NEWS FETCH – May 29, 2014

TOP NEWS

• Penfolds poisoned chalice leaves trail of corporate hangovers
• TTB sets record for delays in label approvals
• Floodgate LLC Attorney Disputes Vineyard Sale Validity
• Charles Banks Firm Buys Into Napa’s Whetstone Cellars
• Sonoma Vintner, SF restaurateur Lorenzo Petroni dies
• Amid drought, laws to track Calif’s biggest water users ignored
• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist **Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Sonoma Jury deadlocked in winery embezzlement case
• Tank Garage Winery opens in Napa
• On a split vote, St. Helena council approves tasting room
• Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America’s Fresh Waters *Sponsored Link*

TRANSITIONS

• SB Vintner Chris Whitcraft Dies
• Frederic Michael Hardy

DROUGHT/WATER

• Paso Water district bill escapes Assembly
• Water Board OKs cuts to some junior water rights holders
• Federal court rejects bid to stop flow from Friant Dam
• Experts call state water system ‘archaic’
• Water Sustainability: A Global Perspective *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Constellation Price Target Increased to $93.00 by Citigroup
• Investing in Water for a Green Economy: Services, Infrastructure, Policies and Management *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• Finding trustworthy tax savings in winegrapes
• Asian investors still thirsty for Bordeaux chateaux deals
• Square starts loaning cash to small businesses
• A Guide to Investment, Innovation and Business Opportunities in the Water Sector *Sponsored Link*

DISTRIBUTORS

• Southern Shakes Up Management Again
• Here’s how you need to pitch Tesco **Sponsored Link*

IMPORT/EXPORT

• Sonoma County vintners aim to spark interest in Asia
• Ag Coalition Wants to Dump Japan from TPP Talks
• How to Import Wine: An Insider’s Guide *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• 2014 Auction Napa Valley Sold Out – E-Auction Opens June 1
• Counterfeiter Kurniawan’s Sentencing Is Delayed
• Wine industry’s fight against counterfeiters
• Scotch Malt Whisky Investment & Enjoyment *Sponsored Link*

SPINNING THE BOTTLE

• Bordeaux First Growths `Place to Be,’ Smith Says
• Wine Investment Fund Sees Value in Mature Medoc Vintages

HEALTH

• ‘Red, red wine…without sulfites’: Chr. Hansen promises paradigm shift
• The Drunken Monkey: Why We Drink and Abuse Alcohol *Sponsored Link*

REGULATION & COMPLIANCE

• NJ Court says alcohol regs need to be revisited in light of changing conditions
• FedEx Charged in Nfld for Shipping BC Wine
• Wine in America: Law and Policy *Sponsored Link*

MARKETING & SALES

• Irony and non-winery wine clubs
• Young people intimidated by wine
• Start Thinking About the Winter Holidays Now
• Overcoming Retailers’ Top 11 Objections in your Sales Meeting

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Pernod Ricard launches personalisation tool to drive gifting sales
• Drizly Booze Delivery App Available In Los Angeles
• 7 lessons from the eBay data breach
• Wine Brands: Success Strategies for New Markets, New Consumers and New Trends *Sponsored Link*

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Social media mistakes that can get you fired
• Lessons on Loyalty Learned at Obedience Class
• How to Launch your Wine Career: Dream Jobs in America’s Hottest Industry *Sponsored Link*

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Does A Wine’s ‘Terroir’ Really Matter? Study Says Yes
• Livermore Ascending
• baglio, an Italian winery designation rich with meaning
• Roussanne: A White Wine in Red Clothing
• The White House’s Favorite Wine Has A Batty Past
• Taste Buds and Molecules: The Art and Science of Food, Wine, and Flavor *Sponsored Link*

WINE PEOPLE

• Millennial voice for wine
• Meeting Kendall-Jackson’s Winemaster Randy Ullom

ACADEMIA

• Cornell Focuses On CalifThird-Party Sustainability
• Oregon Wine Research Institute Refocuses Efforts
• WSU, community colleges work together

OH CANADA!

• Lodge owner sorry for ‘native Americans can’t handle alcohol’ slur
• The Wines of Canada *Sponsored Link*

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Idaho wine grape growers happy with spring growth
• Finger Lakes 2012: Finally, the Hype is not Hyperbole
• Grape and wine businesses contribute millions to Ohio economy
• OR: Allison Inn steps up for ¡Salud!
• UT: Beer ban threatened at Oktoberfest
• Beyond Jefferson’s Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia *Sponsored Link*

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Study: ‘Local’ Vs. ‘Organic’ Food Terms Confusing Consumers
• A Guide to Organic Viticulture *Sponsored Link*

EUROPE & THE UK

• Medvedev Plans to Restore Vineyards to Soviet Glory Days
• UK: Comic Relief to stop investing in alcohol companies
• Parliament’s two year booze bill tops £1.4m
• Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Autocracy, and the Secret History of the Russian State*Sponsored Link*

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• 33 of The Most Bizarre Wine Flavors
• Weird Reasons You Pour Yourself Way Too Much Wine
• Pop Culture and Wine
• Prehistoric man’s top tipples unearthed
• Why you should care about sherry
• Seasons Among the Vines: Life Lessons from the California Wine Country and Paris *Sponsored Link*

MORE OSTENTATIOUS BLING

• Angelus Unveils New Look 21-Carat Gold Bottle