Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association to Address CA Drought

(WineMag) -  The Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association is organizing an interactive discussion on January 28 to address the drought affecting the state. Governor Jerry Brown officially declared the drought on January 17, with state water agencies restricting water usage. The conference will be live streamed over the Internet, with a list of speakers forthcoming.

California Governor Brown lost a sporting bet to Washington Governor Jay Inslee when the Seattle Seahawks bested the San Francisco 49ers, 23–17, at the National Football Conference Championship game. Governor Inslee announced via his Twitter feed, wagering that should the Seahawks lose, he’d furnish a baker’s dozen of Washington state wine, representing its 13 wine growing regions, with Governor Brown offering California wines.

St. Joseph’s Abbey, a monastery located outside of Boston, known for its “Trappist Preserves,” is shifting to a new model: a brewery. The abbey recently built a multimillion-dollar brewery, marking the first time Trappist beer will be made outside of Europe. The Spencer Trappist Ale, a “refectory ale” 6.5% abv, will initially only be available in Massachusetts, but there are there are plans to offer it worldwide.