NEWS FETCH — October 18, 2017

TOP NEWS

• Santa Rosa couple sues PG&E over Sonoma County fires
• Tough housing market awaits California wildfire victims
• Cal Fire fights wildfires to a standstill, increases containments on wine country wildfires. Most evacuation orders lifted – Latest maps & status data updated 6:01 a.m., Oct 18
• Status on 100 wineries (and wine businesses): Good, bad or gone – UPDATED 6:44 a.m., Oct. 18
• In California’s Weed Country, wildfires burn both cash and crops
• Its Time to Book your 2018 USA Trade Tasting Exhibitor Spot *Sponsored Link*

—-NAPA/SONOMA/NORTH BAY FIRES SPECIAL SECTION—-

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Nuns Surpasses Atlas as largest active fire. Firefight focused on protecting Kenwood, Oakmont & Rutherford/Oakville area (Updated 8:27 a.m., Oct 17).

RECENT UPDATES

• No new hot spots in Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley wildfire status greatly improved.
• New fires break out in California as wine country fires dim
• Are Wildfires Stoking The Flames Of Another Crisis?
• PG&E should be ‘split’ if negligence caused fires
• Workers hit hard by wildfires
• Sonoma sheriff shoots down right-wing reports linking arson suspect to wine country fires

EVACUATION INFORMATION

• Mandatory evacuation lifted for Circle Oaks area
• Green Valley and Partrick evacuations lifted Tuesday afternoon

RECOVERY/AFTER THE FIRES

• Northern California fire victims may want to rebuild. But can they find someone to do it?
• Key To Wine Country Fire Recovery: Buying and Selling
• Many of the Northern California Wineries Are Already Rebuilding Despite Continuous Fire
• California wildfires: Wine communities ‘will emerge stronger and more connected than ever’
• Getting Through the Vintage Together
• Learning lessons from Northern California’s fires

LEGAL ISSUES

• Lawyers already rounding up clients for Wine Country fires
• PG&E wildfire probes, liability fears, may haunt utility for months

FIRES AND WINE/TOURISM

• Trying to Finish Harvest in a Fire Storm
• The effects of the fires on North Coast wine
• Farmers in wildfire zones assess impact

FIRES AND MARIJUANA

• Crowdfunding campaign for Northern California fire victims shut down due to cannabis ties

FIRE RECOVERY BUSINESS RESOURCES

• Sonoma County Businesses Whose Owners Lost Homes (Google Docs)
  
• Fire Recovery Business Resources

ADDITIONAL RELIEF EFFORTS

• Trinchero Family Estates donates $250,000 to fire relief
• Napa Valley Community Foundation distributes $565,000 for fire relief
• List: Wine Organizations Donating/Fundraising for Relief Efforts
• Companies make donations, contributions toward California wildfire relief
• California Fire Relief Resources
• Casinos offer shelter for those displaced by fires
• Hotels that have discounted rooms for fire evacuees
• These Heroic Food Trucks Are Coming To The Rescue Of California Fire Victims
• Even More Thoughts on the Wine Country Fires, Especially How You Can Help

RESEARCH/PREVENTION

• How Washington’s formula for fighting wildfires makes them worse
• Wildfires stressed the wine country’s healthcare system, creating a crisis and a warning for future

STORIES/COMMENTARY

• It’s not about the #wine.

—–END SPECIAL SECTION—-

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• WA: Weather pushes wine grape harvest
• A good year for Minnesota wine grapes
• OR: Summer’s extreme weather has little ill affect on wine harvest
• Major fall in Bordeaux 2017 production not expected to raise prices
• Spanish DO Valdepeñas reports 5% drop in harvest

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Yuba County’s Cascade Fire bore similar hallmarks to Wine Country fires
• Wonderful Nurseries Lives Up to Its “Growers First” Reputation *Sponsored Link*

DROUGHT/WATER

• Santa Clara Valley Water District rejects Jerry Brown’s twin Delta tunnels plan
• Key vote on $17 billion Delta tunnels project today in San Jose
• Researchers propose an open ‘internet of water’ tracking use, quality, and costs
• Monterey County hydrologists recommend a moratorium on new wells in some areas
• Oakdale Irrigation District: ‘The public be damned’

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Buffett Continues Wholesale War in Texas

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

• How Two Brothers Built Their Family Wine Business Into A $40 Billion Alcohol Empire

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Harsh words as NAFTA talks wrap up

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• Raids on marijuana grow houses often find Chinese ‘farmers’ inside
• Opiate overdose deaths fall after marijuana legalization in Colorado

HEALTH

• Drinking in front of your kids can leave them ‘anxious, embarrassed, and worried’ — even if it’s just a glass of wine
• Red wine may indeed prolong your life
• Compound Found in Red Wine Boosts Immune Cell Function
• Why red wine drinkers may have the best sex, according to science
• Research shows that Grape seed extract can kill at least 3 cancers

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• TTB Opens Comment Period for Three Proposed Wine Rules
• Man files lawsuit against airline over lack of Champagne on flight

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Drinkstagrammers Are Transforming Cocktail Culture Without Stepping Behind the Bar
• Master Sommeliers Are Taking Airplane Wine Programs to New Heights
• United Airlines Adds And Upgrades Lounges, Rolls Out New Local Food And Drink

MARKETING & SALES

• Online shoppers prefer brick-and-mortar grocery stores
• What’s your Amazon strategy? The evolution of ecommerce

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• How Technology Makes Life–and Wine–More Satisfying

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• IBWSS San Francisco is 60% sold out

PAYMENTS

• Chase to buy WePay in move to compete with Square, Stripe

MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

• Western Growers Rolls Out New Insurance Solution for H-2A Users
• CFBF survey: Lack of employees hampers farms across the state
• Navigating Pregnancy and Maternity Leave in the Drinks Industry
• Looking for a new career? What it takes to be a competitive wine taster

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Pruning: Why getting it right matters
• All Right, What Would You Have Said in a Class Called “Terroir”?

UM, WHAT?

• ‘Floating food’ invention could start new culinary craze

WINE PEOPLE

• The winemaker who battles temperatures as low as -25C
• Lodi winemaker enjoys bringing people together through his craft
• I’ll Drink to That: Doug Frost, MS MW (podcast)

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Petition for Mount Pisgah AVA in Willamette Valley Sent to TTB

ACADEMIA

• Texas Tech Plant & Soil Science Creates Local Food and Wine Concentration
• New Middle Tennessee State University fermentation science degree one-of-a-kind in state, region
• UK: Plumpton College boosts wine team with new experts

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• EPA Takes Steps to Reduce Risk of Drift-Related Herbicide Injury

EUROPE & THE UK

• Conviviality CFO Humphreys to step down
• Barbera Gains New Recognition in Italy

DOWN UNDER

• Australian winemakers defend their right to use prosecco name
• OZ: Campaign to encourage more visitors to Hunter Valley Wine Country

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• Great Wall sold back to parent company COFCO
• China now world’s most attractive wine market: exporters & professionals

NOT JUST FOR THE TRADE

• Angel’s Share Glass launches whisky-filled baubles in time for Christmas

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• MillerCoors responds to Brewers Association bid to ‘buy’ AB InBev