Calwineries.com Blog

New Technology High School Wine Auction

New Technology High School in Napa Valley has created an online wine auction to support our internship and community service programs. They have some very strong support from a handful of wineries that have donated to the school’s Inaugural Online Wine Auction.

Check out the wines now by going to the website, www.newtechhigh.org and clicking the “Visit Online Auction” button. The auction officially kicks off on Monday, October 26 and will end on Friday, October 30 at 9pm PST. Pass this message on to friends and family.

This is a great opportunity to pick up some fabulous wines for your holiday dinner table and support a worthy cause in this season of giving.

A portion of your winning bid may be tax deductable: Tax ID# 27-0979431

Harvest Decisions: When is the Right Time to Pick?

Every year, winemakers, vineyard managers and owners answer the critical question; ‘when is the right time to pick?’ This decision can make or break the vintage. There are a multitude of factors that the winemaking team has to take into account, and all of them play a role in the decision.

There are only a handful of people in the world who have more experience making this decision than Heidi Barrett. Adopt a Grape recently published a video of Heidi talking about how she makes the decision to pick. Enjoy.

2008 Wine Industry Awards – San Luis Obispo County

The 2008 San Luis Obispo Wine Industry Awards were recently announced at the California Mid-State Fair. The awards are organized by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Grape Growers of Paso Robles, and the San Luis Obispo Vintners Association. These awards are particularly prestigious in California Wine Country because the honorees are nominated and voted for by other members of the local wine industry.

William Sheffer of Halter Ranch Vineyard was named Winemaker of the Year. Before leading the winemaking team at Halter Ranch, Mr. Sheffer made wine for several other notable San Luis Obispo County wineries, including, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Eberle Winery, and Adelaida Cellars.

Ric Fuller of Shimmin Canyon Vineyard was awarded the title Wine Grape Grower of the Year. His past experience includes working for Paul Masson Vineyards as well as planting the only privately owned research vineyard in San Luis Obispo County. Fuller was a founding member of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

The Wine Industry Person of the Year was awarded to Jerry Lohr, founder of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines. During the late 1960s, Dr. Lohr was one of the first people to recognize San Luis Obispo County’s potential as a world-class winemaking region. In 1971, he planted his first vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA.

Dennis T. Collins was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumously). Over his career, he worked with many of California’s best known wineries including Gallo, Franzia, and Bronco Wine Company. He founded Big Red Vineyard in 1996, and also began working as the General Manager for Treana Vineyards in 2002.

Wine is big business in San Luis Obispo County, and contributes approximately $1.8 billion a year to the local economy. Over 1 million tourists visit the wine region annually.

The AVA Labeling Controversy Heats Up

Calistoga is a Major Battleground

For centuries, wine has been associated with regions because it is such a distinguishing factor of character and quality. Very few would argue that the location grapes are grown does not make a difference (except maybe Fred Franzia). The issue of labeling wine with a specific region has become a little contentious in California lately, and Calistoga is a major battleground.

In 2005, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena petitioned the Federal Government to create a Calistoga AVA in Northern Napa Valley. Based on the TTB’s criteria for AVA creation, he had a perfectly legitimate case. Calistoga certainly has a history of producing distinctive wines based on soil, climate, and other physical factors.

But Barrett’s proposal stirred up quite a controversy, namely with Calistoga Cellars. This winery has built an established brand name around the region, but does not use the required 85% of Calistoga grapes in their wines. Calistoga Cellars vehemently opposes the creation of the Calistoga AVA, because if it goes through, they will have to either change their brand name or start using the required amount of Calistoga grapes.

The Federal Government responded to this dilemma by suggesting considerable changes to the current wine labeling laws. More broadly, they fundamentally called into question the significance that place of origin has on resulting wines. This has reignited the ongoing battles between brand-centric and terroir-centric wineries.

Barrett admirably wants to preserve the accurate portrayal of geography on wine labels. Local terroir gives artisanal wines their character, and this should be protected. Barrett has some powerful allies, including the Napa Valley Vintners.

According to Richard Mendelson, attorney for the Napa Valley Vinters, “When consumers buy a bottle of wine in a restaurant, order off the list and see Calistoga Cellars, they’re going to think it’s from Calistoga.” This is a valid point and pretty much sums up why regional names should be protected.

At the same time, it is also understandable that Calistoga Cellars will not relinquish their name brand or alter the makeup of their wines without a fight. But because so many wines are marketed largely on their region of origin, it is misleading to the customer to falsely claim an association with a region that does not exist.

A possible solution might be for the federal government to disallow the use of any region on a wine label that does not meet the required 85% of grapes to be labeled as such, but fairly compensate existing wineries that will be affected. In the future, they should prohibit any winery naming themselves after a region unless they meet the AVA’s requirements.

But this would not account for wineries that are named after future AVA’s that do not yet exist, so a remedy would need to be devised for these situations as well. America does not have an exceptionally long history of wine production, and in many cases, the distinctions between regions are just starting to crystallize. This is clearly a difficult issue and will likely require considerable mediation and litigation to be resolved.

Related Articles

Controversial Calistoga AVA Remains Stalled

AVA Petition Process Put on Hold: Calistoga Wineries left out in Cold

Calistoga Continues its Quest for AVA Status”

The Paso Robles AVA Rush

Proposed Westside Paso Robles AVA Draws Criticism

A Closer Look at the New AVAs Proposed in Paso Robles

California Wine has Record Sales in 2007

According to the Wine Institute, sales of California wine reached another new height in 2007. Fueling this growth is America’s increasing taste for premium wine over the past decade.

In 2007, the total volume of wine sold in the United States was 457 million gallons, a 2% increase from 2006. The retail value of all wine sold in the U.S. rose even more sharply to $18.6 billion, a 6% increase.

“Strong consumer interest, along with growing retailer and restaurant support and more direct-to-consumer sales, is resulting in wider distribution and selection of California wines. The new California tourism TV advertising campaign is also raising consumer awareness of the state’s diverse wine regions, its talented families, and its outstanding wine and food offerings.” -Robert P. Koch, CEO of the Wine Institute

Although still a relatively small part of the market, direct sales grew a very substantial 7.4% in 2007. Over 90% of California wine is still distributed by wholesalers, but many wineries are successfully developing direct to consumer sales channels.

U.S. wine exports also hit a record high in 2007. Total volume rose 8.6% to 120 million gallons at a price of $951 million, a 12% increase. California Wine Country was responsible for 95% of the United States’ wine exports last year.

Related Articles

2006 California Wine Sales & Other News

Bill Would Make it Easier for Non-Profit Events to Sell Wine

Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D – Santa Rosa), chairwoman of the Assembly Select Committee on Wine, has introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 1964 to facilitate the sale of donated wine at non-profit events. State Senator Pat Wiggins (D – Santa Rosa) co-authored the bill. If AB 1964 passes, non-profits will be able to hold more wine events and bureaucratic red tape will be lessened.

In order to hold events involving wine auction, wine tastings, and wine dinners, non-profits must apply for and receive a receive a temporary alcohol license. Currently, non-profits can only obtain one each year, but if the bill passes, that number will be raised to three.

“Wine is part of our culture in California. But current law puts obstacles between non-profits and our wine industry. This bill will help non-profits cultivate stronger ties with an industry which has set a high standard for compassion,” Evans said.

The bill would also allow wineries to donate wine to non-profits up to 60 days before they acquire a temporary alcohol license. Since the licenses are normally given out only a few weeks before the event, it can cause a logistical nightmare for non-profits to receive and process donations in such a short period of time.

Bottle Shock debuts at Sundance: The story of Château Montelena

‘Bottle Shock’ Waves Sent Through Wine Country

The 1976 Paris Tasting was a defining moment is the history of California Wine Country. The performance of Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay and Stags Leap Wine Cellars’ 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon brought California Wine to the world stage.

This David vs. Goliath story seems like it came out of a Hollywood studio rather than a wine competition. No one in the right mind thought that the California Wines stood a chance against the French. This kind of drama is fit for the silver screen.

Paved by the success of “Sideways,” “Bottle Shock” delivers the story of the 1976 Paris Tasting from the perspective of Chateau Montelena. To the delight of the wine world, “Bottle Shock” debuted at the 2008 Sundance film festival.

