The Grapevine

Retail Wine Industry News – 7/27/15

July 27th, 2015

A potential upside to the California drought, fruit vs. wood in aging spirits, and growing wine grapes in the Dakotas. [level-members]

California Drought’s Potential Upside
Some vineyards in California are looking forward to the 2015 crop, feeling that the tough conditions the state is enduring may have a silver lining: fantastic wines for the vintage. You can read more here. At some point, though, there’s just not enough water to grow grapes …

Even Tougher Conditions Elsewhere
Speaking of tough conditions, a short growing season and brutally cold winters wouldn’t seem the ideal recipe for growing a wine industry, but that’s not stopping some intrepid folks in North Dakota. With the help of some grant funding, they are exploring varietals that might be convinced to adapt to North Dakota’s climate. Here’s the full story.

Focus on Fruit, not Wood, in Spirits Aging Says One Distiller
Getting product to market faster is every producer’s dream. Distillers are no different. Highspire is marketing their new “rapid-fire” whiskey with just 120 days of aging under its belt. It’s not just speed they’re after, though, but a focus on the fruit rather than the barrel. Not surprising since the whiskey maker is a former winemaker. Read more here.

Winery Customer Data Hack
Finally, an item you may want to share with your customers: their data may have been compromised if they are on any one of dozens of winemakers’ customer lists. Seventy wineries were affected, with a total of perhaps as many as 250,000 customers. Read the full article here. [/level-members]