NEWS FETCH – March 31, 2015

TOP NEWS

• TWE To “Right Size:” Sell Asti Winery, Move Ops To Central Coast, Consol. Napa Bottling + OZ Reorg
• The Surprising Rebound & Unexpected Bifurcation of the U.S. Wine Market
• Arkansas legislator drops proposal to ban California wine
• Dogs trained to sniff out phylloxera vine disease
• Landmark Vineyards founder Mabry dies at 91
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Aussie Grape growers lose $200K vintage to smoke taint after Sampson Flat fires

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Group of Mendocino County farmers opposes MendoVito ‘village’ project
• PD/GWSS Referendum Ballot Mailing Update
• Grape Advisors Seek to Expand Network
• Silver Oak’s Return to Form
• Sonoma’s Grape Camp Is Your Dream Vacation
• Statues of Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta unveiled in Napa
• New Central Coast winery celebrates tradition

DROUGHT/WATER

• The California Drought of 2015: A preview
• Congress may consider proposals to address California’s drought
• Next steps in groundwater management
• Drought is the new normal
• The Great Drought: Heimoff Reflects

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Diageo expects Asia to drive products’ sales growth
• Peter McDonough On Diageo’s Luxury Branding

FINANCE, M&A

• DroneDeploy Snags $9M As Its Drone Control Platform Soars Out Of Beta

DISTRIBUTORS

• Epic Wines & Spirits Signs Distribution Agreement with Napa Winery
• USA Trade Tasting Partners With New York International Wine Competition To Give Early Bird Exhibitors Added Benefits. *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-Ex Index Up On Euro Depreciation & Dollar Strength
• Figures reveal Parker’s declining influence
• Le Pin the Best Bet for Wine Investors
• LE PAN to Serve as a Leading Voice in the World of Fine Wine Living
• Sotheby’s offers ‘greatest ever Burgundy collection’
• d’Yquem – the toast of Zachy’s New York sale
• Conseillante’s Overshadowed Wines Show Hallmark Tannins
• Petrus ’90 Leads Christie’s Sale as ’89 Sold at Sotheby’s

BORDEAUX 2014 COVERAGE

• En Primeur’s 2014 Miracle Vintage Makes a Splash
• Spotlight on: Haut-Bailly
• Highlights from Saint-Estèphe
• First impression – Pessac Leognan and Graves

ALCOHOL, HEALTH, AND THE FRENCH PARADOX
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• Component of red grapes, wine could help ease depression
• Children given sips of wine at dinner table may be more at risk of drinking as teenagers
• The effects of alcohol consumption on the risk of hip fracture
• The cost of binge drinking is £77 per person each year

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Mendocino County lawsuit takes aim at noise from wind machines used to combat frost
• Telephone wine sales vs. federal law
• Why the Alcoholic Beverage Industry Is So Highly Taxed
• Kansas Senate panel to consider expanding liquor licenses

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Provence produces 1.38m hectoliters
• How to Optimize your Bottle Price and Increase Sales *Sponsored Link*

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Why Sommeliers Matter More Than Wine Scores
• Wine critics vs. sommeliers, Round 428. Ding!
• 5 Suggestions on Building your Restaurant Wine Lists for Profits *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Why Brands Should Care Less About the ‘Like’

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Employers with outdoor workers cautioned to prepare for heat season now
• The art of new employee orientation

MEDIA MATTERS

• The Next Chapter at VinTank

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Less alcohol doesn’t have to mean less flavor
• Why is champagne getting drier?
• Grüner Veltliner feels like sunshine and spring
• The Most Horrific Wine Ever Made

WINE PLACES

• Red Mountain: The Unsung Hero of Washington Cabernet
• Visiting a Biodynamic Vineyard in Tuscany

OH CANADA!

• Ontario poll shows huge support for beer, wine in supermarkets
• Drink Wine From British Columbia

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• NY: Grapes handle the cold better than people do
• OR: Argyle Winery to create new tasting experience in Dundee

ACADEMIA

• Global wine masters program offered in fall at Sonoma State University

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Waste Not Want Not: Food and Wine Companies Capitalize on “Leftovers”

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Recommendations for Revising CDFA Regulations on Nursery Stock
• Finding the Oxygen “Sweet Spot” in Red Wine
• Potential seen in floating solar for wine, ag

EUROPE & THE UK

• EU Consumers in the dark over alcoholic drinks content
• Bancroft wines restructures and strengthens the team as profits rise 10%
• Oddbins losses halve as turnover in England rises 10%

DOWN UNDER

• Aussie winemaker accused of draining rival’s wine
• Wine industry mergers lead to fewer wine companies in OZ
• Expert Look Back on Grape-Driven New Zealand Ag Strategy

SOUTH AFRICA

• Conservation efforts by South African wine industry lauded

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• The IPOB Rejection Letter

OLIVE OIL

• Olive oil market – current market and future players

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER WINE & SPIRITS

• UK thirst for US craft beers surges
• Bacardi Enters Bourbon Category With Angel’s Envy Acquisition
• Archeologists unearth 5000-year-old micro-brewery in Tel Aviv