NEWS FETCH – August 17, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Winemakers Unplug Napa’s Anti-Growth Matrix
• Do Not Count on El Niño to End Drought (PDF)
• Wine Metrics Stay Positive in Slow Month
• Neither Chinese Nor Americans Are Taking Over French Vineyards
• Russia suspends sale of three types of US wine
• TTB Compliance can be simpler. Here’s how. *Sponsored Link*

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• US thirst for Marlborough Sauvignon fuels NZ wine exports
• Rain tempers Italy’s heat wave as Franciacorta harvest is completed
• In Conca, Spain, we are surprised how well Macabeu and Xarel.lo have resisted such a warm summer
• In Burgundy, we have been exposed to a high risk of powdery mildew this year
• 2015 should be good year for NJ wine
• Drought brings early harvest in California’s wine country
• Wine Tradition, Rained Out in Italy

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• What? Locals Overwhelmingly LIKE the Wine Industry: SVB
• New owner for idle winery property
• Citrus up, grapes down in Tulare County
• Consider “direct marketing” in more substantive ways
• Of course wineries don’t want to be regulated
• Lodi Winegrape Commission Releases 2015 Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing Certification Prog
• Madison Marquette and Carlin Company Announce Major Napa Recapitalization
• Exhibit at USA Trade Tasting (New York) and Grow Your Distribution in USA. Super Early Bird Ends August 31 *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BURNING

• Wind, heat, dry land fueling large blazes
• Fast-moving wildfires in the West have destroyed homes, forced evacuations
• Weary Lake County residents describe ‘stressful’ second evacuation in Jerusalem fire
• California Dying: Fire and Rain
• Fire near Simi Valley threatens homes; another burns 1,800 acres near Glendora

DROUGHT/WATER

• Water officials endorse a “less is more” strategy for the future
• Everything a JPL climate expert wants you to know about California’s drought
• Chris Austin, Water Maven

EL NIÑO

• Four ways that El Niño could fail to end California’s drought
• How to prepare for a destructive El Niño winter
• Drought-weary California hopes El Nino means wet winter
• What can California expect from El Niño?
• How User Choices Can Boost Your Wine Club Membership & Loyalty. Click For A Free Best Practices Webinar *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Can Rowan Gormley work his magic on Majestic Wine?
• Morrisons close to convenience stores sell-off
• Tesco set to axe half-price deals
• Tesco: Jago won’t be replaced
• Australian Vintage sharpens European focus
• Wineries and Wine Importers: Here are some basic support programs and incentives to that can be used to drive your wine brand in distribution channels*Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 gained 0.7% last week
• What’s the cheapest wine worth faking?

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

• Powdered alcohol is banned in at least 21 states
• Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?
• Bike Lock Breathalyzer Curbs Drinking and Riding

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Why Ron Walsham and Tim Atkin and not Jayne Powell (aka ChampagneJayne)?

INDUSTRY DATA & TRENDS

• Frequent wine drinkers are really … really into craft beer

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Sommeliers Are Finally Working Together to Bring More Varied Wines to Diners
• Yet Another Wine Selection Epic Fail: Fifty Shades of Red … Wine
• Do you want wine with that?
• Celebrating without Champagne

MARKETING & SALES

• What range rationalisation means for the drinks trade
• How to turn a night in into a big occasion
• How to Manage Cash Flow to Expand your Winery, Distillery or Brewery’s Distribution. *Sponsored Link*

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Henry George and Diversity at the Wine Blogging Conference

PAYMENTS

• Facebook’s last push into ecommerce was a disaster, but it’s gearing up to try again

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Is your business misclassifying 1099 contractors?

MEDIA MATTERS

• Karen MacNeil, Inspiration and Art of Wine Blogging
• How To Write The Bible Of Wine: Karen MacNeil On The Craft Of Writing
• Book Review: The Drinkers Guide to Healthy Living
• The Diabetic Wine Lovers Guide
• A World Beyond Wine Blogging

MATTERS OF TASTE

• The Evolution Of Alcohol Across The Three Monotheistic Religions
• Roditis: Crisp and food-friendly with a touch of uncertainty
• Seeking Inspiration: In Gratitude
• Finger on the Pulse: Wine and Water
• Classic, schlmassic: another silly wine word to get rid of
• On Champagne bubbles
• Filtering wine one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Click now to see the alternatives *Sponsored Link*

WINE PEOPLE

• Paolo Basso: Seduced by wine
• Wine Australia’s UK head Laura Jewell MW

WINE PLACES

• Lambs and Vines Winery, Missouri: A story of perseverance
• Inspiring Independent: Le Vignoble

WINE TOURISM

• Why some cities don’t like tourists anymore

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Oliver Fire In B.C. Wine Country Destroys Homes
• NH Liquor Commission posts record sales of $642 million
• Wineries a booming business in Wisconsin
• How a Virginia winery in its prime holds its enemies at bay

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Sulfur Spray Best Practices For Winegrapes
• Research Seeks To Find Better Grapevine Roots
• Scientist Has Sights On Shooting Down Spotted Wing Drosophila
• Figuring out how to make tastier wines using fewer pesticides

EUROPE & THE UK

• Mud Wrestling with the Bourguignons
• Portugal’s wine – ready to shine?
• Conviviality wins exclusivity agreement in bid to wrap up Matthew Clark deal by September 4
• Vega Sicilia technical director departs

DOWN UNDER

• Australian viticulture science on global stage
• Premier Estates Wine faces ‘Taste the Bush’ backlash
• Between sips: Return to Oz

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Hengren County reveals ice wine ambition

LATIN AMERICA

• Could Semillon be Chile’s great white hope?

SOUTH AFRICA

• S.African liquor industry counters proposed government crackdown

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Alltech Investing $13 Million in New Brewery & Distillery
• Breweries Identify Potential Cost Savings with Sustainability Benchmarking
• IL: Even if the Governor doesn’t sign the Craft Brewer License updates into law, not all is lost
• ‘Tablet’ hip flask project seeks Kickstarter funding
• Top 10 craft spirits descriptions
• Delaware Brew Bus taps niche in rising alcohol tourism
• Beer Glassware: It’s not just about what you drink
• Hard cider makes a comeback, in Sacramento and beyond
• The dramatic rise of craft brewing (podcast)