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14 W i n e s & V i n e s D e C e M B e R 2 0 1 4 D E C E M B E R N E W S Top Stories The month in perspective Groupon debuts private label King of the daily deal sites Grou- pon has launched a new line of private label wines, which it will sell through the Groupon Goods arm of the $2.6 billion business. Six packs of 2013 California Char- donnay, Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Noir are available for $49.99 (Grou- pon lists the value as $95), plus a $5 shipping fee. Fine print on the sales page confirms, "Goods sold by Rainier Wine Co.," the 100,000- case producer of Mad Housewife and other brands. River Road neighbor buys Pessagno Winery Third-generation Monterey County, Calif., farmer Ray Franscioni pur- chased Pessagno Winery, according to the Monterey County Weekly. The new owner already runs Puma Road Winery, another fixture on the River Road Wine Trail. Pessagno's founder, winemaker Steve Pessa- gno, died suddenly in June 2013. Infinite Monkey Theorem sets sights on Austin Denver, Colo.-based urban winery Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT) announced plans to open another location in Austin, Texas. Founder Ben Parsons said the company will overhaul a 6,000-square-foot for- mer mechanic's workshop to create a wine-production facility, tasting room and event space. The new winery is slated to open in spring 2015 with Colorado-grown wines and ciders as well as a Texas Cin- sault. IMT will begin making more wines from Texas fruit in 2015 and also host an outpost of IMT's sister company, the wine keg service Iron Monkey Kegging. U.S. companies divest from Australian wineries Hess Family Wine Estates agreed to sell Peter Lehmann Wines of South Australia, to Casella Family Brands. Christoph Ehrbar, managing director of Hess Family Wine Estates, said the sale was beneficial in "allowing HFWE to invest primarily in its Cali- fornia brands." In a separate agree- ment, E. & J. Gallo sold its shares in the McWilliam's Wines Group of Australia, returning the company to family control. Ménage à Trois adds to its lineup Trinchero Family Es- tates (TFE) is add- ing two wines to the lineup of its popu- lar Ménage à Trois wine brand. The company's new Prosecco DOC is made in Italy from the tradi- tional Glera wine grape, and Mid- night is a blend of Merlot, Cab- ernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. TFE is responsible for more than 30 wine brands, which sold more than 18 million cases in 2013. California county bans fracking Voters in San Benito County, Calif., approved a ballot measure that would ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the area northeast of Monterey County. The practice used by companies to extract oil and nat- ural gas has come under fire for oil companies' refusal to disclose what chemicals are used during the frack- ing process. Opponents of fracking contend the chemicals used can pollute groundwater. Washington takes aim at Quebec The Washington State Wine Com- mission plans to use funding from a $97,000 federal grant to promote the state's wines in the Canadian province of Quebec. Since Washing- ton's neighbor to the north, British Columbia, has its own growing wine industry, the commission is lever- aging its resources to enter govern- ment-controlled liquor stores in the French-influenced eastern province. B.C. vineyard acreage slow and steady Vineyard acreage in British Colum- bia has increased 4.1% since 2011, while the number of vineyards has grown 7.5% during the same pe- riod, according to a report spon- sored by the British Columbia Grapegrowers Association. BC Wine Institute president Miles Prodan said, "The 2014 acre- age report is a testament to the British Columbia wine indus- try's commitment to producing quality wines rather than to in- creasing volume of wine." SSU announces DtC certificate program Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, Calif., will offer a certificate in direct-to-consumer studies through its Wine Business Institute. The school also offers certificates in wine industry finance and account- ing, wine business management and wine business entrepreneurship in addition to an executive residential certificate. To be eligible for a DtC certificate, students must complete five core courses and three electives. The Other Guys adds $40 small-lot Pinot Noir The Other Guys wine company responsible for large brands such as Hey Mambo and Plungerhead launched a high-end, small-lot wine: the 2012 Gehricke Pinot Noir from Los Carneros AVA. The Sonoma, Calif.-based wine firm produced 1,050 cases of the wine, which it will sell for $40 per bottle. Suspicious fire at old Tennessee winery building Three adults were arrested and charged with two counts of burglary, one count of vandalism and one count of commercial arson in rela- tion to the Oct. 18 fire that claimed the abandoned Old Medina Winery in Jackson, Tenn. Though the struc- ture burned to the ground, officials immediately became suspicious of the fire's multiple starting points. While Old Medina Winery closed in 2011, the structure was declared a total loss valued at $300,000. Mendocino and Sonoma groups win grants The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) awarded the Sonoma County Winegrape Com- mission a $377,282 grant to con- tinue its Sonoma County wine and tourism branding campaign. CDFA distributes funds from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to groups throughout the state. Mendocino WineGrowers won a $99,384 grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency to fund their Grower Educa- tion Initiative Series. County forbids winery from holding special events Sonoma County officials in Octo- ber rescinded permission for Bella Vineyards of Healdsburg, Calif., to hold events at the winery after neighbors claimed management disregarded rules about the fre- quency and times at which such events were allowed. LATeST NeWS More detail on the news at: winesandvines.com