SevenFifty Daily

1 week ago | daily.sevenfifty.com | Caitlin Miller

When establishing a vineyard, it’s nearly impossible to make a standalone decision. Every element, from the climate to the tractor, is part of a connected system. So when it comes to vine density—that is, how closely spaced vines are from one another—the ideal choice will largely depend on a suite of other factors. At Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley, winemaker Matt Crafton has been working on two major replanting efforts over the past several years.

2 weeks ago | daily.sevenfifty.com | Kelly Magyarics

There are currently 27 pending regions in the U.S. that meet the Tobacco and Trade Bureau’s requirements to be classified as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). While it’s not certain that all of them will become officially designated winegrowing regions, many are expected to. Last fall, for example, the Beverly, Washington AVA became the state’s 21st AVA. On the horizon are several more anticipated AVAs, including those in California’s Lake County and Sonoma Coast, as well as extreme West Texas.

3 weeks ago | daily.sevenfifty.com | Courtney Schiessl

In our Importer Intel series, we interview importers about how they broke into the business, built up their portfolios, and navigated challenges along the way. There are hundreds of beverage importers in the U.S., with more popping up in recent years, often with a regional or stylistic niche. But what does it take to launch a new import business, cultivate a national network of distributor partners, and stay the course for two decades?

3 weeks ago | daily.sevenfifty.com | Kate Dingwall

Trova Wine and Market, a sommelier-driven wine bar in Dallas, Texas, shut its doors in January. When conducting the postmortem, owner Michelle Bonds saw two culprits: the growing sober curious movement and Ozempic. Likewise, when Fundsmith Equity, an investment fund run by stock market guru Terry Smith, offloaded its stake in Diageo that same month, it pointed fingers at increasing threats from GLP-1 antagonists like Ozempic and Wegovy.

1 month ago | daily.sevenfifty.com | Brian Fink

Art Nergaryan’s specialty wine and cheese shops in Massachusetts had thrived for years. But when he introduced hemp-derived THC-infused beverages, something unexpected happened: his business boomed. “I turned half of the store into THC products,” says Nergaryan, whose Art’s Specialties has four locations across the state. “My business jumped by 25 to 35 percent.” His customers, delighted by the convenience, started buying THC-infused drinks alongside their usual purchases.