Patch
Angela Woodall, writing for Patch, reports that a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Water Audit California against Napa County has grown from a fight over a single winery approval into a broad attack on how the county does planning, groundwater management and development review altogether. Don’t even try to open or run a winery in Napa, you are attacked from all sides.
From the article:
The complaint accuses the county of negligent breach of trustee duties and challenges how officials evaluate groundwater impacts from vineyards, wineries, and rural development.
According to the lawsuit, Napa County approved development without adequately understanding available groundwater supplies, failed to sufficiently monitor groundwater extraction, ignored evidence that pumping reduced summer flows in the Napa River, and did not provide the public with enough information about the effects of well permits and land-use decisions.
Water Audit California filed another lawsuit seeking to overturn Napa County’s approval of Bonny’s Vineyard winery in the unincorporated town of Oakville, arguing groundwater pumping associated with the project could reduce flows in Conn Creek and harm fish habitat.
Exciting stuff. If the county isn’t after you, a self-proclaimed watchdog group will get you.
Wine-Searcher
Oliver Styles, writing for Wine-Searcher, catches up on what the French regional paper Sud-Ouest has taken to calling the Castel soap opera. The battle for control of the Castel drinks empire pits 
designated successor and overall boss Grégory Clerc against the extended Castel family, and it has escalated. Founder Pierre Castel’s daughter Romy is now under investigation by Swiss authorities, accused of creating a bogus power of attorney by falsifying her father’s signature. She denies the charges.
From the article:
This follows on from earlier headlines generated this week by French business weekly Challenges, which revealed that, at an AGM for the company’s wine arm, Castel Vins, in Bordeaux last month, both Romy – Castel’s only daughter – and Alain Castel, her cousin, were dropped from the board of directors. Commentators expect Alain Castel to subsequently lose his CEO position at Castel Vins.
“This dramatic turn of events follows repeated calls by Romy Castel, 52, for the removal of the leading European wine group’s CEO,” said the publication.
The Drinks Business
Amelie Maurice-Jones, writing for The Drinks Business, reports that more than 3,000 bottles (that’s 250 cases) of premium sparkling wine were taken from Banfi’s cellar in Strevi, in the Piedmont province of Alessandria. The estimated value runs into the hundreds of thousands of euros.
A Banfi representative told Il Sole 24 Ore that the theft of entire pallets suggested “the thieves knew exactly what they were doing,” and that they had selected with care across various Alta Langa wines.
From the article:
The company said it had invested in bottle traceability systems for several years, meaning the stolen wines could potentially be tracked throughout the supply chain.
Rodolfo Maralli told Il Sole 24 Ore that the traceability measures could prove important to the investigation and make it more difficult for the bottles to be sold through unofficial or black-market channels.
Banfi has appealed to customers, retailers and members of the wine trade to report any suspicious offers or unofficial sales of the wines to the authorities or the company.
Wine Business
Finally, one for the daydreamers. Vivac Winery in Dixon, New Mexico has been listed for $1.6 million, an 11.5-acre property on State Road 68 that includes roughly 11 bonded vineyard acres, a tasting room, terraced gardens, riverside picnic areas and direct access to the Rio Embudo. The historical footnote here is a good one: New Mexico’s winemaking heritage dates to the early 1600s, which means it predates every major American wine region except Virginia. Vivac has spent years making that history visible internationally, earning honors from the Berliner Wein Trophy in Germany and Mondial des Vins Extrêmes in Italy. But even with all of that, it is time to sell.
From the article:
Vivac Winery represents decades of craftsmanship, innovation, and stewardship that helped elevate New Mexico wines onto the international stage. Opportunities to acquire a winery with this level of history, recognition, and future potential are exceptionally rare.
For wine entrepreneurs, vineyard operators, hospitality investors, or those seeking to steward one of the Southwest’s most iconic wineries, Vivac presents an extraordinary chance to continue a remarkable legacy while shaping the next chapter of New Mexico wine.
