NEWS FETCH – July 31, 2015

TOP NEWS

• China is by far the world’s largest wine market
• Rocky Fire grows to 13,500 acres in Lake County
• El Niño vs. the Blob: Here’s Why California’s Drought Probably Won’t End Anytime Soon
• California judge says she’ll likely uphold farmer water cuts
• Vladimir Putin’s Grapes of Wrath
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Who’s afraid of the big bad world? A look at the TPP and FTAs
• A didgeridoo and champion rams help provide food for thought from Canberra as TTP talks intensify

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Hopes rise for 2015 Port wine harvest

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Trinchero CEO discusses company’s growth and plans for future
• The new West Burgundy Wine Group: focusing on world-class chardonnay and pinot noir
• City Winery seeks ways to leave the Opera House
• What to do in case of wildfire evacuation
• Cohn, but not forgotten
• The cream of the crop
• Making Pinot Noir in heart of S.F.
• Submit your interest now to get 2-1 code on the launch day – biggest discount that will be made available for USA Trade Tickets Conference. *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Drought’s Impact On California Winegrapes
• Western Growers Praises Introduction Of California Emergency Drought Relief Act
• Wine Grapes, Water Usage and the Effects on Our Natural Environment
• Dianne Feinstein’s drought package splits from GOP strategy
• California “rain debt” equal to average full year of precipitation
• Farmers, fighting back, say they’re unfairly blamed for worsening drought
• The California Delta Blues
• Almonds contribute little to carbon emissions
• Concerns rise over environmental impact of Carlsbad desalination plant

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Diageo Sales Decline In North America And Are Expected To Remain Weak In Short Term
• Diageo boss insists drinks giant is on the mend
• Budweiser marketing offense fails to pay off as sales continue to slump
• Altria Group Lifted to Buy at Vetr Inc.
• How User Choices Can Boost Your Wine Club Membership & Loyalty. Click For A Free Best Practices Webinar *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• Beer Institute Releases Domestic Tax Paid Estimate

DISTRIBUTORS

• California’s Young’s Holdings’ Wilson Daniels Unit To Open East Coast Distributorship
• Access to the Australian Market: BTN Webinar – Free, Register Now! *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Pontet Canet 2009 and 2010: perfect value?
• Spotlight on … Clos des Papes
• “Collectibles” auction website Catawiki raises 75 mln euros

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

• How does wine affect the aging brain?

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• USDA says marketing orders not exempt from antitrust laws

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Alcohol and Marijuana: Latest Gallup Polls
• Ste. Michelle Shipments Rise 4.9% In First Half, Even As 14 Hands Slows
• No, Nigeria Is Not the World’s Biggest Champagne Consumer After France

MARKETING & SALES

• Corrosion and Corruption in Alcohol Beverage Sales
• The Art of the Wine Sale
• How to Manage Cash Flow to Expand your Winery, Distillery or Brewery’s Distribution. *Sponsored Link*

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Discover the Food-Themed Expo Milano 2015

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Upcoming Social Media Changes You Can’t Miss

MEDIA MATTERS

• 5 questions to ask before hitting ‘publish’ on branded content
• The monumental Oxford Companion to Wine – editor: Jancis Robinson MW
• One of the most moving passages of wine writing

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Update: Sweet red wine is taking over the U.S.
• A comment on the alcohol level debate
• How to be a Hospitalian
• Most frequently asked questions on ‘readiness for drinking’
• America Needs More Boozy Taco Bells
• How a childhood steeped in wine imbued one writer with a love of the stuff
• VIT 101 ~ Sour Grapes
• Filtering wine one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Click now to see the alternatives *Sponsored Link*

WINE PLACES

• Greek Wine Is On The Rise: Exploring Naoussa
• A trip to an Australia wine region
• Beyond Bordeaux: yea
• What makes Lodi special? For Stuart Spencer, it’s heroic vines and people

WINE EDUCATION

• Educating the consumer is not the answer
• Cooking classes tap into people’s relationship with wine

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Winemaking stays in family at Hedges Family Estate, WA
• Wine a growing industry at the Lake of the Ozarks and around Missouri

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Balancing traditional vineyard management practices in the modern era
• Scientists turn to a wild grape species to make hardier wine grapes
• Rooibos: an alternative to sulphur?
• Plant health risks linked to import of soil and growing media

EUROPE & THE UK

• Wine sales to Russia slump
• Provence Wines signals ‘change of direction’
• SPI Group acquires Spanish wine estate

DOWN UNDER

• Australian grape growers look to sell amid “vicious cycle”
• OZ: Cask wine consumption dropping but Queenslanders still love goon

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Transition from sommelier to ex-sommelier in China

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Happy to Be a Recovering Sommelier
• Is There A Correct Way To Hold A Wine Glass?

OLIVE OIL

• What you don’t know about Italian olive oil also explains Greece’s disaster economy

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• The next big thing for beer could be bugs
• Rabbit Ridge Winery launches craft soda line
• Boston Beer Reports Second Quarter 2015 Results

MARIJUANA

• Can the Marijuana Industry Rebrand Itself as Health Food?
• Banking for Pot Industry Hits a Roadblock