Winefeed

Vinitaly.USA moves to New York with 300 exhibitors in October 2026

• Vinitaly.USA, organized by Veronafiere and the Italian Trade Agency, debuts in New York City on October 26-27, 2026 after two years in Chicago.
• The event at Pier 36 will host 300 exhibitors showcasing 2,500 labels, including a 95-winery delegation and regions such as Prosecco DOC, Sicilia DOC, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
• Programming includes the wine2wine Business Forum themed on education and influence, the Vinitaly International Academy tastings, and seminars on trade training, sensory analysis, terroir, and consumer engagement.

Seven US regions seek AVA status to define terroir and build brand recognition

• Seven proposed AVAs span California to New Jersey, each highlighting distinctive soil, elevation, and climate that shape grape variety and wine style.
• Annapolis-Sea Ranch in Sonoma (26,637 acres, 651 planted) emphasizes fog-filtered ripening and Ohlson Ranch sandy loam soil for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
• Central Oregon's Deschutes River AVA (723,760 acres, 77 planted) is the first proposed winegrowing region in that area, testing both traditional European varieties and cold-hardy hybrids at 1,500-3,500 feet elevation.

Constellation buys SpikedAde for $75 million as hard sports drinks surge

• Constellation Brands acquired SpikedAde, a vodka-based sports drink founded by Jason Cohen in New Jersey in 2025, for $75 million upfront plus up to $278 million in performance payments.
• SpikedAde ranks in top 25 RTD brands and is the second-largest player in the 'Ade' segment behind category leader Super Lyte, which holds 65 percent of off-premise sales.
• The hard sports drink category surpassed one million cases this year, driven by zero-sugar, calorie-conscious formulas with electrolytes marketed to health-conscious consumers.

Restaurant beverage directors navigate tariffs, supply chaos, rising costs

• Republic National Distributing Company's collapse into Chapter 11 bankruptcy within two years has destabilized wholesale supply; tariffs compound product availability and cost pressures across restaurants and bars.
• Amanda Reed at E3 Co. Restaurant Group in Seattle and Johannus Grevelink at José Andrés Group buy in bulk where storage allows and limit menu changes to reduce staff training costs and administrative burden on overextended beverage teams.

Vinitaly.USA brings 2,500 Italian wines to Manhattan in October

• Vinitaly.USA returns October 26-27 at Manhattan's Pier 36, its first New York edition, with 300 Italian exhibitors and roughly 2,500 labels.
• The event hosts over 600 wine buyers, sommeliers, and journalists across masterclasses, regional tastings, and business sessions on distribution and wine tourism.
• Master of Wine Sarah Heller will lead an advanced comparative tasting of 22 wines on October 27 for Italian wine ambassadors and professionals.

Cruise lines become experiential marketing platform for US wineries

• Cooper's Hawk chartered Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady for wine club members, integrating their wines across bars and restaurants for four days; the sailing sold out and 30 percent of members booked a follow-up cruise in February 2027.
• Four Feathers Wine Services developed a custom brut for Holland America using Columbia Valley fruit; launched fleetwide in 2024, it became the cruise line's most-served adult beverage, representing significant revenue for Four Feathers' sparkling wine business.
• Eleven Eleven Wines sailed 60 guests aboard Scenic Eclipse II in the Mediterranean and achieved a 33 percent conversion rate of non-wine-club passengers to repeat customers, plus two referrals, through seven days of tastings, dinners, and shared experience.

American travelers in Europe embrace local drinks, though vodka habits persist

• US international travel surged 71 percent over the past decade; Americans took 24 million trips to Europe in 2025, expected to grow 5 percent more by year-end.
• Bartenders at luxury hotels in London, Madrid, and Rome report American guests increasingly ask for local recommendations and unfamiliar spirits, though newcomers still request vodka Martinis and US cocktails like Cosmopolitans.
• Experienced American travelers adapt to local rituals, ordering gin Martinis in London, white port and tonic in Porto, Trappist ale in Antwerp, while novices demand customizations like blue cheese olives and sugar-free Margaritas.

Highlights: Markus Altenburger Chardonnay Vom Kalk 2024 Austria

• Markus Altenburger Chardonnay Vom Kalk 2024 from Burgenland, Austria scored 94/100 and shows chalky lime, minerality, and stone fruit.
• The wine displays ripe, rich palate with pear, peach, and apple characters alongside fresh, energetic minerality.

The Encyclopedia of Wine - Fresh Take or Same Same?

• Dorling Kindersley publishes The Encyclopedia of Wine on October 8th in the UK and November 10th in the US, with 28 expert contributors including Jane Anson on Bordeaux and Wink Lorch on Jura.
• The Encyclopedia competes with Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine and World Atlas of Wine; a key difference is DK pays contributors while Robinson's publications reportedly rely on volunteer expertise.
• Editor-in-chief David Williams positioned the work as an authoritative but accessible reference written by experts, aiming for less academic tone than competitors.

Arizcuren, Rioja low & high

• Arizcuren, located on Calle Santa Isabel in central Logroño, is Rioja's most urban winery, producing 30,000 bottles annually from a micro space.
• Owner Javier Arizcuren, an architect, sources grapes from hillside vineyards south of Quel in Rioja Oriental and is reviving Grenache production to address Tempranillo's climate vulnerabilities.
• Arizcuren is expanding along its street with additional storage and a new tasting space rather than relocating despite spatial constraints.

Wine News: What I’m Reading the Week of 10/4/26

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

Red and White and Roero All Over

• Roero's Arneis and Nebbiolo are food-friendly wines: Arneis is peachy, floral, and saline; Roero Nebbiolo has limber tannin and bright acid, priced $25, $45 for reds and under $25 for whites.
• Roero grows 1,000 planted hectares of Arneis versus 360 of Nebbiolo, giving producers a market advantage in the fashionable white wine category that Barolo and Barbaresco lack.
• Sandstone bedrock and the Tanaro River's ancient course distinguish Roero's terroir from the marl-based Langhe to its south, shaping distinctive grape characteristics.

Meet Your Robo-Somm

• Tim Atkin tested multiple AI wine-pairing apps and found most fail to understand ingredient nuances, vintage variation, and flavor intensity, often recommending generic brands instead of appropriate choices.
• SommPal, a new food and wine pairing app, ranks up to five wine recommendations per dish with explanatory notes on pairing logic, designed by developer Marc Lewin to assist novice drinkers where sommeliers are unavailable.
• Atkin argues AI wine tools can benefit the industry by creating new enthusiasts and guiding inexperienced consumers, provided they are developed by food and wine professionals rather than tech entrepreneurs without domain expertise.

What I Learned at a Conference on Drinking

From the invention of moderation to the return of temperance