In his first feature, director and co-writer Randall Miller put together the story of father-son Jim and Bo Barrett, owners of Chateau Montelena, in their journey from unknown vintners to international stardom. The story also features an unknown Latino winemaker and a love interest that add drama to their epic journey.

Owner Jim Barrett, played by Bill Pullman, runs Chateau Montelena in search of the perfect Chardonnay. The story documents his struggle characteristic of the California Wine Industry during that time. Jim’s son Bo Barrett, played by Chris Pine, lives his life like he is on permanent holiday.

In France, Steven Spurrier, played by Alan Rickman, is a struggling wine shop owner. Spurrier’s only customer Maurice, notices that California Wines are starting to turn heads and suggests a competition. The contest was to pit the outright world leader in fine wine production against California, a region that was unproven on the international stage.

This set the scene for the ultimate showdown in Paris. The saga is played out with side plots and a love triangle in their journey to the wine competition. It’s about time that attention is brought to this story, it was a defining moment that made California Wine what it is today.

Related Articles

California Wine Country

1976 Paris Tasting

California Wineries

New California Alcohol Tax is Considered

California Alcohol Tax

With California is facing a $14 billion budget deficit, politicians and public policy groups are looking for ways to make up for the shortfall. One proposal is to increase the tax on distilled liquor, beer and wine.

The Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watch-dog, is one of the major proponents of this plan. According to Bruce Livingston, the group’s executive director, “Raising the alcohol tax for the first time in 16 years is a commonsense and fiscally responsible option to help close the budget gap. A simple 25 cents per drink increase would generate almost $3 billion in revenue.”

This potential revenue stream would make up about 20% of California’s budget deficit. While the plan sounds like it would make good financial sense for the state, it would essentially amount to a sin tax for all alcohol consumers, including the vast majority that drinks responsibly.

Illness is Infecting California’s Syrah Vineyards

Trouble in California’s Vineyards

An illness is infecting Syrah vines through California, causing concern amongst many winemakers. Although no one knows for sure what is causing the ailment, many experts believe it may be what is known as “Syrah Decline” in France. Syrah Decline has been affecting France since the early 1990s, but seems to be even more potent in California.

This development is particularly worrisome given the rising popularity of Syrah amongst California wine producers and consumers. Plantings of the grape have increased by over 2000% over the past decade bringing total acreage to about 19,000.

Infected vines develop red leaves far too early in the growing season, (usually July or early August). This inhibits grapes from ripening properly and leads to low sugar and acidity levels, poor yields, and lightly colored wines. Most vines suffering from Syrah Decline will die within 10 years.

The cause of Syrah Decline is not completely understood, but many believe that vines that are very water stressed are particularly susceptible. Vineyards planted in shallow soils in arid climates seem to be affected the most. The ailment may also be affecting some Zinfandel and Mourvedre vineyards, but to a lesser degree.

Related Articles

Syrah

Pests and Diseases

News from California Wine Country - 11/28/07

Open House at Newton Vineyards

On December 1st, Spring Mountain’s Newton Vineyards will be hosting an open house from 1 – 5 pm. They will be pouring large format wines as well as some library selections. In addition to the wine, there will be some gift ideas for the holidays, including packages, accessories and books. The event is free to Newton Vineyard wine club members, and is $20 for everyone else. To RSVP, call 707-204-7622.

Event at Domain Chandon

On Sunday, December 9th, Napa Valley’s Domain Chandon is going to host their “Savvy Entertaining” event from 4 – 7 pm. This event will offer special deals on their sparkling and still wines, and also good ideas for holiday gift items. The author and judge of the Savvy Entertainer contest will be there to offer tips on to host a savvy party on a limited budget.

Hanukkah at Judd’s Hill Winery

Keeping with the holiday there, Judd’s Hill Winery is planning to host “Hanukkah Hootenanny” on December 9th. The event will take place from 12 – 4 pm at the winery. Like most events, it is free for wine club members, but is $40 for all others. You can sign up for the wine club on the spot, which provides an excellent opportunity to join a great wine club and save money.

Open House at Raymond Vineyards

In other news, Raymond Vineyards is going to hold a wharehouse sale and open house on December 1st. The sale will take place form 10 am to 4 pm at the winery. If you are a fan of Raymond Vineyards, this is your chance to stock up on their wines for the holiday season.

Related Articles

Toast of the Valley

Spring Mountain

Napa Valley

California's 2007 Grape Harvest Slightly Larger Than Last Year

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the state’s 2007 grape harvest weighed in at 3.2 million tons, up a bit from 3.1 million tons last year. It is still substantially smaller than 2005, which weighed 3.5 million tons.

Because of inconsistent temperatures and weather patterns, grape picking was sporadic in 2007. Temperatures were warm through August, but September saw some rain, forcing many vineyard owners to delay picking their grapes until things had dried out a bit.

Fred Holloway, winemaker at Justin Vineyards, said, “It ended up being a fairly lengthy harvest, letting us pick on a slow pace through the first part of November. It was kind of a laid-back harvest.”

Despite the irregular weather, many vintners are optimistic about the quality of California’s 2007 vintage. Cool temperatures toward the end of the growing season gave grapes time to develop varietal characteristics without acquiring too much sugar.

UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Recieves $12.5 Million Gift

The UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Department received a donation of $12.5 million that will fund projects in dire need of money. This donation came at a very important time in enology and viticulture research, as Australia is spending more than five times than the United States.

The donation was made my one of the Napa Valley’s oldest wine families. The Rossi family has been growing grapes in the Napa Valley since 1905, when Fred and Rachel Rossi purchased St. Helena Ranch. The Rossi’s sold their grapes to some of the most famous producers in the Napa Valley; Robert Mondavi Winery and Krug Winery.

Louise, the daughter of Fred and Rachel Rossi was a long time supporter of UC Davis. She showed her loyalty to the university as she gave the institution the funds resulting from the sale of her 52-acre ranch. The gift will also fund the development of the Robert Mondavi Institute of Wine and Food Science.

The late Louise Rossi never married, and died without heirs. She was dedicated to sustainable farming, so it is no surprise that most of the funds will be spent on researching organic and sustainable farming techniques.

The Rossi Ranch was purchased by Frog’s Leap Winery. Louise Rossi and Frog’s Leap owner John Williams became friends when the winery begin buying grapes from Rossi’s property. Before her death, Louise Rossi made plans to sell her ranch to Frog’s Leap, as their organic farming philosophy was in tune with her views.

This donation is incredibly important for the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology department. With the difficulty in getting projects funded, the donation could not have come at a better time.

Related Articles

UC Davis Viticulture & Enology Website

UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Department

Napa family sends $12.5M to UC Davis

Frog’s Leap Winery

When Weather affects Harvest: A Winery’s Response

Harvest can be a beautiful time for winery owners, viticulturalists and winemakers. When conditions are right, the fruit comes off exactly as planned, and the vineyard staff can exert full control over the entire process.

However, when conditions take a turn for the worse, like this year, it can ruin a years worth of hard work. Right around harvest time in the Napa Valley, a storm front blew through that dropped temperatures and even rained. Cold and rain can devastate a perfectly good crop of fruit.

As the storm front approached, many wineries who had not harvested yet, went on high alert and scrambled to get all of their fruit off the vine. It is pretty rare that people who don’t work in the wine industry to experience this process. But thanks to Adopt a Grape, you can see what it’s like for a winery at harvest.

If you haven’t already heard of Adopt a Grape, you should check it out. Its functionality is just what you would expect from the title, when you sign up, you actually adopt a grape in their vineyard, and you get video updates of how your grape is doing. You can check out their harvest video here; or watch it below.

Napa Valley Vintners Set to Donate $8.8 Million to Charity

The Napa Valley Vintners will donate $8.8 million to several charities at a ceremony to be held at Copia on November 3rd. Beneficiaries include non-profits focusing on affordable housing, healthcare and youth services.

The funds were raised by the Napa Valley Vinters’ flagship event, Auction Napa Valley 2007. Earlier this year, they pledged to donate $5 million a year over the next 5 years. The Napa Valley Vintners have clearly exceeded their most optimistic goals, and the local community will benefit from this success.

