Winefeed

Seven US regions seek AVA status to define their wine identity

• Proposed AVAs span California to New Jersey, with seven regions at early TTB approval stages seeking legal designation to market their wines and terroir characteristics.
• Annapolis-Sea Ranch in Sonoma (651 acres of vines) emphasizes fog-filtered warmth and sandy loam soil suited to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Lake Hennessey in Napa (355 acres) highlights cooler air drainage favoring Cabernet blends.
• Deschutes River in Oregon (77 acres, five wineries) and Hunterdon Hills in New Jersey (12 vineyards) experiment with hybrids and high-acid whites respectively; Niagara Lake Plain in Ontario (340 acres) benefits from Lake Ontario's warming effect.

Cruise lines become experiential sales channel for US wineries

• Four Feathers Wine Services developed a custom brut sparkling wine using Columbia Valley fruit for Holland America's fleet in 2024; it became the cruise line's most-served adult beverage across all ships.
• Eleven Eleven Wines hosted 60 guests including wine club members and new customers on a seven-day Mediterranean sailing aboard Scenic Eclipse II in June, achieving a 33 percent conversion rate among non-members and generating two referrals.

California and Pacific Northwest vineyards idle acres to cut costs amid weak demand

• A 2025 study of 19 northern Willamette Valley vineyards found idling reduced management costs by an average of 38 percent per acre, with some sites cutting costs in half.
• Vineyard idling, or mothballing, pauses production for one to three years without removing vines, allowing producers to preserve assets while awaiting demand recovery.
• Proper idling requires sustained irrigation, aggressive pruning, weed control, and minimal fungicide application to keep vines viable for future production; inadequate care can cause lasting damage.

Spanish wildfires destroy 200 hectares in Sierra de Gredos wine region

• Fires burned 77,000 hectares across Ávila and Madrid provinces between July 22-26, destroying approximately 200 hectares of vineyards in Cebreros DO, roughly 40 percent of its registered area.
• Bodegas Bernabeleva lost vineyard land, office, facade, and equipment; Bodega El Reventón's San Gregorio parcel burned but owners expect 80-90 percent vine recovery.
• Comando G's Las Iruelas slate parcel suffered heavy smoke damage, likely eliminating that vintage; Daniel Landi and other producers have submitted proposals to regional authorities for firebreak subsidies and rural development support.

Southern Glazer's pays $12.5 million to resolve DOJ bribery probe

• Southern Glazer's resolved a federal investigation into misconduct from 2016 to 2024 by paying $12.5 million to the DOJ and TTB.
• Former employees allegedly provided cash, gift cards, luxury goods, trips and resort bookings to California retailers for better shelf placement and concealed payments via false invoices.
• The non-prosecution agreement requires Southern Glazer's to strengthen compliance and auditing over the next two years, with unspecified additional obligations.

US tariff lift and India trade deal reshape Scotch market in 2026

• US lifted its 15-month tariff on Scotch in July 2026, reversing a 15 percent export decline to one of Scotland's largest markets.
• July 2026 UK-India free trade agreement opened the world's largest whisky market to more affordable Scotch imports.
• Post-pandemic oversupply persists: Diageo and Brown-Forman remain paused, Clynelish closed visitors' centers, but distilleries now prioritize sub-$100 age-stated expressions over premium-priced releases.

Trump bans Canadian alcohol imports effective September 29

• President Donald Trump announced a ban on Canadian wine, spirits, and beer imports to take effect September 29, escalating ongoing tariff disputes.
• The ban follows Canada's retaliatory levies on $20 billion of US goods that began Tuesday, part of a cycle starting with Trump's 50 percent tariff on Canadian alcohol implemented August 22.
• Canada's April 2024 alcohol ban in response to US tariffs cost American wine, beer, and spirits exporters considerable revenue in 2025.

