NEWS FETCH — June 21, 2016

TOP NEWS

• Christopher Silva, president of Sonoma Valley’s St. Francis Winery, dies at 52
• Wine Institute dues down, salaries up. Income faces 1/3 cut from Trump USDA Budget – DataGraphic
• Duarte to discuss federal plowing charges at Ag Relations Council Annual Meeting Today in Sacto
• CAWG to FDA – Exempt wine grapes from produce safety rule
• Middle-Class Identification in US at Pre-Recession Levels
• Private Label Versus Brands: How Retailers Can Make The Most of Both*Sponsored Link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Global wine glut eases
• Wonderful Nurseries Lives Up to Its “Growers First” Reputation *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Farmer facing $2.8 million fine claims no damage was done to his land
• Sonoma residents want cap on downtown wine-tasting
• Steve Doyle Joins J. Lohr as Vice President, US Sales
• 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

• $9M in Grants Allocated to Address Ag Water Resources Issues
• Project aims to add Central Valley water
• Funding Woes for Stream Gages Put Crucial Water Data at Risk
• Between extremes: California rises from drought
• Delta ISB’s Review of the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for California WaterFix (PDF)
• 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

• Liberating the Alcohol Distribution System

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Ebay will now match Amazon’s, Walmart’s and others’ prices on over 50,000 items
• The Amazon Approach to Groceries Won’t Replace Stores
• 5 Ways Amazon Can Maximize Its Acquisition Of Whole Foods Market
• Majestic appoints Cat Lomax as Head of Buying
• Majestic Wine retail operations director Rob Farnworth to exit

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• US Ag Secretary Lauds NAFTA as Boon for Farmers as Renegotiation Looms

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Fine wine investment: was 2016 EP a failure?
• Liv-ex Introduces Wine Matcher

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Texas Proposes to Change State Wine Law Regarding Appellations of Origin

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Why Jet.com Is Unwise To Delist Costco’s Kirkland Brand
• Waiter, waiter: please don’t tell me my wine ISN’T corked!
• What Makes a Wine Worth $30,000?
• Why Aussies are about to pay more for their wine

MARKETING & SALES

• Heineken becomes first booze brand to sign up to Amazon Dash

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Secretary of Labor Acosta Pulls Joint Employer Guidance Issued By Obama Administration
• Oregon moves to strengthen its unique sanctuary state status

MATTERS OF TASTE

• How zinfandel left behind its ’80s blush party image and found a discerning, red-wine-loving crowd
• Syrah is like a violin, and shiraz is like a fiddle (but sometimes not)
• Why today’s greatest wines aren’t necessarily the great wines
• Try an older riesling

WINE PEOPLE

• At age 8, he was smuggled into the U.S. Now, he is Paso’s first Mexican-American winemaker
• The Top 10 Female Winemakers in Northern California
• Q&A: Talking Wine. All The Time. With Marissa Ross
• MacPhail consults with wine industry

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• Is there a service crisis?

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Ontario: LCBO workers ramp up pressure on booze monopoly as Canada Day strike looms
• Boosting Competitiveness and Innovation for Ontario’s VQA Wineries
• New Jersey considering offering tax breaks for wineries

EUROPE & THE UK

• Will the new regulations make Rioja more “market-driven”?

DOWN UNDER

• Australian farmers’ record breaking season confirmed at $62.8 billion
• OZ: Calls for Riverina Wine Grapes Marketing Board to regain power to influence prices

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Why Is China Snatching Up Australian Farmland?

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• The Sales Buzz on Craft Beer Terminology
• Stag semen beer set to return – minus the stag