[BND] Kane's Beverage News Daily

Good Morning and Happy Thursday. It's September 3, 2026.

A Note from Joel: Tired of the gloom and doom about the alcohol beverage industry? Be sure to read "What I'm reading" (linked below) sometime today. It tackles that question and a number of others from other publications. Now, on to the news.

Calif. Wine Business May Hit Bottom in by Mid-2027, Property Begin Recovering by 2029

If you've got the cash, and you want to acquire a California vineyard, now is the time to get ready to buy, says Jenny Heinzen, of Vineyard Professional Real Estate. Echoing 18th-century financier Nathan Rothschild's famous maxim that "when there's blood in the streets, buy then – even if the blood is your own," she acknowledges that "California's wine industry is moving through one of its most significant corrections in decades." But, she says, for "prepared buyers," this shifting landscape

James MacPhail To Release Inaugural Vintage of MacPhail Family Wines

After more than 30 harvests crafting acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across California's leading coastal wine regions, winemaker James MacPhail is once again making wines under his own family name with the debut of MacPhail Family Wines. The inaugural release begins with Toulouse Vineyard in Anderson Valley – the first Pinot Noir vineyard James worked with when he launched MacPhail Family Wines in 2002 and the site that helped shape his career. Only 150 cases of the 2024 Toulouse Vineyard A

False DUI Arrest Gets Calif. Man $5M Verdict Against Calif. Highway Patrol

A Santa Rosa, Calif., man who was arrested with DUI despite having passed multipule breath tests as well as a breathalyzer screenng was awarded $5 million by a federal jury. The man, who is Black, alleged the arresting officer lacked any probable cause of any suspected crime and was "targeted for mistreatment because of his race." Video evidence, in the form of the man's dashcam footage and an iPhone recording by the man contradicted the police characterizations about his speed, appearance, con

With 'Can-o-Flage' Any Bud Light Can Can Support Your Favorite Team

This is clever: Bud Light, the Official Beer Sponsor of the NFL, is celebrating fans everywhere introducing with their new “Can-o-Flage” sleeves, designed to transform any Bud Light can into your favorite team’s can - so fans can rep their team wherever they are this season. This announcement follows Bud Light’s return of the fan-favorite Bud Light NFL team cans, and a new campaign that shows just how far fans will go to enjoy Bud Light and gear up for football season. To help launch the product, Bud Light . . .

3 Strategies for Managing Heat Risk in Winegrape Growing All Best at Different Times

As winegrape growers contend with more frequent and severe heat events, a study published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (AJEV) offers growers a practical economic framework for one of the industry’s most consequential questions: When does it make financial sense to adapt, and how? The study, “Economics of Winegrape Adaptation: Technology Adoption, Cultivar Selection, or Migration,” compares three strategies for managing heat-related risk in winegrape production: installing

Project Zin 2026 Raises over $400,000 for Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area

The 16th annual Project Zin raised more than $400,000 for the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area (DSCBA). Founded by Clay and Carrie Mauritson of Mauritson Wines alongside James Beard Award-winning Chef Charlie Palmer, the weekend brought together 21 of the country’s most sought-after Zinfandel producers and Sonoma County’s leading chefs. This year’s result brings the total raised since 2011 to more than $4 million. 2026 marked a bittersweet milestone as Brady Mauritson, the inspiration

WSWA Educational Foundation Awards 51 Scholarships to Students of Member Company Employees

The scholarship program is open to the children of WSWA wholesaler member company employees. Each recipient is awarded $2,000 for two consecutive school years ($4,000 total) to support their higher education. This year’s class of scholars represents 13 WSWA member companies, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants by an independent panel of judges. The program highlights the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting the families of distributor employees nationwide.

What I'm Reading --

Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. Joel.