NEWS FETCH — February 1, 2018

TOP NEWS

• US Wine Growth Forecast stable for 2018
• Luxury wine and spirits doing well internationally
• Forgotten Fire Victims: Farmworkers and Day Laborers Face Harsh Reality After Fires
• Insurance claims from California wildfires near $12 billion
• They’re Less Adventurous, But Gen Xers Top Millennial And Boomer Wine Spending (Data standards caution)
• Here’s how to avoid costly mistakes by managing your barrel inventory with bar codes – Click now to learn how. *Sponsored Link*

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• Treasury Wine to overhaul US network
• Looking for wines to import into the U.S.? Find international producers on “Route USA” at the ProWein 2018 trade fair. Click to lean more. *Sponsored link*

WINE SUPPLY & CONSUMPTION

• Bordeaux counts cost of frost for 2017 vintage, sees 40% drop in harvest
• Grapevines can survive with little water, but wine glasses could still go dry during droughts
• Reform of the USA excise tax has cut costs for foreign wine producers
• Become an Exhibitor By Feb 10 and Meet Distributors, Retailers and Importers at the 2018 USA Trade Tasting and Get 2 Day ABID Conference Ticket Included *Sponsored Link*

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

• Direct-to-consumer wine sales growing in Lodi
• Sonoma, Napa hotel operator Four Sisters Inns group sold
• Fair Play in El Dorado County is a wine secret on the cusp of discovery
• What makes Lodi Zinfandel different? Conversation with Mike McCay
• In wake of Sapporo beer deal, Anchor Distilling rechristened as Hotaling & Co.
• Distributor: Mendocino Brewing Co. stops production
• California is collecting so much of your money it can’t save it all
• Cannabis Drinks Expo Launched By Beverage Trade Network will bring the global Cannabis drinks industry into one roof. Get more information here. *Sponsored Link*

CA WILDFIRES/MUDSLIDES

• Wine country wildfires: A resident winemaker’s update
• How former US ambassador’s winery survived the California wildfires
• Santa Barbara tourism officials wrestle with promoting the region after disaster

TAKING THE HIGH ROADS

• San Francisco plans to wipe out thousands of marijuana convictions

AMAZON

• Can Amazon’s Alexa hack it as a wine sommelier? We put her to the test
• In just two hours, Amazon erased $30 billion in market value for healthcare’s biggest companies

DROUGHT/WATER

• EPA, Army Corps delay 2015 WOTUS rule
• Woodbridge Irrigation District files suit against EBMUD over water rights
• Rockies drought another problem for SoCal water supply

RECYCLED WASTEWATER

• Winery Wastewater Sees Rising Tide of Interest

CONSUMER SALES: DTC, ON- & OFF-PREMISE

• Expect a Rise in Wine Sales and Prices in 2018

REAL ESTATE – What’s this new section about?




PUBLIC COMPANIES

• Kroger on the hunt for new ideas to combat Amazon, Walmart
• Virgin Wines reports record sales over Christmas period

FINANCE, INVESTMENT, M&A

• Château Franc Mayne sold in St-Emilion
• Barolo producer Alessandro Rivetto acquires Barbaresco DOCG vineyards
• OR: CHEHALEM Winery acquired by co-owner Bill Stoller
• Selling your winery? You’d better check these 7 legal matters first
• These ‘sin stocks’ are increasing sales the most

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Why Australia is challenging Canada over local favouritism

DISTRIBUTORS

• Looking to grow your distribution in the US? Here is how USATT can help!*Sponsored Link*

INVESTING IN WINE, COLLECTING & AUCTIONS

• Bordeaux 2015 in bottle – perfect scores so far

DATA & TRENDS

• Chris Hancock joins Wine Intelligence as Chairman following David Scotland’s retirement

HEALTH

• Coffee may come with a cancer warning in California

REGULATION & LEGAL MATTERS

• Customers who have had one too many – the free transportation dilemma
• Taking Your New Federal Excise Tax Credits at Third-Party Providers

WINE SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

• Lodging food and beverage programs will continue to thrive in 2018

MARKETING & SALES

• Getting to grips with international wine marketing
• No more consumers
• The Mars Agency and Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit Launch Groundbreaking Voice Activated In-Store Shopper Tool
• Tips for Reaching the Selective Ultra-High-Net-Worth Market

PACKAGING, LABELS & CORKS

• China’s wine drinkers stop drift to screwcaps
• Vegan wine’s growing popularity raises questions about ingredient labelling
• Vapor Group, Inc., Closes Sale of Assets of Simple Cork, Inc.

TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES

• Learning about the Quality of Grapes, Wine, and Vineyard Mechanization at Unified
• Do You Craft a High End Grenache or a Grenache Blends, or in the Wine Business and Passionate about Grenache?
• Underdog Varieties – Wines that deserve a second chance *Sponsored link*

SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH

• Mark Zuckerberg says spending less time on Facebook is a good thing — for now
• Facebook just dropped a big hint that the News Feed’s days may be numbered

PAYMENTS

• eBay ditches PayPal for Dutch payment provider Adyen
• Bitcoin drops below $10,000 — again
• OZ: Brisbane Airport and TravelbyBit launch world-first digital currency airport terminal

MATTERS OF TASTE

• Techie wine
• What could the ‘Supermoon’ do to wine?

WINE PEOPLE

• George MacLeod – The Final Journey
• Saying goodbye to the first couple of agriculture
• Napa And Bordeaux Share A Talented Winemaker
• Unfiltered: Daniel Beedle, Indian Accent
• Interview with Elaine Chukan Brown
• Minnesota native changed the course of Napa wines
• Tastemaker: Jake Busching | Jake Busching Wines
• Hand-picked for celebration: Female wine makers take on industry

WINE PLACES

• 10 places in France every wine lover should visit
• The best wine region you’ve never heard of

WINE EDUCATION

• Lessons Learned on the Road to Mastery: Recollections of a Master of Wine

WINE TOURISM

• Why wine tourism is booming in 2018 – and the best destinations to visit

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• What restaurant consumers want from digital tech

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL WINE NEWS

• Bill that would allow dogs in vineyards passes Virginia House
• Five state laws, programs that boosted New York’s food/beverage industry
• NM: Reversing course, Sante Fe council approves Total Wine store on Zafarano Drive

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

• Central Valley Soil Emissions a Large Source of CA’s Nitrogen Oxide Pollution

AG, GROWER & CELLAR NEWS

• Wildflowers Are Definitely the Prettiest Way to Reduce Pesticide Use
• Nutrients and their impact on healthy plant growth – B is for Boron

DOWN UNDER

• World-Leading Wine Technology Company To Build Headquarters In South Australia

ASIA & PACIFIC RIM

• James Suckling to open wine bar in HK

LATIN AMERICA

• VSPT CEO joins Wines of Chile board

AROUND THE GLOBE

• Bulgaria: The Wine Sector has the Fastest Return on Investments

CRAFT BEVERAGES: BEER, CIDER, WINE & SPIRITS

• China agrees Scotch whisky trademark until 2028
• Oldest Beer in Greece Dates to Bronze Age
• Brewpubs Are Gaining Popularity, But Their Patrons Don’t Always Drink The Beer