winefeed

Federal cap on THC drinks takes effect November 2026, upending state markets

• US THC-infused beverage retail sales reached $239 million in the 52 weeks before April 2026, up 135 percent, with manufacturers projecting a $9.9 billion to $14.9 billion potential market.
• Congress included a provision in November 2025 legislation setting a federal THC limit of 0.4 milligrams per container, effective November 12, 2026, which effectively bans hemp-derived THC drinks.
• Massachusetts retailer Art Nergaryan saw his store revenue jump 25 to 35 percent after stocking hemp-THC beverages, then collapse when state regulators banned their sale in wine and liquor stores in May 2024.
• States have created conflicting rules: Minnesota, Georgia, and Tennessee permit hemp beverages, while California, Washington, and Vermont restrict or ban them outside licensed cannabis systems.
• The FDA declared hemp-derived cannabinoid foods unlawful in interstate commerce in 2018, yet thousands of brands operate in a legal gray area as states regulated the category independently.

American single malt ratification fails to boost sales amid broader whiskey downturn

• The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved an official standard of identity for American single malt in December 2024, ending a decade-long campaign by distillers, but economic headwinds have prevented the anticipated sales boost.
• Westland Distillery in Seattle laid off staff in early 2025; Diageo's Distill Ventures wound down, triggering Westward Whiskey in Portland to file for bankruptcy; Balcones Distillery in Waco stopped production in August 2025 and laid off 17 workers.
• The ratification has helped with trade logistics such as export reporting and retailer shelf placement, but most consumers remain unaware American single malt exists or how it differs from bourbon.
• Distillers including Virginia Distillery Company and Whiskey Del Bac are diversifying into lower-priced cask-finished single malts, blends with bourbon, and other spirits to offset weak demand for core single malt products.
• Distribution consolidation and shelf oversaturation continue to block growth for smaller producers, with founders reporting that sustained marketing investment yields only modest sales gains.

World Cup marketing blitz fails to lift struggling US beer sales

• Anheuser-Busch InBev spent $110 million on Michelob Ultra World Cup campaign but projects only 0.25% full-year volume lift, per CEO Michel Doukeris on July earnings call.
• US beer category fell 2.1% in dollars and 3.4% in volume year-over-year for the week ending July 19, accelerating declines from prior four and 26-week periods.
• Off-premise beer sales tracked by Circana and NIQ weakened as tournament progressed, down 0.7% in dollars and 2.3% in volume through mid-July despite marketing push.
• On-premise draft sales surged 7.1% in dollars and 6.46% in volume during tournament across BeerBoard's bar network, but collapsed in final week to minus 1% and minus 3%.
• Spirits gained 4.4% in dollars and 8.4% in volume in final tournament week, with Cutwater brand up 60%, while beer industry faces 4.5% year-to-date decline.

UK firm bids $400k for bankrupt Rogue Ales' recipes and Dead Guy trademark

• Silver Scope Media Ltd, a UK digital marketing agency, bid $400,000 for Rogue Ales & Spirits' intellectual property nine months after parent company Oregon Brewing filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
• Rogue's IP includes its website, recipes, manufacturing specs, proprietary yeast strains, social media accounts, and trademarks including Dead Guy IPA, which Oregon Brewing valued at $2 million.
• The US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon is accepting competing bids through August 21, with offers required to exceed Silver Scope's bid by at least $40,000.
• Valley View Winery, an Oregon-based company that claims a perpetual license to Rogue's wine and wine-based beverages, filed an objection to the IP sale on August 26.
• Oregon Brewing's collapse came after it listed $17 million in debts against $5 million in assets and abruptly closed its distillery and taprooms, triggering worker lawsuits.

Soju surges 133% in U.S. as Korean spirit eclipses slower-growing shōchū

• Soju grew 133 percent between 2019 and 2025, now under one percent of U.S. spirits volume; shōchū rose 11 percent over the same period, remaining a tiny fraction of one percent.
• Koryn Ternes, IWSR consulting director for the Americas, attributes soju's acceleration to post-2020 surge, while shōchū follows a niche trajectory reflecting slower market adoption.
• James Barlow, fine wine and Asia portfolio manager at Spec's in Texas, reports the chain's Asian spirits purchases grew from under $1 million in 2018 to multi-millions today, with soju outperforming shōchū as the high-demand product.
• Green bottle soju, a mass-produced style born from a 1965 rice ban, dominates U.S. exports; craft soju producers like Tokki Soju, founded 2016 in Brooklyn, face education hurdles but report volume doubling yearly through initial growth phase.
• Shōchū brands iichiko and Mizu focus on bartender relationships and higher-proof expressions (40% ABV) to compete in cocktail bars, where craft soju is also expanding beyond retail shelf placement.

