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Federal cap on hemp THC upends state-by-state beverage markets

• Massachusetts retailer Art Nergaryan saw THC-infused beverage sales jump 25-35 percent after stocking them, then collapse when state regulators banned their sale in wine stores in May 2024.
• The THC-infused beverage market grew 135 percent in the 52 weeks to April 2026, reaching $239 million in US retail sales, with Whitney Economics projecting a $9.9-14.9 billion potential market.
• Congress passed legislation in November 2025 capping hemp-derived THC at 0.4 milligrams per container, effective November 12, 2026, effectively banning most commercial hemp beverage products.
• States have enacted conflicting rules: Minnesota and Georgia permit hemp beverages while California, Washington, and Vermont restrict or ban them outside licensed cannabis systems.
• The FDA declared hemp-derived cannabinoid beverages unlawful under federal food law in 2018, yet the industry grew as states set their own rules, leaving retailers navigating legal gray zones.

English estates launch prestige cuvées priced to rival Champagne

• Nyetimber released England's first prestige cuvée in 2018, the 1086 range at £150, £175, after proprietor Eric Heerema acquired the estate in 2006 and head winemaker Cherie Spriggs selected the 2009 vintage.
• Chapel Down's Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée (2016 vintage, £126) and Gusbourne's Fifty One Degrees North (2016 vintage, £195, with magnum at £395) followed, aged seven to eight years on lees from premium vineyard parcels.
• Langham released its Perpetual Blanc de Blancs in June 2025 at £109.95 using a solera-style blend inspired by grower Champagne, with winemaker Tommy Grimshaw building a multi-vintage cuvée in a 2,000L Slavonian oak vessel.
• Squerryes launched Patience 2014 in July 2026, a prestige bottling from 21 hectares of chalk vineyards owned by the ninth-generation Warde family, marking a decade of heritage wine preservation alongside current releases.
• All five estates position extended lees ageing (seven to eight years minimum) and selection from finest vineyard parcels as hallmarks of prestige, commanding prices of £100 and above to match premium Champagne positioning.

Ancient vine-training systems vanish as labor costs and mechanization reshape European viticulture

• Italy's alberata system, once common around Naples and depicted in 18th-century landscapes, survives on only a handful of hectares, replaced by mechanizable methods like Guyot and vertical shoot positioning.
• Lanzarote's hoyo system, developed after volcanic eruptions buried fertile soil, draws thousands of tourists annually and drives wine sales; active vineyards shrank 19 percent from 2000 to 2026 as labor demands exceeded profitability, prompting local subsidies.
• Rías Baixas winegrowers maintain traditional pergolas through specialized machinery for upkeep tasks; mandatory hand-harvesting rules mean training method choice no longer affects picking labor, keeping heritage viable.
• Historical vine-training survival depends on region-specific negotiation between heritage, tourism value, topography, and labor economics; no single approach applies universally across Europe's fragmented viticultural landscape.

World Cup boost fails to reverse US beer sales decline

• Anheuser-Busch InBev spent $110 million on Michelob Ultra World Cup marketing but projected only 0.25 percent volume lift for the year.
• US beer category sales fell 2.1 percent in dollars and 3.4 percent in volume for the week ending July 19, the tournament's final day, worse than prior four-week and year-to-date trends.
• Off-premise beer sales via scan data showed ABI's portfolio down 2.3 percent in volume through mid-July, while overall industry shed roughly 3.5 million barrels in the first half of 2026 versus 2025.
• On-premise draft sales rose 6.46 percent in volume during the tournament, but declined 3 percent by the final week compared to 2025, suggesting the World Cup effect faded quickly.
• Spirits gained 8.4 percent in volume for the tournament's final week, with Cutwater up 60 percent, while beer's structural decline of 4.5 percent year-to-date outpaced any tournament-driven gains.

