SAN FRANCISCO — Napa Valley, one of the world's premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: not enough new grapevine root stock is available to supply the massive replanting that's under way there. A trifecta of developments has created the...

When Prohibition ended 79 years ago, California replaced the bootleg liquor trade with a legal monopoly – a series of laws that locked in industry marketing practices and enforced industry-established retail prices. The misnamed "fair trade" laws were the handiwork of...

At a meeting in Cognac this week, we have received confirmation that some cognac distillers are being offered prices for cognac 22% above this year’s price. So far we understand that only Hennessy have made any offers, but it is certain that the other big...

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its annual report on traffic fatalities in the U.S., and the results for 2011 were encouraging. Not only did the total number of deaths on U.S. roads decline (from 32,885 in 2010 to 32,367 in...

Mexico City –  The Mexican government announced Thursday a set of new regulations designed to protect makers of tequila - a key export - from unfair competition. Norm 006 establishes procedures for obtaining official certification as a tequila distiller or bottler....

Technomic, the premier resource for actionable adult beverage information, tapped its analysts, consultants, and experts to highlight the trends shaping the drinks business in 2013. Based on ongoing research into spirits, wine and beer volume and sales, as well as...

More than 13,000 adults in Spain were studied over a ten-year period, with the outcome based on a doctor’s diagnosis or on the habitual use of anti-depressant drugs for four or more years. Reported depression was much higher among women than men, but for those women...

American craft brewers love to talk about how they’re stealing market share from the big beer companies, such as MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD). In the first half of the year, craft beer sales rose 14 percent, in dollar terms, according to the trade group...

With the continuing rising demand for Cognac on a global scale, it’s down to those at the sharp end of the market to put adequate plans into place to help prevent a severe shortage in the future.  And one of the big stumbling blocks (aside from the necessary process...