The Wine Press

Some days, you just wake up and realize that the world has changed. And today is the day that I realized that The Wine Press Podcast needs to change with it. So, my dear listeners, what are you interested in hearing from me on a regular basis? Do you want to see wine news ever other week, or even every month? Or would you rather that I focus on everything related to film? I’d like to hear more of...

Today in Wine News Canada is taking drastic measures against American alcohol in response to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Eight San Francisco-based restaurants have been added to the famous Michelin Guide, and one Michelin-starred San Francisco staple will be closing its doors by the end of May. And a major figure in the world of Champagne has passed away. What’s going on in th...

Hello Wine Press listeners! We’re trying out a new format of The Wine Press Podcast today that brings you more stories from the wine world every week. This will be more of a “Maria Reads The Trades” episode that pulls the news right from the source. If you have some thoughts on the new format, or you’d like to give us a shout, leave a comment here. Enjoy! And now, all the news that’s fit to drink…...

Today in Wine News The Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 2, celebrating the best in the previous year of film with the best food and wine the city has to offer. This Sunday’s ceremony represents the culmination of awards season in Los Angeles, which can be a make or break time for restaurants, sommeliers, and hospitality workers of all types as talent...

Today in Wine News The American Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has adopted production and labeling standards for a brand new category of spirits: American Single Malt Whisky. For the first time in 52 years, a new category has been added to the TTB, and American distillers are hoping to spark some growth in sales for a beverage that has continued to rise in interest from American drinkers...

Today in Wine News A report published by Wine Business on February 1 indicated that the number of wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington all took considerable dips in the past year. With 5% fewer wineries in Oregon and 4% fewer wineries in California - the two largest states for wine production - consumers can expect to see less options for American-made wine available on retail shelves an...

Today in Wine News On February 1, President Trump placed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, citing “an extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs” that constitutes a national emergency. Two days later, America’s neighbors to the north and south had both reached agreements with the Trump administration to reprieve Canada and Mexico for 30 days…...

Today in Wine News Silicon Valley Bank released its annual State of the U.S. Wine Industry report last week, and while there was some expected news about the continuing slump of American wine sales, other numbers are starting to trend upwards. Notably, the current downturn in wine consumption was likened to a similar downturn in the early 1990s, when Baby Boomers started bumping up their wine spen...

Today in Wine News Australian wine has historically fallen into public opinion as one of two stereotypes - Yellow Tail, the cheap bulk wine that is still one of the most highly imported wines in the world, and Penfolds, the classic, high octane Barossa Valley Shiraz blends that put Australian fine wine on the map. But with tariffs in China recently lifted, and Americans looking for delicious and a...

Today in Wine News Think pieces about extraneous tariffs on imported wines started popping up mere hours after the 45th President of the United States became President-Elect for the second time. Americans have been heeding the call to stock up on their favorite French and Italian wines before January 20th, fearing accessibility issues on anything without a “Made in the U.S.A.” sticker on it. How w...

Today in Wine News United States Surgeon General Doctor Vivek Murthy woke up to 2025 and chose violence against the alcohol industry when he released a new warning on the correlation between alcohol and higher cancer risks. In a twofold statement, the Surgeon General’s warning called for an update to the health risk labels on alcoholic beverages to include cancer risks, in addition to amended alco...

Today in Wine News In the last new episode for the 2024 vintage, we take a look back at a year of wine news through past episodes of The Wine Press. But before we delve into the stories that moved us and made us think throughout the year, there’s some big breaking news in an update to a recent feature story. The Federal Trade Commission has sued Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits for predatory pri...

Today in Wine News Recent vineyard acquisitions have been making wine news headlines over the past month. It seems that some of the most prestigious vineyards in California have changed ownership as of late, and it seems to be a trend that concerns an already weary crop of wine enthusiasts. What does this recent fit of vineyard sales have to say about the state of the American wine industry as a w...

