NEWSFETCH – January 13, 2011

• World wine industry is robust
• ShipCompliant alliance hinted in WSWA’s Craig Wolf Vintank Interview
• Balancing illegal immigration and agriculture workers
• Survey: Consumers still focused on price
• Kuwait Denies Citizen Tortured to Death Over Wine
• Foster’s US wine sales in freefall
• European agriculture policies hit by food price shock
• S. African Winemakers Target China, Canada as UK Sales Slide
• Booth Ranches selects SureHarvest for farming data management
• Ex-CAWG chief gets Calif ag department gig
• Croatia Pops the Cork on Wine Push
• Balkan bottoms up
• Richard Mendelson’s New Publication, Wine in America: Law and Policy
• Bordeaux reflects on 2010 exports
• NY: Grape industry meeting set for Feb. 2
• Amex to Present Wine Buyer Behavior Research at 2011 DTC Symposium
• Petersen to receive honor for leadership in agribusiness
• NJ: Tourism, wineries bill heads to state Senate
• Lanson tries biodynamics
• Novato’s Trek Winery Inches Toward Opening Downtown Tasting Room
• DRC goes online
• VA: Governor needs House sponsor for liquor store plan
• OR: Winery erects turbine to harness the Wind
• Should Wine Writers Be Certified?
• Who makes money in wine writing?

NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER

• Floods destroy vineyards in Australia
• OZ: Falling harvest forecast prompts grape price expectations
• Queensland: wine industry rallies round flood victims
• One month dedicated to Aussie wine

NEWS FROM ASIA

• China’s buying spree raises hope, and fear in Europe
• Revue du Vin de France launches Chinese edition
• China Cigarette Group invests in wine cellar

NEWS FROM THE UK

• Asda sees Champagne sales surge in December
• UK wine consumption to hit 151.5 million cases by 2014

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL NETWORKING

• Startup Reinvents Restaurant Wait Lists with Text Messages
• Android Surpasses Apple as the Leading OS on Mobile Ad Network
• Social Gaming To Be A $1B Market In 2011; Virtual Goods To Bring In $653M
• Apparently Real Female Entrepreneurs Live Out West
• Are We Too Obsessed With Facebook?
• UK: Only 8% of Grocery Shoppers Want Location-Based Coupons
• Advocates Are More Important Than Influencers

LIGHTER, LESS “TRADE-ONLY” NEWS

• The Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery (Not big news, but I like the name)
• When Booze Was Banned but Pot Was Not

HARVEST & VINTAGE NEWS

• Burgundy 2009 first impressions

WATER NEWS

• Plenty of water in store for Central Valley
• Report targets waste, inefficiency in agricultural water use
• Monterey County approves water desalination plant

THIS MIGHT BE NEWS ... But it’s hard to tell because it generally fails to pass the “Why should you care?” test thanks to a swamp of hyperbole, self-indulgence, poor writing, asinine junk demanded by clueless clients, lawyers, and others with no idea how reporters actually work.

• WORLD BOOZE BRIEFING VINEXPO CONFERENCE