Since Auction Napa Valley was initiated, it has raised an incredible $78 million. Past recipients of these funds have been the Children’s Health Initiative, Clinic Ole, Napa Emergency Women’s Shelter, Healthy Moms and Babies, and Sister Ann Dental Clinic.

The Napa Valley Vintners was established over 70 years ago and currently has over 300 member wineries. Their mission is to promote the Napa Valley Appellation and preserve its long and storied history of producing wine.

Michael-David Winery Wins Case for Small Wineries

The complexity and absurdity of the three tier distribution system is something that the average consumer rarely thinks about. And rightly so, who cares how it gets to your grocery store or favorite restaurant, right? What matters is that your favorite wines are there ready for you to buy and drink at any moment.

However, the issues of the three tier system have a huge affect on the wineries, and the selection you have as a consumer. A perfect example of this situation playing out was the trial between Michael-David Winery and distributor Frank-Lin Distillers. After five weeks of trial, the jury ruled in favor of Michael-David Winery, which protected wineries rights against distributors.

According to John Hinman of Hinman & Carmichael LLP, Counsel for Michael-David Winery, “Without this decision, California vintners would have found themselves at the mercy of distributors who would, in effect, become entitled to a significant portion of the winery’s brand value and the winery owner’s equity simply because the distributor had delivered the product.”

So what does this mean for you? Unless you work in the wine industry, not much. But it is a step in the right direction, protecting wineries against distributors. Hopefully, victories like these will help put the power back into the hands of the wineries. Thus increasing your selection of wine, and making everyone happy, except for the distributors of course.

Want a wine industry veteran’s take on this trial? Check out Jeff Lefevere of Good Grape here.

Related Articles

Press Release

Michael David Vineyards

Lodi Wine Country

Central Valley Wine Country

New line of Wines benefit Breast Cancer Research; Ironically, Wine Causes Breast Cancer

A new line of wines recently launched as part of a fundraising campaign to fight breast cancer. Cleavage Creek wines feature models that are survivors of the disease that affects millions of women world wide.

Winery owner Budge Brown said, “My goal was to honor their courage and inspire them.” Brown started this campaign after his wife of 48 years died from breast cancer. Cleavage Creek wines will cost between $18 and $50, and will debut this month, with the release of 2,000 cases. 10% of the proceeds of the wine will go to breast cancer awareness.

Unfortunately, several studies have shown that wine consumption actually increases your chances of getting breast cancer. “Dr. Smith-Warner et. al. from Harvard studied the association between alcohol consumption and Breast Cancer. Their results showed a linear increase in breast cancer over a wide range of consumption.”

However, because of the complexity of cancer, it’s difficult to say definitely that wine causes breast cancer. But several studies have shown this, and it is not something that should be ignored. And it is, somewhat ironic, that Mr. Brown is selling wine to help cure breast cancer.

Pattie Daly Caruso, a breast cancer survivor and advocate of Cleavage Creek wines thinks it’s a great idea. Caruso, like many others feel that this campaign is a cleaver way to draw attention to wine and breast cancer awareness.

Caruso does recognize the link between breast cancer and wine, stating, “if we pick up a magazine or turn on TV there will be someone saying something about all the things that we drink except maybe water. I personally think that a couple of glasses of red wine are very good for you. I try to be very cautious and do the right thing, but red wine to me is, if not medicinal, pretty wonderful.”

Despite the association between the two, what Brown is doing is commendable. It is critical that we spend more money on researching cures for diseases like cancer. They take a tremendous toll on our society, and there should be more people like Brown doing what they can to help.

Related Articles

Wine and Health

Wine and Disease

Wikipedia’s entry on wine and health

Fighting for a Cure

5 Excellent California Syrahs for Under $20

In the spirit of Dr. Debs’ fantastic blog, Good Wine Under $20, I thought I’d post 5 of my personal favorite California Syrahs for under $20. This list is by no means exhaustive, but represents some of the excellent values I have come across. If you have any to add, feel free to leave them in the comments section.

The Andrew Murray 2005 Tous Les Jours Syrah is a blend of grapes from Andrew Murray’s Estate Vineyard as well as the broader Paso Robles AVA. This is a fruit-driven wine with soft tannins. Andrew Murray Vineyards is known for excellent Syrahs; some of their more expensive ones being “Roasted Slope” and the 100% Estate Syrah. The Tous Les Jours can be purchased for $13.

Beckmen Vineyards is another Syrah specialist that makes a few different bottlings of the grape. The 2005 Big Hands Syrah has ripe currant and blackberry flavors over a layer of spice and smoke. The alcohol level is 14%, and the tannins and acidity balance each other nicely. This wine sells for $15.

Terre Rouge is an excellent Sierra Foothills winery. Although the 2004 Terre Rouge Cotes de l’Quest Syrah 2004 has a deep, concentrated color, this wine drinks very well without any age. Winemaker and owner Bill Easton has produced a great value for Syrah lovers with this wine. It is priced around $16.

Michael David Vineyards is a Lodi winery that is probably best known for 7 Deadly Zins. But they also make an excellent Syrah called 6th Sense. This full-bodied wine has very nice spicy plum and peppery flavors. I have seen this wine available for $18.

Qupe’s 2005 Central Coast Syrah has been widely hailed by the wine press as a great value under $20. It is actually a blend of 93% Syrah, 4% Grenache, Mourvèdre and 1% Counoise giving it added complexity and balance. The grapes are sourced from all over the Central Coast, including Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande Valley. You can find this wine for as low as $15.

Related Articles

Andrew Murray Vineyards

Beckman Vineyards

Terre Rouge

Michael David Vineyards

'Rock Garden Roll' Auction Raises $800,000 for Copia’s Education Programs

Copia held its six annual ‘Rock Garden Roll’ auction, dinner and dance this past week. The auction was a considerable success, rising over $800,000 for the center’s educational programs.

The event was held under the grand tent in Copia’s Edible Gardens, and saluted guest of honor Margrit Biever Mondavi. There were some 240 guests at the event, ranging from supporters of the center, to some of the most influential people in California’s wine industry.

As you would expect, the dinner was outstanding. La Torque founder and chef Ken Frank and Julias Kitchen’s Jeff Mosher put together the menu for the evening. It was a four course dinner pairs with wines from area cellars.

The guests were entertained by the music from Tina Turner and Madonna impersonators, as presenter Fritz Hatton auctioned off 20 luxury travel and rare wine lots. The top bids included $80,000 for four days in London and Bordeaux, including accommodations at Lord Jacob Rothschild’s Waddesdon Manor, and wine tastings at Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild.

$75,000 for a dinner for eight at with Judi and Wilf Jager and wines from the 1978 vintage;

$55,000 for a trip to the wine regions of Chile and Argentina;

$46,000 for a private jet flight to and from Maryville, Tenn.for an epicurean adventure at Blackberry Farm’s cooking school;

$30,000 for a jeraboam of 1982 Chateau Latour;

$28,000 for a magnum of 1945 Mouton Rothschild, which Copia trustee Joe Wender, the high bidder, opened and shared with his dinner table at the event.

Temecula Wineries adopt Responsible Partners Program

According to a press release sent out today by the Temecula winegrowers association, starting on November 1st, the members of the association will turn away van and limo tour operators who “do not help maintain the decorum” of the wine region.

The members voted overwhelmingly to adopt a Responsible Partner Program. This program only permits companies that promote Temecula wine and good behavior while visiting the region.

Ray Falkner, President of the association said “those who do not abide by certain rules and regulations we have established will not be allowed to visit our wineries … as far as I know, we are the only wine region to take steps to ensure the wine-tasting experience is more enjoyable for all our visitors.”

Wine country tours is big business, and the tour operators are sure to take notice of such a bold initiative. Around a dozen companies have already adopting this philosophy, and Falkner believes that the list will grow to over 50 by the November 1st deadline.

It is the responsibility of the winery to enforce the Responsible Partner Program. They want to dispel the notion that Temecula Wine Country, is “bar country.” It is commendable that they want to make wine touring an enjoyable experience, but it seems like a hard rule to enforce.

The wineries get a large portion of their tasting room sales from wine touring companies bringing large groups by. And the wine touring companies are dependent on the people for business. So turning people away because they are too drunk doesn’t seem like its in the cards, considering that drinking wine gets you drunk.