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

• Draft beer sales volume rose 6.46 percent during the June-July 2026 World Cup, with Monday and Tuesday games driving growth of 16 and 12 percent respectively, according to BeerBoard data.
• Headlands Brewing in California doubled production of its collaborative West Coast Mexican lager Common Ground to 180 barrels after initial 90-barrel allocation sold out within weeks to bars and restaurants.
• Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City saw roughly 25 percent increase in foot traffic and beer hall sales after upgrading its taproom with televisions and outdoor patio during the tournament.
• Bitburger pilsner achieved 130 percent increase in on-premise sales in June through limited-edition labels and sponsorship of a 30-day New York City popup venue showing games.
• Newport Craft Brewing brewed 300 barrels of Its Called Soccer ale, exceeding original 30-barrel plan, and distributed to over 315 venues across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York.

Alto Adige sweeps DWWA 2026 white-wine awards with nine Platinums

• Alto Adige region won nine Platinum medals at Decanter World Wine Awards 2026, all for white wines, signalling a shift in global taste toward cool-altitude whites.
• Cantina Terlano, Alto Adige cooperative, took five Platinums including aged Pinot Bianco Rarity 2013 and Quarz Sauvignon, crediting quartz porphyry soils with 60-65% silica for minerality and ageing potential.
• Cantina Valle Isarco won first-ever Platinum for varietal Kerner, a local grape from 850-950m elevation, positioning the obscure alpine variety as emblematic of the region's identity.
• Altitude and diurnal temperature swings, warm days, cold nights, lock freshness and acidity into fruit as European summers lengthen, making high-elevation vineyards increasingly valuable.
• Regional producers view the awards as proof Alto Adige can compete with world-class white-wine regions, though consistency over time remains key to building lasting international consumer credibility.

Virginia and Oregon emerge as Sauvignon Blanc alternatives to Loire and California

• VinePair's tasting staff sampled thousands of bottles to compile a curated list of the best Sauvignon Blancs available now, scoring each on aroma, flavor, texture, and typicity.
• Virginia producers including Dogwood & Thistle and Emily Hodson are making competitive Sauvignon Blancs that punch above price point, marking the state's emergence as a serious region for the variety.
• Oregon's CHO Wines in Willamette Valley and Colorado winemakers Steve Steese and Jayme Henderson demonstrate Sauvignon Blanc thrives beyond traditional strongholds like Loire Valley and California.
• Friuli, Italy and Alto Adige continue producing excellent Sauvignon Blanc using stainless steel fermentation, competing with established French and American producers on quality and value.
• Loire Valley itself is evolving, with Coteaux du Giennois and other appellations producing Sauvignon Blancs with increased texture and depth compared to the angular, flinty style of past vintages.

Sommelier uses Austrian Furmint to challenge beer drinker's food pairing assumptions

• Daria Volokitina, sommelier at Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, paired kebabs and tomato pasta with Austrian Furmint instead of traditional wine matches.
• She prioritised sensations and emotions over formal pairing rules, choosing a chilled wine for freshness on a warm day.
• Liszt's Minimaliszt 2022, a hand-harvested, naturally fermented Furmint from Burgenland, delivered citrus and ginger notes that complemented grilled meat and conversation.
• Burgenland growers show Austrian Furmint rivals Hungary's famous Tokaj examples, offering mineral-driven alternatives to the grape's traditional sweet wines.
• Young drinkers embrace natural wine and casual occasions, yet friends without wine knowledge admit uncertainty about what natural wine actually is.