Today in Wine News It’s the third Thursday of November, which means Beaujolais Nouveau can now make its way into the hands and glasses of eager consumers ready for the first taste of the 2024 harvest. Decades after Beaujolais producer Georges Duboeuf popularized the style and made it an unofficial wine holiday, producers from around the world are now starting to make young, easy drinking wines out...

Today in Wine News The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino recently announced some major changes to their evaluation system for new vintages of wines tasted during the annual en primeur event known as Benvenuto Brunello. By shifting away from the traditional five star rating and moving towards a short description of the wine’s character and key data points, the Consorzio is signaling to the...

Today in Wine News Rumors began circulating at the end of last week surrounding mass layoffs at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the largest beverage distribution company in the United States. Unconfirmed reports say up to 3,200 Southern Glazer’s employees were laid off via Zoom, with many accounts claiming the fine wine division has been completely cut.  With so much doom and gloom being repor...

Today in Wine News Crystal Springs of Napa Valley becomes the first new sub-AVA in Napa Valley since 2011, thanks to some boundary pushing and boundary-pushing bigwigs in the world of wine. Louis Vuitton Moёt Hennessy has inked a deal as a Global Partner for Formula 1, potentially restoring Moёt & Chandon champagnes to the top of racing’s most prominent podium. Alsace is keeping the marketing game...

Today in Wine News China has been proclaiming the positive effects of “soft power”, or cultural strength, for years. After years of government efforts to raise the country’s cultural capital, China rose from fifth place to third place in Brand Finance London’s Global Soft Power Index this year - its highest placement yet.  How will China’s burgeoning wine culture affect the global perception of it...

Today in Wine News The Duckhorn Portfolio became the first publicly traded wine company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, a major breakthrough for both the company and the wine industry on the whole. Earlier this week, it was announced that private equity firm Butterfly Equity had purchased The Duckhorn Portfolio for an all-cash bid that values the company at $1.95 billion dollars, a move th...

Today in Wine News Non-alcoholic options have been steadily increasing in popularity over the past few years, and more and more scientists have been commissioning studies on how much alcohol can affect a person’s overall health. The United States specifically has seen a new wave of teetotalers promoting neo-Prohibitionist rhetoric that has been scaring away wine drinkers present and future, at a c...

Today in Wine News: Harvest has already begun in some of the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer wine regions, but after a rainy spring in notoriously chilly Champagne, Le Comité Champagne has decided to wait until mid-September to start picking grapes for the world’s best sparkling wines. With a heat wave threatening to sweep through Champagne, how will the 2024 crop fare? And how much can Champenoise v...

Today in Wine News: Alsace recently approved a third Grand Cru vineyard specifically for Pinot Noir. In a major wine region that has thrived on the production and sale of prestigious white wines, Alsace has added three Grand Cru designations for Pinot Noir since 2022. Why would one of the world’s best destinations start to expand their most high end wine production to red grapes now after decades...

Today in Wine News: The United States will be holding its presidential election on Tuesday, November 5, but the food and wine industry is already bracing for change no matter who is elected president.  In an age where more people are choosing to abstain from alcohol, how will farm workers and restaurants thrive over the next four years? Moreover, how would changes to farm policy and taxes on alcoh...

Today in Wine News One year ago today, the deadliest fire in the United States hit Lahaina, a small town on the northwest side of the island of Maui in Hawaii. More than 2,000 buildings and 102 lives were lost when the fire tore through the historic resort town, leaving many hospitality workers in mourning.  How has the hospitality industry changed in one of the most hospitable parts of the United...

Important PSA: Your weekly dose of wine news is available wherever you get your podcasts, now dropping every Thursday . Substack subscribers are the first to know when a new episode hits the airwaves, so if you haven’t done so already, become a free or premium subscriber today.  Today in Wine News: Over the last 10 years, the NBA has openly embraced wine culture, to the point where many notable pl...