Sonoma, CA – April 22, 2026 – Free Flow Wines announces the winners of the 13th Annual KEGGY Awards, honoring outstanding partners who are advancing sustainability, quality, and innovation across the wine and hospitality industries. Now aligned with Earth Month, the KEGGY Awards continue to spotlight the environmental and operational benefits of wine on tap, while celebrating the growing community of wineries, distributors, and on-premise operators leading the charge. FFW & Partners’ Cumulative Impact to Date: 45,448,130 bottles saved from landfill 80,827,751 lbs. of CO₂ emissions prevented from entering the atmosphere New in 2026, Free Flow Wines has expanded its award categories to recognize excellence across a broader set of hospitality leaders. These new honors celebrate accounts that demonstrate a strong commitment to reusable stainless steel kegs, investment in draft beverage quality, and a dedication to elevating the overall guest experience. New categories include Best Ho

POSTED BY  Theresa Barton Cray As we near the close of a challenging year for the alcohol beverage industry, suppliers are understandably looking for creative marketing campaigns to boost sales. Unfortunately, given the highly regulated world of alcohol beverage marketing, creative marketing ideas can sometimes hit the proverbial brick wall of regulatory restrictions. All is not lost, however, and there is still room for creativity provided suppliers work within the parameters of alcohol beverage regulations. To start, below are some common pitfalls that suppliers should avoid when marketing their alcoholic beverages in California and elsewhere. Retailer Partnerships Suppliers should closely examine any new marketing programs that involve or mention licensed alcohol beverage retailers. Partnerships with, or sponsorships of, retailers are in most cases going to run afoul of the tied-house laws in California, and in most other states, which prohibit suppliers from giving (directly

Independent Stave Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Glycine Bonneville-Jiang as Oak Research & Development Specialist based in Napa, California. Bonneville-Jiang brings extensive experience in wine research and production, with a specialized focus on wine microbiology, sensory analysis and vineyard-to-cellar innovation. She most recently served as R&D Manager at Lawrence Wine Estates, where she led technical initiatives for Heitz Cellar, Burgess, Ink Grade, Haynes and Stony Hill. Her work has included microbial analysis, smoke taint mitigation, native fermentation development, and soil health trials to enhance wine quality and sustainability. With more than a decade of global wine experience spanning France, Australia and the United States, Bonneville-Jiang has held research and harvest positions at wineries including Vieux Château Certan, Le Pin, Domaine Louis Latour and Château Léoville Barton. She has also consulted on wine microbiology in

BGPL USA Appoints Chris Ferraro as Vice President of Sales, East Region

Miami, FL (February 20, 2024) – Today, BGPL USA, importer and marketer of Barton & Guestier, Patriarche, and Listel in the U.S., announced the appointment of Chris Ferraro as Vice President of Sales for the […]

COMPLIANCE WITH BOTTLE BILL JUST ONE MONTH AWAY FOR WINE AND SPIRITS On January 1, 2024, California’s container recycling deposit system (referred to often as the “Bottle Bill”) will expand to include wine, spirits, and wine and spirits coolers (regardless of ABV).  Below is a brief overview of what wineries, distilleries, importers and wholesalers of wine and spirits need to do to comply! Register with CalRecycle as a Beverage Manufacturer and/or Distributor Register with CalRecycle as soon as possible to prepare for monthly payment and reporting requirements beginning January 1, 2024. California-Based: California wineries and distilleries, and importers of wine or spirits into California, will need to register as a “beverage manufacturer.” They will also need to register as a “distributor” if they sell to retailers (whether on-sale or off-sale), restaurants, bars, or directly to consumers. Out-of-State: Out-of-state wineries and distille

The History: Tonnellerie Maury & Fils is a traditional fourth-generation cooperage that originated along the "quai des chartrons quartier" of Bordeaux in 1893. Today the cooperage is managed by Mathieu Maury and produces around 5,000 barrels a year with it's local Bordeaux France region being it's strongest market. The Philosophy: Tonnellerie Maury represents a traditional Bordeaux-style cooperage and the barrels can be found in some of Bordeaux's most prestigious left and right bank Grand Cru Classé Châteaux. Mathieu Maury has a very strong reputation in his local market because he is constantly visiting and tasting with customers in order to taste, listen to, and incorporate their feedback into his barrel-making decisions. Cooperage Style: The Maury style is classically Bordeaux. The barrels are elegant making them suitable for cooler more restrained styles of Bordeaux red varietals while also lending to richer more fruit-driven and structur

Afternoon Brief, August 11th

CEO Stole over $4 Million from Company to Build Winery, Farm and Horse Ranch, Feds Say: A German man is accused of building a boutique winery, farm and horse ranch on his private Virginia property with money stolen from his company, federal prosecutors said...

With the passage of  Senate Bill No. 1013, beginning on January 1, 2024, wine and spirits will be included in California’s state container deposit system established by the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (known as the “Bottle Bill”).  As such, wineries and distilleries will now be required to comply with the Bottle Bill’s CA Redemption Value (CRV) payment and reporting obligations beginning January 1, 2024, and CRV labeling requirements for all wine and spirits sold after July 1, 2025.  Beer and certain other non-alcoholic beverages were already previously covered by the Bottle Bill. Importantly, because all wines and spirits sold in California after July 1, 2025 must be labeled with some type of approved CRV statement, producers should start including this information on their bottles and/or labels as soon as possible. Below we have included a brief summary of the rules applicable to wines and spirits under