Wine News

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• Six business days left to buy crop insurance in California
  The sales closing date is January 31, 2021, see Erin Kirschenmann's article in the December 2020 WBM.
  
  
• Forecasting 2021: WSWA Outlines Multiple Scenarios
  good luck with that: the study projects wine and spirits market volume could grow 3% or contract as much as 5.8%.
  
  
• How are Wineries Doing? Are They Interested in Selling?
  Some admit their financial strength is declining but 79 percent say they're "good" to "rock solid." At the same time nearly half say selling is a possibility, something they'd seriously consider, or consider likely.
  
  
• The 2020 wildfires could cost California's wine industry $3.7 billion - but it doesn't have to be that way
  Wine Institute sought to quantify the damage to make the point that the stakes for the industry are high - and will continue to mount if it doesn't invest in more research about how to mitigate the effects of wildfire and smoke on wines in the future.
  
  
• Napa Valley Vintners move Premiere barrel tasting and wine auction to June
  Premiere Napa Valley will be held June 1-5 for 2021 only. Premiere, a barrel tasting and wine auction open only to the wine and beverage trade has always been held in February.
  
  
• Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation Donates $100,000 to Support Diversity in Wine Education
  The contribution to the Glancy Wine Education Foundation will provide financial aid to disadvantaged and minority workers seeking wine education
  
  
• Oeneo Group posted turnover of €65.4 million in the third quarter of 2020-2021, down 5.2%
  Oeneo Group includes Seguin Moreau, Boisé, Millet, Fine Northern Oak and Galileo, and Vivelys.
  
  
• A New Cure for Cork Taint
  Unlike the NDTech screening, which is expensive, Amorim can implement Naturity at no extra cost to wineries. Ultimately, proving the effectiveness of this treatment will require third-party validation, but according to company representatives, Amorim has carried out extensive bottling trials.
  
  
• Grim outlook for South African wine industry
  Since December 26, South Africa has again had an alcohol sales ban, the third since the start of the Corona pandemic. In the last twelve months, South Africa's producers have thus had to cope with an 18-week sales stop on the domestic market, where half of South Africa's wine volume is usually sold.
  
  
• Bordeaux's Château du Tertre Sold to Institutional Investor
  The Albada Jelgersma family will focus on Château Giscours and its Tuscan winery; the Helfrich family, one of France's largest wine players, will manage du Tertre.
  
  
• The Ojai Vineyard Acquires Fe Ciega Vineyard
  The 9-acre vineyard and 43-acre property will now be tended to and farmed by Adam Tolmach, winemaker/proprietor of The Ojai Vineyard, which has produced a Fe Ciega Pinot Noir since 2003.
  
  
• UC Davis Releases New Walnut Variety
  The 'UC Wolfskill' Walnut Will Allow Earlier Harvest
  
  
• Imagining an End to Wine Tariffs
  Joe Biden is in the White House, but what does that mean for an under-pressure wine industry?
  
  
• Cocktails To-Go Legislation Filed in 13 States, More Expected in Effort to Help Struggling Hospitality Businesses
  The 13 states are: Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.
  
  
• John Anthony Family of Wines, Winemaking Team
  Jeff Kandarian is promoted to Executive Vice President, Winemaking. Michael Abernathy, who joined the team as Assistant Winemaker in 2016, is promoted to Winemaker, and the team will hire a new Assistant Winemaker
  
  
• Marcello Monticelli, vice president of North Coast winemaking for E & J Gallo Winery, will receive Fresno State's Distinguished Alumnus Award
  Monticelli, a native of Pistoia in Italy's Tuscany region whose family are vintners, graduated magna cum laude from Fresno State in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in viticulture and enology. He started working for Gallo the following year.
  
  
• New extension educator sees world-class potential in Northwest Michigan
  The climate of Northwest Michigan poses many challenges to wine grape growing, but there's also great potential, according to the new viticulture extension educator Michigan State University hired last summer.
  
  
• Growing worry as Californians owe $1bil in water bill debt
  A new study has revealed an alarming number of California households collectively owe more than $1 billion in debt stemming from failure to pay water bills over the past year. The California Water Board released the results of the survey on Tuesday, which show that 1.6 million households have water debt. That totals 12 percent of the state.
  
  
• Appellation St. Helena Announces New Board
  The group focuses on promoting the quality of grapes grown and wines produced in the St. Helena AVA and consists of 50 winery members and 25 grape growers. In recent years, the organization has organized an annual fundraiser, given money for scholarships to students at St. Helena High School and been active in other programs in the St. Helena community.
  
  
• Chefs on the Meals They Can't Wait to Travel For
  From the perfect sardine in Tokyo to a great roast chicken in San Francisco, here's what our favorite female chefs hope to eat this year.
  
