Afternoon Brief

Australia's Peter Lehmann Wines Sold to Casella, Maker of Yellow Tail: Peter Lehmann Wines, an iconic Australian winery in the Barossa Valley, will soon have a new owner. Casella Family Brands, best known as the maker of Yellow Tail, offered $1.31 per share for the winery and brand...

Announcing Wine Enthusiast's 2014 Wine Star Award Winners: Each year since 2000, the editors of Wine Enthusiast have honored individuals whose vision has impacted the wine and spirits industries with our Wine Star Awards...

Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines Unveiling Begins Today: After tasting 18,000 wines from vineyards around the globe, the editors at Wine Spectator are set to release their much-anticipated list of the Top 100 Wines of 2014...

And the best wine retailer in America is?: In my travels and lectures I am often asked, and by often I mean many times a day, who I feel the best retailer in U.S. is, and should distributor X and supplier Y sell their wines/ spirits/crafts there?...

Charles Krug Winery Honors its Wine Industry Icon, Peter Mondavi: Charles Krug Winery and the Peter Mondavi Sr. family announced today the centennial birthday of winery patriarch Peter Mondavi, Sr. is on Saturday, November 8th, making him the oldest working winemaker in the Napa Valley...

New research predicts California droughts will worsen: Future droughts in California are likely to bite deeper and last longer than the one now gripping the state, according to new research into the potential effects of climate change...

Google chief, social media gives wine the chance to shine: Social media platforms like YouTube give the wine industry the chance to connect directly with consumers in a way traditional media channels such as TV and newspapers have always denied them, according to Google's Hamish Nicklin...

Wine Spectator to Unveil Top 100 Wines of 2014: After tasting more than 18,000 wines from vineyards around the globe, the editors at Wine Spectator are set to release their much-anticipated list of the Top 100 Wines of 2014...

Militant French winemakers strike social security building: Vandals claiming allegiance to the French militant winemaker group Comite d'Action Viticole have attacked social security offices in Languedoc Roussillon, as tension rises over the level of aid available to hail-struck producers...

World Champion San Francisco Giants Take the 2014 World Series, Celebrate With Mumm Napa Sparkling Wine: The San Francisco Giants have won the 110th World Series and once again have celebrated in the club house with Mumm Napa as they did during the 2010 and 2012 World Series Championships...

Wine Enthusiast Names New York as Wine Region of the Year: Governor Andrew Cuomo announced New York State has been honored with the title of "Wine Region of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast magazine. The publication cited the quality of wines, tremendous growth of the industry, and greatly improved business climate...

How bad is the California drought?: Across California, from the manicured lawns of Beverly Hills to sun-baked farmers' fields, they are praying for rain this winter. But "El Nino," the weather phenomenon which sometimes brings storms, will be "weak" and "offer little help" to the desperately parched state...

Police Investigating U.S. Winemaker's Death: Police in Oregon are investigating the death of pioneering Washington-based winemaker Eric Dunham whose body was found in Cannon Beach last Thursday...

New AVAs Put Paso Robles in Wine Industry Big Leagues: On the heels of a top national ranking from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Paso Robles Wine Country is rolling out an expanded set of sub-brands to put it on equal footing with Napa and Sonoma Counties...

Petaluma Gap AVA Bid Blowing in the Wind: Sonoma County already has 16 AVAs, but growers in the Petaluma Gap are applying for their own sub-appellation...