NEWS FETCH – March 23, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Wine Industry Faces New Water Reality
• UN Cancer Warning About Glyphosate (Round Up) and Four Other Pesticides
• Making Sense Of The Arsenic & Wine Report
• Wine drinkers open their wallets again for pricier bottles
• China drinks a surprising amount of alcohol
• Invivo raises $1.5M to set equity crowdfunding record
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Local groups meet to analyze Napa casino threat
• CA craft wine, beer, spirits producers seek freedom to bypass wholesalers

MORE ON THE ARSENIC BROUHAHA

• Will cheap wine kill you?
• Damn Lies & Statistics” – It Was Ever Thus…
• A Real Man Can Handle His Arsenic
• List of wines cited in lawsuit as having high arsenic levels
• Wine Institute Fact Sheet on Arsenic
• Americans reacting to the lawsuit regarding high levels of arsenic in wine

DROUGHT/WATER

• The Economics of California’s Drought
• Sonoma County gets set to study groundwater regulations
• No, California won’t run out of water in a year
• It’s time to get serious about the California drought
• Is it time for a national water policy?

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Pernod Ricard to borrow $240.4m to gain strong foothold in Indian spirits market

FINANCE, M&A

• Thirstie Closes $1.1 Million In Seed Round Funding
• Beverage Trade Network Launches USA Trade Tasting To Help Producers Connect With Distributors *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Scarecrow Lot at Napa Auction Won’t Include Vatican Trip
• Liv-ex trading updates for the week of 13th – 19th March
• Bordeaux En Primeur 2014: It will be positive, very positive
• After three average-quality vintages, this is a crunch year for Bordeaux
• Is 2014 a watershed year for en primeur?

ALCOHOL, HEALTH, AND THE FRENCH PARADOX
Click the link above for more news, articles and archives.

• Alcohol intake may be a risk factor for obesity in some
• Researchers show in-car alcohol tests prevent crashes
• Quit blaming your hangovers on the sulfites in wine
• The Mediterranean Diet is Associated with Decreased Cognitive Decline
• New MIND diet may significantly protect against Alzheimer’s disease

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• China Alcohol Consumption On The Rise
• Spring fever is heating things up for restaurants
• How To Build a Cult-Like Following For Your Brand: *Sponsored Link*

MARKETING & SALES

• Is Your AVA “Just Like Napa?”
• Creating Snackable Content Millennials Can’t Ignore
• What It Takes To Get Your Brand Approved By Commercial Airlines: *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Cork Versus Screw Cap: Which Preserves The Flavor Of Wine Better?
• Diageo moving towards “content information” on wine labels: Heimoff

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Why Social Media is the Next Big Platform for Commerce

MEDIA MATTERS

• Subscriptions are enjoying a new prominence as a revenue engine for digital content
• New Documentary Exhumes Yelp ‘Extortion’ Allegations That Won’t Go Away

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What’s a perfect berry?
• The times are right for Bordeaux whites
• Can Neuroscience Teach Us About Winemaking?
• Is a wine that costs four digits worth it?

WINE PEOPLE

• Women in Wine Interview: Erica Landon
• Interview with Paul Hobbs
• Wine trade celebrates career of Pol Roger MD

WINE EDUCATION

• The Institute of Masters of Wine inducts five new members

OH CANADA!

• Brutal winters leave untold damage in Niagara wine crop
• First winery to produce ice wine in North America ripping out vines to make room for Pinot Noir
• Free Trade Turning Point in BC Wines’ 25-Year History
• BC Wine Culture Feared Lost

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Nevada Extension, UN College of Ag, host grape grower workshop
• America’s Best Drinking Town: Atlanta

EUROPE & THE UK

• Gambal vineyard deal reveals shift in Burgundy as prices rise
• Champagne Protesters Take to the Streets

DOWN UNDER

• Australian Winemaker dies in windsurfing accident
• South Korea Free Trade Agreement boost for NZ exporters

LATIN AMERICA

• Argentine wine sector under pressure

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• White Wine Sweetness Guide
• 5 Odd AVA Titles

OLIVE OIL

• Europe Proposes Cutting Down Millions of Olive Trees in Italy to Fight Outbreak
• New Zealand olive oil importers are experiencing a very high buying price
• Crop failures hike olive oil prices
• Why consumers should be wary of ‘too’ cheap olive oil?

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER WINE & SPIRITS

• Hangover-Free Beer Could Soon Become A Reality
• Is Beer Really Brain Food? New Research Says Yes
• Champagne sake is a bubbly glass of East meets West
• The first meeting of the Mendocino Bourbon Group