NEWS FETCH — February 28, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Constellation humiliates its competition in retail sales growth.
• Pending legislation threatens to close as many as 25 Md. wineries
• What Can Wine Learn from the Cruise Ship Industry?
• Giant chasm revealed as water stops flowing at Oroville Dam
• Expelling illegals? Workers may stay
• Warm February Concerning, But Fruit Growers Shouldn’t Panic
• 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

• OZ: Vintage will be worth the wait
• Value of bottled wine exports; Italy v Australia
• 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*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Overview of the 2016 Paso Robles Vintage Report Conference
• 5 visions for North Bay’s future at Sonoma State economic conference
• Isolated Napa County winery allowed 16 visitors a day
• Heavy rainfall in California ‘is a blessing’
• 2nd Annual CAWG Foundation Gala to Raise Funds for Scholarships
• Petaluma votes to protect undocumented residents
• Charter Oak Winery doubled its production without doubling its costs. You can too. Click to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• In California, a Move to Ease the Pressures on Aging Dams
• Yes, California’s drought is all but over, and the dramatically revived Cachuma Lake proves it
• Jerry Brown shouldn’t waste a good crisis
• Update from Oroville: DWR prepares to reduce flows over spillway to zero cfs
• Study Shows How a Warming World Is Changing the Colorado River
• 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

• Wine Retailer Association Announces Support For Long Needed Texas Wine Shipping Bill
• Italian Wines: Strong Growth Potential for Wines Beloved by U.S. Consumers
• Swiss Wine Exporters set sights on UK on-trade
• 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

• Australian Vintage: Brexit ‘speed bump’ won’t deter growth
• Lidl US in store search ahead of summer opening

DISTRIBUTORS

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

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Where to Find Rare Wines from the Premiere Napa Valley Portfolio
• ‘Feverish’ bidding for ’45 La Mission in NYC

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• How Do We Measure the Statistical Significance of Legal Cannabis?

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Grocery-store wine bill 3 votes short in Arkansas House
• Massachusetts Announces Alcohol Beverage Task Force

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• The Most Expensive Wines, and why they are so expensive

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• What’s the best wine stopper? Depends on the job it needs to do

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Social media becoming less ‘fun’ for consumers and brands need to go back to basics
• Snapchat growth driven by people ages 45 to 54
• YouTube Viewership Hits 1 Billion Hours a Day
• ResearchGate raises $52.6M for its social research network for scientists

MEDIA MATTERS

• 4 Books That Will Make You a Wine Expert

MATTERS OF TASTE

• What is ‘wild’ yeast, and why is it all the rage in wine, beer and cider?
• Message in a bottle
• Why tempranillo is star grape of Spain, no matter what you call it
• Why Bordeaux?

WINE PEOPLE

• 10 African American Winemakers Everyone Should Know
• A Well-Dressed Sicilian
• Uncorked with Ian Lim and Al Gho

WINE PLACES

• Region Of Berry: France’s Hidden Region Of Wine
• Southern belles: The Languedoc-Roussillon

WINE EDUCATION

• Wine Education is About More Than What’s in Your Glass
• Rioja consejo opens wine educator course

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• WA: Double Canyon hires Kate Michaud as winemaker

ACADEMIA

• TN: Fermentation science degree can support dairy, distilling, brewing

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Brewery Converts Glass Bottles Into Sand To Preserve New Zealand Beaches

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK: Chilean wine hits the spot with convenience shoppers
• Nine key facts about the Italian Wine industry

LATIN AMERICA

• Chile – the perils of monoculture