NEWS FETCH — October 12, 2017

TOP NEWS

• Fires in fourth day threaten thousands of homes in Sonoma, Napa counties
• Did Wine Country just catch a break from predicted winds? This morning’s current fire maps and new evac info – Updated 7:33 am PDT 10/12/17
• Wind, water, wildlands on the city: caused the Wine Country fires to explode so disastrously fast
• Did vineyards keep wine country fire from getting worse?
• Rumors of immigration checks at fire shelters bogus, says Sonoma County sheriff
• Wineries: Damaged or endangered: UPDATED 7:40 a.m., Oct. 12
• New London wine competition will rate wines for commercial success and consumer appeal in addition to quality. *Sponsored Link*

—-NAPA/SONOMA COUNTY FIRES SPECIAL SECTION—-

WINERY DAMAGE AND UPDATES

• Statement from Karissa Kruse, President of Sonoma County Winegrowers, Updated October 11, 2017
• Gundlach Bundschu founders home destroyed. Winery damage still secret
• California Fires: Damage Updates from Wineries
• Fire Wreaks Havoc in Mendocino County
• Ray Signorello vows to rebuild after devastating winery fire
• Industry seeks to reassure consumers as wine country burns
• Chateau St. Jean sustained only minor damage, Stags’ Leap Winery and cellar door, including the Manor House, not damaged
• Updated: These 30 businesses have burned in the Wine Country wildfires
• California Fires: Damage Updates from Wineries
• Artifacts from historic Sonoma Mission removed as fire nears
• California wildfires kill 23 and create boiling river of wine as they burn through vineyards

EVACUATION INFORMATION

• Mandatory evacuations for parts of Sonoma Valley, Calistoga, Geyserville
• Authorities extend evacuation of Calistoga; all residents ordered to leave
• Evacuation information for Sonoma County

LEGAL ISSUES

• Napa and Sonoma County Fires: Employer Resources and Obligations
• State Farm releases initial claim numbers for Napa and Sonoma wildfires
• Wineries Impacted by California Wildfires May Request Compliance Extensions

FIRE MAPS/IMAGES/VIDEOS

• Live map of wildfires burning in Sonoma, Napa counties
• Frightening, surreal scenes of wildfires in California’s Wine Country, in 4 videos

FIRES AND WINE/TOURISM

• Napa wine industry assesses damage to wineries and grape crop
• How are the Sonoma and Napa fires affecting the wine harvest? An explainer
• Sonoma and Napa vintners scramble to protect wine as fires blaze

FIRES AND BEER

• Wine Country Fires: Yes, but how are the breweries?

RELIEF/RESEARCH/PREVENTION

• Did PG&E adequately maintain power lines before fires?
• Historic Fire Supression Has Unintentionally Worsened Wildfires, Researcher Suggests
• City of Napa trying to extinguish fake fire news
• Lodi Participating in Joint Wildfire Relief Efforts
• V. Sattui Winery, Castello di Amorosa to donate $100,000 for disaster relief
• The worst rumors about the Wine Country fires
• 3 key reasons explain how the massive firestorm in California became one of the worst in state history
• With climate change and sprawling property development, wildfires are here to stay
• Emergency alerts get scrutiny after deadly California wildfires in wine country
• Air tankers circle nonstop between Santa Rosa and Sacramento to fight wildfires

HEALTH

• The fires devastating California wine country have created the ‘worst air quality ever recorded’ — and it’s about to get worse

HOW TO HELP

• How to help: Volunteer, donate food, supplies, money to support Sonoma County fire victims
• California Wildfires: Ways to Help
• California Wine Country Fires – How To Help
• California Fires: How You Can Help

—–END SPECIAL SECTION—-

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Central Coast grower: wine grapes shaping up for average-size harvest
• For Lodi wine grape grower, about average yields, but good fruit quality

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Wonderful Nurseries Lives Up to Its “Growers First” Reputation *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Southern California water agency approves pitching in $4.3 billion for massive Delta tunnels project
• Reactions to Metropolitan’s vote for the California Water Fix

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Customers may soon get curbside pickup for beer, wine sales in Georgia

REAL ESTATE – What’s this new section about?

• ** Sponsored link: Estate Vineyard,Tasting Room & Ranch with spectacular top-of-the world views, $3,950,000, 110 Acres, California. Confidential listing. Click now for more info and non-disclosure details.

PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Struggling Lidl still “adapting” to U.S. market
• Kroger says it may sell its $4bn convenience store business
• LVMH cautious as sales surge

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• New record high on Liv-ex: Exposure reaches £45million
• Wine Auction Sales Continue to Climb in 2017
• Is fine wine running out of gas?
• Fine wine investment: what is ‘ex-cellar’ worth?

HEALTH

• Wine: Bottled Poetry or Ticking Timebomb?
• Does drinking alcohol kill the germs it comes into contact with?
• The wine bottle workout: We must stop this scourge now

MARKETING & SALES

• Private label: good or bad?
• 19 Experts Explain Why Your Website Isn’t Bringing in Customers

PAYMENTS

• Bitcoin smashes through $5,000 barrier for first time

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Will We Let Santorini Be More Than Just a Source for “Beach Wines”?

WINE PEOPLE

• Thomas Schlumberger of Schlumberger

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Takes Initial Steps to Pursue Monetization of PLCB Future Earnings

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Why Some Champagne Producers are Going Organic and Biodynamic

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Nufarm introduces Grapple herbicide for vineyard, orchard crops

EUROPE & THE UK

• Spain asks Catalonia: Did you declare independence or not?

DOWN UNDER

• OZ: Barossa Valley irrigation project on course to expand
• OZ: Fortified Wines Are Making a Comeback
• OZ: Dal Zotto brothers buy the family winery

SOUTH AFRICA

• South Africa – Flushing away misconceptions

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• Breweries Offer Disaster Relief Where the Federal Government Left Off