH

• Drinking red wine could help some men live longer
• Chemicals in wine and chocolate help scientists create coating that destroys body odor

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• Study says Canada can become the Napa Valley of cannabis tourism

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Talking About the Birds and the Bees: Biodiversity in Côtes du Rhône Vineyards

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Group helps bring big change to Mississippi’s liquor laws
• Utah bucked alcohol industry with its tougher DUI law. A new study shows it made roads safer.
• Colorado voters could decide if grocery stores can sell wine

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• South Africa: Ratcliffe buys out Vilafonté partners

DISTRIBUTORS

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

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Romanée-Conti Still Out on its Own

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Matteo Lupi on UK Wine List Awards and what makes a great wine list
• Seasoned Sommelier and Wine Buyer Thomas Brenner talks us through his focus while evaluating the effectiveness of a wine program – (Sponsored link)

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Those Shrink-Wrapped Sleeves Atop Wine Bottles Have Got to Go

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Vinexposium announces detailed plans for Bordeaux Wine Week
• Vinitaly Accelerates Incoming Promotion: 60 Countries and 3 Million Euros of Investment. 500 Top Buyers Expected 10-13 April (PDF)

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Wines and Wit From the Viral Instagrammer @ShittyWineMemes

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Reaction, not action, is ultimately what defines a company’s success

MEDIA MATTERS

• As easy as BBC

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Is Soave Classico Finally Making Its Big Comeback?
• Why Do Sommeliers Call Wines “Crunchy”?
• A Vinous Gordian Knot – the Old World/New World Conundrum
• Why Wine Tasters Miss the Forest for the Trees

WINE PEOPLE

• Winemaker Rajat Parr on Planting New Grape Varieties and California Love
• Talking Paso Robles Viticulture With Caitlyn Pierini
• Bringing Hospitality to Wine Retail: TJ Douglas of Urban Grape
• Meet the Two Ambitious Chicago Sommeliers Who Want to Make Wine More Fun
• Rebekah Wineburg, Post and Vine (podcast)
• Ben Jordan, Winemaker Early Mountain Vineyards, Madison, Virginia (podcast)
• Cork Talk with Bruno Prats (podcast)

WINE PLACES

• 5 Wineries Ushering in a New Era of Canadian Wine

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Tempranillo Shines in Southern Oregon
• David McCormack to Join Castle Rock Winery as VP Sales – Central Region
• NY: Wine company denied liquor license, does NYS have the right to determine if it’s viable?

EUROPE & THE UK

• France Adds Another Appellation
• UK: The Co-op moves all its South African wines to Fairtrade

DOWN UNDER

• International demand growing for New Zealand wine, growers aim for bigger harvest
• South Australian government makes investment to boost low and no-alcohol wines
• OZ: Barossa Krondorf Winery in Grant Burge’s hands for third time

AROUND THE GLOBE

• With Millennia of History, Turkish Wine Continues to Evolve