Nine sommeliers pick value Chardonnays under $35 retail

• Nine US restaurant sommeliers were asked which Chardonnays offer the best value for money without compromising quality or character.
• Picks ranged from $25 unoaked Sonoma Coast bottles to $35 San Luis Obispo coastal wines, with Oregon Willamette Valley Chardonnays frequently cited as closest to Burgundian style at a fraction of the price.
• Sommeliers favored wines emphasizing mineral acidity, textural complexity, and regional terroir expression over the heavily oaked styles that previously dominated California Chardonnay.

AriZona Iced Tea launches artist residency at Woodbury headquarters

• AriZona Iced Tea launched an artist residency program at its Woodbury, N.Y. headquarters in July 2025, hosting groups of four artists for six-week sessions with stipends, living space, studio access, and materials.
• The program follows the opening of AriZonaLand, a bottling plant and visitor center in Keasbey, N.J. in 2024, extending the brand's 33-year visual identity into physical experiences.
• Artists create original work inspired by AriZona's Southwest aesthetic, with pieces exhibited and added to the company's permanent collection, blending personal expression with the brand's design language.

Early harvests reshape winemaking beyond the cellar as climate shifts peak season.

• Domaine Lafage in Roussillon picked grapes July 23, weeks to months earlier than tradition; California Central Coast harvests arrived six to eight weeks ahead of normal, the earliest in 27 years for some growers.
• Early harvests trigger cascading costs: higher electricity demand during peak-price summer months, expanded blackout periods for wine shipping as safe-transport windows narrow, and strain on labour, processing facilities, and glass-bottle supply chains.
• Wine tourism to some regions may increase if harvests now align with peak summer travel, while heat deters visitors to hot-climate tasting rooms and prevents bulk wine purchases due to risk of heat damage in transit.

Restaurants: Nomi, an excellent wine bar in Berlin

• Nomi is a wine bar in Berlin offering small plates and an extensive wine list.
• Le Roc des Anges' Llum 2021 white and a Langhe Nebbiolo were served at the restaurant.

Boycott Wines Grown With Herbicides

• Adam Huss launched a boycott campaign in August against all wines produced with herbicides, arguing they degrade soil health and decrease wine quality.
• Luís Patrão from Vadio in Bairrada, Portugal reported his parents' generation's herbicide use turned vineyards into barren wastelands and eliminated local ladybird, eel, and salamander populations.
• The author attended the Austrian Single Vineyard Summit in Grafenegg and used producer certifications (Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable Austria) to select only herbicide-free wines from 556 offerings.

Is That the Death Rattle of Wine Writing I Hear?

The purpose of any honest writing competition can only be to support and encourage the craft and industry of writing

The Pluralism Of Wine Writing

• A winning entry in the Pall Mall awards' short-form writing competition faced controversy over alleged AI use; organizers defended it by stating the work is "not 100% AI-generated.".
• Tim Atkin argues wine writing encompasses journalism, criticism, and travelogues, but most operates formulaically and is primarily marketing rather than literary craft.

Heading Out

• Meg Maker travels to Piemonte next week for a press trip through Roero, tasting wines alongside handmade cheese, truffle, hazelnut, and honey with seven other American journalists.
• European wine press tours are funded by EU subsidies and regional consortiums, with journalists functioning as the product to generate media coverage rather than independent guests.
• Sarah Marsh MW challenges the notion that all old vines are superior, noting many carry viruses or rootstock problems and arguing against blanket preservation regardless of health.

Of Substack & wine

• Substack created a Wine & Spirits subsection within its Rising and Top lists, separating wine writing from the broader Food & Drink category.
• Miquel Hudin updated the Wine Substack List (WineStack) to require paid subscriptions and human-written text only, removing "Thirst Behavior" by Bodhi Landa for AI-generated content.
• Wine writing on Substack has grown significantly enough that discovery tools and curation lists became necessary to help readers find quality wine newsletters.

What I Learned at a Conference on Drinking

From the invention of moderation to the return of temperance