AUGUST 15, 2022 – WINE NEWS FETCH

• California Drought Plan Outlines Billions in Water Infrastructure
• USDA Forecasts 3.635 million-ton California Crush
• How the cannabis sector’s popularity will affect alcohol sales
• Co-founder and CMO of DRINKS Dives Deeper Into Shopify Integration
• Smoke Threatens to Choke Bordeaux
• It is time to act, even while we wait for climate change to be addressed
• Italian Winemaker Defends Adolf Hitler-Branded Wine
• Your eCommerce Profits Depend On Satisfied, Repeat Customers
• Webinar – Mastering alcohol ecommerce in 2022 – (Sponsored link)

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Is Abstinence the New Cool?
• More wine sellers make representing diverse vintners a priority [paywall?]
• Napa Valley wine grape farmers set to get part of $2 million in climate education funding
• You want weigh tags, not a TTB summons. Click Now To Get Your Harvest Regulatory Training – (Sponsored Link.)

WILDFIRES

• France Wildfires Prompt Macron to Hold Talks on Prevention, Response Strategy [paywall?]
• California Fire Map
• Oregon Wildfire Tracker

WEATHER

• If not by drought then by megaflood: Climate change may have doubled risk of disastrous flooding in California

DROUGHT/WATER

• Sonoma County Board of Supervisors calls for more study of revised well rules
• Italy’s Lake Garda shrinks to near-historic low amid drought
• Production of French salers cheese halted due to drought

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Ultra-rich still shopping for luxury despite inflation, recession fears
• Time to get your visitor pass for USA Trade Tasting and meet the world Chicago – (Sponsored link

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Washington wine grape harvest forecast for 28% increase in 2022
• Where have all the bubbles gone?
• Grow your wine brand awareness in restaurants and bars of USA – (Sponsored link)

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• California legislation creates a niche instead of a solution
• Napa Valley’s Crimson Wine Group reports Q2 sales increase
• Sonoma County: Panel marks progress in Wine Country farmworker safety discussion [paywall?]
• Sebastopol vintner at the helm to ensure survival of small wineries amid consolidation [paywall?]
• Crimson Wine Group, LTD Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Interim Operations

UKRAINE

• Crisis, What Crisis? How Russian Consumers Have Merely Shifted Their Purchases Away From Europe Or Developed Their Own Replacements

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• How UC Davis research could save farmers money while fighting climate change
• How New Zealand’s Climate Fight Is Threatening Its Iconic Farmland [paywall?]
• Life from Life: Regenerating a Farm
• UK to unseat Champagne wine production due to climate change, says study

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Treasury Wine Estates earnings preview: is the worst over yet?
• The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. Shares Sold by National Bank of Canada FI

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Endeavour Group buys Australia’s Shingleback Wine

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• China to suspend all imports from Australia & New Zealand

DISTRIBUTORS

• Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Announces Retirement of Steve Harden, Executive Vice President and General Manager, California

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Haut-Brion 2011 trades at a record high – Liv-ex

MARKETING & SALES

• What It’s Really Like to Be a Wine Influencer

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• World’s Oldest Glass Maker Riedel Braces for Shutdowns as Gas Crisis Deepens [paywall?]

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Wine Writers’ Symposium: Taking Risks, Earning a Living and Expanding the Table
• New Zealand to host next International Cool Climate Wine Symposium
• Next year’s Global Conference on Wine Tourism hosted by La Rioja

MEDIA MATTERS

• Does anyone still need wine writers?
• No, Wine Writers Are Not Still Needed
• Words matter – but which ones?
• Blind Ambition review – inspiring documentary on first Zimbabwean wine-tasting team

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Spätburgunder or German Pinot Noir: what is the true identity of this wine?
• Chilean Whites Bring Coastal Chill
• Vin Blanc

WINE PEOPLE

• Satisfy entrepreneur Priyanka Save who engineered her way to make wine from Chikoo
• Nikki Lohitnavy, General Manager and Winemaker of Granmonte
• Meet Sonoe Hirabayashi Of Six Cloves Wines
• PhD Précis: Daniel Mak
• Adam Lee, Clarice Wine Company (podcast)
• Jean Hoefliger, Consulting Winemaker & Bastien Lucas, Winemaker, Maxville Winery, Chiles Valley, Napa Valley (podcast)

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Michigan Joins List of States Invaded by Spotted Lanternfly
• Sen. Chuck Schumer eyes $22M in fight against invasive spotted lanternfly that threatens NY

EUROPE & THE UK

• Scorched vineyards in Europe add to inflationary woes
• The Italian ‘Hitler Wine’ Controversy, Explained
• WineGB tasting looks to capitalise on rising sales

DOWN UNDER

• Coonawarra winemakers embark on travelling wine show to fight for increased share of domestic market
• NZ: Weevils in the Vines

LATIN AMERICA

• Chilean fizz to take on Taittinger

SOUTH AFRICA

• Old Vine Project: South Africa’s efforts to champion old vine wines

BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• CO2 shortages lead to US brewers seeking nitrogen as an alternative