NEWS FETCH – August 6, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Ultra-Premium Vintner Genius Wines In Chapt 7 Liquidation, Online Auction Set
• Bello’s SoCal bankruptcy causes waves in wine country
• France to relax vineyard planting rules
• EPA wants tougher rules for pesticide application
• U.S. Consumer Confidence Remains Buoyant Despite Second-Quarter Setback
• Jim Spaulding, pioneer in the creation of the Napa Valley as a source of world-class wines, has died
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Negotiators hope to wrap up Trans-Pacific Partnership talks this month
• EU and Vietnam free trade deal will unleash export potential for wine and spirits

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Will Smoke Taint 2015 Winegrapes?
• Bordeaux 2015 – dry and sunny, still

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Fire crews gain ground against Northern California blaze
• Rocky Fire Impacting Lake CountyReal Estate Transactions
• Standoff with winery forces Windsor egg seller, Wise Acre Farms, to close farm stand
• Paso Robles wines: Ready for center stage
• Women for WineSense Awards New Scholarships
• Vineyard Professional Services Announces Staff Promotions & New Management Team
• Erik Goodmanson Named Assistant Winemaker at Bouchaine
• Development is destroying Napa Valley
• Jeff Hill’s Sentencing Hearing
• What makes Lodi special? For Mike McCay, it’s the excavation of ancient vines
• Registration Now Open for the 2016 UC Davis Wine Executive Program
• 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

• Judge Rejects Environmental Group’s Legal Challenge to Water Authority Plans
• Oakdale farmers get four more inches of surface water
• Judge backs California drought regulators in Delta case
• Army Corps uncertain of Waters of U.S. rule merit
• Drought relief, by rail
• Drought requires real solutions, not rollback of protections
• The drought, all that monsoonal stuff, and El Nino. What’s going on?
• How We Can Use Less Water to Grow More Food
• Arizona swings closer to shortage on Colorado River system

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Majestic promotes Naked Wines finance director James Crawford to CFO
• Campari America Signing New Distribution Agreements With Southern Wine & Spirits of America
• Morrisons’ top team almost ready for basket of problems
• Majestic launches click-and-collect service for Naked Wine customers
• How User Choices Can Boost Your Wine Club Membership & Loyalty. Click For A Free Best Practices Webinar *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• China’s Largest Online Alcohol Retailer Jiuxian.com Secures Additional 500 Million Yuan in Financing
• Masi Agricola valued at 150m euros after listing
• Access to the Australian Market: BTN Webinar – Free, Register Now! *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Buyers return to Bordeaux 2010
• In focus: 2002 Champagne
• The 1855 Classification of Bordeaux
• Hawesko: Positive result for the first six months
• German Riesling: The Poor Man’s Collector Wine

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• A $15 minimum wage might be $12 or $20 – It all depends on where you live.

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Wine, beer, spirits? Take your pick

MARKETING & SALES

• Increase online wine sales with product videos
• The 4% dilemma
• How to Manage Cash Flow to Expand your Winery, Distillery or Brewery’s Distribution. *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• A wine label’s eye-grabbing prowess gets a bottle in your hands and between your lips

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• The Five C’s of Social Media Success
• How to Build Your Business on a Foundation of Social Media Influence
• Brand Engagement on Instagram Is High—for Now
• Facebook introduces tools for Page admins to respond privately to customer concerns
• Twitter’s new ads editor taps Excel to help advertisers manage their campaigns in bulk
• Twitter Will Offer ‘Buy’ Buttons to as Many as 100,000 Merchants With New Shopify Deal

MEDIA MATTERS

• A Sneak Peak At The SF Chronicle’s New Wine Writer
• In praise of PR people
• A Solution for the Ebb and Flow of Managing Freelance Income

MATTERS OF TASTE

• ‘Eating sugar’: why old sweet wines often taste drier
• Who’s Your Daddy?: Kerner
• Wine for tasting, Coke for lunch. Why?
• Why It’s Time To Break Up With Your Champagne Flute
• Filtering wine one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Click now to see the alternatives *Sponsored Link*

WINE PEOPLE

• Nik Weis of St. Urbans-Hof in the Mosel
• Pablo Alvarez of Vega Sicilia
• Bruno Borie of Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou (podcast)
• Joe Roberts, 1 Wine Dude (podcast)

WINE PLACES

• 9 Incredible Tuscan Escapes On Airbnb

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Growing Urban Wineries Seek Options
• Manitoba Liberals Promise Lower Booze Prices, Mull Privatization

ACADEMIA

• SUNY Students Learn About Wine Journalism in Italy

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Four unexpected ‘upsides’ of climate change

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Monoculture vs. polyculture: When the obviously right choice isn’t
• Researchers Say Drones Will Play A Major Role In Farming

EUROPE & THE UK

• Louis Latour poaches Nightingale from McKinley Vintners
• The Russians Aren’t Coming for Georgian Wine
• Spain’s Finest Wine, on a Train to China (video)

DOWN UNDER

• Margaret River region strong despite wine profitability losses
• Jacob’s Creek appoints new chief winemaker

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Wine surpasses spirits in Korea’s imported liquor market

SOUTH AFRICA

• Why Africa offers growing opportunities for agricultural products

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• How to Break Out of Your Wine Rut
• 10 Great Tips on Buying Good Cheap Wine

OLIVE OIL

• Will the 2015 Olive Harvest Be a Good One?
• World Olive Oil Shortage Leads to Higher Prices
• Turkey couldn’t turn olive oil overpricing into advantage despite increasing production

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CRAFT BEVERAGES

TOP NEWS

• Lost Abbey Buys Out Former Partner Charged with Grand Theft, Embezzlement
• Boston Beer revenues up, Jim Koch hints at future sale?
• Surging Craft Brewer Lagunitas Said To Be Exploring Stake Sale
• Modern Times Announces Multi-Million Dollar Expansion

FINANCE M&A

• CBA Reports ‘Disappointing’ Second Quarter Earnings
• RUMOR: Saint Archer Brewing To Announce Sale to MillerCoors??

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Why Do So Many Sommeliers Love Crappy Beer?
• Why American Beer Is So Dull
• Discover Aroma Hops With Maximum Intensity
• Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

DISTRIBUTORS

• AleSmith Brewing Expands Distribution to Minnesota & Virginia
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Columbia Distributing Collaborate on Paddle Trail Ale

REGULATION & TAXES

• Expanded Farm Licensees Sales Proposal Advances in New York
• Local Tax Option Bill Fails to Advance in Oregon

MARKETING

• Tips for choosing a PR firm that fits your craft brewery

TRADE SHOWS

• The Culinary Institute of America Announces Inaugural Crafting Beer and Food Summit
• California Guild Launches First-of-its-Kind Craft Beer Summit and Brewers Showcase