NEWS FETCH — January 27, 2016

TOP NEWS

• What Fred Franzia Said Tuesday That Totally Shook Up His Unified Symposium Audience
• Fred Franzia takes on banks, grapegrowers and academia in lively talk at Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
• Truett-Hurst, Spins Off “The Wine Spies” Membership equity
• Impact of California’s Drought on U.S. Wine Prices
• Why the American Wine Industry Needs a Shakeup
• Dow AgroSciences scores a win to keep Enlist Duo herbicide available
• Economic outlook: slow expansion in ’16 with 2 percent GDP
• 2016 holds a mixed outlook for restaurant operators
• Washington’s First Brewery-Winery Under One Roof
• The Business of Wine. Accessing key information. *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, M&A

• Napa vintner Rudy Von Strasser acquires Calistoga’s Lava Vine Winery
• WA: Sagemoor purchases Gamache Vineyards
• New bidder enters the Peroni race
• Wine Importers and Distributors, meet the world in NYC and source your next brand at USATT. Get your trade Pass Now and Avoid Gate Fee. *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• SSU Picks Local Builder for Wine Spectator Learning Center
• California Wine Industry Excited Storms Are Putting Dent In Drought
• California’s Scandal-Free Olive Oil Is Starting to Panic Old-World Producers
• Vine mealybug is difficult to manage in vineyards
• Practical Information for wine reps on how to successfully grow sales network in US Market *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY

• Good icewine harvest in Canada, but German yields fall
• ‘Record’ 2015 harvest for Spain
• ProWein 2016 easier to navigate for US buyers – check out “Route USA”! *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Board adopts reporting rules for water rights
• First-of-its-kind groundwater project begins
• Q&A with John Pujol: Tackling Arsenic-Tainted Water

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• EU trade chief tells consumers not to worry about TTIP
• Brand Australia posts exports jump
• Currency to blame for Molson Coors sales drop
• Report: BDS Not Hurting Israeli Wine Exports

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Don’t Be Fooled by Trademark Spam!
• A Trio of Alcohol Tax Rules Get Amended
• TTB wine bond update part 2: No wine bond does not mean no TTB permit

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• Washington D.C. is #1 for direct shipments
• How to Hire Top-Selling Sommeliers and Drive Your Sales *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Beer trumps wine for tobacco company bucks: Altria’s SABMiller equity makes 6X more than Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
• Constellation Taps Newlands To Head Wine And Spirits, Hetterich To Lead Beer

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Hong Kong auctioneers try new tricks as sales slide

DATA & TRENDS

• US Wine Trade Booming as Customers Trade Up
• Steve Hasker Discusses the Future of Measurement at Nielsen
• Nielsen to Measure Total Program-Related Conversation Across Twitter and Facebook

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Drinking cheap wines with pride
• Drink better wine by drinking it better
• The Dumbing Down of Wine

MARKETING & SALES

• Wine and yoga classes go mainstream
• Absolut and Smirnoff Are Taking Shots at the Craft Vodka Market
• What the Smartest Startups Are Getting Right in Marketing

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• 7 Truthful Wine Bottles
• Monvera Glass Décor announces UV printing capabilities

IT: INFORMATION [AND] TECHNOLOGY

• What to look for in your tasting room POS system

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Three Ways Entrepreneurs Can Take On the Big Guys — and Win!

MEDIA MATTERS

• Despite the Changing Times, Some Elements of Media Relations Just Don’t Change

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What It’s Really Like to Take the Certified Sommelier Test
• The great grape comeback . . . why you might be grateful for Gamay
• Walla Walla Valley winery at home with Oregon Tempranillo”
• Five great champagne/sparkling wine maisons controlled by families
• Everything You Need to Know About the Wine World’s “Next Big Thing”
• Champagne Service: A Primer

WINE PEOPLE

• Meet the Long-Lost Sisters Making Wine for Women
• On the Enduring Influence of Sasha Petraske

WINE PLACES

• Spain’s Latest Secession Problem Is All About Rioja Wine
• A Snapshot of Virginia Wines

EUROPE & THE UK

• Young consumers are making UK leisure spend more diverse, survey shows
• Instil Drinks Co boosts off-trade with new portfolio
• Conviviality poaches Argos COO
• Morgenhof joins Louis Latour
• Exton Park partners with H2Vin for on-trade push
• WSTA launches Scotland Gin Trail
• Hunter Laing expands into production with first Islay distillery in ten years

DOWN UNDER

• Australia: Five wine trends for 2016
• The Illustrious History of Australian Wine’s Greatest Invention
• Woman claims Marlborough vineyard workers exploited

SOUTH AFRICA

• CVC Heralds New Era for Image of South African Wines
• Wine industry assesses fire damage

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS – A Sampling of Today’s Headlines

• Twenty-five years of the gastropub – a revolution that saved British boozers
• CES 2016: PicoBrew
• Absolut and Smirnoff Are Taking Shots at the Craft Vodka Market
• Washington’s First Brewery-Winery Under One Roof
• Cool Mountain Beverages adds Chicago draught-style ginger ale
• Busch Returns To Racing With National Campaign
• Hard Liquor Capitals Around The World
• Drink better wine by drinking it better

Get the rest of today’s news at Craft Beverage Insights