NEWS FETCH – April 14, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Why Did US Wine Export Revenues Decline in 2014?
• US is to cement its position as the world’s largest wine consumer
• Economists brace for China’s slowing economy
• Changyu aggressive in foreign wine brand acquisitions
• Drought devastating California farms, drying up jobs
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• PD-GWSS ballots in the mail to wine grape growers
• Weird spring weather blamed on ‘blob’ in Pacific Ocean
• BevMo! Toasts New CMO
• North Coast sweeps first California green wine awards
• Winery Marketer Gives It Up To Help Terminal Cancer Patients Have One Good Day

DROUGHT/WATER

• Brown proposes dropping major part of twin-tunnel project
• Does California Have Droughts?
• Farmers to city dwellers: We’re all in the drought together
• California reservoirs inch closer to going dry
• Huge CA water supplier plans to reduce deliveries
• In CA, rights to water exceed the supply

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• LVMH posts strong first quarter profits
• Constellation Brands Now Covered by Analysts at Susquehanna (STZ)
• Majestic Wine gets Naked truth from new CEO Rowan Gormley

FINANCE, M&A

• Michel Chapoutier buys Beaujolais negociant
• 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: Gazin and Suduiraut 2014 released today
• ‘There is no market’ for 2013 Bordeaux
• Poor en primeur campaigns favour the fittest

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

• Grapes aid glucose tolerance
• PA Dep. of Health and Dep. of Drug & Alcohol Programs Release Joint Statement on Palcohol

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Washington, Oregon wine leaders oppose proposed AVA rule
• Proposed Establishment of the “Lamorinda” Viticultural Area in California (PDF)
• Proposed Establishment of the “Lewis-Clark Valley” Viticultural Area in Idaho/Washington(PDF)
• Proposed Establishment of the “Eagle Foothills” Viticultural Area in Idaho (PDF)
• Very Possibly, Your Approved Label is Wrong
• Wine Labels Should Include Production Methods And Added Chemicals
• Craft Beverages: Social Media Marketing the Effective and Compliant Way

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• An Overview of the US Wine Market
• Premiumization: Is This the Wine Market’s New “New Normal?”
• How to Optimize your Bottle Price and Increase Sales *Sponsored Link*

MARKETING & SALES

• Proven ecommerce strategies: Upselling and cross-selling
• 5 Suggestions on Building your Restaurant Wine Lists for Profits *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Boycott boycott with Crown Holdings Canada spills over into London

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Wine Industry Conference panelists include online pioneers

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• How Facebook dominates online communication
• The Social Media Megaphone Every Brand Forgets

PAYMENTS

• Consumers trust their bank most to provide a mobile wallet

MEDIA MATTERS

• Blind Book Review: Lettie Teague’s “Wine in Words”

MATTERS OF TASTE

• How Wine Faults Show—Even if You Can’t Tell
• What’s the Big Deal About Stems?
• Manipulating Taste with Other Senses
• A classic restaurant, bar, caterers, and picnic item… Boxxle

WINE PEOPLE

• Madame Pommery changed how we drink Champagne today
• Lazy bones: Jo Perry’s ironic nickname
• Q&A: Stephanie Teuwen President and Co-Founder, Teuwen Communications
• From Mechanic to Winemaker: One Man’s Journey in Northern Piedmont
• Brilliant Chardonnays and Pinots – and the Winemaker Is 29
• What makes a Winemaker?

WINE PLACES

• Developing DuMOL: A Day in the Vines with Andy Smith

REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Winemakers Pitch Prestigious Future for Michigan Wines
• Oregon wine industry emerges as a mighty ag force

ACADEMIA

• University of Missouri Extension viticulturist to work with wineries

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Potential for biological control of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in CA
• Vineyard Trials of PD-resistant Winegrape Vines

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK remains largest export market for Côtes du Rhône wine
• UK mobile consumer spending to hit £53 billion over the next decade
• Record passenger traffic in UK airports could signal growing opportunity for wine and spirit brands

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Indonesian Islamic parties seek ban on alcohol consumption
• Helan Qing Xue winemaker Zhang Jing on Ningxia’s scene
• Revisiting Grace Vineyard in China

SOUTH AFRICA

• Wine And Wonders At A South Africa Estate

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• 8 Wines That Every Red Wine Lover Should Know
• 7 Fun Wine Facts About America’s Third President

OLIVE OIL

• EU olive oil regulations are coming into force in the UK
• Olive Oil Producers Prices – IOC Report
• Tales of Two Olive Oil Producers

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER WINE & SPIRITS

• Elysian founder quits after AB takeover
• Heineken to pay €115m for 51% stake in Slovenian brewer Pivovarna Laško
• Brew Hub announces partnership with Toppling Goliath
• The Spirits Industry Benefits from International Demand
• Julius Criscione Appointed Managing Director, Americas, for Global Spirits
• Inside Houston’s Dry Neighborhood and Its Private Drinking Clubs

MARIJUANA

• Pot growers endangering California watersheds and wildlife
• ‘Uber For Weed’ Startup Eaze Raises $10 Million In Funding