NEWSFETCH – February 22, 2012

TOP NEWS

• Russian River science panel created
• Meridian Capital, Axton Wine Group To Facilitate Foreign Investment (Item 2)
• E.&J. Gallo reveals ‘film club’ as part of 2012 UK activity
• $100,000 reward in Harris Ranch eco-arson
• OregonWine Symposium is a hit
• Bill Bertram, wine label pioneer, dies at 78
• MA: Wine Direct Shipping Bill Languishes in Committee
• Canadian entrepreneur hunts for distressed wineries (Corrected Link)
• The Big Story of Alcohol, Civilization and a Little Fungus
• For Rhys Vineyards, Greatness Comes at a Price

PUBLIC COMPANIES & INVESTING

• Gaming billionaire ups stake in Treasury Wine Estates
• Petrus Vies With Ausone as $11 Million Wine Sales Move to California, U.K.
• Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 pauses; Mouton ’08 finds a foothold
• DRC and Bordeaux 09 prices climb
• Are 2010 Burgundies a smart buy?

HEALTH & ALCOHOL REGULATION

• Light Drinking During Pregnancy: What Recent Studies Do — and Do Not — Tell Us
• A glass of wine a day and health

MARKETING & PROMOTION

• Small Wineries Star on Direct Sales Channel
• Advertising makes the world go round, and writers are in the food chain

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Vintank Transparency – The Conclusion
• Why Your Wine Blog Has No Following (And What To Do About It): video
• Supporting the Mobile Co-Pilot

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Are Americans’ Tastes Changing?
• BERGER: A preference toward lower-alcohol wines?
• The Low Alcohol Craze Goes Overboard
• What determines “taste”? A review of Adam Gopnik’s new book
• This Is Your Brain On Wine

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Sonoma State’s Wine Exec MBA in Napa: Applications Close February 29
• UC Releases EGVM Treatment Guidelines for 2012
• Mondavi heads Class of 2012 into Vintners Hall of Fame
• The Mondavi family comes together at the Vintners Hall of Fame

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Wineries Unlimited Will Feature “Microbiology from Vineyard to Bottle”
• Grape Growers Cold Climate Conference (CCC), St. Paul, Feb 23-25
• ID: Emergency legislation would remove little-known tax on free sips of wine at tastings
• NY: Vintners compete for ice wine prize
• NY: Online liquor license map has industry leery
• OR: Wine sales continue rising trend
• SD: Jackson Winery receives $300,000 USDA rural development grant
• SD: Bill to legalize bring-your-own wine option heads to governor

EUROPE

• ViniPortugal unveils ambitious growth plan
• Critics see red over early Brunello previews
• Wine: ‘Alsace’s take on muscat is impressive’
• Margaux opts for organics
• Bordeaux 2009: wine of the century?

THE UK

• Gallo launches Moscato with biggest ever investment
• Natural wine fair for UK

OH CANADA!

• BC: Falcon ready to privatize liquor warehouses, distribution

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Low-end products dominate among imported wines via Wenzhou port

ARGENTINA

• Taking stock of Argentine reds beyond malbec
• Controversial statements from two great wine figures
• An “Export Consortium” was created in Salta

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• If the wine is hard to pronounce, is it worth more?
• The 20 Coolest And Most Bizarre Uses For Wine
• The Art of Toasting – My Top 10 Favorite Wine Toasts
• The Skinny On Low-Cal Wine + Why Skipping Dessert IS An Option
• The charm of Oregon’s wines