NEWS FETCH — April 8, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Annette Alvarez-Peters On Costco’s Continuing Wine Dominance
• WA and ID Senators ‘urge’ TTB to approve Lewis-Clark Valley AVA
• U.S. Senate Works to Lower Wine Excise Taxes
• Is wine good for you or is it not?
• Understanding Constellation Brands Top and Bottom Lines in 2016
• This is how Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY

• UK: Isles of Scilly vineyard prays for right weather to avoid second catastrophic harvest
• This is how you can get meaningful reporting and compliance information from your business data *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• On that Prisoner deal: Brands without land? I don’t think so
• Santa Barbara Candidate Calls Winery Dispute ‘Politically Motivated’
• Women of the Vine gather in Napa
• The oldest vine in California
• USA Trade Tasting 2016 Toasts to Overwhelming Success *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Rainfall, snowpack — and a paltry allocation to a powerful water district

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Constellation stock was already outpacing its peers, but look what the Prisoner did
• Aldi wine team grows market share as rivals falter

FINANCE, M&A

• Smart alcohol connoisseur Synek launches Somm smart wine dispenser on Kickstarter

DISTRIBUTORS

• How to support your brand and help your distributor *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Liv-ex Cellar Watch April 2016 Market Report released
• More shipwrecked Champagne for sale

BORDEAUX 2015

• Bordeaux 2015 vintage: How it compares to others
• Why wine experts are excited about Bordeaux 2015 vintage
• The 2015 Bordeaux Barrels Diary: Easy Does It at Château Palmer
• Bordeaux en primeur 2015: interest ‘recovering’ from China
• 2015 vintage a fitting tribute to Margaux gentleman
• Wine experts predict ‘great vintage’ Bordeaux for 2015

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• English Brewer And French Wine Group In Trademark Dispute Over ‘Champ’

DATA & TRENDS

• Italian wine sales grow by 5% in 2015
• UK: Young ‘more interested in food’ than drinks

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Constellation says everyone is buying more expensive alcohol
• Wine Lister claims ‘new standard’ in wine rating
• Are Wine Clubs Passé?
• Wine judges do require training

MARKETING & SALES

• What channels are best for online marketing?

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Storing screwcapped bottles

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• What distributors expect from a supplier visit *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Facebook Remains the Largest Social Network in Most Major Markets
• Some publishers see a drop in Facebook traffic
• WTF is WeChat? A guide for brands and publishers
• Facebook opens to the door to branded content from top publishers

MEDIA MATTERS

• Dan Dunn’s American Wino chronicles the funniest (and craziest) wine road trip since Sideways
• On blogging as freedom of speech

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Why And How Different Oak Species Impact Your Favorite Drink
• Why Wines Made At High Elevations Can Taste So Good
• No added sulphur wines taste best
• What’s the Difference Between Champagne, Prosecco & Cava?

WINE PLACES

• Nalle, an old-school hold-out

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Managing Wine Tannin in Washington
• New Program Helps Pennsylvania Vineyards Improve Health Of Lake Erie

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Wine yeast genomes lack diversity
• Understanding and Preventing Spring Frost/Freeze Damage
• The importance of healthy, fruitful Pinot noir buds
• New Technology Guides Vineyard Management Decisions

EUROPE & THE UK

• Brexit bad for business
• Is the Country of Georgia the Next Great Wine Destination?
• The wine trade has a case of ‘Budget Blues’ and rightfully so
• UK: Wine tipped to earn fairer deal in 2017 Budget by WSTA
• UK: Convenience retail is key for ‘individual’ wine brands
• Sichel estate protected by French ministry
• French supplier targets channel growth following restructure
• Simplifying the south of France
• Generational change at ZONIN1821

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Bulk Wine Exporters Abusing WET
• OZ: Riverina growers given the message

LATIN AMERICA

• Malbec World Day

SOUTH AFRICA

• In the South African vineyards with Johan Reyneke talking farming and biodynamics

NO WINE IS THAT GOOD

• Bihar Constable commits suicide for not finding his favorite brand of wine

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS – A sampling of today’s headlines:

• Should craft beer drop the hop?
• For American Beer Drinkers, It’s A Great Time to Be a Beer Lover
• 1,000 Craft Distilleries – and Counting! – Now Operating in the USA
• How America’s Craft Movement Might Make It The World’s Best Beer Country
• What Are Craft Spirits, Exactly?

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