NEWS FETCH – December 4, 2014

TOP NEWS

• Revived House water bill blasted by NorCal reps
• Start-ups ‘exploding’ into wine sector
• Wine Algorithms, Critics & Apps Can All Be Friends
• Swiss winemaker Giroud cleared of wine fraud
• Cyber Monday’s $2 Billion in Perspective
• The Urban Winery Is Not an Urban Myth
• Unlike people, monkeys not fooled by prices
• Save time and money – order ProWein 2015 tickets online at reduced rates! *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Argument Against Expanding Sta. Rita Hills AVA
• Santa Barbara County winemaker carries on after horrific harvest mishap
• Dilecta Wines joins Paso Underground
• Hall Wines to Host WWS Winemaking Roundtable Event Wednesday
• Anaba Wines Appoints Ross Cobb and Katy Wilson as Winemakers
• Take control of your wine costing and set your prices with confidence *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Rain soothes Californians, but state reservoirs in bad shape
• House to vote on drought bill next week
• Urban water conservation, agricultural impacts, water transfers
• The drought does not stop at the edge of congressional districts
• Are water users slacking off conservation?
• Officials increase water allocations as rain hits, drought persists

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Brown-Forman Sales Up 5%
• Brown-Forman results curbed by poor foreign exchange
• Majestic Wine PLC Upgraded by Liberum Capital to “Hold”
• Hawesko urges investors to reject takeover bid
• Grow Direct To Consumer Sales *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• Woolworth’s deal puts in Summergate in position to grow

HEALTH

• Foetal alcohol case dismissed by UK court
• Mediterranean diet linked to improved cardio in erectile dysfunction patients
• Eating the Mediterranean diet may lead to a longer life
• Grape Seed Extract Fights Cancer
• Johnnie Walker launches Never Drink and Drive campaign

BLAME THE GLASS

• Bigger Wine Glasses Promote Unhealthy Drinking

MARKETING & SALES

• Wine Warning: Beer & spirits have stolen your branding
• Wine.Com’s Top 100 wines of 2014
• Young US drinkers abandon beer, go for drinking wine & hard alcohol
• Drync wine app partners with retailers to offer pick-up as option
• Chinese Shoppers a Key Opportunity for the U.S. Market
• First female-winemaker-only list launched
• Showgirls Cause Stir Toasting Togetherness in Catalan Cava
• Could William Shatner be the next big thing in wine?

FOOD & WINE

• Fine Wine and Caviar—Made in China?
• Per Se and French Laundry go pre-paid
• Amazon Has Launched A GrubHub Rival For Food Takeout & Delivery

SOOOO YESTERDAY

• The rise of celebrity wines

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Testing the Ease of Use of Nomacorc vs. Diam
• The Art and Design of Contemporary Wine Labels*Sponsored Link*

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Hot debates at the World Bulk Wine Exhibition
• Trade Show & Event Marketing *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Simple Tips for Using Google Analytics
• Social Media Studies May Not be Scientifically Sound
• Reaching Millennials With Snapchat
• Top 10 drinks tweets of the week
• Virtual Unreality: Just Because the Internet Told You, How Do You Know It’s True? *Sponsored Link*

PAYMENTS

• Payments processor Klarna to spend at least $100M on US push

IT: INFORMATION [AND] TECHNOLOGY

• Google is working on an unsend feature for Inbox

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Covered California says immigration information will stay confidential

MEDIA MATTERS

• Internet Advertising Continues To Eat Legacy Media’s Lunch
• Top Wine Blog Posts of 2014

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What do You Really Smell in That Glass?
• Glass shape can change how we taste wine
• How Tannins, Ethanol Affect Flavors in Red Wine
• The Second Defining Element of Great Wine
• Bordeaux consultant to test oak influence on wine aroma
• Minerality: Truth or Fiction?

WINE PEOPLE

• Portugal’s go-getting young winemakers
• Q&A with José Galante

WINE PLACES

• Penfolds Grange shines spotlight on tiny South Australian wine region
• 10 Things Every Wine Lover Should Know About Henschke
• Great Northwest Destination Wineries: Columbia Crest

ACADEMIA

• A peek at the WSU Wine Science Center
• U of Delaware to offer the Introduction to Wine certification course

WINE TOURISM

• Tourism and good wines merge for exquisite palates

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Red Mountain Vineyard Development Proceeding

EUROPE & THE UK

• Is Lugana worth saving?
• Mosel bridge safety concerns unfounded
• Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Autocracy, and the Secret History of the Russian State*Sponsored Link*
• Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy*Sponsored Link*

DOWN UNDER

• Tasmanian Viticulture Poised For Growth?
• Wines of the Southern Hemisphere: The Complete Guide *Sponsored Link*

KLUTZ NOTES

• ‘Spill-proof’ wine glass launched

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• 12 Stages of Deciding To Open A Bottle Of Wine Alone And Drinking The Entire Thing
• Eating Papa John’s Fritos Chili Pizza With A 2006 Brunello Riserva
• Cop shows and European wine culture (site is experiencing intermittent access problems)
  
• Homemade wine is a tradition, a growing hobby

OLIVE OIL

• Prices for Italian top-grade EVOO touched a record in November
• Consumption of olive oil and table olives in Poland
• IOC expects world production of olive oil to decrease 26.8% this season
• Olive Council Extends Barjol’s Term
• Weather and Disease Have Dealt A Costly Blow To Olive Oil Yield
• Olive oil is a healthy cooking alternative for your picky eaters
• Olive Oil: From Tree to Table *Sponsored Link*