NEWS FETCH – January 6, 2015

TOP NEWS

• U.S. Consumer Spending Strong, Mostly Unchanged in Dec
• J.W. Childs Buys Majority Ownership of Kosta Browne
• Restaurant stocks see mediocre performance in 2014
• Sparkling Wine Drives US Industry Growth In 2014
• Italian Bubbly Producers Say Cheers to Record New Year Sales
• The top 8 reasons it makes dollars and sense to move your winery software to the Cloud *Sponsored Link*

IN MEMORIAM

• Finger Lakes Region Mourns the Loss of Top Grape Grower Sam Argetsinger
• Arthur “Jay” Fritz Jr. Reflecting on a former boss
• Serge Hochar of Musar will be sorely missed
• Napa Marks the Death of Volker Eisele

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Napa Valley College joins race to offer four year degrees
• Pouring Pinot and Iconoclasm at Hilliard Bruce
• California Olive Ranch Acquires Lucini Italia
• How To Pitch Your Brand In National Restaurant Chains *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• The 2015 drought – so far
• Early Months of 2015 Will Be Critical
• What’s In Store For The Future?
• CA Drought Could Have Dangerous Ripple Effects
• Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: History in the making or another dead end?

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Thatcher becomes Direct Wines’ group CEO
• Can Starbucks Really Succeed As a Bar?
• Grow Direct To Consumer Sales *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• China’s Zhou Acquires Bordeaux Wine Estate Chateau Renon
• Charles Wells Ltd posts 24% rise in profits
• Off-trade continues volume and value growth
• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Could investing in wine boost your wealth?
• For Sale: The Million-Dollar Burgundies of Martine Saunier
• Auction of Washington Wines makes changes

HEALTH

• Latest diabetes research looks at impact of resveratrol on the brain
• Moderate Drinking Can Be Good for the Aging Brain
• New Study Finds Diet Influences Levels of Environmental Contaminants in the Blood Using Questionable Logic
• Hangovers Are As Old As Alcohol And So Are Hangover Cures
• Scientists Discover That Drunk Birds Sing Like Drunks
• Death to the Pickleback and Other Drinking Resolutions

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Barry Gamble (The London Vines Ltd): judgment in default
• Predictions for 2015: The Booze Laws Will Loosen

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Plotting the U.S. Wine Trends for 2015
• Millennials bring diversity to the wine world

MARKETING & SALES

• Why the Euro at nine-year low won’t hit wine shelves soon
• How to enter the Chinese wine market
• Demand surges for bigger bottles of wine
• Lessons From the Marketing Scrooge
• Piattelli Vineyards Hires National US Sales Director
• Save time and money – order ProWein 2015 tickets online at reduced rates! *Sponsored Link*

WINE CHOICE & RECOMMENDATION

• Relieve Some Pressure: Pop a Cork!
• The science and magic of mulled wine

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Corks seal a wine’s fate: aging under natural vs synthetic closures
• Resveratrol: Not for heart health but to preserve wine in cans
• Barnard Griffin changes labels to play off winemaker’s name

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• French Laundry Wine Heist – Could tech have helped catch thieves?
• How Long Does It Take to Plan Facebook, Twitter Content?
• The real message of social media may be: We are all artists
• Use Social Media to Make a Huge Impact in Real Life
• Is Social Media Dying a Slow Death?
• Social Network For People Who Love Wine

PAYMENTS

• New mobile payment contender loom
• Security breach and price crash mark bad start to 2015 for bitcoin
• Bitcoin wallet’s suspension calls viability into question

MEDIA MATTERS

• What not to publish on your wine blog in 2015
• Book Reviews: Not That Easy Being Green (Wine)
• An old wine reference guide holds up well, 26 years later

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Climate Change Is Altering The Way Wine Tastes
• For Bubbles, Which Glass Is Best?

WINE PEOPLE

• Q&A: Francesco Ricasoli, Count of Brolio
• Austria’s Émile Zola

WINE PLACES

• Lots to Love in Lucerne
• 10 Things Every Wine Lover Should Know About Château Rieussec

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• MA wine and hard cider makers live to see another day
• WA: Efforts underway to promote local craft beverage industry
• WA: Some state crops see gains; wine a new key player
• Wine Course Helps Build Arkansas Work Force
• Illinois wine trade group has new director

ACADEMIA

• Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station Vital to NY Region
• NY: FLCC Viticulture Center set to open soon

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Why Australians are using sunblock to protect grape crops
• Managing pests in wine grapes
• Vineyard water management, Part II
• Polymer powder cuts beverage quality testing time
• The Science of Why Champagne Pops

EUROPE & THE UK

• Brits fork out 50% in tax on festive drinks shop

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Opportunities for wine in the second-tier cities in China
• Chinese Consumers Toast to Cheap Wine
• Chinese wines do not impress James Suckling

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Is winemaking an art or science?
• Travel Channel’s Booze Traveler drinks all around
• How to spit, sip and appreciate vino
• Ten Surprising Ways To Love Wine In 2015
• Colorado Ski Dream Home Features Wine Tunnel

OLIVE OIL

• Producers expected to generate 2.39m tons of olive oil in 2014/15
• Bay Area distributors paying about $42,000 more per truckload of premium oil
• Texans Discover Oil Grows on Olive Trees as Crude Drops
• Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil Prices Drop Despite Demand
• Olive oil is common in diet of world’s longest living communities
• Olive Oil Sensory Evaluation

CRAFT BEER, CIDER & SPIRITS

• If You’re Toasting To Health, Reach For Beer, Not (Sparkling) Wine