NEWS FETCH – February 13, 2014

TOP NEWS

• New York Legislators Defend “At-Rest” Bill
• US Wine Consumption Continues To Grow
• US Spirits Market Maintained Momentum In 2013
• Legislatures Consider Changes in Liquor, Beer, Wine Laws
• Crop Insurance Supporters Talk Farm Bill, Statistics
• Anchor Steam(ed) over use of “Steam” trademark

• Going national? Consider this in your distribution strategy – ‘Control States’ [Sponsored Link]

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• A Celebration of Saralee Kunde’s Life Feb 16
• The Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association disbands
• College of the Canyons Installs Vineyard at Valencia Campus
• 2014 SSU Economic Outlook Conference registration closes Monday
• California incomes rise, but Stanislaus County lags much of state
• Lodi-area winemakers host Moldovan delegation

• Introduction to Water in California [Sponsored Link]

DROUGHT/WATER

• Calif Water-bond debate exposes sharp differences
• CDFA Drought information sessions set for farmers, ranchers
• World Ag Expo Gov Brown vows push for federal drought relief
• Obama’s Stealth Fresno Drought Visit
• Calif Ag Secretary Ross prays for rain at World Ag Expo

• Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource [Sponsored Link]

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Curmudgeon: Eric Asimov and the dilemma of wine availablity
• Wark: Eric Asimov and the New York Wine Dilemma

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Jacob’s Creek struggles as Pernod Ricard returns slight increase
• Pernod Ricard Cuts Forecast On China Ills, Gets 5% US Bounce
• Nestle: consumer demand to remain weak in 2014

• The West without Water: What Past Floods, Droughts, and Other Climatic Clues Tell Us about Tomorrow [Sponsored Link]

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Wine Owners to allow multicurrency valuation
• Staglin wine gets top price at Florida auction
• Bordeaux 2013: Pessimism, Predictions & PR

• Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization [Sponsored Link]

HEALTH

• Update on Resveratrol & Other Polyphenols

REGULATION & COMPLIANCE

• St. Helena Axes Amendments to Small Winery Ordinance
• Map: Wine Excise Tax Rates by State, 2014
• Analysis On TTB Gluten-Free Regs
• IN: Legislators wrestle with allowing beer & wine sales at State Fair

LEGAL MATTERS

• China’s supreme court suspends Castel trademark fine
• GoldieBlox vs. the Beastie Boys – What Constitutes Fair Use?
• Ceres ag land lawsuit thrown out on technicality
• Kate Hardy Joins Strike & Techel

MARKETING & SALES

• What Placebo Science Shows About Wine Marketing
• Customer Experience Needs to be a Top Priority for Wineries
• WineTastings in Consumers’ Houses – a New Italian Trend

• Facebook Marketing for Wineries and Tips on How To Engage [Sponsored Link]

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Premiere Napa Valley Opens Next Week
• IWSC extends UK deadline for wine producers

• Planning Wine Trade Show Participation [Sponsored Link]

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Comcast to buy Time Warner: Goodbye to public interest

• Writing on the Wall: Social Media – The First 2,000 Years [Sponsored Link]

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Covered California suspends online SHOP enrollment

• Beating Obamacare: Your Handbook for the New Healthcare Law [Sponsored Link]

MEDIA MATTERS

• Annals of wine descriptors: “Profound”
• How Good Is This Wine News?

• Beyond Chinatown: The Metropolitan Water District, Growth, and the Environment [Sponsored Link]

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Alan York, Biodynamic Pioneer, Has Passed Away
• Drinking Prosecco
• Mondovino’s Nossiter Praises Natural Wine
• Jurassic Ridge wines: Better for you than brain surgery

• The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert: Take a Whiff of That [Sponsored Link]

OH CANADA!

• Okanagan Crush Pad Appoints Exclusive Sales Agent

• Canadian Wineries: The story of Canada’s entry into the world of world-class vintages [Sponsored Link]

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• WA: WAWGG Convention breaks records
• Oregon hangs its reputation on hard-to-grow Pinot Noir
• Washington winemaker heads to New Zealand for harvest

• Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water [Sponsored Link]

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• SCVTG Meeting Reschedule! Two March Meetings Scheduled
• Lodi Mechanized Pruning Trials in Progress

• Blue Future: Protecting Water for People and the Planet Forever [Sponsored Link]

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Japanese all female wine award targets women

• How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World’s Most Dynamic Region [Sponsored Link]

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Wacky wine pro with a razor sharp edge

• The Control of Nature [Sponsored Link]

OLIVE OIL

• Rural Payments Agency Overseeing New Olive Oil Regulations in U.K.

CRAFT BEER & SPIRITS

• Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers [Sponsored Link]

QUIRKY

• LED-equipped cork turns wine bottles into lamps