Following that logic, it seems counter intuitive for the winery association to adopt a rule that could negatively affect the bottom line of their wineries. But only time will tell if it has a negative affect, or if it is even enforced.

13th Staglin Music Festival Raises $4 Million

The Staglin Family is known throughout Napa Valley for their philanthropy and generosity. One event that particularly close to their hearts is the Annual Staglin Family Music Festival for Mental Health.

Over the past 13 years, this event has raised an incredible $53 million to research and treat mental illnesses including psychosis and schizophrenia. This year, about 500 donors contributed over $4 million. Guests were treated to a 5 course dinner prepared by Chef Rick Moonen and were entertained by Gladys Knight.

Dr. Ty Cannon, Phd, UCLA Department of Psychology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences said that funds raised at the music festival have helped attract major grants, most notably $14.6 million from the National Institutes of Health. “The Music Festival’s funding of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience was instrumental in the development of the pilot data that helped us obtain this award,” Dr. Cannon said.

Related Articles

Staglin Family Vineyards

Rutherford Wine Country

Calistoga Continues its Quest for AVA Status

The proposed Calistoga AVA continues to stir controversy and passions on both sides. At issue is Calistoga Cellars’ use of the region in their brand name, despite the fact that they do not use Calistoga grapes in their wines.

This is a cardinal sin in the eyes of many local growers and wineries, who place a high value on the geographic origin of their wines. The entire AVA approval process has ground to a halt over the controversy as the TTB reevaluates the system. Calistoga Cellars recently opened up a tasting room, amidst protests from other vintners who claim the winery is thwarting Calistoga’s quest for AVA status.

Roger Louer, CEO of Calistoga Cellars, has stated in the past that he cannot source enough grapes from the Calistoga region for his wines; a claim that local grape growers vehemently deny. One of these vineyard owners, Charlie Wolleson, asserted, “My family has been growing grapes on land three miles south of Calistoga for generations. We still have vines budded by my grandfather — zinfandel, cabs and merlot. To say that local grapes are not available or affordable is not right.”

Bo Barrett, owner of Chateau Montelena, is also particularly outspoken on the issue. He recently said that, “Calistoga Cellars is completely deceiving the public by using the Calistoga name. They go over there to source their grapes because they can find them for half the price.”

Related Articles

AVA Petition Process Put on Hold: Calistoga Wineries left out in Cold

Controversial Calistoga AVA Remains Stalled

California Wine Country News - 9/25

Jewish Blessings of the Grapes this Weekend

There will be a Jewish blessing of the grapes ceremony on Sunday, September 30th, at noon at Hagafen Cellars. It will be conducted by Rabbi Oren Postrel of Congregation Beth Sholom in Napa. The public is free to stop by at the blessings, which will take place at several other locations during the day.

Ernie Weir, the founder and winemaker at Hagafen, said, “The Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot falls at this time and since we are also harvesting grapes, we thought it would make sense to align the two calendars, of Mother Nature and Jewish history.”

‘The Imposter’ from JC Cellars

JC Cellars just released the first vintage of a new Zinfandel based wine called The Imposter. Winemaker Jeff Cohn said, “I wanted a new challenge; something fresh and exciting. Creating a new wine that is neither a vineyard nor varietal designate is indeed a change for me.”

It should be an interesting wine, made with 72% Zinfandel, 11% Syrah, and a bit of Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Viognier. The name was inspired by Cohn’s favorites TV mystery classics, like Colombo and McMillan and Wife.

The domain name winecast.com is now up for sale

In other news, the domain name winecast.com is up for sale. Mick Winter, who currently owns the name, originally purchased it in 1999, when it was bundeled with wine.com. “We originally intended to use it for audio/videocasting of wine reviews, winemaker interviews, and other wine and wine industry news,” he said. “However, we’ve decided to focus on other areas and instead put the domain name on the open market.”

Calaveras County Wine Country

There’s a new gold rush going on in California, but it may not be what you think. For years, Calaveras County has been turning out some of California’s most deeply flavored, delicious wines. The region is located in the southern part of the Sierra Foothills, and boasts 19 boutique wineries.

With only 3 stoplights, Calaveras County has an undeniable amount of rustic charm. Several of California’s rising stars are located in the region, notably the venerable Twisted Oak Winery.

Owners Jeff and Mary Stai have won many awards for their mountain grown wines and have developed quite a following. They have an impressive web presence and a great blog that is cleverly written.

Some of their current releases include The Spaniard (65% Tempranillo, 31% Caberent Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot in 2004), 2005 Petite Sirah, 2004 Murgatroyd (55% Cab, 25% Petit Verdot, 13% Tempranillo and 7% Grenache), and 2004 Syrah. Twisted Oak is one of California’s premiere producers of Tempranillo. This Spanish grape has taken to the rocky hillsides of Calaveras County exceptionally well.

Twisted Oak is amongst great company and there are a number of other wineries in the region that are well worth exploring. So if you are looking for a change of pace from the tasting rooms of Napa and Sonoma, consider planning a trip to beautiful Calaveras County.

Related Articles

Twisted Oak Winery

Safeway Plans to Start Selling Wine Online

As online wine sales continue to grow, more and more traditional retailers are entering the marketplace. Recently, Safeway announced plans to begin selling wine online from a warehouse in American Canyon just south of the city of Napa. However, Safeway still needs to obtain the necessary city permits to begin this project.

Safeway is attempting to get a license that allows retail sales but prohibits consumption on the premises. According to the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC), about 14,000 of these types of licenses have been issued in California.

In a memo to the city of American Canyon, a spokesman for Safeway said, “Safeway has the capacity to attract a very large volume of Internet-based business, especially within California where they already operate hundreds of grocery stores and have a large business base… American Canyon would enjoy significant revenue from these taxed sales.” Assuming the plan goes through, New Vine Logistics Inc. will assist Safeway in its efforts.

3rd Annual Loose Goose Wine Festival

The 3rd Annual Loose Goose Wine Festival will be held on October 3-7, 2007, in the Santa Clarita Valley. This multi-day festival includes several different events such as the Wine Pairing Dinners on October 3, the Loose Goose Golf Classic on October 4, the Golden Goose Gala on October 5, the Professional Goose on October 6 (trade tasting), and the Main Festival which will be held on October 6-7.

Santa Clarita Valley is located about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. 100 different vineyards and wineries will be participating in the Main Festival as well as many other luxury vendors. Last year’s festival drew over 5,000 wine lovers.

Tickets for the Main Festival are $40 per day when purchased in advance and $55 at the gate. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation and the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund.

Givich Vineyards Stronger than Ever After the Fire

On October 12, 2005, a fire broke out at Wines Central, a storage facility in Vallejo, California. The blaze caused an astounding $100 million in damage and decimated the inventory of 82 California wineries, both large and small.

Mark Anderson has been charged with arson in connection with the blaze. When the fire was set, Anderson was on trial in Marin County for embezzlement. He allegedly stole wine from his clients and then set the fire to cover up his tracks.

Special Agent Nina Delgadillo from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that an investigation found, “sufficient (physical) evidence to tell us that this was an intentionally set fire. ... We are vigorously pursuing the person or persons who caused this.”

Givich Vineyards was one of several boutique wineries that were affected by this devastating fire. Although owner Ken Givich lost all of his saleable merchandise, he has bounced back stronger than ever with his new releases. These include the 2004 El Dorado County Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 El Dorado County Petite Syrah, 2004 El Dorado County Zinfandel and 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Established in 2000, Givich Vineyards is based in Napa Valley and also purchases grapes from the Sierra Foothills. Mr. Givich ages each of his wines in small oak barrels for 20-24 months. He has received many accolades over the years, including being honored at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, Grand Harvest Awards and Marin-Sonoma County Fair Competition.

Related Articles

Givich Vineyards

After the Fire, Looking to the Future

Winemaker Accused of Stealing 1,000 Gallons of Wine

This past Wednesday, the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission (LLC) destroyed 1,123 gallons of wine found in Lincoln Country. The wine had an estimated value of $140,000, making it the largest bust in LLC history.

It is believed that the wine belonged to winemaker David Jurena, who brought the wine illegally from the Napa Valley. Although the details of the story are still emerging, officials believe that Jurena stole the wine from Terra Valentine winery, where he was once winemaker.

