North Bay Business Journal

Wine consumption is growing worldwide and particularly in the world’s new largest wine market, the U.S. Trouble is, shocks to the global economy and to the wine business in particular over the past several years along with tough growing seasons have dramatically limited the supply of grapes and wine sold in bulk to supply the thirst.

The Business Journal asked members of the 2012 Wine Industry Conference panel on grape and wine supply panel at the about some of the hotly discussed topics in the wine business in California.

After nearly 10 years of oversupply and low prices, California winegrapes and bulk wines are suddenly in a position of scarcity. Wineries are scurrying to find grapes and secure vineyard assets, while négociant wineries see their wine sources dwindling. How did we come to be in this situation, and what lies ahead for growers, wineries and consumers?

NAPA – Delicato Family Vineyards purchased family-owned Black Stallion Winery in the Napa Valley.

SANTA ROSA – Winery and vineyard investment broker Mario Zepponi, bulk wine and grape brokerage founder Joe Ciatti and Matt Franklin, who helped start a major Napa CPA firm and more recently led a wine business mergers-and-acquisitions firm in San Francisco, have formed a wine industry transaction advisory firm called Zeppponi & Company.