[BND] Kane's Beverage News Daily

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Wine Country Congressional Race Still Too Close to Call

Challenger Eric Jones leads 27-year incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson in a tight race. Both are Democrats. At 1:45 AM EST, with 66% of precincts reporting, Jones holds52.29% of the votes, while Thompson, co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus, has 47.71%. The number of votes separating the two is 7,940. "I've protected over a million acres of public land for future generations. After the fires I brought $500 million of tax relief for fire victims. I've got close to $1 billion for flood protectio

Stoli Returns to U.S. with Expanded Portfolio, Renewed Distribution Momentum

Stoli Group said it reached a comprehensive settlement with creditors of Stoli Group (USA), resolving previous distribution rights and clearing the way for the company to resume supplying products to the U.S. market. The agreement also addresses remaining inventory and financial obligations, allowing Stoli Group to move forward with its U.S. growth plans. MHW, Ltd. will serve as importer of record as Stoli Group works with established U.S. wholesale partners, including Empire Merchants in New York

35 Wine Entities Sue Over Pickett Fire Smoke Taint

Hundred Acre Wines and its owner, Jayson Woodbridge, are being sued by at least 35 wine-related entities over the start and lasting effects of the Pickett Fire, which started Aug. 21, 2025, and burned more than 10 square miles of Napa County over 17 days. “As a result of defendants’ negligent, reckless, and intentional conduct, the fire quickly spread out of defendants’ control,” according to a complaint filed Nov. 5 in Napa County Superior Court. “It burned more than 6,800 acres, damaged or de

Teamsters Accuse Rodney Strong of Intimidating Workers in Union Drive

Teamsters Union Local 665 is attempting to unionize workers at Rodney Strong Vineyards, which has rejected the union's call for a "card check" rather than a National Labor Relations Board-supervised secret-ballot election. Rodney Strong has refused the card-check idea, saying any unionization should go through the NLRB secret-ballot election process. So the union has filed two unfair labor relations charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The union alleges a consultant hired by Rodney

Honig's 2025 Sauvignon Blanc Discloses Ingredients: Grapes, Yeast and Sulfites

Honig Vineyard & Winery has added an ingredient list to the back label of its 2025 Sauvignon Blanc. It’s the winery’s first wine to carry the information and one of the first in Napa Valley, as Wine Spectator reported. Later releases of Honig’s other wines will carry ingredient labels too. U.S. law doesn’t require it. Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) has no ingredient-labeling rules for wine; it began discussing them in 2022, but the effort has stalled. Honig made the decision himself

Signorello Estate Sold at Auction to its Creditor

Signorello Estate, the Napa Winery that was burned to the ground by the 2017 Atlas Fire, rebuilt and then went into foreclosure, another victim of the changing wine market, was sold to American Ag Credit, its creditor. American AgCredit is a borrower-owned cooperative that finances agricultural businesses. It was the only bidder and took ownership through a credit bid, which put the debt toward the purchase price. The property sold on the courthouse steps for about $22.3 million, but American

Come Over October Runs Out of Money, Ends Wine Advocacy Campaign After 3 Years

Come Over October, the pro-wine advocacy movement that encouraged consumers to come together by sharing wine, ended after an impactful three-year run. The campaign reached 3.8 billion media impressions, 7.5 million on social media, and was activated in over 2,000 retail stores with an estimated reach of 14 million consumers in the United States. Come Over October and its sister campaign Share & Pair Sundays were funded with industry contributions, some as small as $500. “On a tiny budget, we

Another Winery Is Sued By Its Bank

First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. asked the Napa County (Calif.) Superior Court for permission to foreclose Ehren Jordan Wine Cellars, and its award-winning Failla Wines unit. First Citizens claims the winery owed $17,535,567 in unpaid principal and interest as of Nov. 3. Interest is accruing at $2564 a day. Ehren Jordan himself, the founder and winemaker for Failla, the winery's Oregon operation, and Jordan's Day Zinfandel are also named. The proximate cause is, of course, falling wine sales.

For Napa Wine, Stability – And That's Good

Napa wine sales have seen a bit more improvement, according to a report in Terrain. Retail sales are flat, DtC sales are up a little. Visitation is weak. In short, Napa Valley wines may be entering a period of stability. Stability isn't the same as rip-roaring growth, but those days may be a long way off. There's plenty of wine on the market, so Napa marketers will need to remain adaptable and demonstrate value to consumers. Chris Bitter, senior wine & grape analyst for Terrain, said Napa has

Different Winegrape Varieties React Similarly to Drought – WSU Study

By ANGELA SAMS Washington State University Winegrape growers have long sought varieties that can better withstand dry climates and deficit irrigation. But new research from scientists at Washington State University suggests that a grapevine’s variety may matter less than previously thought when it comes to drought tolerance. “Our results go against conventional scientific dogma,” said corresponding author Markus Keller, Chateau Ste. Michelle Distinguished Professor in WSU’s Department of Vitic

Who & What --

Brewers Association names Meg Papanastassiou its new director of marketing and communications. She joins BA from Backbone Media, where she most recently served as marketing director, leading external and internal marketing and communications for the agency and its sister agency, rygr.

What I'm Reading --

It’s Time for Bars to Take Accessibility Seriously From staff training to accessible menus, bars around the world are finding new ways to better serve guests with disabilities—and recognizing the business opportunities that come with inclusion.. (Seven-Fifty Daily) The 12-Month Marketing Plan You can build it in an afternoon. (The Grapevine Magazine)

Thanks for Reading. I'll be back tomorrow. – Joel