It was transported to Nebraska in 60 gallon barrels, kegs and bottles in an old freight car owned by Feather River Vineyard. Jurena was also the winemaker at Feather River Vineyard, but was fired in 2006, when he destroyed over 300 gallons of wine in a attempt to hide his winemaking mistakes.

Jurena added too much sulfer dioxide to the wine, rendering it undrinkable. Instead of accepting responsibility for his mistakes, he tried to cover it up. When Feather River Vineyard found out about, they fired Jurena and filled criminal charges against him.

Investigators could not determine where the wine came from, but they believe that Jurena planned to bottle and sell it under the Eggers-Jurena label. These kinds of actions are rare in the wine industry, but are becoming more and more common among less than above board winemakers.

Once officials found the wine, they decided that it should be destroyed, as there is no record of safety procedures used to make the wine. More than 800 gallons of the wine were taken to the North Platte wastewater treatment plant and destroyed. The unlabeled bottles were smashed and taken to the landfill.

Jurena is set to go on trial Sept. 11 in Lincoln County District Court.

Wine Tasting and Auction for Healthy Kids

The 6th Annual Wine Tasting and Auction for Healthy Kids will be held on September 23, 2007 from 1-4 pm at Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyard. The entire $150 price of admission will be donated to California’s Healthy Kids program, which works to provide health insurance for needy children.

Several wineries will be pouring at this event including Far Niente, Frog’s Leap, Rombauer Vineyards, Stryker Sonoma, Schramsberg, Duckhorn, Kathryn Kennedy, Kings Mountain Winery, and of course, Thomas Fogarty.

Thomas Fogarty Winery is located at 19501 Skyline Blvd. in the town of Woodside, California. Tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 874-1904. Guests are encouraged to bring a bottle of wine for the auction.

Controversy Swirls over Del Dotto Winery

Once again, there’s controversy in the Napa Valley. This time, it’s locals versus the planned development of a winery. The Del Dotto Winery was the center of this controversy as area neighbors were upset that they made changes to the original development proposal.

The winery’s plans were first brought before the county in July 2003, and passed almost unanimously. But since then, the project has been red flagged because of numerous changes to the plan.

The main point of contention stems from plans to raise the height of the cave from eight to fourteen feet. This added a 2,600 square foot patio to the top of the cave that neighbors feared that Del Dotto would use for loud outdoor parties. The addition of 20 new parking spaces raised a red flag for neighbors.

Neighbors Oliver and Karen Caldwell are worried because of the “incredibly loud late-night pyrotechnic rock concert the Del Dottos hosted when they first applied for their winery permit.” Another neighbor described finding Del Dotto wine glasses around his swimming pool in the wake of one party at the nearby winery.

The planning commission recently approved the use permit modification, which stopped the construction of the two story cave. It is had provisions that prohibited Del Dotto from having public and private events on the patio during the evening hours.

This seems like a pretty fair compromise for both Del Dotto and the surrounding neighbors. Unfortunately, Del Dotto will have to deal with its new restrictions, something that wineries that are in the middle of their vineyards do not have to contend with. We’ll see how this situations plays out as the years go by.

Mondavi Among 2007 California Hall of Fame Inductees

Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced the 2007 inductees to the California Hall of Fame. The most powerful and influential people in California’s history were nominated for this honor, including Robert Mondavi. This is a great moment for the wine industry and shows the importance of wine country to the state.

The other inductees include: Tiger Woods, Steve Jobs, John Wayne, Dr. Jonas Salk, John Steinbeck, Elizabeth Taylor, Earl Warren, Milton Berle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Ansel Adams.

What an incredible list of people; from Nobel Prize wining laureates, to the best athletes of all time, to captains of industry. These individuals embody “California’s innovative spirit” and have made their mark on its history. The formal ceremony will take place on December 5th at the California Museum in Sacramento.

Governor Schwarzenegger noted, “California is home to hopes and dreams for so many, and it is the people of this state who truly make it great … the California Hall of Fame provides a wonderful opportunity to honor these leaders, and legends, whose imprints are stamped forever on our history and our lives. I want people of every age to be inspired by the stories of Californians who have shaped and continue to shape this state and the world.”

All of the living inductees and the families of the posthumous inductees are scheduled to be in attendance for the ceremony. It will be followed by a celebration and the unveiling of the new exhibit, featuring artifacts loaned to the museum by the families of the inductees.

The California Hall of Fame makes it home at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the history of California and the people who have influenced its development. Its mission is to “engage, educate and enlighten a broad public audience about California’s history through exhibits and programs incorporating the experiences of women and other underrepresented groups.”

The museum is located at 1020 O Street, Sacramento, Ca. For more information about the exhibit and ceremony, visit their website.

California Wines Featured Most on U.S. Restaurant Wine Lists

A study was recently released indicating that California wines are more likely to be featured on American restaurant wine lists. The study surveyed restaurants in major markets around the country in the $39 or less category.

Conducted by Winemetrics, the “On-Premise Wine Distribution Report” was intended to rank America’s top 100 wine brands based on the frequency of their appearance on wine lists. Winemetrics is a relative new research firm that provides consulting for on-premise sales.

The wines that topped the list were mainly from corporate owned brands like; Beringer, Kendall-Jackson, Beaulieu Vineyard and Chateau St Michelle. This is not a surprise, considering that these are large scale producers with recognizable brands. But there were also smaller producers like Caymus Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars and Sterling Vineyards.

The overwhelming majority of wines on the top 100 list are make from U.S. producers, with most of these coming from California. There were also 15 wines from France and seven from Italy. If the price category moved up to the $69 – $100 range, I was suspect that there would be more wines from France.

The study indicated the wines most often ordered in restaurants sell between $25 and $39 per bottle. It also turns out that red wines outnumber whites two to one, with Cabernet Sauvignon taking the top spot.

With any study, the numbers should be taken at face value. There is no such thing as a perfect study, but they definitely give a good indication for what is going on. But this seems like a pretty legitimate study; they surveyed 10,500 restaurants in 20 states, and 24 of the 30 top markets.

Buoncristiani Family Winery Release Party

On September 2, 2007 from 1-5pm, Buoncristiani Family Winery will hold a wine release party at the Napa Valley Opera House. This is a great opportunity to taste the entire portfolio of wines from one of Napa Valley’s top family wineries.

Buoncristiani Family Winery was established in 1999 by four brothers: Matt, Jay, Aaron and Nate. The winery has received considerable acclaim from the mainstream wine press since its inception. Wine Spectator regularly rates their wines 90+ points and recently named the winery “A Rising Star of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.”

The event also includes food pairings with each wine and music. Tickets are $25 per person and can be ordered by calling (707) 259-1681 or visiting the winery’s website.

Related Articles

Buoncristiani Family Winery

Coombsville Wine Country

Recent California Wine News

New Vintners Association for Lake County

In an effort to bring more attention to the region, Lake County vintners have formed the Lake County Wineries Association. Even though Lake County Wine Country is located just north of the Napa Valley, it lacks the notoriety of its neighbors.

The newly formed association will surely be putting on events and tastings to promote the wines of their region. One of these events is the Lake County Wine Adventure, which is traditionally run by the Lake County Winegrape Commission. It will now be a joint venture between the two organizations.

Roy Cecchetti and Bob Broman were the main proponents in the associations’ development. They formerly worked for Langtry Estate & Vineyards, but recently left to form Cecchetti Wine Co. They recently released a Lake County wine under the 39 Degrees label.

Stags Leap Winegrowers Association Announces Appellation Collection

The 11th anniversary of the Stags Leap District Appellation Collection will be available from October 1st through November 30th. For those of you who aren’t familiar the appellation collection, it is a collection of fifteen cabernets from various Stags Leap Wineries. This year will feature the 2003 vintage.

Participating Stags Leap Wineries include; Shafer Vineyards, Baldacci Family Vineyards, Clos Du Val, Hartwell Vineyards, Chimney Rock Winery, Regusci Winery, Malk Family Vineyards, Steltzner Vineyards, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Taylor Family Vineyards, Stags’ Leap Winery and Silverado Vineyards.

The cost of the collection is $1,200 plus tax and shipping. You can find out more information at the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association website, or call Executive Director Nancy Bialek at 707-255-1720.

Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group to Host 5th Annual Benefit and Auction

The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group (NSWG) is preparing for their Fifth Annual Benefit and Auction. It will be held from on August 18th from 5-9 pm at Silverado Country Club in the town of Napa.

Many of Napa Valley’s sustainably produced wines will be available to sample from 5-7 pm. After the tasting, the silent auction will commence from 7-9 pm. This is a chance to bid on some of Napa’s rarest and best wines. In addition to the tasting and silent auction, Silverado’s Executive Chef Peter Pahk will prepare a dinner for the event using sustainable products.

Established in 1995, the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group’s mission is, “To identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound.” Education plays a big role in the NSWG’s efforts to promote sustainable grape growing and winemaking.

Tickets are $70 in advance and $80 at the door. To buy tickets, visit the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group’s website or call Astrid Bock-Foster at (707) 252-4188, ext. 113.

Related Articles

Organic Farming in California

Biodynamic Farming in California

Buena Vista Winery Celebrates 150 Years of Making Wine

Buena Vista is gearing up for its 150th anniversary of making wine in Carneros. To mark the occasion, the winery will host a small celebration on September 7th for media, trade and a handful of longtime customers.

Buena Vista was established in 1857 by Count Agoston Haraszthy. He was one of the first California vintners to experiment with European grapes and winemaking techniques. This has earned Buena Vista the title of, “California’s First Premium Winery.”

Winemaker Jeff Stewart and vineyard manager Craig Weaver recently streamlined Buena Vista’s wine portfolio and replanted much of the winery’s 800 acre Ramal Vineyard. Stewart and Weaver will now offer 2 tiers of wines: the Carneros Series and the Ramal Vineyard Series. The 2005 Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the 2005 Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are currently available for purchase.

This vast Ramal Vineyard is the largest in Carneros wine country and has been meticulously replanted with many different clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah. The production facilities have also been updated including the purchase of 63 new open top fermentation tanks.

Starting in 2008, Buena Vista will also begin using screwcaps to seal several of their wines. Jeff Stewart is a proponent of using screwcaps to ensure that his wines are the freshest possible when they are served. He plans to start bottling all of Buena Vista’s wines with screwcaps beginning in 2009.

“2007 is a milestone year for Buena Vista Carneros, and we are excited to celebrate our 150th year as California’s first premium winery and honor the evolution of California’s wine industry,” said winemaker Jeff Stewart.

Related Articles

Buena Vista Winery

Buena Vista Carneros Named One of the Hottest Small Brands of 2006

AVA Petition Process Put on Hold: Calistoga Wineries left out in Cold

Many wineries have built their reputation upon the AVA system. Having names like Oakville, Rutherford and Stags Leap on the bottle can increase sales drastically. This is why there has been ongoing debates about AVAs in California. Unfortunately for wineries in Calistoga, they are having problems with their AVA application.

The United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has announced that it is reviewing the AVA petition process and all pending requests will be stalled. There are currently hundreds of regions that are in the process of applying for AVA status including the Calistoga wine region in Napa Valley.

Based on correspondence between Representative Mike Thompson (St. Helena) and the TTB, it appears that the issue is the policy of grandfathering wine brands that use the same name as AVAs. This issue may have stemmed from the Tulocay/Coombsville AVA debate.

According to Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Kevin Fromer, “The ‘grandfathering’ approach in the regulations was intended to protect brand names that had existed prior to the development of the AVA program. This solution … was not forward-looking and, therefore, does not address conflicts between AVA and brand names that have come into existence after (July 1986).”

Fromer further stated that, “The complexities of these issues have led us to suspend action approval and other similar petitions while we consider revising the existing regulatory approach.”

In the bid to create the Calistoga AVA, two wineries named Calistoga Estates and Calistoga Cellars have objected. Neither use the 85% of Calistoga grown grapes that would be required to continue to label their wines based on the brands they have created.

Representative Mike Thompson, long an advocate of the Napa Valley wine industry, is not happy with the TTB’s decision to suspend the AVA petition process. In a strongly worded letter to the TTB, Thompson states, “Your proposed suspension of existing rules related to AVAs, including halting all processing of petitions for AVAs within AVAs, will create chaos in the wine industry and may deprive many wineries and pending petitions of their rights under your current regulations.”

This is bad news for the wineries in Calistoga, as their application for AVA approval is probably not going to be approved any time soon. They can still label their wines under Napa Valley, but cannot specify Calistoga as an AVA. We’ll keep you updated as this situation develops.

Related Articles

Calistoga AVA process suddenly suspended Nation’s wine industry headed for ‘chaos,’ Thompson letter warns

American Viticultural Area

Napa Valley Wine Country

A Movie about the 1976 Paris Tasting Begins Filming

The 1976 Blind Taste Test was arguably the most important tasting in the history of California Wine. Up to that point, California was looked at as an inferior region to most European countries. After the results were tallied, California emerged out of the shadows of the European giants and began its life as a player in the international wine game.

Over the years, many books have documented this “vinous shot heard round the world.” These books have paved the way for a movie about this epic event. But it may have taken the overwhelming success of Sideways to full convince the Hollywood community that there was room for a successful movie about wine.

Enter Bottle Shock. Bottle Shock tells the story of the 1976 Blind Tasting in Paris from Chateau Montelena’s perspective. Chateau Montelena won the white wine category, beating several top Burgundies in the process. And as most of you know, Stags Leap Wine Cellars won the red category. Another movie called The Judgment of Paris will be about the red wine portion of the 1976 Blind Tasting.

Bill Pullman will play Chateau Montelena’s owner Jim Barrett, Chris Pine will play Jim’s son Bo Barrett, and Alan Rickman will star as Steven Spurrier, the man who set up the tasting. The movie also features many local extras. The crew is filming at several locations in Carneros, Sonoma and Napa including Buena Vista Winery and Kunde.

The movie began shooting on July 30th and will continue through September 6th. Many in the industry are looking forward to the movie, any positive attention for the California Wine Industry is welcomed. This has the potential of reaching a broad audience, and if it has the effect of Sideways, this will be great for California Wine.

Related Articles

First shot in wine movie feud

Conan, Will you Suck on my Sweaty Sock?

As most of you probably know, Gary Vaynerchuk appeared as a guest on the Conan O’Brien show last night. There was quite a bit of buzz flowing through the internet about Gary making the jump to network television. A post about it even made onto the front page of the popular socially driven news site digg.

The fact a story about a wine v-logger made digg’s front page shows the importance of the event (the digg community doesn’t like wine). So the stage was set, and Gary took the short trip to New York to tape the show.

If you’re a normal person, being surrounded by movie stars and celebrities doesn’t put you at ease. But Gary seemed to handle it very well. First, Seth Rogen, the star of Knocked Up, did a funny interview with Conan. Then came Ann Curry, the host of dateline.

With the stage set, and time running out in the show, out comes Gary. I initially thought they were just going to do an interview, but it turned out they had a whole table set up for the interview. After a couple of brief questions about Wine Library TV, which gary handled well, they started to train Conan’s palate.

Gary takes an interesting approach to training one’s palate. The first wine was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which tastes like grass and grapefruit. Before tasting the wine, they both actually eat grass covered with grapefruit juice. Jokingly, Gary said that the grass came from Central Park; the look on Conan’s face was priceless.

After sucking on rocks in salt water, the two moved on to a Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m sure Conan was happy to see that they would get the chance to eat a delightful combination of dirt, cherries and tobacco. Which are flavors common in many Cabs from Bordeaux and some from California.

If you think thats ridiculous, the next and last thing they tried was a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. And what flavor profiles were they trying to learn, none other than sweaty socks and asparagus. So Gary reaches down and pulls off one of his socks, wraps it around a piece of asparagus, and sticks it in his mouth. Conan follows suit.

The point of the exercise was to train Conan’s palate. But everytime Gary asked if he tasted the flavors, Conan would reply, “yeah, this wine is great.” The fact that Conan went through and tried everything was awesome, he was a good sport; and very funny to boot.

All in all, the show was very successful. Gary was funny and enthusiastic, the main reasons why we love his show. It was a great moment for wine, wine bloggers and video bloggers. Congrats Gary, it’s not everyday you get to ask Conan to suck on your sweaty sock.

