NEWS FETCH — April 21, 2016

TOP NEWS

• California vintners grapple with new state law on worker payments
• Indiana “Corporate Welfare Blocks Binny’s Expansion
• Bill Foley buys Stryker Sonoma winery
• China behind Spain as country with second biggest vineyard surface area
• California grape industry closer to EGVM eradication
• Rabobank: Global wine supply in flux as drinkers trade up
• Worksite inspections disrupt farmers and laborers and put a fragile economy at risk
• California water districts say drought emergency has ended
• This is how Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY

• OZ: McLaren Vale’s vintage finishes on a high
• This is how you can get meaningful reporting and compliance information from your business data *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Former Winebow VP Joins SSU Teaching Roster, Leads Online Course
• Bill Foley Announces New Winemaking Team At Chalone Estate Vineyard
• The Judgment of Paris Turns 40
• Days left to save $1500 on USA Trade Tasting Exhibitor Registrations. Super Early Bird Ends April 30 .*Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• California lawmakers reject bill calling for Delta tunnels scrutiny
• Is California’s Water System Really Broken?
• Economists see role for data in battling drought
• Stopping Southern California’s Delta water grab
• California is acting like it has too much water

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Why Analysts Expect Constellation Brands’ Stock to Keep Rising
• Dip in Q3 sales at Pernod Ricard

FINANCE, M&A

• Vinomofo Gets $25 Million To Grow The Tribe Of Wine Lovers

DISTRIBUTORS

• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Walla Walla Winemakers Come Together for Inaugural Trade Auction
• Bordeaux 2013 activity – on the up
• Bordeaux 2015 scores: Full Decanter ratings revealed
• 2015 Bordeaux Barrels Diary: Revisiting the Professor of Bordeaux

HEALTH

• Alcohol, Processed Meats May Raise Stomach Cancer Risk
• British drinking culture mixes moderation and excess

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• TTB’s Annual Alcohol Sampling Program
• Clock is ticking on bill to revise Oklahoma alcohol laws

DATA & TRENDS

• The Global Wine Business In 2015: Stable
• Number of regional craft breweries in 2015 grew 26% over 2015. Brewpubs and microbreweries also soaring.

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Why sommeliers are scrambling to stay relevant as fine dining undergoes a makeover
• The wine critic as “god”
• You Can Now Serve Sparkling Cannabis At Your Wedding
• Breaking the Rules of Wine Pairing

MARKETING & SALES

• Are We Really Headed Toward a World Without Ads?

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Oregon Winery Puts Own Quality Guarantee on Corks

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Successful Premiere Staging Of ProWine Asia 2016
• Vinitaly takes title of world’s most visited trade fair
• Vinitaly and OperaWine put wine at the center of Verona in April
• 10 Tips to Designing the Perfect Trade Advert *Sponsored Link*

PAYMENTS

• 10 great merchant account providers (that aren’t PayPal and Google Wallet)

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• DIY Resume Writing Resource Canva

MEDIA MATTERS

• Google to WC: Maybe you don’t have to drop dead

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Bottling brainwaves
• The Science Behind Hosting the Tastiest Dining Experience
• Why coffee and wine can (and should) be called potable condiments
• Why Wild, Chemical-Free, “Natural” Wines Are Taking the Industry by Storm [Note to the scientifically illiterate: Wine is 100% chemicals. Most added by “nature.” Some by “evil” winemakers.]
• 10 steps to becoming a wine snob

WINE PEOPLE

• Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni has wine properties on four continents
• Winemaker Jean-Louis Chave (podcast)

WINE PLACES

• Uncorking the Chippewa Valley Wine Scene (WI)
• Metsovo: A Unique Destination For Wine Lovers
• Warm Up: Hermitage

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Lewis-Clark Valley hones regional identity with latest wine grape growing region, but not everyone is happy
• Washington Wine Commission: Wine industry grows its research commitment
• Oregon Wine Month On-Premise: Deadline

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Why Some Winemakers Think Concrete Eggs Channel Mystical Energy

EUROPE & THE UK

• English sparkling trumps Champagne in tasting
• Reclaiming Bordeaux terroir
• Brits’ love of online wine buying continues

DOWN UNDER

• Rabobank Global Wine Quarterly Q2: New Zealand Shows Scope for Growth
• Kiwis’ perceptions of rose wine may need shake-up

AROUND THE GLOBE

• Russia’s winemakers tap their roots

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

• When Craft Beer Hits the Big Time
• The Case for Growing Bigger by Going Smaller
• Why dry hopping may lower iso-alpha acids but boost bitterness
• After Taking The Beer Category By Storm, Hard Sodas Look To the Future
• Can Vodka Be Craft?

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