  
• WSWA WLC Elects 2021-2022 Advisory Board & Officers
  Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Women's Leadership Council names Jessica Cyr of Martignetti Companies as Chair, Hillary Wirtz of Breakthru Beverage as Vice-Chair and welcomes new board member Jenn Engel of Republic National Distribution Company.
  
  
• WSWA Praises The Biden Administration & Urges Congress To Pay Special Attention To The Hospitality Industry As The Nation Charts A Course Out Of The COVID-19 Pandemic
  "America's restaurants, taverns, music and sporting venues, and hotels will need further relief in order to return to pre-pandemic employment levels."
  
  
• Septenary Winery proposes cell phone tower be placed somewhere else
  "There has to be a better place to put a tower than here where you're going to literally trample the history and the views," Septenary Winery Owner Todd Zimmerman said.
  
  
• Owners of Black-Owned Napa Winery and Female Entrepreneurs Toast Harris as VP
  "I am so proud of her what this means to all of us. We've been supporting Kamala all these years," Brown said.
  
  
• San Antonio's first urban winery, Re:Rooted 210, on track for mid-February opening
  San Antonio-based sommelier Jennifer Beckmann is leagues closer to realizing her dream of opening Re:Rooted 210, a winery at downtown SA's fast-evolving Hemisfair complex. The spot will serve both its own Texas-grown wine and that of other Texas vintners.
  
  
• Moonshine Mafia playing live show at Roland winery
  The Hot Springs-based band will be performing a rare live show in these days of the coronavirus, says Moonshine Mafia lead singer Anna Brazeal, who said the band had only performed four times in 2020.
  
  
• 50 California Restaurant, Winery Owners Launch Latest Anti-Lockdown Lawsuit Against Newsom
  the collection of owners allege in the lawsuit that Gov. Newsom and public health officials "have not provided scientific evidence showing that outdoor dining is more dangerous than other permitted activities."
  
  
• Chaddsford Winery hosting wine and chocolate parings
  The event makes a great Valentine's Day date
  
  
• Naples Winter Wine Festival goes virtual to meet great need of child organizations
  The wine fest is going virtual in 2021 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and because the need to help 45 different local children's organizations doesn't stop during a pandemic.
  
  
• Like a little mystery with your wine purchase? PLCB has a surprise it's offering customers
  Customers have the option to choose from a variety of two-, four-, six-, or 12-bottle wine mystery boxes featuring an assortment of red, white, and rosé wines for order through FWGS.com, a press release said.
  
  
• Coronavirus Postpones 2021 Waretown Wine Festival Again
  For the second year in a row, the coronavirus pandemic has caused the 2021 Waretown Wine Festival? to be postponed.
  
  
• American Airlines opens at-home wine delivery service
  Airlines are still operating only a fraction of the number of flights they offered pre-pandemic, and alcohol is banned in many cabins to help thwart the spread of Covid-19. This is adding up to a lot of leftover booze. Now, American Airlines is hoping to sell and ship some of its excess wine directly to peoples' homes.
  
  
• Berks winemaker to retire, sell Pinnacle Ridge Winery
  In a joint statement, Allegro Winery of Brogue, York County, and Pinnacle Ridge Winery of Greenwich Township stated that they reached an agreement for Allegro to acquire the Pinnacle Ridge brand. Expected to be finalized in early 2021, the acquisition includes the rights for Allegro to produce and sell Pinnacle Ridge wines. The sale does not include Pinnacle Ridge's Greenwich Township property.
  
  
• Grape Research Helps Answer Climate Change Question
  Dr. Laszlo Kovacs is a geneticist and biology professor at Missouri State University interested in the agricultural industry.
  
  
• The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages
  A number of research firms have recently weighed in
  
  
• Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Solano hotel occupancy dismal in December
  The North Bay's four counties that drive the most tourism traffic to the region's economy - Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Solano counties - all recorded year-over-year drops in hotel occupancy rates in December, according to the latest hotel data.
  
  
• 'We're Very Proud of What We Do': Florida's Growing Wine Scene
  After years of failed attempts to grow European varieties, producers embrace native Muscadine grapes and other fruits to craft bottles that tell the centuries-old story of Florida's wines.
  
  
• Wine and beverage business education bears fruit at international competition
  A team of Washington State University Pullman hospitality business management students recently captured the title of best wine label at the Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational, an annual online competition, for a third consecutive victory.
  
  
• President Joe Biden rejoins the Paris climate accord in first move to tackle global warming
  Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2017. Biden vows to move quickly on climate change action, and his inclusion of scientists throughout the government marks the beginning of a major policy reversal after four years of the Trump administration's environmental rollbacks.
  
  
• 3 storms heading to SF Bay Area to bring rain, snow showers through next Thursday, forecast shows
  According to ABC7 meteorologist Sandhya Patel, the first one will bring cooler air and scattered showers early Friday morning.
  
  
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