English estates launch prestige cuvées priced at Champagne levels

• Nyetimber pioneered England's prestige cuvée market in 2018 with two bottlings priced £150, £175, matching premium Champagne, using seven years minimum lees ageing.
• Chapel Down's Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée (2017, £126) and Gusbourne's Fifty One Degrees North (2022, £195) followed, both sourced from single vineyards aged seven-plus years.
• Langham released Perpetual Blanc de Blancs in 2020, a solera-style multi-vintage cuvée inspired by grower Champagne, with the second bottling (2025, £109.95) blending four vintages.
• Squerryes launched Patience 2014 in July 2026, a prestige cuvée from the family's 21-hectare Kent vineyard, completing a wave of super-premium English sparkling from established estates.
• These releases, all priced £100 and above in small quantities, position English sparkling wine as a luxury category comparable to top Champagne rather than a value alternative.

Spain's devastating wildfires ravage Sierra de Gredos wine region

• Between July 22 and 26, wildfires burned 77,000 hectares across Ávila and Madrid provinces, which contain 85 percent of Sierra de Gredos's 2,000 vineyard hectares.
• About 200 hectares of vineyards in Cebreros DO, roughly 40 percent of the appellation's registered area, suffered fire, smoke, or both damage.
• Bodega El Reventón lost its San Gregorio single-vineyard parcel to fire, though owners expect 80-90 percent vine recovery; Bodegas Bernabeleva lost office, winery infrastructure, and faces unknown damage to grapes.
• Comando G's Las Iruelas slate parcel in Cebreros suffered heavy smoke exposure, likely losing the vintage; their other vineyards in Villanueva, Navatalgordo, Cadalso de los Vidrios, and Rozas de Puerto Real were spared.
• Local producers including Comando G founders Daniel Landi and Fernando García have submitted fire-prevention proposals to regional authorities, requesting forest clearance subsidies and firebreak infrastructure alongside livestock and agricultural support.

Seven volcanic wine regions worldwide rival Mount Etna's mineral complexity

• Volcanic soils from past eruptions create complex, layered terroirs in Soave (Italy), Santorini (Greece), the Canary Islands, Hungary's Tokaji region, Oregon's Willamette Valley, Auvergne (France), and Lake County (California).
• Volcanic terroir produces signature flavors: high acidity, salinity, and savory notes dominate over fruit-forward profiles across these regions and grape varieties.
• Volcanic soils resist pests and disease naturally, enabling organic farming and preserving centuries-old indigenous vines untouched by phylloxera in areas like the Canary Islands.
• Challenging growing conditions, heat, wind, rocky terrain, require unconventional techniques such as basket-trained vines in Santorini and hand-dug individual planting holes in Lanzarote.
• Mineral content from volcanic geology adds distinctive edginess even to sweet wines, exemplified by Hungarian Tokaji Aszú's saline qualities that distinguish it from other dessert wines.

Pierce's Disease Threatens 41% of European Vineyards as Climate Warms

• Pierce's disease, caused by Xylella fastidiosa bacterium and spread by glassy-winged sharpshooter insects, devastated California's Temecula Valley in the late 1990s, costing growers $48 million annually.
• A 2025 study using high-resolution climate data found 41.2% of European vineyards now face climate risk of Pierce's disease, up from 21.8% in previous models, driven by warming winters.
• Vineyard microclimates near river basins and valleys are especially vulnerable because these topographically complex areas connect otherwise isolated zones where the bacterium can now survive.
• Pierce's disease was detected in European grapevines on Mallorca in 2016 and in continental Europe in Portugal in 2023; cases persist in regulated zones across Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France.
• California's decades-long experience shows early detection, vector management, and sustained research are critical, though Europe lacks coordinated communication strategies between regional bodies and growers.

Disease-resistant hybrid grapes cut fungicide use by up to 80 percent

• PIWIs, fungus-resistant hybrid grapes bred from European and American vine species, require two to three fungicide sprays per season versus eight to 15 for traditional varieties.
• Genetic testing technology rhAmpSeq, pioneered by the US VitisGen initiative in 2019, identifies disease-resistance genes with precision, accelerating breeding of new resistant varieties.
• Germany leads PIWI adoption with 4,000 hectares planted in 2025, representing 10 percent annual growth and four percent of total German vineyard area.
• A 2026 Luxembourg study found PIWIs delivered twofold economic savings and threefold environmental benefit reduction compared to traditional varieties, mainly through lower spraying costs.
• Bordeaux University and French researchers are developing ResDur hybrids crossing PIWI traits with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to retain regional signature while gaining disease resistance.

