NEWS FETCH – MAY 9, 2012

TOP NEWS

• State OKs controversial forest-to-vineyard plan in Sonoma County
• Purple Wine Co. Expects To Pass 1-Million-Case Mark In 2012
• Calif farmers report early signs of labor shortages
• Increase in raisins dried on the vine
• Wine Uncorked: The Rise of Big (Really, REALLY Big) Box Wine
• Non-Exclusivity Clauses In Custom-Crush Agreements
• CCL Industries Announces Start-Up Wine Label Operation in California

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Hawk and Horse Vineyards adds Strategic Importers as Florida distributor
• Wine Train Project ‘Tax Dollar Sinkhole’
• Berger: Cabernet family Tom and Sally Jordan mark a milestone
• Larky plants one foot in Napa, the other in Italy
• Napa County acquisition of Skyline Park on hold

PUBLIC COMPANIES, INVESTING & AUCTIONS

• Wine closure company VinPerfect seeks round of funding
• Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 continues downward trend
• New Issue-Diageo sells $2.5 bln in 3 parts
• Pernod Ricard: New U.S. HQ in Big Apple
• Latour most highly traded wine last week

HEALTH

• Red Wine Polyphenols Beneficial For Digestive Bacteria
• Finding a balance in alcohol consumption

THE NEOPROHIBITIONISTS ASSAULT

• Total Ban On Alcohol Advertising Is Only Solution To Youth Drinking: Study
• Minors Don’t Buy Alcohol Online: UNC Study Debunked

MARKETING, SALES & PROMOTION

• Meshuga! 2X The Subscribers and 1/3 The Advertising Rate?

ONLINE, TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA

• The power of social media…sort of
• Drinking Happens in Real Life

MEDIA MATTERS

• Jim’s Loire shortlisted for 2012 Born Digital Awards for Campogate Posts
• Parker/Miller/Campo-gate: The fallout from the rainmaker in Spain

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Kiwi Researchers unlock flavour secrets
• The Gold Rush In States Not Named California

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Calif plans reductions in use of some pesticides in SJ Valley
• Examining the Efficacy of Sheep in Vineyard Management

U.S. REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• OR: Original Wine Country Reborn
• PA:: PLCB Wine Shrine Uncovered

EUROPE

• French wine campaign to tap Chinese market
• European Wine & Grape Update From Ciatti Company
• Latest Bordeaux releases finally show value
• Bordeaux 2011: Primeurs offers being met with ‘stony silence’, merchants report

THE UK

• Currency markets and transport costs ‘putting pressure on wine merchants’
• UK hectarage production up
• UK: Wine Equals Friends to import Finger Lakes wines

OH CANADA!

• Wine report gives recommendations for Canadian industry growth

DOWN UNDER

• NZ: Grape harvest gets an autumn reprieve
• OZ: Riverina grape yields down 30 000 tonnes
• OZ: Winemakers welcome Budget initiatives
• NZ: Wineries lobby Govt for alcohol law change

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• 2012 wine consumption in Shanghai exceeded rice wine for the first time

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Is viognier the 12th man of grapes?
• What’s the Difference Between American Oak and French Oak Wine Barrels?