More Than 220,000 Acres in California are Enrolled in FFF Program  NAPA, Calif. (November 25, 2024) – Thirty-two winegrape growers and wineries from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for achieving and maintaining certification for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program was created to protect and enhance the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. Soon, it was expanded with a specific program tailored for Napa County and other regions. Today, more than 220,000 acres located in thirteen counties in California are enrolled in the innovative program that improves water quality and wildlife habitat. “The Fish Friendly Farming certification has become very popular among winegrowers as a sustainable certification program because it is highly effective in improving water quality and restoring fish and wildlife habitat,&rd

Afternoon Brief, November 10th

France Raises Wine Output Estimate, Regains Top Producer Spot: France's farm ministry on Friday raised its estimate for this year's wine production, confirming that it will regain the top spot among world producers although some major producing regions including Bordeaux have been hit by disease...

Afternoon Brief, June 13th

Vintners Warn a Wine Shortage Could Be Coming, as They Try to Adapt to Climate Change: From cold snaps in B.C. to flooding in Italy, extreme weather is damaging crops...

Afternoon Brief, March 6th

Couple Jailed in Spain Over 1.6 Million Euros Wine Heist: A Spanish court on Monday jailed a couple for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth over 1.6 million euros from a hotel restaurant in what police called a "meticulously planned" theft...

Afternoon Brief, November 30th

California Wines Pour Jobs and Dollars into Economy: The California wine and winegrape sector and allied businesses deliver a total economic contribution of $73 billion annually to the state’s economy and $170.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to a new report commissioned by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG)...

We Can Do Better. Here's How. John F Kennedy said once: "It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this is a problem of one section of the country or another, or deplore the fact that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all." I am blessed to be surrounded each day by a team rich with diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, ages, and experiences, with many perspectives and voices to contribute. I have needed to do very little to create a relationship of respect among them except try to foster a forum where hard and serious conversations can occur (albeit over Zoom) and promote understanding, and not always force agreement. My team is doing the rest. Many are angry, most are sad, all are concerned and everyone is affected. Allyship is hard and a lifelong process but we're trying. We all need to try harder. As stewards of our client's marketi