The Grapevine

Wine Industry News – 10/19/15

October 19th, 2015

A follow-up to our “weed wine” news from last week, and a bold prediction for the 1015 Oregon vintage. [level-members]

We wrote last week about the latest offshoot of the legalized cannabis industry, “weed wine,” which isn’t exactly what it sounds like, but isn’t exactly any thing else, either. Now we have information, courtesy of Wines & Vines, of pot’s growing acceptance on the wine industry.

In a nutshell, it’s not a zero-sum game. Colorado alcohol sales fell and then rebounded with the legalization of marijuana in that state. (The fall came with the initial legalization of medical marijuana, and the rise came as recreational use became legal.)

Interestingly, the article says, “wine and spirits wholesalers are looking closely at cannabis sector, and some believe it will need the middle tier to provide a level playing field, as was intended for immediate post-Prohibition alcohol sales.”

You can read the full article here.

Meanwhile, in Oregon, there are predictions for this year’s wines being some of the best in recent memory. In fact, the article’s headline states that “Oregon’s Early Harvest Could Produce the “Vintage of a Lifetime.”

The article also includes a crib sheet for Willamette Valley Pino, which we love for it’s complete lack of pretension: 2013 is “hit or miss” because “early rains messed things up.” The full article is here

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