Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy and making smart decisions out there. Here’s what’s happening in the wine and food world…

Locally, California has gone back a phase (or two) and all indoor recreation, including indoor dining, wineries, and tasting rooms are shuttered once more. While those latter three can accommodate guests in an exterior setting, all bars (that don’t have a food service attached to them) must close completely. The Press Democrat has a breakdown of what’s going on, but also check out the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance on Closures below.

IF you decide to go out—WEAR. A. MASK. In Napa, the Register reports, COVID guidelines are now officially being enforced. Wear a mask, maintain social distancing courtesies, don’t gather in large groups—or be fined.

In other Napa-news COVID is now potentially affecting harvest. It’s a time when many workers travel from around the globe to pick and crush grapes, but no-go given the current circumstances. Are you a local looking for a harvest internship? Scroll down to the Napa Valley Vintners Job Board link below.

Good wine news? Wine-searcher reports that French sparkling wine is, as of yet, affected by the tariff drama. Cheers to that.

Looking for some COVID distraction? Scroll down to the BLOGS where Eater has a top list of graphic novels that feature food as the major theme. Decanter has a fun crossword that will challenge your Rhone Valley knowledge. And that same publication will take you on a tour of some of the most beautiful California vineyard estates currently for sale.

As always, there’s loads of other things to read—not all COVID and not all bad news. So, have a dose of fun with your newsy news as well.

Cheers, all. Be well.

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It’s a short week this week for those of us in the US, and I hope everyone has some way they’ll be enjoying the time off. Of course, celebrating our country’s heritage is a bit bitter sweet this year—for many reasons—so, I’d like to highlight a few positive pieces that came out in this week’s wine-related news. Wine Industry Advisor speaks to Sonoma viticulturist Brenae Royal, who speaks to how racial inclusivity within the wine business means creating a simultaneously broader, yet more intimate and meaningful, wine consumer base. For more on that kind of perspective, check out the Forbes piece that profiles three Black wine experts—including one of my favorite local producers Theodora Lee. And for those of you in the biz who are looking to hire, work or network with, or just become familiar with qualified Black wine industry pros, Julie Coney has spearheaded, and officially launched, the Black Wine Professionals website just this past week.

Need a bit of a laugh? Well, there’s a company making wine bottles out of paper. Yeah…

Oh, and for my wine nerds out there, check out Tim Gaiser’s blog post on deductive tasting and Young Gun of Wines’ dive into ageable Aussie Chard.

That’s some of the good/fun news. However, I do want to say that if you have outdoor plans for this Fourth of July weekend, please stay safe. Here in California Newsom has shutdown indoor businesses (including bars, restaurants, wineries, and tasting rooms) in 19 counties, as well as state beaches from Monterey to Sonoma. But before you get any ideas about packing up the truck and heading toward the North Bay, be warned: Sonoma County is not immune and is, in fact, probably next on that list.

So, again, wherever you are, however you choose to celebrate, please make smart decisions, stay safe, protect yourself and others. That’s all from me for now. Have a happy weekend and drink some good wine.

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