NEWSFETCH – February 1, 2011

• Accolade for new Constellation owners Please scroll down for more Constellation articles
• Small farms fare poorly in antitrust cases
• Lies, lies and Snooth
• Study: Consumers Shy Away From Restaurants
• Restaurant operators’ optimism grows
• Red wine polyphenols prevent blood vessel dysfunction
• Walgreens selling its own brand of beer, wine
• Champagne in (new) crisis, again
• Is the long-form wine article dead?
• Grape/wine group picks new leaders
• Napa vintner felt rumblings of Egyptian unrest
• Klein Constantia goes back to cork closures

CONSTELLATION ROUND-UP

• Constellation sells Hardys, Kumala, Banrock Station
• Constellation renamed Accolade Wines after takeover
• Constellation Completes Sale of Australian and U.K. Business
• Constellation Wines deal closes

AROUND THE STATES

• KS: Alcohol jobs study offers food for thought
• WA: Ste. Michelle sales climb 14 percent
• NY: No reason for state funds to promote wine sales
• MD: Wine shipment bill has support from majority of state lawmakers

EUROPE

• Hawesko enjoys strong growth in fiscal year 2010
• Lalande-de-Pomerol estate bought by state-owned Chinese company
• Slowly but surely, Bordeaux vineyards go organic
• Barolo producers to visit New York for unique event

THE UK

• Wine body gets Foster’s bitter in UK

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Wet weather deals another blow to grape growers
• OZ: Scorcher puts heat on wine grapes
• OZ: Grower Report for Mildura-Swan Hill
• NZ: Grape tonnage spells trouble for wine growers
• NZ: The next red Kiwi mega star must be shiraz
• The New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Asia’s first Master of Wine writes book on pairing wine with Asian meals

SOUTH AMERICA

• Argentina exported more than Chile and had great impact

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL NETWORKING

• Hispanics, Asians are Most-Likely Smartphone Owners in the U.S.
• Apps: Wine Spectator Vintage Chart
• People Download Lots of Apps, But Many Get Discarded
• Ratings of popular wine apps reveal a decidedly mixed bag
• TDA Holds First “Texas Twitter Tuesday” About Texas Wine This Week

WATER

• New solar-powered irrigation system could lessen farming stresses
• Central Valley canal’s murky waters hide dark secrets
• The Art of Hydraulic Illusion and the Westlands Water District

LIGHTER & LESS “TRADE-ONLY”

• Sweet wine comeback entices California vintners
• Red Wine Rivals Diabetes Drug in Lab Tests
• Who decides what’s organic?
• Some fats are more depressing than others
• Bunker Down Like A Bordeaux: Cork Tent Keeps You Protected
• Judge Judy Spends $100,000 at Charity Wine Auction
• Aren’t screwcaps mahvellous?
• The American palate is subject to change

THIS MIGHT BE NEWS ... But it’s hard to tell because it’s buried beneath a long, wandering headline that totally hides anything that someone might be interested in.

• The Century Council Announces Support for Multi-Year Effort Designed to Reduce …more blah blah
  
• 2010 Federal Dietary Guidelines Underscore Moderation, Standard …more blah blah