NEWS FETCH — August 4, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Gallo Among Top Corporate Welfare Recipients In Wine-Soaked Modesto
• Court reverses $73.4 million verdict in Kings County land and water sale
• California Wine Shows Strength in Challenging Economy
• 2 wildfires in Northern California expand
• Drizly pulls in $15 million Series B to power liquor-based eCommerce
• Flavored brandy, cognac, rye & Irish whiskey + tequila show growth while rest of spirits snooze (and corn whiskey nosedives)
• Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs. You can too. Click to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Ideal Season Shapes Up for Sonoma Grapes
• Gloria Ferrer launches Sonoma Valley wine harvest
• An insider’s guide to the US bulk wine market
• USA Trade Tasting Exhibitor Registrations Are Now Open. Secure Your Early Bird Rates and Grow Your Distribution In USA*Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Cold fire near Lake Berryessa grows to 4,600 acres
• Republic gives Sonoma State $100K for Spectator Learning Center
• Santa Barbara County: More Work for Winery Ordinance
• Modesto business owner faces charges in wine theft from O’Brien’s
• New Program Pays Central Valley Farmers to Grow Wildlife Habitat
• Sextant welcomes new lead winemaker Michael Fay
• Napa Valley Wine Train hits SUV in St. Helena
• This Spring Mountain Estate Winery/Home Is Just Waiting For The Right Rising Star Winemaker or Chef *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Feds to take new look at Delta, endangered fish species
• California unveils environmental blueprint for the Delta tunnels
• California Water Fix releases biological assessment
• Metropolitan’s Bay Delta Committee discusses California Water Fix and the state’s Delta smelt strategy
• Looking To Grow Your Bulk Wine, Contract Bottling Service and Private Label Business? Then Get Involved with IBWSS Before July 31, 2016.*Sponsored Link*

DIRECT SHIPPING & PRIVATIZATION

• MN: Instacart now delivers alcohol from Total Wine, Liquor Boy around Twin Cities
• Cut through all that paperwork and create more time for making wine! Click now to learn how *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Tesco embraces ‘experiential’ marketing

DISTRIBUTORS

• How US Importers Can Develop Strong Relationships With Their Distributors
• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist *Sponsored Link*

HEALTH

• Tequila Wasn’t Responsible For Your Hangover. Your DNA Was.

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• 90 Points the New Average for Wine Advocate
• Transparency and grocery store wine prices
• Growing trend for seasonal wine lists

MARKETING & SALES

• 3 reasons messaging apps and chatbots will change the face of marketing

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Sip outside with new portable wines: Latest options come in disposable cups, pouches, juice boxes

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• 25th Anniversary Wine Industry Financial Symposium to feature several industry experts
• Top Ten Tips For a Successful Brand Launch *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• 3 Ways to Identify Your Winery’s Top Website Referral Sources

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Does organic wine taste better? A study whose findings have been widely misinterpreted
• Stability of olfactory ability over time
• Preserving Wine Diversity: Selection Massale
• What Happened to Chianti?
• Star of the past – where is Saperavi now?
• No terror in the terroir

WINE PLACES

• Forging Ahead in the Finger Lakes
• Now Is the Time to Visit Burgundy, and Not Just for the Wine

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• 19 grants totaling $36.5 million support specialty crop research

EUROPE & THE UK

• Future of France’s favorite tipple looking sober
• Alsace is finally getting its act together
• Les Grands Chais de France buys French bottling business

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Farmers welcome partial backtrack on CSIRO climate cuts, but call for all jobs to be reinstated
• OZ: David James will not mark 2016 up as a good year

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Finally, Your Dog Can Lap Up A Glass Of Non-Alcoholic Canine Wine

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

• Craft Brew Alliance Reports Record-Breaking Second Quarter Earnings
• Non-Distiller Producers Are Nothing New
• BrewDog takes Equity for Punks stateside for $50m funding round
• Farewell to Evan Cattanach (1935-2016)
• New Belgium Founder Vows to Remain Independent Amid Rumors of Sale

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