MARCH 2, 2022 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• Older, more affluent consumers drive the US wine market
• Two UK executives charged in $100 million fine-wine scam
• Calif ABC Launches On-Premises Server Training Requirements This Summer
• Drought in ’21 cost California ag $1.1 billion
• “Better For You” Wines On A Steep Growth Trajectory [paywall?]
• A Look Back At 2 Years Of Data Shows Comfort With Dining Out Still Lagging
• Elderly Cat Enjoying Custom Charcuterie Board and Wine Melts Hearts Online
• Webinar: Alcohol marketplaces and delivery apps: Current regulatory issues – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Kylix/Harvard Land Purchase from Wine Group May Have Set Santa Barbara County Record
• Wine’s BIGGEST Unanswered, Market-Killing Question: Why?
• Wine is healthy. Wine is dangerous. All studies on both sides of this are totally inconclusive.
• Bye, Bye Wine Direct: The Quick Books of wine DTC has launched! – (Sponsored link)

UKRAINE WINE

• Russian vodka boycotts show solidarity with Ukraine – but will have little financial impact, experts say
• Little As It is, Do What You Can
• Mexico declines to impose economic sanctions on Russia

WILDFIRES & WEATHER

• NZ Wine Weather: What’s been going on

DROUGHT/WATER

• California snowpack falls well below average

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• What’s Up with DtC Audits and Enforcement?
• Raventós Codorníu Launches New Experiential Online Wine Store in the U.S.
• 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

• Price Trumps Vintage at Napa Auction
• Refusing to sell to a conglomerate, organic wine pioneer Phil Coturri names successor [paywall?]
• Riboli Family Wines Buys El Pomar District Vineyard
• Controversial Walt Ranch development vote delayed in Napa following protests [paywall?]
• Napa supervisor decide Walt Ranch needs another hearing
• Livermore wineries have struggled to be taken seriously. Will new initiatives finally turn the tide? [paywall?]
• Navigating the Wine Industry’s Property Insurance Conundrum
• Lawsuit alleges renowned Napa Valley resort, Solage, failed to stop sexual harassment
• Get smart on Wine Chemistry with Clark Smith’s new online course – (Sponsored link)

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Scheid Family Wines Acquires 50 Percent Interest in HOXIE Spritzer

COVID-19

• Doctors concerned COVID-19 pandemic caused drinking problems, especially for women

DIVERSITY

• These Are The Top Black-Owned Wine And Spirits Brands You Should Know [paywall?]

HEALTH

• No, Your Wine Is Not Packed with Sugar
• Fine wine and food can improve palliative care

NFTs, BLOCKCHAIN, & THE METAVERSE

• Biodegradable art sold as NFT for one winery

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• NZ: Winemaker of the Year awards point to organic, biodynamic future
• Concha y Toro celebrates B Corp status with social media campaign

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Russia takes over Champagne and Cognac: Has intellectual property become a geopolitical battlefield? [paywall?]

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Diageo North America opens new canning facility

DISTRIBUTORS

• Fine Wine Importer Demeine Estates On Building A Luxury Wine Business In The Roaring 2020s [paywall?]
• Meet the Importer: Jenny & Francois Selections Expands the World of Natural Wine (podcast)
• How Wineries Can Boost Their Restaurant Distribution – (Sponsored link)

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Ao Yun 2018 analysis ahead of release

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Seasoned Sommelier and Wine Buyer Thomas Brenner talks us through his focus while evaluating the effectiveness of a wine program – (Sponsored link)

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Ceretto: the evolution of Barolo & Barbaresco
• Glass Half Empty
• Bringing single vineyard and sparkling Furmint into focus
• Radiocarbon dating raises doubts about aged tawny ports
• Beaujolais repairing its reputation for wine
• Until We Meet Again

WINE PEOPLE

• Unfiltered: Charlotte Prescot

WINE HISTORY

• A look into the origins of mulled wine and its interpretations in different cultures

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Masterclass in Hypocrisy in BC: Yes to pulling Russian liquor, NO to deshelving Israeli apartheid wines
• ON: Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Reports Q3 2022 Financial Results
• NC: Outreach plan for wineries created to target influencers — lawmakers, wine drinkers, foodies

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Upgrades to Vineyard Equipment Means More Gains for Growers
• Spotted wing drosophila resistance: ‘It’s getting worrisome’
• Regional Multi-Actor Platform (MAP) of the Spanish Pyrenees on the mountain wine value chain

EUROPE & THE UK

• Class without classification: Grand Cru brand extension and the attribution of reputation by association
• Château Lafite Rothschild winemaker joins Château Lafon-Rochet
• UK: The Drinks Trust welcomes three prestigious patrons
• Soave appoints new director for consortium

DOWN UNDER

• Indigenous Māori Winemakers are Guardians of New Zealand Terroir

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• A Brief History of Women in Brewing (podcast)