Afternoon Brief

The Changing Tide of Napa Grapes: Riesling and Cabernet Franc garner highest prices in Napa. What does that mean? Napa’s old guard—Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay—still rule. But for how long?...

America's Great Grape Variety Shortage: Bureaucracy limits the range of grapes US growers can plant, but is it stifling creativity and limiting climate change preparations?

Sonoma County Wine Auction to Be Hosted at Historic Chateau St. Jean Winery: Sonoma County Vintners Foundation is delighted to announce that the charitable Sonoma County Wine Auction has been renamed as the Sonoma County Wine Celebration and will be held at the beautiful Chateau St. Jean Winery on Saturday, September 21...

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses Intercepted in California: The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is bringing attention to the discovery of recent Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) egg masses on a shipment originating from New York and destined for Sonoma County. The egg masses were intercepted at the Truckee Border Protection Station in late March. This is the first finding of SLF egg masses in California...

Warren Winiarski, Famed Napa Valley Winemaker, Dies at 95: Warren Winiarski, co-founder with his wife Barbara of the famed Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, passed away June 7, 2024, as he was preparing for his 60th harvest in the Napa Valley... :

Bars and Nightclubs Beware! The Drug Testing Regime Starts on July 1st and You Must Be Ready: Starting July 1, 2024, holders of a Type 48 (bars and nightclubs that do not sell food) license issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) must be able to provide drug testing devices to customers, as stated in Business and Professions Code § 25624...

China, US and India Lead Path to Recovery for Global Alcohol Market: Global beverage alcohol is expected to begin its recovery in 2025, according to new data and forecasts from IWSR, with three markets in particular driving growth...

Feds Grill Ex-Workers from Iconic NYC Wine Shop Sherry-Lehmann as Fraud Probe Heats Up: The feds may be close to putting a cork in their year-long probe of iconic wine shop Sherry-Lehmann — and potentially bringing charges against its former owners for allegedly scamming customers out of their vintage bottles...