NEWSFETCH – November 18, 2011

TOP NEWS

• Rabobank: China offers opportunity for California farmers
• California Wine Institute Gets $6,938,144 in federal export funds
• San Joaquin County planners approve contested Kapiniaris winery
• Flanagan Buys Sonoma County Vineyard for $4.5 Million
• Eminent domain approved for Delta bypass drilling
• Lessons for the US: Is Aussie Wine The Once and Future King?
• Vintank Announces Prominent Board Of Directors
• US Alcohol Consumption Hits 25-Year High
• Dear Winebuyer: if you want a do-right-all-day woman…
• Wine, Courageous Battles & The Next Generation
• Hong Kong Mystery wine spill:  ‘all fake’
• World Bulk Wine Exhibition to Open in Amsterdam
• Time to ‘sex up’ wine
• Biodynamics are ’emotional black magic’: Richard Smart
• Possible buyer for Mondavi estate
• Huneeus Vintners picks Watkins
  
• Sbragia Family Vineyards Appoints Steve Cousins as General Manager

PUBLIC COMPANIES & INVESTING

• Pernod Ricard eyes top spot
• Brown-Forman Increases Cash Dividend 9.4%
• SABMiller, Foster’s tweak $10 billion deal on tax ruling
• Diageo expects growth to remain constant despite economy
• Liv-ex: Non-Bordeaux brands up the volume
• Diageo appoints Talbot as general manager

HARVEST 2011

• Vintners Ask: Where Did the Tannin Go?
• 2011 Vintage Report: California

HEALTH

• Headache-free wine?
• CU Med School prof seeing red over wine benefit study

MEDIA MATTERS

• Grade Inflation Is Destroying Wine Ratings
• Robert Parker and the Nature of “90”

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Sucre bleu! A Bordeaux convenience store sold 170 tons of sugar. Why?
• The Downside of AOC
• A critic explains how he tastes wine
• Wine/Food Match Conundrum Of The Day
• Beaujolais Nouveau: Oui ou Non?

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• UT: DABC’s most profitable store to reopen
• VA: Next frontier for buying vineyards?

THE UK

• Tesco’s wine fairs attract 20% more customers
• Oddbins’ customers vote for Christmas wines
• Future of UK National Wine Month uncertain
• Expansion go-ahead toasted at Lyme Bay Winery

AUSTRALIA

• Vestey family takes a stake in The Lane Vineyard at Hahndorf
• Grape Growers Assn  launches new online help for contracts
• Aussie sauvignon blanc created to beat Kiwi drop
• Blame Coles, says Woolworths as liquor price war heats up

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• French strategy cited as an example of how to sell wine in China
• Initial Chinese wine producing origine authentication
• Wine shops bloom in Chongqing

LATIN AMERICA

• New Argentinean Public Exchange for Bulk Wines, Musts and Grapes

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Who Is an Average Facebook User? [INFOGRAPHIC]
• IntroducingVintank’s Dream Team