NEWS FETCH – December 18, 2015

TOP NEWS

• Premier Cru moves to online only sales as ‘wine pyramid scheme’ lawsuits pile up
• Wine Buyers Judge Bottles by Their Labels—How Can Brands Stand Out? (Nielsen)
• For Wine Industry, Nutritional And Ingredient Labeling Would Uncork A Host Of Issues
• December El Niño update: phenomenal cosmic powers!
• An aggressively stupid, Millennial suck-up headline from people at Inc. Magazine who don’t know seem to know jack about the wine market or what it means to be “disruptive”
• The Business of Wine. Accessing key information. *Sponsored Link*

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Australian farmers prepare to reap the benefits as China trade deal takes effect

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Warm Weather Chills 2015 BC Ice Wine Aspirations
• 52,000 trade visitors can’t be wrong – ProWein 2016 is the largest wine and spirits trade fair worldwide *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Spanish for the Wine Industry classes begin in January (Napa and Online)
• New Calistoga planning commissioners appointed

DROUGHT/WATER

• How a stunning Klamath Basin water agreement has been doomed by lawmakers
• No One Digs California’s Salmon Water Plan
• What is Smart Growth? A Water-Conservation Tool

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Update on Oregon DTC Reporting
• What It Takes To Get Your Brand Approved By Commercial Airlines *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Can Brown-Forman’s Solid Brand Line-Up Sustain Growth?

DISTRIBUTORS

• Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America seeks rule clarification
• Only 8 Spots Left. Your last chance to become an exhibitor at USA TRADE TASTING *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-ex 50 index increased 0.3% week on week this week
• Bonhams to sell pipe of ’63 Port

ALCOHOL, HEALTH, AND THE FRENCH PARADOX

• Majority of Americans believe designated driver important
• Underage alcohol readily available, but teens are backing away from it, see binge risk

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Alcohol served legally in NY town for first time in 80 years

MARKETING & SALES

• Good Customer Service Is Your Best Holiday Marketing Investment
• Customer Survey Opportunity for Wineries

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Magnum Farce – Beyond the Bigger Bottle

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• How to Fail At Social Media
• 5 Social-Media Opportunities Businesses Mostly Overlook
• Is it rude to be #social?

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What Happens When CA Pinot Noir Becomes As Expensive As Cabernet
• The problem with sparkling wine

WINE PEOPLE

• Don Ditter, Former Chief Winemaker at Australia’s Penfolds, Dies at 89
• 10 questions with: Michael Hill Smith MW
• Interview, Part 2: Treasury’s Sandra LeDrew On Beringer’s Progress
• People inside the wine world of Austin, Texas

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Vancouver shelves grocery store wine sales, for now

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Spice and sulfur: Recent research news from Australia

EUROPE & THE UK

• Crimea and the game of wines
• BBR posts £11.3m losses – but says recovery on track
• ‘Pernicious’ Prestige Fine Wine Ltd shut in public interest

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• China: Turpan wine gains geographical indication protection

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

Today’s Craft Beverage Insights News has 54 new links including the following top headlines:

• Craft beer distribution will be the main battle for 2016
• Real estate feeling the effects of craft beer
• Today’s Craft Beer Fans Have Got Nothing on Yesterday’s Beer Rioters
• Taking your beverage company into international markets: 10 tips from experts
• Mark Bittman Wants to Establish a National Drinking Age for Soda

Get all today’s news at Craft Beverage Insights here.