NEWS FETCH — June 16, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Amazon is buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion
• U.S. remains top opportunity for global wine industry
• What is Lidl? 5 things (including wine) the German grocer is bringing to America
• Bourbon State Tax Punishes Wine at $3.17/Gal — CA & TX best at 20¢
• How Restaurants Can Take Advantage of Private Labels*Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• 43″ Of Rain in CA: The Good, The Bad, and What It Means for the 2017 Vintage
• Wonderful Nurseries Moves to 100% Root Socks for All Potted Vines! *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Founder of Mendocino Co.’s Handley Cellars turning winery over to daughters
• Sonoma Co.’s Senses Wines names Boss general manager
• Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance names Quist executive director
• Delicato’s growing presence in the wine industry — and Napa Valley
• Here’s how bulk wine & spirits buyers can boost profits by avoiding the usual buy/sell channels and using this new sourcing tool. *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• USDA NIFA awards $9 million in grants to address water problems
• Farmer using excess water to flood crops and improve his water table
• California: Beyond the drought
• Flow Dynamics and Transport of Water-Quality Constituents in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
• Why go for desal when California has cheaper options?
• Retail point-of-sale materials don’t need to be expensive! Click now to learn more about high-quality, affordable displays and ads. *Sponsored Link

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• A Transformation in Three-Tier Wine Sales
• DtC Sales Extend National Reach
• The vexed question of winery tasting fees

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Majestic Wine looks to new regions as costs rise
• The Treasury Wine Estates Ltd share price just hit an all-time high

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Château de Sancerre has a new owner after Campari sells up
• US Investors Taking Higher Interest Rates in Stride

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Fine wine investment: too good to be true?
• De Vogüé leads Sotheby’s sale
• Rare liqueur linked to doomed Titanic at Vinexpo

DATA & TRENDS

• Rosé on the rise in California

HEALTH

• Having a nightcap may be good for your health
• Your Food Probably Has More Sulfites Than Your Wine

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Delaware: Lawmakers eye higher taxes on alcohol, tobacco products

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Algorithms May Have Developed Your Favorite Coffee Drink
• The art of the sommelier

MARKETING & SALES

• Wine business: Watch this beer spot to see how TV wine ads should be done

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Europe plans to hit Google with a €1 billion-plus fine over its shopping tool
• Snap stock has fallen back to its $17 IPO price
• How Many Social Media Tools Do You Really Need?
• Facebook’s working with publishers on paid subscriptions

PAYMENTS

• Bitcoin storms back

IT: INFORMATION [AND] TECHNOLOGY

• 8 things to do now to secure your winery’s data

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Why blending wine is one of the fastest growing trends in the industry
• Finding Zinfandel’s Origins in the “Grape” Beyond
• Some more observations on Nova Scotia wine
• The greatness of mature riesling
• Sherry needs to go back to its roots

WINE PEOPLE

• Victor Magalhães passed away
• A winemaker’s journey from Crete, to Bordeaux, and back again
• Nikola Plenković of Zlatan Otok And The Story of A Croatian Wine Legend
• Rob Mack : Aphelion Wine Company
• Uncorked: Andrew Lam

WINE PLACES

• Silence, serenity and sparkling wine at Finland’s Valamo Monastery

WINE TOURISM

• €100m (£87.4m) World of Wine wine tourism centre boost for Portuguese Wine

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• James Beard Foundation Launches Partnership With SmartCatch
• National Restaurant Association applauds Trump apprenticeship expansion plan
• Kroger’s bad news has turned into a downer for the entire grocery industry

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Climate Change Leading To Higher Alcohol Content In Wine?

EUROPE & THE UK

• UK: Retail sales slow as Brexit-related inflation bites
• UK: Why are sales up as more try to drink less?
• UK: Is this the end for bottomless prosecco deals? Restaurant rapped for encouraging binge drinking
• Why ancient Roman vineyards are reopening in eastern Galicia

DOWN UNDER

• South Australian farmers applaud Playford Council’s backflip over proposed rate rise – but say it should never have been on the cards

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• We Asked 13 Brewers: What’s the Next Big Style?