Afternoon Brief: Time to Stock Up the Drinks Cabinet

With President Trump once more headed to the White House, tariffs will make it much more expensive to enjoy your favourite tipple...

Viticulturists in California's Central and North Coasts predict a delayed harvest this year due to the cold, rainy spring. This postponement poses a potential threat to the grape crop, leaving it vulnerable to challenges from autumn rains, cooler temperatures, and smoke taint from wildfires.  The delay does, however, provide grape growers with more time to prepare for a persistent challenge to wine grapes – bird damage. The critical moment is after bud break and before veraison when vineyards become prime targets for birds searching for food and a place to roost. "The time to act is when the sugar content begins to rise and attract the birds," asserts Dave Crockett of Kenwood's The Dirt Farmer, vineyard services company. "Once the birds are drawn in, there's nothing you can do to deter them. The key is to prevent them from noticing the ripening grapes in the fields below. With this year's harvest delayed by one to four weeks, there's st

New Account Manager, Karli Chase, will be covering Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino regions for M. A. Silva USA. JULY 26, 2021 – SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA - M. A. Silva USA, the leading manufacturer of premium corks, glass, and packaging in North America, announces the addition of Karli Chase as Account Manager for the Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino regions. Karli has essentially spent her entire life in the wine industry. She grew up on her family’s vineyard, Chase Vineyards, surrounded by 40 acres of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Carignane, making her a fourth generation farmer in the Mendocino County. As Karli pursued her degree in Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University, she worked at Testa Vineyards, in Calpella, California and eventually moved to Comstock Wines in Sonoma County. As Account Manager, Karli brings a lot of valuable personal experience to her new position. Gustavo Beltran, Sales Manager at M. A. Silva USA, commented, “It has been a great pleasure to