Afternoon Brief, February 8th

Heitz Cellar Sued Over Wages: A former employee has filed a class-action lawsuit against Heitz Cellar for allegedly violating California’s wage laws, according to court records...

Afternoon Brief, December 20th

Has Wine Country Become Too Expensive for Its Own Good?: One thing became very clear over the course of this year: Visiting Wine Country has gotten really expensive...

Afternoon Brief, September 7th

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Acquires A to Z Wineworks: Together with Ste. Michelle’s Erath Winery, the addition of the A to Z and REX HILL brands gives Ste. Michelle a substantial presence in Oregon and the combined business will be a leading producer of the state’s signature variety, Pinot Noir…

Afternoon Brief, July 27th

Napa’s Vineyard Workers Are Retiring — And the Next Generation Doesn’t Want Their Jobs: A generational shift is occurring within California’s agricultural workforce where the offspring of farmworkers are pursuing alternative, gainful and fulfilling careers — a result of having more opportunities and education than their parents and grandparents did when they arrived in America...

Afternoon Brief, May 4th

Crews Battle Fire at a Wine-Making Facility in Florence County: A fire at a wine-making facility in the Cartersville community on Lamar Highway in Florence County is now contained and under control, according to officials with the Sardis-Timmonsville Fire Department...

Afternoon Brief, April 29th

AI Sommelier Generates Wine Reviews Without Ever Opening a Bottle: A new algorithm writes wine and beer reviews that sound like they were penned by human critics. Is that a good thing?...

Afternoon Brief, March 11th

Chemical Analysis Reveals Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Grapes and Wines: A new study provides practical guidelines for using biomarkers to identify ‘smoke taint’ in grapes and wines affected by the smoke from wildfires..

Afternoon Brief, February 7th

Warming Planet Makes Better Wine: Climate change is undoubtedly a bigger threat to the planet than even Covid, but if it could be said to have a sweet spot, then we are in it – at least where wine is concerned...

Afternoon Brief, February 4th

Napa County Planning Commission Endorses Micro-Winery Law: Advocates who say Napa County should make it easier for small farms to create "micro-wineries" have secured backing from the county Planning Commission...

Afternoon Brief, January 31st

The Next Normal—DtC Shipping Reverts to Pre-Pandemic Predictions: The 2022 Direct to Consumer Wine Shipping Report has been released, and the industry is likely breathing a collective sigh of relief. The report, an annual collaboration between Sovos ShipCompliant and Wines Vines Analytics, shows the industry slowly returning to its pre-pandemic state...