June, 23, 2017 FDA Begins Winery Inspections

(Wines&Vines) - Wine law specialists have warned since 2011 that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) would eventually start inspecting wineries for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. This spring those inspections started in earnest. According to Barbara Snider, senio...

June, 23, 2017 George Clooney’s Tequila Company Sold for Up to $1 Billion

(NYTimes) - George Clooney is an award-winning actor, a new father and a world-class prankster . Now he can add “start-up founder who hit the jackpot” to his résumé. Casamigos, the tequila brand that Mr. Clooney founded with his friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldm...

June, 21, 2017 How Effective Is Your Redesign?

(Wines&Vines) - Readers of Wines & Vines have an opportunity to have their winery’s packaging critiqued for free as part of a consumer-research study organized by the Nielsen Innovation Practice. Steve Lamoureux, senior vice president of product innovation for globally recognized c...

June, 21, 2017 HEINEKEN BECOMES FIRST BOOZE BRAND TO SIGN UP TO AMAZON DASH

(TDB) - Heineken has become the first booze company to sign up to Amazon Dash to provide ‘beer at the touch of a button’, in a move that is likely to prompt others major drinks brands to follow suit, according to analysts. Amazon’s Dash buttons were launched in the US in 2...

June, 21, 2017 Hidden message reveals ancient soldiers’ thirst for wine

(Decanter) - Scientists have revealed a hidden message on a fragment of ancient pottery on display in Israel, shedding more light on who was drinking wine 2,500 years ago in the region. Scientists from Tel Aviv University used ground-breaking image technology to uncover an eroded message on...

June, 21, 2017 Wineries Can't Crank Up The Music For Free

(Forbes) - Writing for winebusiness.com in December 2015  Emily Rasmussen's headline  asked wineries with music in the tasting room if they were breaking the law. They probably were. Performing rights organizations (PRO) like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ( ...

June, 20, 2017 Vinexpo in Bordeaux Gets a 'Taste of Spain'

(WineSpectator) - The festivities continued Monday night at Vinexpo as Spanish winemakers poured for a throng of 1,500 at Wine Spectator's "Taste of Spain" party, held in Bordeaux's magnificent Palais de la Bourse on the city's historic waterfront. It was an unprecedented showcasing of Spai...

June, 18, 2017 Burning Vineyard Waste for Biochar

(Wines&Vines) - Advocates of the natural soil amendment biochar say vineyard trimmings and pulled vines make an excellent source for the material. And if growers use a particular method when burning piles of dead vineyard material, they can also limit the amount of air pollution from the fir...