August, 19, 2015 California fires rage but vineyards safe, says Napa Vintners

(Decanter) - Napa Valley Vintners has tried to calm concerns that the 2015 Napa wine harvest is under threat from wildfires that have seen California fire crews working day and night to control blazes.  Hot and hazy conditions lingered over parts of  Napa Valley  last weekend as...

August, 19, 2015 A Dire Threat to Grapevines

(WineSpectator) - Nearly every month, David Gramaje gives a seminar lecture on the same topic. But the plant pathologist at the Research Centre of the Vine and Wine in Rioja never lacks for an audience of worried Spanish winegrowers. They’ve come to hear about combating esca and other vine-tr...

August, 18, 2015 Napa County eyes tighter winery permit oversight

(NBBJ) - Acknowledging public sentiment to tighten up enforcement of permits for wine production in Napa County, the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 11 got their first look at new tools for doing so, including reviewing compliance annually, attaching violation notices to property records and making th...

August, 18, 2015 Oregon wine industry has a record-breaking year

(RegisterGuard) - Last year was a record-­breaking one for Oregon’s $430 million wine industry, according to a report released Monday by the Oregon Wine Board. And 2015 could be even better, according to the wine board. Overall production increased by 39 percent in 2014, to 78,000 tons, ...

August, 18, 2015 US now biggest export market for NZ wine

(TDB) - The US has overtaken Australia to become New Zealand’s biggest export market by value. Growing 13% to NZ$372 million to the year ending June 2015, the news is in line with predictions from New Zealand Winegrowers that the US was on track to become the most valuable export market....

August, 18, 2015 Robots May Save California’s Wine Industry From the Drought

(Munchies) - We interrupt your regularly scheduled series of depressing, California drought-stricken agriculture news to finally bring you some good news: Your favorite California pinots, zins, rosés, and even that box of Franzia chardonnay that you have a nostalgic soft spot for may ha...

August, 18, 2015 US Wines Latest Target for Russian Watchdog

(Wine-Searcher) - Russia retaliates for Western sanctions by picking on California wines. Three US wines have been removed from the shelves of Russian wine stores after an apparently political intervention by authorities there. Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has banned three ...

August, 18, 2015 Starbucks expands sale of beer, wine and dinner plates

(UPI) - Starbucks is stepping up efforts to introduce an expanded "Evenings" menu by selling wine, beer and small plates, including bacon-wrapped dates and truffle mac 'n' cheese. There will be nearly 100 Starbucks locations offering the new menu when the program expands starting Wednesday. The co...