NEWS FETCH – February 25, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Entertainment Properties Trust Exits Wine Biz, CEO Exits Company
• California Wines Fuel $1.49 Billion in U.S. Wine Exports in 2014
• Port labor deal may be too late for California citrus, almond growers
• Grape harvest contractor ordered to pay farmworkers $163K in back wages
• U.S. Economic Confidence Index Back in Negative Territory
• Water thefts on the rise as supplies become more scarce
• Vandal destroys A$300k of wine in Barossa
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

HARVEST 2014/GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• OZ: Grape yield down but growers pleased with quality
• NZ: Early harvest for some wine producers
• South Africa winemakers excited by quality of 2015 harvest
• ON: Essex County wineries hope cold doesn’t hurt rebound year
• Overcoming the Top 10 Objections from Beverage Retailers *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Growers Of Lower End California Winegrapes Face Challenge
• Guy Fieri drops plans for winery outside of Santa Rosa
• Farm exporters try to pick up pieces after port deal
• Craft spirit industry is growing in Paso Robles
• New Vit Advisor for Central Valley

DROUGHT/WATER

• Is drought the new normal for Southern California?
• O.C. toilet-to-tap recycled water program is expanding
• Drought prompts Santa Barbara to consider firing up desalination plant
• The drought files: Calera edition

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Direct to consumer sales will snare ‘significant revenues’ for US wineries
• Illinois sends over 100 cease and desist letters
• OK says Okay To First Step To Wine Shipping

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Ex-Tesco director David Potts named as new Morrisons chief executive

FINANCE, M&A

• Soul Tree exceeds crowdfunding target to boost its Indian wine business

DISTRIBUTORS

• Chairman Emeritus and Founder LoCascio to retire from The Winebow Group
• How Large Distributors Launch A New Brand *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• How Serious Is China About Fighting Fake Wine Sales Online?
• Wines of the Bordeaux 500: which brands are leading?
• The 40’s Win Big at Bonhams London Wine Auction
• Jayer Cros Parantoux ’99 Fetches $148,200 at Acker Sale
• Haut Bailly leads the Left Bank pack

ALCOHOL, HEALTH, AND THE FRENCH PARADOX

• Is Red Wine Really Good For You?
• Love, and other scientifically tested ways to sober you up
• 4 Reasons Why Every Woman Should Have A Wine Night Once A Week
• The fountain of youth flows with wine and coffee
• Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Associated with Lower Risk of Psoriasis

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• AR: Alcohol-vote bill fails; wine tax goes to governor

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Online and c-store shopping will drive global wine sales
• Sparkling wine drinking is growing in the US
• Cru Bourgeois Gearing Up For U.S. Push
• A tool so you can easily and quickly look up acreage data by variety and geography

WINE CHOICE & RECOMMENDATION

• The perfect wine critic, and assigning confidence to scores
• Use the online search tool to make sure you are well prepared for your ProWein 2015 visit – over 5,000 exhibitors await you! *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Diageo ‘smart bottle’ thwarts counterfeiters and boosts consumer experience
• Carlsberg and Rexam celebrate sustainable beverage can ‘first’

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Email: The Biggest ROI for Wineries

PAYMENTS

• Barclays brings banking and social media closer with Twitter Payments
• There are still serious questions about mobile money and security that need to be answered

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Happy employees result in happier customers
• New York to raise wages for tipped workers

MEDIA MATTERS

• Forbes Polls Wine Writer Symposium Attendees For Writing Tips
• Rating The Wall Street Journal Wine Column Redux
• The Billy Collins Writing Challenge: Wine Writers Taking Themselves Seriously (and Making Fun)
• Jerry Lockspeiser reviews the “inspiring” An Unlikely Vineyard by Deidre Heekin

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Wine under $10 sucks. Should we care?
• Two sides to every wine

WINE PEOPLE

• A tribute to Brian Agnew
• Excelsior Wines President Marc Goodrich Embraces Change
• Somm Cappie Peete’s passion for wine led her to mezcal and more

OH CANADA!

• BC: Changes at JoieFarm

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• WA Wine industry seeks leaders for AgForestry Leadership Program

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Is biodynamic farming the new religion of Italian winemaking?

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• PD/GWSS Report on Pierce’s Disease and Other Research Over the Past 15 Years (PDF)
• Soil Types Effect on Grape and Wine Composition in Helan Mountain Area of Ningxia, China

EUROPE & THE UK

• German wine consumers turn to higher quality wine
• Spain: Valdeorras wine council chairman resigns over grower dispute
• UK: Independent wine merchants urged to appeal soaring business rates in hardest hit areas

DOWN UNDER

• Australia needs a strategy that speaks for all its wine industry

LATIN AMERICA

• Northern Baja wineries sprouting with eco-flair

SOUTH AFRICA

• South Africa Raises Personal Income-Tax Rate, Boosts Alcohol Levy

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Why Rioja Bottles Are Wrapped In Gold Wire – To Stop Thieves
• How to Order Wine When You Know Nothing About Wine

OLIVE OIL

• Despite poor harvest, no olive oil shortage
• Italian olive crisis makes Mediterranean diet more costly

ARTISAN BEER, CIDER & SPIRITS

• The Rebirth of Truly Local American Craft Whiskey
• NZ: Beer supply falls despite craft brewery boost

MARYJANE

• Alaska just legalized pot
• Cannabis cocktail trend predicted in US