NEWS FETCH — August 5, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Is Constellation Brands Inc. the New King of Craft Beer?
• SLO County sued after issuing permits for new wells to Justin Vineyards and others
• Wineries Welcome Department of Justice Ruling on Music Licensing
• 8 dead, 350 square miles burned, 300 homes destroyed in grim beginning of California fire season
• Craft beer $ volume up 12.5% vs year ago
• U.S. Consumer Confidence Rises in Second Quarter
• U.S. Small-Business Owners’ Optimism Inches Up
• Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs. You can too. Click to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Santa Lucia Highlands Anticipates Low Yields, High Quality for 2016 Harvest
• Grape Harvest Begins in Central Virginia
• Just how hot has the summer of 2016 been in Paso Robles? More (and less) than you probably think.
• USA Trade Tasting Exhibitor Registrations Are Now Open. Secure Your Early Bird Rates and Grow Your Distribution In USA*Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Napa County taking another look at Yountville Hill Winery
• North Coast high-value wine complicates business insurance
• A Carmel Valley vineyard manager defends his grapes against the Big Sur fire
• Bill Mosby and Santa Barbara
• Rutherford Wine Company adds two industry veterans
• This Spring Mountain Estate Winery/Home Is Just Waiting For The Right Rising Star Winemaker or Chef *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• California failed to study oil well impact on water
• California Pushes Ahead on Twin Water Tunnels Under Estuary
• San Bernardino Valley water agencies buy record amount state water
• Why Scoring Zero in Stress Tests Is Good News
• The Drought’s Water-Rate Paradox
• California Water Impact Network Sues to Block Excessive Groundwater Pumping
• The benefits of capturing stormwater
• Looking To Grow Your Bulk Wine, Contract Bottling Service and Private Label Business? Then Get Involved with IBWSS Before July 31, 2016.*Sponsored Link*

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Brexit an Opportunity for California in the UK
• Cut through all that paperwork and create more time for making wine! Click now to learn how *Sponsored Link*

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Casella Wines buys vineyard Dunvar in NSW

DISTRIBUTORS

• Uncorking the Mysterious World of Wine Distribution
• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Will English wine become a collector’s item?
• Sotheby’s SQN stunners

HEALTH

• Gastric bypass surgery and alcohol sensitivity
• Could alcohol-free blueberry-blackberry wine help diabetes sufferers?

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• What’s The House Merlot?
• Which bottle to buy? Just ask your phone.
• Is this what the wine store of the future looks like?
• Hey, Waiter, Stop Asking Me This Ridiculous Wine Question!

MARKETING & SALES

• How to Stand Out When Your Competitors All Look the Same
• DNC didn’t seem to spike wine and spirit sales in Philly

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Global Demand for Wine Packaging to Reach $22.8 Billion
• Are These 5 Champagne Bottle Stoppers Worth All The Fizz?
• Can do: wine for millennials

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Top Ten Tips For a Successful Brand Launch *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Young Internet Users Say They Are Addicted to Their Devices
• 7 Types Of Awesome Social Media Content Your Brand Can Be Creating Right Now
• A beginner’s guide to Snapchat for marketers
• Do brands need a bot? The case for and against
• Facebook tweaks the News Feed to show you less clickbait

MEDIA MATTERS

• Brands can’t pass the buck on policing media issues

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Team takes steps toward examining the DNA of the world’s wine regions
• A Chicago Wine Writer’s Quest To Understand Sherry
• Loire Noir: On Pinot, Cab Franc, and Gamay
• Underrated Wines: Soave
• What Is A “Crisp” Wine?
• Make your own wine
• EPHEMERA: The Spirituality of K-Y Jelly

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• B.C. Protectionist Measures Draw International Complaint

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Is the global wine industry really embracing sustainability?

EUROPE & THE UK

• English vineyards continue to grow
• Champagne makers seek grapes that beat climate change

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Chinese customs rejects thousands of wines due to ‘inadequate’ labels

LATIN AMERICA

• Olympic Games set to provide a further boost for soaring Brazilian wine category

MARIJUANA

• Baker raises $1.6 million to help marijuana dispensaries get customers in the door
• Colombia’s New, Legal Drug Barons Focus on Medical Marijuana

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

• The Battle Brewing to Become the Coors Light of Craft Beer
• Is Constellation Brands Inc. the New King of Craft Beer?
• Interest in local British beers to grow post-Brexit
• Why beer is better than wine
• Craft a Brew’s Catalyst Fermentation System Exceeds 400% Funding on Kickstarter
• Alabama craft beer advocates vow to work with ABC on controversial proposal

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