Canada’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys (12) Haywire and Garnet Valley Ranch

• Haywire winemaker Matt Dumayne, backed by owners Chris Coletta and Steve Lornie, makes lower-intervention Okanagan wines favoring concrete aging over small oak.
• Haywire's Garnet Valley Ranch vineyard, planted in 2014, has matured impressively despite a recent winter frost event in the valley.
• Haywire Double Bub 2016 (magnum), a traditional method fizz, scored 93/100 with toast, spice, and citrus complexity.
• Garnet Valley Ranch Chardonnay 2022 from 600m elevation and Haywire Free Form Riesling 2022 from Garnet Valley Ranch each scored 94/100.
• Garnet Valley Ranch Pinot Noir 2022, mostly 828 clone with 50% whole bunch, scored 94/100 with vibrant cherry, plum, and mineral character.

Napa’s Royal Reds: The Taste of Oakville 2026

There aren’t many tastings in California where the wine trade lines up more than an hour in advance of the

Re-entry

• Belgian tech consultant Boris de Vloed launched Open Wine Map, a free interactive tool exploring European wine regions using INAO, French cahiers des charges, and Italian disciplinare data.
• Open Wine Map enables searching, sorting, and filtering by region, grape, and wine style with precise visualization allowing direct regional comparisons.
• The tool reveals scale contrasts: Barolo and Barbaresco are tiny compared to broader northern Piemonte wine territory; Côte de Nuits shows similar minuscule proportions.

Burgenland Winery Guide, Part 1

• Burgenland is one of Austria's warmest regions and one of few with serious red wine culture, famed for progressive viticulture.
• Blaufränkisch, Chardonnay, and Weissburgunder thrive in Leithaberg's limestone and chalk soils.
• Boris Kovacic in Sankt Margareten makes natural wines from old vines and field blends without additives; wines cost €15, €20.
• Georg Prieler produces terroir-focused Blaufränkisch from Marienthal and Goldberg sites, increasingly aged in amphora; entry-level wines from €12, €15.

The taste of stone

• Jako Andabak purchased an ailing cooperative in Bol, Brač island, in 2009 and founded Stina (commercial name Jako Vino), modernizing the winery and planting new vineyards.
• Stina's early wines were big and bold, debuting at Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend in April 2012, signaling serious intent for the project.
• Andabak, a hotel owner on Brač, had both capital backing and a ready market through his hotels to sustain the winery.
• Stina was part of a wave of 'Hrvatski Vrh' (high Croatian) wineries emerging in the 2010s with owners looking beyond the Adriatic and significant financial resources.

Michelin And The Death Of The Wine Guide

• Michelin's Wine Selection Burgundy 2026 awarded nine producers three grapes, 20 two grapes, 33 one grape, and 32 a "selected" designation.
• Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux publicly demanded removal from Michelin's guide after receiving only one grape despite being a celebrated Vosne-Romanée house.
• Michelin rates wine producers based on vineyard management and consistency rather than individual wines, differing from competitor Guide Hachette des Vins which rates cuvées one to five.
• Michelin owns 100% of the Wine Advocate since acquiring it entirely in 2019, after purchasing a 40% share in 2017.
• Consumer wine guides emerged in the 1970s-80s with publications like Decanter, Wine Spectator, and Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book, but the internet from mid-1990s onward made print guides obsolete.

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

• Coram Collective, founded in 2023 with production from 2024, co-ferments rice wine with Chardonnay and Merlot, and innovates huangjiu (yellow wine).
• Co-founder Alex Yuanzhu Wang's huangjiu with aged Chinese tangerine peel came from experimenting after a team meal inspired the idea of combining citrus with fermented rice.
• Chardomi blends 80% Chardonnay grapes with 20% glutinous rice through a process converting rice starch to sugar before co-fermentation with grape juice.
• Coram's products are listed in over 100 restaurants and bistros across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu after launching last June.
• Common huangjiu misconceptions: it is not cooking wine, older is not always better (best between 3-8 years), and modern styles are fresher and cleaner than historical versions.

What I Learned at a Conference on Drinking

From the invention of moderation to the return of temperance