Silver Scope Media bids $400k for bankrupt Rogue Ales' intellectual property

• Silver Scope Media Ltd, a U.K.-based digital marketing agency, offered $400,000 for Rogue Ales & Spirits' intellectual property nine months after Oregon Brewing filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
• Rogue's IP includes trademarks, recipes, yeast strain rights, social media accounts, and the Dead Guy IPA brand; Oregon Brewing valued the total IP at $2 million.
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon accepts competing bids through Aug. 21, requiring offers to exceed Silver Scope's bid by at least $40,000.
• Valley View Winery, which trademarked Rogue in 1983 and claims perpetual license rights to the brand's wine and wine-based beverages, filed an objection to the IP sale.
• A hearing on the sale and objections is scheduled for Aug. 26; this follows a liquidation auction of Rogue's physical brewery equipment in March 2024.

Soju surges past shōchū in U.S. market as Asian spirits diverge

• Soju grew 133 percent between 2019 and 2025 in the U.S., now under 1 percent of total spirits volume, while shōchū grew only 11 percent over the same period.
• Koryn Ternes, IWSR consulting director for the Americas, attributes soju's acceleration to post-2020 momentum, particularly 2023 to 2025, versus shōchū's slower niche trajectory.
• Spec's, a Texas retailer, expanded Asian spirits purchases from under $1 million in 2018 to multi-millions today, driven by younger consumers, Korean cultural interest, and soju's fruity flavors and lower ABV.
• Green bottle soju, mass-produced since a 1965 rice ban forced use of cheaper starches, dominates U.S. exports; Jinro has held world best-selling spirit status for 25 consecutive years.
• Premium craft soju, led by brands like Tokki Soju founded in Brooklyn in 2016, is emerging as consumers mature; shōchū brands including iichiko and Mizu target bartenders with higher-proof cocktail expressions.

US spirits exporters battle tariffs as DISCUS seeks new markets

• President Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on Canadian spirits effective August 19, after Canada removed US alcoholic beverages from shelves, cutting US sales there by 81 percent.
• The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) received $900,000 from the USDA to boost exports to Brazil, India, and Vietnam as domestic consumption falls.
• India reduced tariffs on US spirits from 150 percent to 100 percent last year, but EU and UK spirits now face only 40 percent and 75 percent duties respectively, undercutting American whiskey.
• Argentina signed a free trade agreement with the Trump Administration this year, but local whiskey educator Vero Tomagheli in Buenos Aires says limited American brands and poor positioning mean demand remains minimal.
• Vietnam's cocktail bars show growing interest in whiskey, yet the market is dominated by high-end Scotch; DISCUS-backed education efforts aim to build awareness of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey overseas.

2026 World Cup drove US breweries to record on-premise sales and foot traffic

• Draft beer sales rose 6.46 percent during the six-week 2026 World Cup in North America, with Monday and Tuesday games driving volume growth of 16 and 12 percent respectively, according to BeerBoard data.
• Headlands Brewing in California doubled its collaborative West Coast Mexican lager Common Ground from 90 to 180 barrels within weeks as bars and restaurants rapidly purchased kegs and cans.
• Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City saw foot traffic and beer hall sales increase roughly 25 percent since mid-June after upgrading its taproom with new televisions and an outdoor patio space.
• Bitburger's on-premise sales rose 130 percent in June through limited-edition football labels, sponsorship of New York City's 30-day German House of Soccer popup, and direct retailer engagement by executives.
• Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling in Rhode Island expanded It's Called Soccer production from 30 to 300 barrels with distribution across 315 venues and plans to convert it into a year-round brand.

Manhatta wine director recommends five summer bottles for New York heat

• Sydney Fusto, wine director at Manhatta in Manhattan's Financial District, prioritizes high-acid wines for summer drinking to refresh the palate in sweltering heat.
• Fusto pours Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 by the glass at Manhatta, citing its herbaceous and citrus notes as ideal for hot-weather food pairings like ceviche.
• She recommends darker-hued rosés like Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2023 and Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol 2024 with grilled meats, reversing her earlier indifference to the category.
• For effortless drinking, Fusto chooses Sommariva Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut NV, describing it as easy-going bubbles requiring no cerebral effort.
• She highlights Domaine Giacometti Sempre Cuntenu 2024, a chillable Corsican red from Sciacarello grapes, as a versatile fridge staple gaining popularity with Manhatta customers.

