NEWS FETCH — March 2, 2016

TOP NEWS

• This bankrupt owner of the bankrupt Premier Cru has Wells Fargo’s $100K supercharged Corvette and they want it back.
• EPA bans pesticide used on wine grapes, almonds & other crops
• Cyber-extortionists threaten UK wine trade
• Spanish Wine Now Most Popular in the World, Nudging out French
• Restaurant expectations outweigh decline in January
• UK Wine scam director raked in £300,000
• This is how you can get meaningful reporting and compliance information from your business data *Sponsored Link*

GLOBAL WINE SUPPLY

• Yields are up for South Australia’s wine grape growers
• Your ticket to the world of wine! Experience creations from 6,000 exhibitors at ProWein 2016 *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Vintank rebrands as The TMRW Engine
• Winery Exchange rebrands as WX
• Napa Valley Vintners Partners with Christie’s at Hong Kong Auction
• Executives-in-Residence Appointed for HR and Wine Business
• Gallo announces UK plans
• Super Bowl contract released by Sonoma County Tourism Bureau
• Last week to get your USA Trade Tasting Conference Tickets at Early Bird Price *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• California drought restrictions lifted in Russian River area
• Sierra snowpack falls below average
• Five Lessons from Australia’s Drought
• El Niño heads back to California this week after hiatus
• Water rhetoric could have been very productive.
• ENSO the Drought Strikes Back! The 2016 Drought so far – March 1
• Paso Robles groundwater district vote is being watched closely statewide
• California’s three traditionally wettest months end with statewide snowpack water content at 83% of March 1st average

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Brown-Forman completes Southern Comfort and Tuaca sale
• AB InBev to sell SABMiller’s stake in Snow – world’s largest selling beer – to China Resources Beer

FINANCE, M&A

• Despite stock volatility, restaurant valuations still high

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-ex 100 gains 1.2% in February
• Gold and wine track closely as investments
• March wine auction highlights: 8 top lots
• Bordeaux Index rebrands to ‘BI’
• Fine wine monitor: A look at 2015
• All about Champagne in February
• 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*

HEALTH

• The world’s first sulfite-filtering purifier for wine from Üllo

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• The “Naked” Truth of Likelihood of Confusion
• A hot topic surfaces in an old Maryland DUI case: Alcohol-sensing interlocks

MARKETING & SALES

• Everyone predicts the death of cheap wine, but look at last year’s crazy growth!
• Women lead the way in Australian wine consumption
• Drinks with the girls: Australian women and wine
• Chinese online liquor retailer Jiuxian set to boost imported wine business
• How to manage cashflow to expand your winery operations, sales and distribution. *Sponsored Link*

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Washington winery puts reds in recyclable pouches
• Graphic Packaging to invest $20m in US folding carton plant

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Five new Masters of Wine announced
• Is Virginia’s wine industry advanced enough to have a signature grape variety?
• Seeking New Wine Classics
• Wine—What’s Old Is Rarely What’s New
• Organic and biodynamic wine claims questioned
• Dunne on wine: Amador County barbera

WINE PEOPLE

• Southern Announces Leadership Appointments in Florida Division
• Jim Clerkin Elected Chair of the Distilled Spirits Council
• Joel Peterson returns to his roots
• Paul Scotto and a Gleam in His Old Man’s Eye

WINE PLACES

• Roman winery found in Jerusalem
• Diverse AVAs tell Sonoma County’s wine story
• Savoring the flavors of Tuscany, Umbria

OLIVE OIL

• Total phenolic compounds reduction did not exceed 31% during EVOO storage
• World Olive Oil Consumption Increased by 73 Percent Over a Generation
• Cooking With Olive Oil: Should You Fry and Sear in it or Not?
• International Stage is Set for Inaugural USA Trade Tasting
• Italy Moves to Toughen Penalties for Olive Oil Fraud

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

• Brewery Taprooms Are The Best Places On Earth
• Bear Republic to open new brewpub in Rohnert Park
• Why Are Beer Geeks So Obsessed with Ratings?
• Blended Scotch Whisky Poised to Bounce Back
• Saltwater Brewery Expands Distribution to the Gulf Coast and Central Florida
• AB InBev to sell SABMiller’s stake in Snow to China Resources Beer

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