NEWSFETCH – February 28, 2012

TOP NEWS

• Restaurant chain beverage refocus on cocktails & beer, not wine
• Congress moves to redistribute California’s water
• Delta groups urge defeat of water rights revamp
• Alcohol Regulation Roundup
• Liv-ex: Fine wine merchants take stock of 2005
• French Vin-Expatriates Flocking to Hong Kong
• Utah Liquor Law and the Immaculate Concoction
• Capella Pedregal Brings Top Chefs to Cabo for First Wine and Food Festival
• Aveniu Brands and Clos LaChance Wines Form Partnership
• Wine Enthusiasts Create Venezia Imports, LLC

PRIVATIZATION

• PA: Looking for a wine or liquor? LCB has an app for that
• PA: Got Freedom? PLCB Has No App for That

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• 5 take-aways from Social Media Week
• Balzac Comm Chooses VinTank for social customer relationship management
• The Internet and Wine in France – SOWINE’s 2012 Study

MEDIA MATTERS

• Move over here come the new critics
• Our Vanishing Wine Bloggers
• NorCal Wine: Interview with Antonio Galloni of Wine Advocate: Part 1
• Heimoff: A conversation with Antonio Galloni: Part 2

MATTERS OF TASTE

• The Tastes They Are A-Changin’
• Wine Preferences are Dictated by Past Alcohol Consumption Patterns
• Schism in natural wine movement intensifies debate
• Nicolas Joly Goes All Natural and Biodynamic

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Mendo wine commission future will go to a vote
• Allen Wine Group LLP Expands Firm, Names Deanna Partridge Partner
• Fine wine and mixology on Hwy 29 in Napa Valley

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Focus on Enology at Wineries Unlimited
• Defense: Victim Tried to Scam Churon Winery
• SC: Wineries look for boost from new law
• UT: Booze Bill Advances but Without Relief for Small Breweries

EUROPE

• EU asks France To Comply With Rules On Marketing Wine Spirits & Distillates
• Sicilian Reds Harness a Volcano’s Energy
• 100% Pinot planned for Philipponnat
• Old vines some 162 years old
• Photographer captures Champagne’s greatest

AROUND THE GLOBE

• Israeli 2011 wine exports up by 5.5%
• Argentina beyond malbec
• Concha y Toro announces the opening of a commercial office in Canada
• Concha y Toro to open South African office
• India: ” ‘We are working to demystify wine’
• UK Moët brand manager jailed for theft

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Wine imports surge
• OZ: In Tasmania, Smoke clears grape crops
• OZ: Hotter conditions deliver bumper vintage
• OZ: Wines from McLaren Vale, Aussie character
• OZ: Stealing the Hunter Valley’s beauty robs it of a future

WINE COUNTRY CELEBRITY EDITION (MY APOLOGIES)

• A glass of wine with Meryl Streep
• Bill Terlato Returns to Bravo’s “Top Chef
• The Bachelor visits Kroger Wednesday for wine bottle signing
• Lady Gaga Visits Wine Country