She left Wine Country after her fiancé’s death. Now she owns the winery they dreamed of running

In summer 1993, Karen Francis DeGolia had an idyllic life. She was 31 and living part-time in Wine Country with her fiancé, Tom Collins, a firefighter and the owner of a charming winery known for making old-vine Zinfandel, Limerick Lane Cellars. “It sounds pretty perfect. My friends were jealous,” DeGolia said. “But the universe had a different plan.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

The Opportunity is in Curation, Not Expansion

Buyers who understand both the emotional and economic sides of wine will continue to build strong programmes. Importers who can combine distinctive portfolios with clear commercial thinking will remain essential partners. Producers who recognise the realities of the markets they sell into, and are willing to invest in that, will find loyal routes to market and true partnership. Producers need to be more creative in engaging people in their story. And be ready to foot the bill for that. Decide how to tailor your story, wear it with conviction, and keep telling that same story consistently. (The Buyer)

How Technology Is Transforming No- and Low-Alcohol Wine

From non-traditional yeasts to nano-membrane filtration, a wave of innovation is helping winemakers rebuild what’s lost when alcohol is removed from wine. (SevenFifty Daily)

Bees and Hummingbirds Are Drinking Alcohol Moderately Each Day

Nectar is a primary energy source for many species. Hummingbirds, for example, drink between 50% and 150% of their body weight in nectar each day. Based on these feeding habits, the researchers estimate that an Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna), commonly found along the Pacific coast, consumes roughly 0.2 grams of ethanol per kilogram of body weight daily. That is comparable to a human having about one alcoholic drink. (University of California - Berkeley)

Storing Wine at Home? These Are the 3 Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead)

Let’s be real — most don’t have the space, stash, or budget for a full-on wine cellar. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat your bottles with care. (Food & Wine)

EDITORIAL: Hemp beverage bill is bad news for Colorado kids

Just what Colorado’s kids need — another way to get high on THC. And another industry to make a buck off of it, backed by a new, well-oiled lobby peddling its influence at our THC-friendly State Capitol. It’s all courtesy of a bill soon to be introduced in the legislature that would raise — reportedly, by magnitudes — the percentage of the psychoactive ingredient that could be sold in so-called “hemp beverages” at bars, liquor stores, restaurants and even grocery and convenience stores. As long as the hemp-derived THC level stays under the newly enhanced, buzz-worthy limit in the pending legislation, the beverages wouldn’t even have to be regulated as marijuana is. (Colorado Springs Gazette)