NEWSFETCH – February 10, 2012

TOP NEWS

• Southern Does It Again In Washington, Signing Pact With Diageo
• Spain to Pay EUR54.9 Million Fine For Illegal Vineyards
• Some Pre-Release Crush Report Buzz
• Underemployment 21% or Higher in Five States in 2011
• What the Wine Market Wants (Maybe Not What You Think)
• Clueless Wine Buyers
• Calif Grape growers offer scholarships to field workers
• New EU Regulation for Organic Wine: Legal Analysis
• WA: State commission names new director
• Chinese snaps up Burgundy vines
• Plonk and paragliding in Gen-Y Documentary
• Calif Wine exports symposium set
• Free Export Seminars Can Help Ag Interests Launch Overseas Sales
• Registration Open for WineAmerica Wine and Grape Policy Conference
• Trademark for Alcohol Held Confusingly Similar to Identical Mark for Cigars
• NYCR Wines of the Year Weekend Kicks Off … With Beer

PUBLIC COMPANIES & INVESTING

• Diageo export success tough act to follow for UK firms
• Investors bank on Grange range
• Spectrum & Vanquish ‘happy’ despite withdrawn lots at London auction
• Bogus Burgundies?
• Auction withdraws 13 DRC lots amid fraud claims
• DRC auction, guilty, Messi wine, scouting, charity – sipped & spit

HEALTH & ALCOHOL REGULATION

• Red wine alone may not be the elixir of life, finds new study
• Gov’t Anti-Alcohol Efforts Pay off: Diageo Says UK Drinking Less
• Wine calories versus Bag of Chips calories

MEDIA MATTERS

• Writing about wine is not like playing King of the Mountain, or is it?

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• New winemaker at Atalon
• Rewinery Offers Wine-to-Door Delivery in San Francisco
• Roger Trinchero receives Military Patriot Award
• Pruning skills put to test in 11th annual Napa County Pruning Contest

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• NJ: Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Assn gets $33K USDA grant
• NY: ‘Wine in markets’ push just won’t die
• WA: Kalama wine bottle plant to restart in July
• WA: Movie theater beer and wine bill passes House
• WA: Vineyard gives early valentine
• WI: Assembly Committee Hears Spirits Tasting Bill

ACADEMIA

• San Diego State U Course Examines Wine Business Opportunities
• Vineyard finds home on campus

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK Champagne sales stagnate
• Austria chases lower UK prices
• Spirited Wines’ plans for UK Nicolas stores
• “Gruaud Larose must move with the times”

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Rain should not cloud grape crop prospects
• NZ: Marlborough needs appellation system, says Forrest
• OZ: Early grape harvest in Coonawarra
• OZ: Serafino on high over wine deal
• OZ: Lion recovers after suffering ‘perfect storm’
• NZ: Romantic notion of owning a vineyard

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Native Chinese wine regions enhance brand development
• Chinese wine lover snaps up Vosne-Romanee vines

LATIN AMERICA

• Argentina grows UK exports

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• The Next Malbec
• One Sommelier’s Success
• World’s top winemaking families committed to ‘long term’
• Interview with the winemaker: Josh Baker of Edna Valley Vineyard
• What’s in a vintage date?
• I accidentally froze a bottle of wine – is it still okay to drink?

APPOINTMENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• GRAMMY Awards to Serve Wines Sealed with Natural Cork