NEWSFETCH – October 26, 2011

TOP NEWS

• Subpar economy has helped wine drinkers
• Can Private Label Wines Pour Profits for Wineries? (.pdf)
• Delicato Grows Fast With Value-Oriented, Creative Concepts
• The power of wine awards
• Tasting rooms offer tough-to-get wines under one roof
• Retailing Pinheads, part 2: MW, CS, MS, CSET, STFU
• Leon Panetta to toast New Year’s with $10,000 bottle of wine
• Consumers Spent 16% less On Alcohol, 2007-10 – Bureau of Labor Statistics
• The Rothschilds and Antinori Launch New Wine Projects
• Five reasons why QR codes are — mostly — a crock
• Rosé boom far from over
• WinEconomy III
• Healdsburg won’t cap wine-tasting rooms
• Sbragia/Bacchus Investment Update
• New trends in label design
• MW Institute to Host Chablis Seminar

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Cash Pours Into Privatization Booze Brawl
• DISCUS Launches Voter Education Effort on Liquor Privatization
• NY: Assembly committees take a look at 2005 wine shipping law
• PA: Did Union Boss Young Read Wrong Liquor Study?
• WA: Liquor and long-term-care initiatives leading in new poll

PUBLIC COMPANIES & INVESTING

• Beer, Wine or Liquor — The Sin Stock Debate
• Treasury raises glass to its wine

HARVEST 2011

• Chile’s 2011 vintage augurs well for quality wines
• Report on Citizen’s Picking Crew and 2011 Winegrape Harvest
• Napa harvest: Widespread rot fails to dampen spirits
• Calif Harvest:Repent and Be Saved, the End is Near… or Not
• Portugal’s ‘classic’ harvest
• Cakebread calls in helicopter to dry soggy grapes

HEALTH

• Wine, Beer Alcohol Levels: Not Created Equal

MEDIA MATTERS

• Asimov is the Times’ new interim restaurant critic
• Are We In The Golden Age Of Wine Writing?
  
• A day at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (video)
• Sex, lies and vintages: Wine gets the manga treatment

WATER

• Delta group accuses DWR of conflict of interest
• Interior Department proposes more recreation use for San Joaquin River
• DWR hosts meeting on water plan update

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Pax Mahle’s enormous eggs

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• PA: Privatize liquor sales, Corbett report says
• NY: Wineries see gains from out-of-state shipping
• WA: ETS opens new drop box in Woodinville

ACADEMIA

• South Seattle CC announces aids for women in Culinary Arts and Wine Tech

THE UK

• Restaurateur jailed for surplus wine scam

EUROPE

• Comedian has Joly good time in Bordeaux
• Barsac, French excellence

DOWN UNDER

• Lindeman’s adds New Zealand Sauvignon
• OZ: Vignerons warn Huntlee will scar the Valley
• NZ: Vandals attack Hawke’s Bay vineyard

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Hong Kong wine imports to hit US$1bn

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Free Winery Video Critique
• On average, tablets Used 90 Minutes/Day

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• The Ancient Connection Between Women and Wine
• 4 Wine Rules That Are Rubbish
• Wine: What you can get when you spend $100
• What makes a wine bad?
• Wineries and Vanity – Could I Be Wrong?
• The search for value
• Profound Pinot
• Kelly Fleming Wines owner isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty

APPOINTMENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Diageo’s Dawn Henry joins Insight Research Group