NEWS FETCH – May 5, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Judge dismisses legal challenge to Paul Hobbs vineyard project
• The Curious Dominance of Family-Owned Wine Businesses in the U.S.
• Consumer Spending in U.S. Continues Rising in April
• Cameron Hughes Issues A Statement On Court Case
• Cameron Hughes Wine Forced Into Receivership, Sale/Merger Likely
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Two winery controversies return for Napa commission hearings
• New Hires, Promotions Beef Up Vintage Wine Estates Executive Team
• New plans for Sutter Home winery in Napa Valley
• Historic Napa Winery Standing Tall Again
• How To Overcome The Top 10 Objections From Beverage Retailers. *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Agriculture is thriving in bone-dry California, and that’s not a good thing
• Dams, reservoirs may not be best answer
• Desalination makes desert nation water-independent
• Realities of desalination
• Official launch of FAO Agricultural Stress Index System
• Got a good grip on your bung? Click now to check out our “super grip” bung flash sale *Sponsored Link*

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Growing Power of Medium-Sized Wineries

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Diageo Shares Climb on Bid Talks
• Nathan Stern Hired As New Crimson Wine VP DtC Sales

FINANCE, M&A

• MCC Expansions Increase Forecasted Annualized Revenues to USD900 million
• Tools of the Trade: 10 Must Have Documents to Have Ready For Your Distributor *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Cos d’Estournel 2014 opens today’s releases
• Haut Brion released at €240 per bottle
• Talbot released at €29.40 per bottle
• Collector charging €10,000 for wine tasting

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

• The association of alcohol consumption with the risk of developing heart failure
• The cult of healthy eating has more in common with religion than science

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Appellate Court Ruling Strikes Blow Against Michigans’s Arbitrary Beer Label Ban
• Nevada Winery Law: From Whoopee to WTF in 3.5 Seconds
• Gov. Pence signs bill loosening Indiana rules on wine sales
• Blue Moon Lawsuit: [Not] All About That Label

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Wine Exports Running Behind 2013 and 2014
• Winners and losers in precarious global market

MARKETING & SALES

• Experts say successful wine marketers create opportunities ‘under duress’
• What does the rise of drone technology mean for marketers?
• How Large Distributors Launch A New Brand *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• GPS-Bottles Lead the Curious to the Heineken Promised Land

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Twitter has figured out the science behind the perfect hashtag
• The Social Network That Rewards Content Creators
• Is social media losing clout?
• How You Can Survive The Mobilegeddon

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Presentation Matters: But Wine Quality—and Engagement—Matter More
• Are we overly sensitive or is A-B InBev thoughtless?
• The subtleties of German rieslings
• Filtering wine one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Click now to see the alternatives *Sponsored Link*

WINE PEOPLE

• Library Tasting Reunites Icons of Sonoma
• Portraits of Bardolino 4: Contessa Maria Cristina Loredan Rizzardi, Guerrieri Rizzardi

WINE PLACES

• Moldova producing ‘world’s purest fruit’
• London for Wine Lovers 2015

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Luxury Wine Tourism and the New Willamette Valley
• Wine pours millions into Idaho economy

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Skills with the still
• Agriculture to farm two-thirds of UAV-drone market

EUROPE & THE UK

• London Wine Fair’s state of the nation report focuses on the recovery in the UK on-trade
• Former Jascots’ training manager launches new wine school in London
• Perrin family of Beaucastel opens pop-up store for new Eurostar new route
• 2013 Not A Vintage Year For Port
• Spain’s Felix Solis Avantis spends 40m euros on expansion

DOWN UNDER

• Australians are getting hammered when it comes to wine taxes
• Winemakers cranky Kiwis will keep $25m wine subsidy for now
• Australian Vintage still has plenty to celebrate

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• How Long Does Wine Last Opened?
• Wine-making: The ultimate DIY
• New wine delivery service at Florida beaches

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER WINE & SPIRITS

• Euromonitor predicts global drinks industry volume will grow nearly 10% by 2019
• World Of Beer Maps Major Expansion Plans
• Have A Stomach Ache? Drink Fernet
• What’s the Big Deal About Sake?