Young wine workers reshape how peers drink, away from fine dining formality

• Daria Volokitina, sommelier at Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, paired Austrian Furmint with barbecue kebabs to challenge her beer-drinking brother, proving wine suits casual occasions and food beyond fine dining.
• Alex Padilla at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California, recommends a $36 Sonoma Gamay to younger customers seeking approachable, character-driven wines outside traditional Californian styles.
• Both workers emphasise sensations and terroir over formal knowledge, positioning wine as exciting and unpretentious for drinkers of all ages and backgrounds.
• Natural wine and organic viticulture appeal to younger consumers, yet awareness of what these terms mean remains low among Gen Z drinkers, creating an education gap.
• Young wine professionals in retail and hospitality see themselves as visible advocates for a generation, countering concerns that young people are abandoning wine drinking.

Pierce's Disease detected in Europe; 41% of vineyards now at climate risk

• Xylella fastidiosa bacterium, which causes Pierce's disease in grapevines, was first detected on European grapevines in Mallorca, Spain in 2016, then in Portugal in 2023, and now persists across Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France.
• A 2025 study using high-resolution climate mapping found 41.2 percent of European vineyards are at climate risk of Pierce's disease, up from 21.8 percent in earlier models, with river valley microclimates especially vulnerable.
• The bacterium kills vines by blocking water transport, causing dehydration within years; warming temperatures remove the historical winter cold that suppressed it, enabling spread into previously safe regions.
• California's three-decade battle with Pierce's disease offers Europe strategic lessons: early detection, vector management, and research investment can shift endemic outbreaks from eradication to containment.
• European countries lack unified reporting mandates and communication strategies, risking vineyard concealment; California's self-reporting culture and absence of destruction requirements enabled faster adaptation to living with the disease.

Disease-resistant hybrid grapes cut fungicide sprays by 80 percent

• PIWIs (pilzwiderstandsfähige) are hybrid grape varieties bred to resist powdery and downy mildew by crossing European Vitis vinifera with fungus-resistant American species; modern PIWIs contain up to 95 percent vinifera genetic material.
• Jérémy Ducourt, technical director at Famille Ducourt in Bordeaux, reduced fungicide sprays from eight to 15 times yearly for traditional varieties to two to three times for PIWIs over a decade of planting.
• Genetic technology rhAmpSeq, developed under the US VitisGen initiative in 2019, allows researchers to identify disease-resistance genes with precision and scan 2,000 genetic markers across thousands of seedlings in days instead of months.
• A 2026 Luxembourg study comparing two traditional varieties with two PIWIs showed PIWIs delivered twofold economic savings and threefold environmental benefit, chiefly through reduced spraying, fuel, and labor costs plus soil and water protection.
• Germany leads PIWI adoption with 4,000 hectares planted in 2025, up 10 percent from the previous year and accounting for four percent of German vineyard area; France is developing ResDur hybrids combining PIWIs with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Vineyards use netting to cool grape clusters as heat damage rises

• Vineyard netting, traditionally used for hail and bird protection, is now deployed to lower cluster-zone temperatures and prevent heat damage to color and acidity compounds.
• A 2022 UC Davis study on Cabernet Sauvignon found shaded clusters had 27 percent more anthocyanins than unshaded control, as anthocyanin degradation begins above 35 degrees Celsius.
• At Petra vineyard in Tuscany, Merlot under 90 percent shade nets reached 40-41 degrees Celsius versus 50 degrees unshaded, cutting sunburn from 41 percent to three percent in one trial.
• Net color matters: white and green nets perform better than black nets, which absorb and retain heat; nets must be positioned away from fruit to avoid contact burn.
• Growers in Mendoza, Barolo, and Tuscany are conducting multi-season trials to calibrate shade levels that prevent heat stress without sacrificing the beneficial UV light needed for phenolic development.

Gallery: in the vineyards of the Ahr Valley, Germany

• Ahr Valley, Germany specializes in Pinot Noir production.
• Frühburgunder is also grown alongside Pinot Noir in the region.
• Ahr Valley vineyards feature schist soils on steep hillside terrain.
• Vineyards show wide variation in crop levels and ripening stages.