Related Articles

BREAKING: Gary V to Appear on Conan O’Brien Show!

The Impact of Wine Library TV going Mainstream

Governor Schwarzenegger Declares September “California Wine Month”

For the third consecutive year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared September to be California Wine Month. Schwarzenegger’s proclamation honors the wine industry’s economic and cultural contributions to California over the years.

This official recognition is the result of the Wine Institute’s tireless promotion of the state’s wineries and vineyards. September is a fitting month because it is in the middle of harvest. For a few weeks, California’s wine country is buzzing with activity and the scent of crushed grapes is everywhere.

Bobby Koch, President and CEO of the Wine Institute, is particularly excited about California Wine Month. “We are pleased that the contributions of California’s vintners and winegrape growers are recognized by the Governor as a unique and special part of California. California is a spectacular place to grow and make wine and the world leader in sustainable winegrowing practices.”

Many wineries, restaurants and wine shops will be holding special events to celebrate California Wine Month. If you are interested in learning more, the Wine Institute has set up a website with an extensive calendar of events and things to do.

Related Articles

Wine Institute

People and Institutions in California’s Wine Country

BREAKING: Gary V to Appear on Conan O'Brien Show!

Conan O’Brien is a celebrity talk show host; movie stars, models, professional athletes, famous authors, politicians, Nobel laureates, and … Gary Vaynerchuk … What?!? About a month ago, we covered a story about a wine v-logger going mainstream. Well, it turns out that Gary V’s article in TIME was only the beginning. On Wednesday, August 1st, Gary is scheduled to be one of the featured guests on the Conan O’Brien Show.

From the beginning, Wine Library TV’s tagline has been “Changing the Wine World.” Month by month, Gary’s enthusiasm has won over the hearts of wine drinkers on the internet. But on Wednesday night, he’ll have his chance to reach out to the world.

As you probably know, Conan O’Brien is the host NBC’s Late Night Show. With the millions of people who watch Conan, this interview has the potential to be a very important moment for video and wine blogging.

Wine Library TV has one of the largest audiences in wine (for non mainstream media), but falls considerably short of publications like Spectator and Enthusiast. On Wednesday night, Gary will be reaching out to an audience that may be larger than both of those magazines combined.

Gary is very excited about his upcoming appearance on Conan, “This is an example that the web 2.0 video movement has the potential to go mainstream … We hope the interview on Conan will open more doors for other video and wine bloggers.”

The philosophy of Wine Library TV is a breath of fresh air. I’m sure this is part of the reason why Conan wants him on the show. According to Gary, “Getting everyone to know wine is about personal taste, not what a critic says. And more importantly to try new things and bring younger people into wine.”

His approach is definitely working. Gary has over 1,000 friends on facebook, a social networking site used predominately by college students. He recently released the Wine Library TV “Bring the Thunder” facebook application, which probably played a large role in his popularity on the site.

I couldn’t think of a better person to represent the web 2.0 wine movement than Gary. It has the potential to be a very big deal; what do you think about the importance of this event? If you could ask Gary to talk about anything on the show, what would it be?

Light Brown Apple Moth Combated with Pheromones Instead of Pesticides

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has changed tactics in combating the light brown apple moth. Rather than spraying affected parts of Napa with a pesticide called bacillus thuringinsis, pheromone twist ties are being attached to fences and trees. Officials believe these pheromones will confuse moths looking for a mate and lessen the possibility of reproduction.

The change in strategy is the result of environmental and health concerns raised by some members of the local community. A. G. Kawamura, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said, “This is among the most advanced and environmentally sensitive eradication tools ever used in California.”

The light brown apple moth was first discovered in the backyard of a Napa home near West Lincoln Avenue on May 9, 2007. According to the Department of Food and Agriculture, the twist ties will be placed on about 70 properties and left for 90 days.

Native to Australia, the light brown apple moth eats many agricultural crops, including grape vines. Although the moth has been found in 11 different counties, officials are particularly worried about its impact on Napa Valley’s lucrative wine industry.

Related Articles

As Apple Moth Threatens Napa Grapes, Local Officials Plan to Take Action

Moth is Huge Threat to Napa County Vineyards

EU Pushes to Reform European Wine Industry

EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is leading an effort to change the wine subsidy system which has led to over production in many European regions. In response to increased competition from the New World over the past few decades, the EU has been purchasing and distilling wine from member countries that will not sell.

This policy has not done much for innovation, and has created a situation where many European wineries are making products that no one wants. Over $700 million was spent last year distilling unsold wine into industrial alcohol. Boel correctly believes this is an inefficient use of resources, and recently said, “I want the money to be spent better – on things which will build the sector up, not as a crutch.”

Abolishing theses subsidies makes good economic sense, but it is ruffling feathers throughout the EU. Additionally, Boel wants to uproot about 200,000 hectares of underperforming vineyards. Farmers would be compensated, but the plan is still very controversial.

In an effort to shore up support for these painful, but necessary reforms, Boel is traveling to several European wine regions and speaking to policy makers. A few days ago, she gave a speech to the Italian Senate on the subject.

Wines from California, Australia, South America and South Africa are especially hurting Europeans producers in less expensive market segments. Boel is particularly worried about this development, because this where much of the wine industry’s innovation occurs.

Favorite Napa Valley Vineyards Pictures

Napa Valley Vineyards

The Napa Valley is a beautiful place. And with good reason, it has become one of the premiere tourist destinations in the United States. If the wine doesn’t inspire you to come out and visit, hopefully these pictures will.

Update: Vintners are Getting Closer to Pouring at Charity Events

A few months ago, we covered an ongoing story about wineries pouring at charitable events. At that point, we thought that the bill was about to be signed by the governor, but it apparently wasn’t.

But the bill did pass another hurdle in the process, as the California state Senate approved it by a 36 – 0 vote. The bill, AB 323, would permit holders of Type 17 and 20 licenses to pour wine at charitable events. AB 323 will now go back to the Assembly for agreement on the amendments.

The bill was introduced by Assembly member Noreen Evans, D- Santa Rosa. If signed, it would take effect January 1st, 2008, but Evans recently added an amendment that would make AB 323 go into effect immediately after it was signed by the governor.

Evans added, the “Government shouldn’t be punishing anyone for donating to charity. But these vintners had their licenses temporarily suspended. My legislation stops this silliness.”

Related Articles

Wineries can now Pour at Non-Profit Events

Toast of the valley: July 20

Stags’ Leap Winery Released Book about Estate

There’s a story behind every wine you drink. Some are about the long history of a vineyard, battling through prohibition and phylloxera infestation; and others describe the journey from vine to bottle.

However compelling the story may be, it’s rare that you know about it. But wineries are realizing that many of their consumers are interested in their stories. This is evident if you visit winery websites, where the first link is to the winery’s “story” or “history.” This is a great way to get the public to associate with your wine.

One producer who has taken this idea to the next level is Stags’ Leap Winery. On July 10th, they celebrated the release a five volume book about the life of their estate, which began in 1893. The books took over five years to complete, and through the process, took on a course of their own.

The project was lead by poet and designer Theresa Whitehall. Whitehall designed the books as well took on the arduous task of organizing and putting together the content for the story.

The original idea for the books came from former winemaker Robert Brittan, who envisioned a book that could be read by visitors of the winery. After Whitehall began delving into the property’s history, it evolved into much more than that. Unfortunately, Brittan left before the project was finished, so the current winemaker, Kevin Morrisey finished the task.

The first volume, titled “The Book of Rules,” is about the games played at Stags’ Leap Winery. These include bocce ball, eight-ball, cribbage, rummy and dominoes. Artist Dana DeKalb was responsible for the artwork and design of “The Book of Rules.”

The second volume is devoted to the culture and history of the estate. This book was designed by artist Patrick McFarlin and photographer Olaf Beckmann. Whitehill interviewed winery staff and family members to put together this part of the story.

The Chase Family, who founded the estate, was the focus of the third volume, entitled “Ne Cede Malis,” which means “Never give in to misfortune.” According to a press release, the title of the book was appropriate because it was “a useful guiding philosophy from the turbulent 1880s through Prohibition, the Great Depression and the revitalization of the property in the 1970s.”

