NEWS FETCH — August 11, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Premier Cru Staffer Spills Beans About Ponzi Scheme
• Madeira and Portugal hit by wildfires
• UC Davis chancellor resigns
• The Hidden Costs of a Possible U.S.–Mexico Trade War
• California agriculture largest source of nitrogen pollution in the state
• Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs. You can too. Click to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Beer, Spirits, & Wine – Packaged Imports Growing, Bulk Declining
• Fresno County wine, raisin grape grower anticipates good quality fruit in a year of so-so yields
• OR: Willamette Valley winemakers gear up for early harvest
• TX: Outstanding quality expected from the 2016 grape harvest
• USA Trade Tasting Exhibitor Registrations Are Now Open. Secure Your Early Bird Rates and Grow Your Distribution In USA*Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Prospects of a light crop strengthen prices for California’s 2016 wine grapes
• Destructive Valley fire was started by faulty hot tub wiring
• Delicato Family Vineyards Appoints Kate McManus As New Vice President Of Marketing
• Winiarski on 50 years of Napa Valley cabernet (video)
• This Spring Mountain Estate Winery/Home Is Just Waiting For The Right Rising Star Winemaker or Chef *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Monsanto says cities can’t sue it for polluting San Francisco Bay
• Fallowing lawsuit against Oakdale Irrigation District remains on track
• Relaxed conservation measures don’t mean that the drought is over
• Q&A: California water policy: for the better?
• Delta Watermaster Michael George gives his quarterly report to the Delta Stewardship Council
• Wishful Thinking Won’t End California’s Drought
• Looking To Grow Your Bulk Wine, Contract Bottling Service and Private Label Business? Then Get Involved with IBWSS Before July 31, 2016.*Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Diageo N.A. numbers a question mark after annual report
• Cut through all that paperwork and create more time for making wine! Click now to learn how *Sponsored Link*

DISTRIBUTORS

• VABC Allows “Self-Distribution” for Virginia Distillers
• Are You Really Ready To Pitch A Distributor: Here’s the Checklist *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Sotheby’s: Positive Prospects From Asian Sales Surge
• Ferraris and fine wines lure investors hit by rate ructions

HEALTH

• Scientists Find Promise Treating Alzheimer’s with a Mix of Wine Compounds
• Alcohol intake during middle age and later atherosclerosis
• Warning Label that Cried Wolf
• Weaker alcohol could reduce harm AND solve industry problems

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• You Can’t See The Problems if You Don’t Look Up
• Is Home Brewing Co. Merely Descriptive of Beer?

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Can house wine be trusted?
• How Do You Make a Wine That Costs $3.50?
• How to put together a wine list
• 12 rookie mistakes people make when eating at high-end restaurants

MARKETING & SALES

• Telling the Tale: Two Beverage Brands That Get it Right
• How Current Customers Are the Catalyst for Your Organization’s Success
• Online-only retailers growing faster than multichannels
• 3 Easy Ways to Build your Email Lists

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• Wine Packaging Designer Encourages Innovation

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• WBC: Nine Years of Wine, Travel and Friends
• Top Ten Tips For a Successful Brand Launch *Sponsored Link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Do we really need a wine app?
• Why More than a Quarter of US Internet Users Block Ads
• Facebook to circumvent ad-blocking software on desktop, because ‘choice’
• How chatbots will help local business across the world
• Facebook introduces guided tours and a heatmapping tool for 360 videos

MEDIA MATTERS

• Wine documentary Sour Grapes assesses the true value of things

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Wine scientist reveals how food, music and temperature can affect its taste
• The Top 10 Muscadine Grape Varieties For Consumer Appeal
• 12 Awesome Things About Cabernet Sauvignon

WINE EDUCATION

• When wine education fails — badly

WINE TOURISM

• VisitCalistoga.com provides comprehensive interactive experience for visitors planning a trip to Calistoga

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Championing Colorado’s rugged terroir: The new generation of wine makers
• Northern Michigan winery expanding to Grand Rapids

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• How to properly sample your vineyard when checking grape maturity

EUROPE & THE UK

• All change for Rioja quality?
• UK: Drink sales return in July following earlier Brexit drop-off
• Bordeaux’s oldest vines

DOWN UNDER

• Champagne club funded with stolen credit cards
• High hopes for organic vineyards in SA’s Riverland as consumers demand more natural wine
• GoFarm Australia snags one of Australia’s largest vineyards
• Australian wine exports grow with demand from China

LATIN AMERICA

• Chile: Attention turns to Pais

SOUTH AFRICA

• Solms-Delta and government in historic deal

OLIVE OIL

• American Trade Group Awarded Research Grant

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

• Beer Growlers Are The Worst, We Should All Be Using Crowlers
• Another round of growth on tap for Maine’s craft breweries
• Is Home Brewing Co. Merely Descriptive of Beer?
• Mass. Craft Beer Sales Have Trippled Since ’09. Will Big Brewers Continue To Let Locals Tap The Market?
• OK beer distributors’ president optimistic on SQ 792

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