NEWS FETCH – December 1, 2014

TOP NEWS

• Bulldozing Calif vineyards for almonds, other crops
• Pernod Ricard in executive shake up
• Rémy Cointreau’s sales slide 5.6%
• Tesco’s Jago ‘expected to be dismissed’
• Next Glass: A Step In Solving Wine Rating’s Genetic Issues
• Budget Problems? Kentucky and Elsewhere Find Answer in Alcohol
• NY Winery Defeats NYSLA’s Bid to have Liquor License Revoked
• Save time and money – order ProWein 2015 tickets online at reduced rates! *Sponsored Link*

HARVEST 2014/GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Chile and South Africa bulk wine markets face stormy weather
• OZ: Grape growers have been warned to prepare for damage from bushfire smoke this summer
• Take control of your wine costing and set your prices with confidence *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Lawsuit filed over Sonoma Mountain Road winery/creamery
• St. Helena City Council reaffirms winery expansion
• Election win puts rural San Benito County on anti-fracking map
• Grow Direct To Consumer Sales *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• California Water Officials Begin Negotiations To Modify State Water Project Contracts
• A Push to Share Drought’s Burden
• OZ: Dry grapes flourishing despite drought
• California drought foreshadows crisis for Montana, Wyoming, rest of West
• Water bond will help shape state’s agriculture
• Peace amid the water wars
• Woodland-Davis water project wins $2 million grant
• Southern California in need of water usage behavioral shift
• Experts make recommendations for coping with drought

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Remy Cointreau First-Half Earnings Beat Estimates on Liqueurs
• Concha y Toro raises glass to weaker Chilean peso as profits rise
• Jewell to leave Tesco for Wine Australia
• McGuigan steps down from Australian Vintage board
• Three suspended bosses reported to have left Tesco with more to follow

FINANCE, M&A

• OZ: Casella puts a cork in profit speculation
• Accolade confirms purchase of Grant Burge
• Soul Tree looks to raise £350k in crowdfunding scheme for its Indian wine business

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Bordeaux Inspires Caution Rather Than Speculation
• French court agrees 1855.com recovery plan
• Burgundy and Rhone shine at multi-million dollar US auctions
• Liv-ex Fine Wine: 21st – 27th November
• A leading indicator for fine wine?
• Christie’s HK sale makes HK$36m
• En primeur: the Bordelais’ perspective
• Solidity Returning to Prices for Bordeaux Wine
• Bordeaux Prices Leave Too Many Discouraged
• December Wine Auctions Provide Shopping Opportunities Galore

HEALTH

• Alcohol ‘more deadly than cannabis’
• Avril Tooley on dangers for drinks brands from plain tobacco packaging
• Wine As Therapy for Alzheimer’s
• Heavy drinking raises women’s injury risk more than men’s
• New drug nalmefene approved in UK to control urge to consume alcohol
• Specific genetic factors modify the reduction in heart disease risk from alcohol consumption

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Interns and Volunteers – When are they Employees?
• New BC liquor laws to bump up prices

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Wine-loving US boosts sales during holidays, and beyond
• Top 3 Beverage Alcohol Trends for 2015
• Grower Champagnes a ‘phenomenon’
• Where Are Your Affluent Customers Shopping?

MARKETING & SALES

• Problems with wine price increases
• Millennials Are Drinking So Much Wine They’re Changing How It’s Sold
• Could Digital be “the next China” for Luxury Wines ?
• UK: Red wine drinkers make more money than other vino fans

WINE CHOICE & RECOMMENDATION

• Sensory-active compounds influencing wine experts’ and consumers’ perception of red wine

RESTAURANT WINE

• Wine app brings mark up transparency
• How restaurants might be more innovative

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• ProWein predicts biggest growth opportunities in the USA and Asia
• American wines to take spotlight at Vinexpo 2015

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Using social media as a customer service outlet

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Wine and insect matching guide launched
• Can I see a difference between Prosecco and Veuve Clicquot?
• How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Fruit-Bomb
• Alcohol in wine: Keeping the balance
• How and from where are the World’s Top 100 Wines?

WINE PEOPLE

• Q&A: Anthony Barton
• Q&A: Damien Yvon of Clos Henri
• Florence Cathiard: Uncorked
• IWSC Communicator of the Year: Jane Parkinson
• IWSC president elect: Neil McGuigan

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Guala solves screwcap challenge

OH CANADA!

• Ontario wine executive reignites business for Port wine producer

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Missouri: University wine institute operates largely on industry money
• Michigan: State must crack down on unlicensed wine tours
• Only in Florida: Man charged with hiding bottle of wine in pants

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Portable chamber a game changer for wine industry
• Washington vineyards free of certain pests

EUROPE & THE UK

• First Chinese Investment in Languedoc Wine Region
• Supermarkets in cut-price Champagne war

DOWN UNDER

• Huge wine investment potential in Tasmania demonstrated
• OZ: Winemaker predicts challenging times

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Cru Bourgeois Well Distributed in Hong Kong
• Sarment strengthens Asia presence