Afternoon Brief: Premiere Napa Valley Celebrates the 2023 Vintage and the Spirit of Unity in the Wine Industry

The 2025 Premiere Napa Valley wine auction came to a celebratory conclusion on Saturday, marking the end of a truly memorable week in Napa Valley. This years auction raised a total of $3.3 million, underscoring the wine trades optimism for the future and reaffirming that demand for Napas finest and most innovative wines remains strong...

Afternoon Brief, December 13th

Study Reveals More Than Half of Wines Sold on the British High Street Contain Toxic Chemicals: Unsuspecting members of the public could be sipping down toxic chemicals as they enjoy their favorite tipple this Christmas. That's because wines sold on the British high street by the likes of Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and Asda contain cancer-causing pesticides, a study shows...

Afternoon Brief, December 12th

DRINKS Partners with Sovos to Offer a  Full-Service Solution for Wineries and Alcohol Retailers on Shopify: New partnership streamlines e-commerce alcohol sales, tax compliance and reporting by integrating the best-in-class solutions for alcohol merchants...

Afternoon Brief, October 19th

Vintners union vows to stop cheap imports from entering French market and says the government ‘bears a heavy responsibility’...

Surveys consistently report that consumers increasingly prefer food & beverage products that are sourced, produced, and packaged sustainably. Sustainability issues factor into consumers’ purchase decisions and younger generations feel so strongly about these values that they will pay more for these products. Results also show that this trend is rising, even in the face of inflationary pressures. Examples of recent findings drive home the importance to consumers of wine producers supporting the circular economy and often reveal that this importance is growing: 55% of US consumers consider recycling and reusing products or packaging when making purchase decisions.[i] 48% said they pay attention to what the packaging is made of and how much of it is there.[ii] 86% of younger consumers (18-44) reported they were willing to pay more for products in sustainable packaging.[iii] 69% want to hear from pubs and bars about the work they’re doing to tackle plastic and packaging was

Afternoon Brief, April 3rd

Remembering Al Scheid, Founder of Scheid Family Wines: It is with great sadness that Scheid Family Wines shares the news of the passing of Al Scheid, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Scheid Family Wines, at the age of 91...

Irrigation comprises 70% of global freshwater use and is growing faster than any other water usage source. Combine that with the first megadrought (a drought that lasts at least 20 years) in the western US since the late 1500s, and the significance of that consumption gains critical importance. Wineries and vineyard owners facing these challenging conditions are altering their agricultural practices in response. Devon Wright and co-founders of the Agtech startup Lumo, John Hinnegan and renowned water technology inventor, Henry Halimi, joined forces to develop a revolutionary solution to help growers protect this precious resource. Lumo's first-of-its-kind smart valve gives growers new tools to optimize water usage by going beyond timers to manage irrigation flow. It is the first valve to have a built-in controller, the first to have a built-in flow sensor with the option for users to add a pressure sensors, and the first to be fully wireless and internet-connected. The sensors dete

Afternoon Brief, November 11th

Sonoma County Vintner Offers Farmworkers ‘Hazard Pay’ During Smoky Days: A Sonoma County wine and food venture has committed to paying farmworkers more for going out into smoky or other potentially hazardous conditions to pick grapes or other make-or-break tasks...

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...