The biggest victim of Amazon’s dithering and ultimate desertion of its “partners” in the direct wine shipping business is now set to have its day in court with the filing of Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation papers. New Vine Logistics slammed the doors and headed for the hills on May 30, after impatient investors pulled the […]
Renwood Winery Parent Companies File Chapter 11
October 22, 2009
Recession-induced changes in bank behavior — with bailed-out institutions lending less and paying big exec bonuses — have tripped up a prominent player in Amador County’s Zinfandel movement according to Robert I. Sterling, founder and Chairman of Renwood Winery Inc. whose two parent companies have filed Chapter 11. TROUBLES BEGAN WITH SURPRISE FINANCIER CHANGE Smerling, […]
Custom Crushers Get Creative To Help Growers Survive
October 15, 2009
Call it trickle down disaster: Recession-battered consumers have traded down and abandoned most anything over $20 per bottle. That left wholesalers, wineries and retailers stuck with inventory that left them no choice but to discount. And with only a few exceptions, the higher the price, the bigger the mark-down. PAIN TRICKLES DOWN TO THE VINEYARD […]
Paso Robles & Sonoma Hit Big With Recession-Weary Consumers, Napa An Also-Ran
October 7, 2009
Wine Opinions’ new study of wine consumers and members of the U.S. wine trade offers a stunning statistical confirmation of the “trading down” phenomenon and provides a detailed analysis of how badly the recession has battered even the most loyal wine drinkers. More surprisingly, the survey shows that shifting preferences have pushed napa out of […]
Wine Growth Decreases, Consumer Purchase Patterns Stabilizing
October 1, 2009
Table wine sales continued to grow in August, but at a slower pace than the previous four-week period. Wine Industry Insight’s analysis of data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) showed that overall table wine sales grew 3.5 percent for the four-week period ending September 6, 2009 over the same period last year. This is down […]
While U.S. Sparkling Tops Sales, Expensive Segments Begin To Revive
U.S. sparkling wine sales increased 6 percent in August, slightly lower than their 7.4 percent sales gain in July, according to Wine Industry Insight’s analysis of data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI). The data, covering the four-week period ending September 6, 2009 over the same period last year also showed that imports fell 0.9 percent, […]