TODAY'S TOP NEWS

• What does the Galloni purchase of Tanzer mean to wine criticism?
• Wineries Growing the Bitcoin Ecosystem
• Cal ABC Tweet Twits & The Retailer Right to Pay Exception
• W. Coast Port truck strike slows exports
• More Changes Afoot On Aussie Wine Scene
• See the world of wine in 4 minutes – ProWein 2015 presents an unparalleled diversity of wines from all continents. *Sponsored Link*

• Galloni and Tanzer merge websites
• Galloni and Tanzer Join Forces at Vinous
• Antonio Galloni's Vinous acquires Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
• Critical Consolidation in Wine

• NY: Ice cold means ice wine, early harvesting at vineyards
• ‘Once in a lifetime’ crop for English wine
• Take control of your wine costing and set your prices with confidence *Sponsored Link*

• California’s Hahn Sees New Upscale Focus Pay Off
• Envolve Winery changes ownership
• Obsidian wine tours goes off the beaten path
• In Search Of The Petaluma Gap
• Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Draft AVA Petition
• Grow Direct To Consumer Sales *Sponsored Link*

• Robot Bartenders on a New High-Tech Cruise Ship

• Wine designs fail if don't stand for something
• Wine Brands: Success Strategies for New Markets, New Consumers and New Trends *Sponsored Link*

• Social media is key for producers going direct to consumers
• Kate Hudson launches Farmville wine
• Virtual Unreality: Just Because the Internet Told You, How Do You Know It’s True? *Sponsored Link*

• A Best-of-Its-Type Wine Book
• Long lead pitching = relevancy & research
• The NY Times runs its first print native ad
• Wine Marketing & Sales, 2nd Edition *Sponsored Link*

• Napa’s Wizard of Oz Winery Makes Cult Cabs Worth the Price
• The Judgement of Pennsylvania: Does The State Hold Its Own?
• Real-World Burgundy
• Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World's Greatest Wine *Sponsored Link*

• Top Gear to film in Okanagan
• OR: Winemakers squeezing every last drop out of doomed grapes
• NY: At Stever Hill Vineyards, New Ownership Tries to Rebuild the Brand

• Audit: Utah liquor stores not selling fast enough
• Beyond Jefferson's Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia *Sponsored Link*

Source: Euromonitor via a Wine Australia Presentation

TODAY'S FEATURED WINE

Brooks Note Winery: Pinot Noir: Marin County - California: : 2012: United States

I usually head for big gnarly, raucous reds that rock like Van Halen or Green Day.

But sometimes it's a real treat to turn down the volume and take in some soft, classical notes that soothe mind and palate.

I'm not usually a Pinot person, but I was taken by the smooth, quiet, classic complexity of this bottle of Brooks Note.

You have to savor this one slowly, let it open up and give it plenty of mouth time for the notes to flow. 150 cases, $36.

 REVIEW POLICY:

For winery tasting samples, gifts from friends or family or samplings at a party or event, review it truthfully, but only if I like it. If I have paid my own very-hard-earned money on a bottle, the gloves are off and it gets what it deserves ... whether perfect or puerile.