Verallia inaugurates a new oxy-combustion furnace with HeatOx™ technology at its Campo Bom in Brazil, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and local development. Verallia, the European leader and world's third-largest producer of glass packaging for beverages and food products, has inaugurated a new oxy-combustion furnace equipped with HeatOx™ technology, an innovative solution owned by Air Liquide, at its Campo Bom plant in Rio Grande do Sul. This €111 million investment marks a major milestone in Verallia’s growth strategy in Brazil, reflecting the Group’s long-term vision and commitment to sustainable innovation.  For Patrice Lucas, CEO of Verallia Group “The commissioning of the Campo Bom furnace is a significant step in Verallia’s journey to decarbonize its production processes and accelerate innovation across our markets. This project embodies our ambition to invest in sustainable technologies, strengthen our presence in stra

Second-Year Sponsorship Highlights American Wine Industry’s Economic Impact and Community Building Mission  WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, announced today its proud sponsorship of the 2025 Come Over October Congressional Wine Caucus press conference and reception, taking place on October 8th in Washington, D.C. This marks the second consecutive year WineAmerica has supported this important invitation-only industry event, demonstrating the organization’s continued commitment to fostering bipartisan support for America’s burgeoning wine industry.  The reception will showcase wines from across many states, celebrating the breadth, diversity and quality of American wine production from coast to coast. This comprehensive representation underscores the truly national scope of the American wine industry, which now includes 10,637 wine producers operating in every state. Economic Powerhouse Supporting American Communities WineAmerica&r

The magic of wine is in every bottle, each a unique blend of colors, aromas, flavors, and stories. I live on Keuka Lake just outside of  Penn Yan, NY. Keuka (CUE-kah) lies in the heart of the 11 Finger Lakes, is shaped like a Y with two northern branches, and is the only lake in the world which flows both north and south into outlets that flow to other waterways. Penn Yan, incorporated in 1833, stands for Pennsylvania Yankee, reflecting the two groups of migrants who settled here and collegially compromised on a shortened version of their combined origins. PY, as we call it, has a bit over 5,000 residents in a county with about 20,000, many of them horse-and-buggy Mennonites who produce wonderful food, quilts, buggies, bikes, buildings, and much else. Keuka Lake is home to about a dozen superb wineries and lots of wine history. When I don’t have time to winery-hop, I go to Hoban’s in town, a small wine and spirits store with an excellent selection of local wines and m

The 3rd annual Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience was a weekend-long celebration that featured the best of Sonoma County and world-renowned food and wines. This year's festival showcased the region's makers – farmers, growers, winemakers and chefs – alongside globally recognized wines, highlighting the vibrant culinary diversity, deep connection to agriculture, and sustainable farming practices of Sonoma County. HWFE is deeply involved in the Sonoma County community, making substantial donations from this year’s ticket sales and sponsorships to local organizations that make a meaningful difference in the lives of farmers and their families, including the Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos. These funds will help support the Leadership Academy and workforce development for vineyard employees and their families, fostering future leaders in both the industry and the community. As well as being co-founders of HWFE, Sonoma County Winegro

San Jose, California, May 13, 2024—LibDib, an innovative web-based distribution platform, is proud to announce its integration and collaboration with Diverse Powered Brands™, the premier centralized B2B global digital catalog for diverse suppliers in the beverage alcohol industry. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in LibDib’s mission to revolutionize beverage distribution by integrating Diverse Powered Brands into its expansive digital marketplace. Diverse Powered Brands, the industry’s trusted resource, connects diverse suppliers, buyers, and industry professionals, facilitating a seamless discovery process across all beverage categories. By incorporating Diverse Powered Brands, LibDib Buyers will now have access to a rich catalog of diverse owners, leaders and makers that reflect the modern consumer’s desire for inclusivity and social responsibility in their purchasing choices. Subscribers in the Diverse Powered Brands digital catalog

April 18, 2024 (Santa Rosa, Calif.) – Jennifer “JB” Kelly, President of Sales and Marketing for Luxury Wine Partners in San Rafael, Calif., has been named Honorary Chief Judge for the upcoming Sunset International Wine Competition, which takes place May 20-23, 2024, in Sonoma County, Calif.  Sponsored by Western lifestyle brand and publication Sunset, the contest is expected to welcome more than 3,000 individual entries this year. “It’s an honor,” says Kelly of the recognition. “As the Chief judge, it’s my aim to ensure the integrity, fairness, and professionalism of the judging process. I can provide guidance and mentorship to fellow judges, ensuring consistency and objectivity in our assessments.” She continues, “It's crucial for me to uphold the reputation and credibility of the competition, while also fostering a collaborative and respectful environment among judges. Ultimately, my goal is to maintain the hig

WineGlass Marketing Unveils Oregon Office Amplifying Support to Northwest Wineries NAPA, CA – WineGlass Marketing, LLC proudly announces its expansion into the heart of Oregon wine country, solidifying its commitment to supporting local wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Effective March 1st, the esteemed marketing agency will provide on-the-ground assistance to clients nestled within the renowned Willamette, Rogue, and Umpqua Valleys.  Susan DeMatei, President of WineGlass Marketing, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to refocus our efforts in Oregon. The region's dedication to innovation, outreach to new consumers, and ingenuity in marketing strategies make it a perfect match for our agency's expertise." She continued, "Having a dedicated presence in this vibrant market allows us to intimately understand the nuances of Oregon Wine Country."  In a strategic move to bolster local support, WineGlass Marketing welcomes Jo

Wine and spirits distributors do not always get full credit for their myriad of services offered.  With portfolios bursting at the seams, their role in the 3-tier system is difficult. We at Andavi Solutions would like to recognize some of the critical functions distributors perform on behalf of their supplier partners.  1) Training and Education Distributor sales teams include some of the most highly trained professionals in the industry. The training opportunities distributors provide are not solely for internal stakeholders. They also play a critical role in the education and training of their supplier partners.  It is sad but true to say that many brand owners do not properly train their people, and by default, distributors end up picking up the slack. Another vital area of training distributors provide is forecasting and inventory management (more on this below).  Distributors do a lot of staff training (far more than most suppliers), and they don&rs

The leading Group in the production of closures is committed to reducing its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 44%, by 2030. Important targets have also been set for the responsible management of the supply chain and for promoting a corporate culture based on inclusion and diversity. Milan - Guala Closures Group, world leader in the production of closures for the spirits, and aluminium closures for wine, water, and oil markets, presents “Sustainable Together 2030”, its new 2023-2030 sustainability programme. This sets clear and ambitious corporate objectives involving three primary areas: Environment, People and Governance. “We are very proud of the path towards a sustainable approach undertaken by the company in recent years and made public with the preparation of the Sustainable Development Report – now in its twelfth edition – which will be released in the next days,” says Paolo Lavazza, Quality and Sustainability Director of Guala C

The unofficial flag of DTC marketing  — circa 2019 I once asked a pilot what it's like to fly a plane. The answer was "hours of boredom interrupted by brief moments of terror." Over the last decade, many wine merchants could say the same about piloting their DTC marketing. Following the lead of other industries, wine merchants developed a repeatable success formula, neatly summarized by Angelsmith, and adopted as the unofficial flag of an entire generation of DTC wine marketers. During the "rinse & repeat" era, wine marketing became boring and lucrative. Then our brief moments of terror came in the form of a pandemic upending our comfortable routines. Now that we've survived the pandemic, today's wine marketers face a choice. Retreat to the past or chart a new path to success in a changing marketplace.   But no matter how much we miss the past, we all know there's no going back.   AN URGENT NEED FOR A WINE MARKETING RENA