December, 12, 2017 Berger on wine: Climate change may shift vineyard planting

(Pressdemocrat) - A decade ago I wrote an April Fools’ Day wine column about an optimistic winemaker in Sweden who had planted cabernet sauvignon, anticipating that climate change would put him ahead of the curve. At the time, the idea was considered radical; Sweden was too cool to grow wi...

December, 12, 2017 BEYONCÉ SHUTS DOWN ‘BIERYONCE’ BEER

(TDB) - A New York brewery has halted production of its Beyoncé-inspired German pilsner ‘Bieryonce’ after receiving a cease and desist letter from the superstar’s lawyers. Brooklyn’s Lineup Brewing created the brew after its owner and master brewer, Katarina Martin...

December, 12, 2017 Santa Rosa winery purchases 3 Napa Valley boutique wineries

(PD) - Vintage Wine Estates of Santa Rosa announced Tuesday it has bought three wine labels from Napa Valley vintner Jayson Woodbridge: Layer Cake, Cherry Pie and If You See Kay. The acquisitions are the latest in a string of purchases by Vintage Wine Estates over the past year and will mea...

December, 12, 2017 Protecting Vineyards in Fire-Ravaged Areas

(Wines&Vines) - Some of the blackened hills of the North Bay are sporting a light covering of green as new grasses push from the soil following November rains. Yet many of the trees on those hills are dead brown, and large swaths of blackened hillside remain in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and ...

December, 12, 2017 Weed Wine is Here

(Pastemagazine) - Sauvignon Blanc has always been known for its “grassy” character, but never quite like this! Sonoma County is a land of eccentrics who play by their own rules. Now, Rebel Coast Winery has taken that to the next level: They’ve just announced the launch of the f...

December, 12, 2017 California’s Ecology of Fire

(Wineandspiritsmagazine) - The fires of October 2017 were the most catastrophic in California history. In a state where wildfires extract an annual toll on homes, lives, and property public and private, that’s saying something. At last count, in the course of ten days, 17 coterminous conflagr...

December, 11, 2017 Fire Narrowly Misses Ojai Wineries

(Wines&Vines) - Despite being named one of the five largest wildfires in California history, the Thomas Fire inflicted little damage to vineyards and wineries in the California Central Coast city of Ojai. However, unpredictable winds and warm, dry conditions make future damage a distinct possib...

December, 11, 2017 BIGGEST DRINKS TRADE ACQUISITIONS OF 2017

(TheDrinksBusiness) - While every year brings with it its fair share of mergers and acquisitions, 2017 has seen some of the biggest, with the drinks trade catching onto the promise of super premium Tequila, the burgeoning trade in Cannabis and unstoppable rise of craft. Global brewer Heineken an...