Listen to Industry News and other Insights on the Bevcast Podcast Channel on Soundcloud. Bevcast Weekly News is a news series giving you a quick look at the most important news, trends, and developments of the week.

Bevcast Weekly News is brought to you by London Wine Competition, which is an international wine competition that Beverage Trade Network hosts in London every year where wines are judged by Quality, Value, and Package. 

Submission is now open for the 2019 London Wine Competition. Please visit LondonWineCompetition.com for more information on how winning a London Wine Competition medal can help you grow your wine brand.

So gear up for your week ahead – these are our top stories of the week.

*To listen to the full Podcast and more, kindly stay tuned into BevCast channel on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Stitcher.

Heineken Introduces New Zero Alcohol Malt Beverage

Buzz continues to grow around the non-alcohol segment of the beer industry. Heineken USA recently launched Heineken 0.0, an alcohol-free malt beverage with just 69 calories per bottle and what it calls “an incredible beer taste.” The beer will feature a blue label to alert consumers of its alcohol-free status.

Sazerac Acquires Another 19 Spirits Brands

 After closing on a deal to acquire 19 brands from Diageo for $550 million, Sazerac has announced another deal to acquire 19 more brands, this time from New York-based spirits producer Star Industries. Brands include Georgi vodka and gin, Majorska vodka and gin, Dorado Tequila and Blansac Brandy. 

Constellation Potentially Looking to Sell Off Non-Premium Wine Brands

In another sign of wine market premiumization, Constellation Brands is thought to be looking to unload more than $3 billion in “non-premium” wine brands, including Arbor Mist, Clos du Bois, Cook’s and Mark West. Of these brands, Clos du Bois is the only one that retails for more than $10. 

New Zealand Winemakers Anticipate a Rebound Year in 2019

According to the New Zealand Winegrowers Research Center, 2018 was the second hottest winegrowing season on record. Two regions – Marlborough and Central Otago – experienced record heat. The goal now is to research the impact of climate change on winemaking. The expectation is for a better winegrowing season in 2019.

ALDI Reports Record Christmas Wine Sales

In the UK, German discount retailer ALDI posted its best-ever sales of wine, Champagne, and Prosecco during the Christmas period. ALDI sold more than 17 million bottles of wine, Champagne and Prosecco. The week before Christmas was its busiest week ever, led by the company’s sales of private label wines.

Brewers Association Awards More Than $500,000 in Research Grants

In order to promote American barley and hops development, the leading not-for-profit organization for small and independent U.S. beer companies will make 17 research grants totaling more than a half-a-million dollars. Since 2015, the Brewers Association has awarded 77 projects and $1.7 million in research grants.

Link Discovered Between Cold Weather and Wine Consumption

If you live in a geographic region with cold weather and fewer hours of sunlight, you are likely to consume more wine on average than someone from a warm weather climate, according to a new article in a scholarly journal for the study of liver disease.

Sterling Vineyards Introduces Wine in Aluminum Bottles

California winemakers continue to show their innovation when it comes to new packaging. The Sterling California Vintners Collection will consist of three different wines – Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Rosé – in tall, narrow, 375 ml aluminum bottles accented by a stylish color cap to match the varietal.

Hispanic Demographic Starting to Attract Attention From Winemakers

The strong growth of the Latino population in the United States could influence the future trajectory of the domestic wine industry. According to one study, Hispanics will represent 40 percent of the total growth in U.S. wine consumption in the 20-year period from 2013 to 2033.

New California Laws on Alcohol Go Into Effect In January

Wineries and alcohol producers can now post photos on social media of upcoming special events at restaurants, bars, and other venues, according to new laws on alcohol that went into effect in California on January 1. Another law makes it legal for state residents to taste distilled spirits in retail stores.

United States Supreme Court to Revisit Case of Interstate Wine and Spirits

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Clayton Byrd. How the Supreme Court eventually rules on the case later this year could impact how wine and spirits are sold, both within and between various states in the country.

Florida Could Introduce a new “Pinot to Go” Law

Residents in Florida currently cannot take home a bottle of wine from a restaurant without ordering a full-course meal. That could change in 2019, as one Florida lawmaker introduced a law that would liberalize the state’s liquor laws. Residents would be able to take home wine without buying any food.

Continental Europe Making a Play To Become Next Great Whisky Region

If you had to guess the country with the most whisky producers, you’d probably guess Scotland. But Germany is actually home to twice as many whisky producers as Scotland, and countries like Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Austria are now starting to attract attention for their award-winning whiskies.

Chile Launches a New Pisco Route To Attract Investors

The purpose of the new Pisco Technical Route is to acquaint visitors with the historical vineyards, distillers, and vintners that are producing Chile’s most popular spirit. The hope is that investors will be inspired to create their own pisco brands using the raw materials and technical know-how that already exists.

Tariffs on Wines from Australia to China Cut to Zero

Look for Australian wine producers to consolidate their position in the Chinese wine market. As of January 1, tariffs on exports of all bottled and bulk wine from Australia have been abolished, thanks to the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Australian wines will now be more affordable for Chinese consumers

 Hong Kong Auction Scene Looking Forward to Major Penfolds Sale

An upcoming wine auction featuring famed Australian winemaker Penfolds is generating a lot of buzz in Hong Kong. The auction lot will include a complete vertical of Penfolds Grange in magnums from 1979-2014, spanning 36 different vintages, as well as historic Penfolds vintages dating back to the 1950s.

India’s Wine Industry Starting to Get Global Recognition

The Economist recently profiled the growing stature of India’s domestic wine industry. India consumed more alcohol than ever in 2018, and consumption is starting to shift from whisky to wine. The standout producer in India right now is Sula Vineyards, which produces half of all wine consumed in India.

Napa Valley Gets 80 Headliner Acts For Upcoming Wine and Music Festival

The upcoming BottleRock Napa Valley event presented by JaM Cellars is a celebration of wine, food, craft beers, and music. The three-day festival will take place in the city of Napa, and include more than 80 musical acts, including OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Santana, and Pharrell Williams.

Opening Champagne With a Saber Goes Viral on Social Media

If you’re looking for the hot new social media trend of 2019, consider “sabrage,” or the art of opening a Champagne bottle with a saber. In one online trending video, The French Laundry in Napa tried opening a Nebuchadnezzar (equivalent to twenty 750ml bottles) of Champagne with a saber.

Wine Enthusiast to Debut New TV Series

In an effort to create more video content around wine, Wine Enthusiastic launching a new production division and a new episodic series called “It Starts With Wine.” The show, which will debut on Amazon Prime Video, will travel around the globe with top wine personalities living the wine lifestyle.

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Thank you again for listening to Bevcast. Once again, a quick reminder to enter your wines in the 2019 London Wine Competition, the international wine competition that is organized by Beverage Trade Network every year in London that rates wines by Quality, Value, and Package.

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