Wine News: What I’m Reading the Week of 8/16/26

Hello and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I

The taste of stone

• Jako Andabak purchased an ailing cooperative in Bol, Brač island in 2009 and founded Stina (commercially known as Jako Vino), modernizing the winery and planting new vineyards.
• Stina's early wines were characterized as big and bold, presented at Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend in April 2012.
• Andabak, a hotel owner on Brač, provided capital and market access through his hotels for the wine project.
• Stina was part of a wave of 'Hrvatski Vrh' (high Croatian) wineries emerging during Croatia's pre-EU accession period, founded by owners with outside experience and significant financial backing.

Who's Afraid of Volatile Wines?

• EU limits volatile acidity in wine to 1.2 g/L for reds, 1.08 g/L for whites; the US allows 1.4 g/L for reds, up to 1.7 g/L for super-ripe grapes.
• Sébastien David (Loire) was ordered to destroy 2,000+ bottles of Cabernet Franc in 2019 for exceeding VA limits; a petition against the decision garnered almost 175,000 signatures.
• EU exceptions now allow up to 2.4 g/L VA in hundreds of appellations from 18 countries including Amarone, Madeira, and Tokaji aszú; Slovenia permits 1.6 g/L for quality reds aged two years in oak.
• The current 1.2 g/L EU limit originated in 1979 EEC legislation with vague consumer-protection language; vinegar requires 40 g/L acidity, creating a large regulatory gap with no clear health justification.

Michelin And The Death Of The Wine Guide

• Michelin's Wine Selection Burgundy 2026 awarded nine producers three grapes, 20 vignerons two grapes, 33 one grape, and 32 'selected' status.
• Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux publicly demanded removal from Michelin's guide after receiving one-grape rating, claiming they weren't visited and stopped submitting wines years ago.
• Michelin rates wine producers based on vineyard management and consistency rather than individual cuvées, differing from competitor Guide Hachette des Vins which rates individual wines.
• Michelin owns 100% of Wine Advocate (acquired entirely in 2019 after purchasing 40% in 2017), raising questions about editorial influence on the wine guide's ratings.
• Print wine guides have become obsolete since the 1990s internet expansion and the vast global wine selection make comprehensive single guides impractical.

Notable Releases from Troon Vineyard

• Troon Vineyard released 2025 Vermentino and 2023 Syrah from Oregon's Applegate Valley.
• Troon Vineyard, located in Grant's Pass, farms using certified biodynamic and regenerative organic principles.
• Troon ferments with ambient cultures, uses minimal sulfite at bottling, and avoids new oak aging.
• Applegate Valley's high latitude brings long summer days and heat, with cool overnight temperatures from Siskiyou Mountain winds.

Q&8 | Wang Yuanzhu Talks Grapes, Grain & Ancient Wine

• Coram Collective, founded in 2023 with production from 2024, co-ferments rice wine with grape varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot, and innovates huangjiu (yellow wine).
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's huangjiu with aged Chinese tangerine peel emerged from a Christmas Eve 2024 moment when tired colleagues wanted a refreshing drink after steaming rice.
• Coram's products are already listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu since launching last June.
• Chardomi (80% Chardonnay, 20% glutinous rice) requires rice to be soaked, steamed, and undergo saccharification before co-fermenting with freshly pressed grape juice.

What I Learned at a Conference on Drinking

• Drinking studies is an interdisciplinary field treating alcohol as cultural and social practice, not merely a drink or health hazard.
• Historical research on drinking is extremely difficult because the practice was so ubiquitous that ordinary people's habits were rarely documented.
• Ireland's 2018 Public Health (Alcohol) Act introduced minimum unit pricing, advertising restrictions, and cancer warning labels, but labels were delayed to September 2028 due to international trade pressure.
• The Industrial Revolution shifted the meaning of moderation from avoiding disgraceful drunkenness to maintaining sobriety and punctuality for economic productivity.
• Historical alcohol restrictions targeting groups like the Irish and Poles have been used as justifications for colonization and social control, a pattern repeated in contemporary public health measures.