NEWS FETCH — February 22, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Mass casualties are in store for Calif wine & farmers if the U.S. gets in an international trade war
• Department of Homeland Security Releases Immigration Memos
• California North Coast wine business credit needs swell as grape, vineyard prices rise
• Clear Lake floods as winter storms exact toll on Sonoma, Lake counties
• Restaurant stocks surge, even as sales fall
• U.S. Economic Confidence Holds Steady in Positive Territory
• 3,000 acres in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA! Long-term lease. Organic possible. Bids due April 6. Click this link or Contact Rick at Washington State Department of Natural Resources. *Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• High demand for Burgundy ‘dangerous’
• Strong exports show Beaujolais is back in demand in the UK
• China: Changyu suffers production losses across its main wine regions
• NZ: Marlborough wine companies confident earthquake-damaged storage will be ready for vintage
• The State Of Canadian Wines Is Robust
• Winemakers: instantly access key wine & cellar data from anywhere to make key decisions & manage your staff better. Click now to download vintrace’s time-saving app! *Sponsored Link*

CA STORMS

• A pause in storms, but flood risks persist in California
• Every 200 years California suffers a storm of biblical proportions — this year’s rains are just a precursor

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Napa County proposes carbon-cutting steps to combat global warming
• Napa planners impressed with Baldacci winery expansion
• Premiere Napa Valley Week Draws Hundreds of Top Wine Professionals
• Georgia Tech engineering dean Gary May chosen as next UC Davis chancellor
• Napa’s York House mansion sold to Truchard (annoying survey alert)
• Inside the French Laundry’s new $10 million kitchen
• Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs. You can too. Click to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Continued erosion of Oroville Dam’s main spillway part of ‘normal process’, officials say
• Oroville dam workers fired for posting photos online
• Despite Oroville crisis, California has the ‘Cadillac’ of dam safety programs
• Does California really need more dams?
• Lopez Lake more than half full for the first time since 2014
• California Needs Water Management That Matches the Weather
• Farmers are optimistic people
• Update on development of water loss audit regulation, Water Storage Investment Program timeline
• What Central Valley farmers wish to tell their city counterparts
• Metropolitan Water District May Lease Delta Islands, GM Kightlinger says Oroville Dam repair is CA Taxpayer responsibility
• Looking for wines to import into the U.S.? Find international producers on “Route USA” at ProWein 2017 trade fair. Click to lean more. *Sponsored Link*

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• NAWR Strikes Deal With FedEX For Shipping Discounts for Members
• Amazon strikes back at Walmart’s free 2-day shipping offer
• UPS thinks it can save money and deliver more packages by launching drones from its trucks
• UK: Off-trade sales bubble as more couples spend Valentine’s at home
• Don’t just list your wines online, sell them! This successful vintner shows you what works and what doesn’t. Click now. *Sponsored Link*

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Amazon Go applies for booze license
• No, you can’t just walk out of Amazon Go with a six-pack of beer
• Constellation Brands Named One of “World’s Most Admired Companies” by FORTUNE Magazine

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Macedonia, Croatia Risk Trade War Over Wine

DISTRIBUTORS

• Top 10 Tips To Present Your Wines to US Importers *Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Fine Wines to Buy in 2017

HEALTH

• Red Wine Consumption Could Fight Dementia
• Wine Saves Heart But Increases Cancer Risk

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• A.T.F. Filled Secret Bank Account With Millions From Shadowy Cigarette Sales
• NC bill would punish local governments for ‘sanctuary policies’ by increasing taxes on wine & beer (etc)

MARKETING & SALES

• The art of wine storytelling
• The brand versus the land
• An insight into selling wine in Mexico

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Grape and Wine Experts to Convene at B.E.V. NY March 1-3
• 2017 Michigan Grape and Wine Conference Attracts Hundreds To Grand Traverse Co.

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Chat Bots Are Winning Over Social Media Users
• Advertising in a Post-Advertising Era: The Mobile-Social Effect of Engagement
• Facebook’s next hardware play? Instagram Spectacles

PAYMENTS

• TransferWise launches Facebook Messenger bot for easy global money transfers

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• The Science Behind Picking the Perfect LinkedIn Head Shot
• Facebook’s New Jobs Feature Is Trying To Give Small Businesses A Boost

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Too many stinkbugs spoil the wine

WINE PEOPLE

• 90-year-old champions eco-friendly wine production on her Cape farm
• Winegrower Fred Merwarth of Hermann J. Wiemer (podcast)

WINE EDUCATION

• Business leaders invited on WSET ‘BACK’ course

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Myles Anderson sells his share of Walla Walla Vintners

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Choosing Better Grapes for Warm Climates
• Smoke Taint in Berries and Wine: What can we do about it?

EUROPE & THE UK

• The business of EU subsidies
• British Port Association appoints first female treasurer

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• 300 cases of counterfeit wine found in Shanghai

SOUTH AFRICA

• SA – two wine industries and very little media