The fourth volume is a book of lists called “Cartography.” The focus of this volume is on the environment of their estate, including; native plants, rocks, plants in the Moon Garden, rootstocks and of course, the vines. The art was designed by sculptor, printmaker and landscape architect Roberto Rovira.

The last of the five volumes is a collection of experts from the interviews and statements of people who have been involved with Stags’ Leap Winery. This book, appropriately titled, “Voices from the Leap,” features each quote on a separate piece of paper with a water color.

Only 1,000 copies of the five volume set were printed, and is priced at $750.

Related Articles

All there is to know about Stags’ Leap Winery

Prohibition

Phylloxera

Stags Leap Winery

Stags Leap Wine Country

Napa Valley Wine Country

Recent News from California’s Wine Country

A truck carrying 6,500 gallons of red wine crashed on Tuesday afternoon just south of the town of Napa. The impact ripped a large hole in the tank and about half of the wine was lost. Luckily, the driver escaped the wreckage with only minor injuries.

The 21st Annual Wine Country Film Festival begins this weekend (July 19-22) in American Canyon. This is a three part event that will also visit Napa on July 26-29 and Sonoma on August 1-5. The American Canyon Films will be shown at Cartlidge and Browne Winery and the Gaia Hotel. For more information, call (707) 935-3456.

Jacuzzi Family Vineyards recently announced July 18 as the opening date of their highly anticipated winery and tasting room in the Sonoma-Carneros wine region. The building’s rustic Italian architecture will be a welcoming site to visitors traveling to wine country from the San Francisco Bay Area. Jacuzzi Family Vineyards is owned by Fred and Nancy Cline.

The 23rd annual Central Coast Wine Classic hit an important milestone last weekend when it raised over $1 million for charity. This is $300,000 more than the event raised last year, making the Central Coast Wine Classic one of America’s fastest growing wine auctions. After this impressive showing, Founder and Chairman Archie McLaren said, “The fact that we are now among the elite charitable wine auctions in America lends credibility to the event, as well as to the wineries that participated in it.”

Related Articles

Red wine spill

News from California’s Wine Country

Napa Food and Wine Event to Raise Money to End Childhood Hunger

On Wednesday, July 18th, some of Napa Valley’s top chefs and restaurants will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Napa Valley. The event, sponsored by American Express, will raise funds for Share Our Strength’s fight to end childhood hunger across America.

The festivities will begin at noon with a golf tournament at Silverado Country Club, followed by a tasting and live auction from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. There will be more than 30 restaurants and wineries participating, hosted by Silverado Resort Chef Peter Pahk.

Restaurants and wineries slated for the event include; Brix, Martini House, Meadowood, Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, Cole’s Chop House, Carneros Inn, Google Café 150, Cakebread, Chalk Hill, Joseph Phelps, Domaine Chandon, Faust, Robert Mondavi Winery, Franciscan, Simi Winery, The Hess Collection and more.

All of the proceeds from the ticket sales and auction will go directly to the fight to end childhood hunger, a serious problem in California and across the nation. Chef Peter Pahk said, “We are excited to launch a new food and wine event with Share Our Strength in Napa Valley that directly benefits families in our communities … This is a great way for us to do our part to end childhood hunger in the Napa Valley and across the country.”

The Taste of the Nation event is the largest culinary benefit supporting the fight to end childhood hunger in America. There is not a more fitting way for the food industry to give back to the community then to use their talents to raise money for people who are underprivileged and underrepresented.

Founder and executive director of Share our Strength Bill Shore recently noted, “An end to childhood hunger in our country is within reach … With all the participants in Taste of the Nation Napa Valley and wine country sharing their strengths, we are creating more resources for the greater good of Napa Valley and our great nation.”

Tickets are still on sale for the event; it costs $200 for the golf tournament and tasting, and $100 for just the tasting. To purchase, call (877) 26-TASTE of click here.

Sparkling Wine Grapes may be Harvested Soon

2007 has been a warm growing year in California, and the harvest of sparkling wine grapes may begin as soon as early August. This would be about 2 weeks earlier than normal but is not unprecedented; the 2004 harvest began in late July.

Grapes used to make sparkling wine, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, are picked earlier than those used to make still wines. This ensures that acidity is high and sugars are low. The grapes are then made into a low alcohol base wine during the first fermentation.

After the first fermentation, the wine is bottled and the liqueur de triage is added which induces the second fermentation. This all occurs in the bottle, trapping carbon dioxide and raising alcohol levels to the standard percentage.

This year’s harvest is shaping up to be a large and high-quality one in California. Springtime frost and rain were not much of a threat, and vineyard owners are generally happy with how the growing season is going so far.

Related Articles

Sparkling Wine Production

J Vineyards Sparkling Wine Named to SF Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines of 2006

Controversial Calistoga AVA Remains Stalled

The proposed Calistoga AVA continues to hit road blocks, primarily because of objections from Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estates. At issue is the fact that because these two wineries do not use at least 85% Calistoga grapes in their wine, they would have to stop using their brand names if AVA status is granted.

In 2003, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena submitted the proposal for Calistoga to be granted AVA status. In his petition, Barrett demonstrates that Calistoga has long been recognized as a distinct grape growing region in Napa Valley, and produces unique wines. “Good wines take on the very essence of where they are grown and produced, from the aroma to the lingering flavor on the palate. Therefore, it makes sense that the distinct wine-growing regions of California are reflected in name on the bottle so consumers have a sense of the origin of the wine they are enjoying.”

In addition, Calistoga has some physical traits that distinguish it from surrounding AVAs. For instance, the geology of the region is much more consistent than in Oakville and Rutherford to the south. Whereas the soil in Oakville and Rutherford is a mix of ancient sea bed, volcanic debris and alluvial flows, Calistoga’s soil is almost entirely of volcanic origin. Located in the northernmost point of Napa Valley, the climate of Calistoga is also warmer than surrounding areas.

The Napa Valley Vintners Association backs Barrett’s efforts to create the Calistoga AVA, and argues that they want to work with Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estates. Rex Stults, a spokesman for the Napa Valley Vintners Association, recently said, “We’re trying to make our message loud and clear. We’re not trying to put anybody out of business or make them drop their brand names.”

Stults went on to say that the two wineries will be able to keep their labels as long as they start using at least 85% Calistoga grapes in their wines. But this clearly is not acceptable to Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estates, and so the controversy continues.

News from California’s Wine Country

Tomorrow, July 12th, Jerry Lohr, Jim Conacannon and Robert Gallo will be honored as recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the California Exposition and State Fair. The three vintners have made a tremendous impact on the wine industry and truly deserve this honor.

On Friday, July 13th, the Paso Robles Wine Alliance will be hosting the Paso Grand Taste with Central Coast Wine Classic. The tasting will feature 15 Paso Robles wineries and is to be held in the brand new Vina Robles Hospitality Center in Paso Robles. There will be food paired with the wines. For more information, click here.

On June 16th, the 2007 Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award was given out at the “Taste for a Cure” gala in Hollywood. Several Napa Valley vintners poured wine at this event, including; Beth Novak Milliken of Spottswood Estate Vineyard and Winery, Margaret Duckhorn from Duckhorn Wine Company, Beth Nickel from Nickel & Nickel and Stephanie Putnam of Far Niente. The Nickel family was recognized for their efforts, raising $1 million for the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center.

On July 21 and 22, Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards will is set to host its Catalan Festival. The two-day event begins on the 21st at 11:00 am, and features Catalan-inspired food, music, dance and sparkling wine. Tapas will also be served from local restaurants, and local artists are supposed to be in attendance. For information, click here.

On July 17th, Several Napa Valley and Sonoma wineries are hosting an event on Pier 33 in San Francisco. The event will feature Cabernet blends from Diamond Mountain and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Food will be paired with the wine, to register, click here.

Wine may be Good for Your Teeth

Much has been written about the potential health benefits of red wine, often focusing on the fact that anti-oxidants called polyphenols can prevent heart disease and cancer. Now a new study suggests all types of wine may be good for your teeth.

Professor Gabriella Gazzani of the University of Pavia in Italy recently published findings showing that wine can act as an antimicrobial substance in the mouth. And this is not just because of the alcohol content; wine seems to fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities even when the alcohol is removed.

According to Gazzoni’s findings, several acids in wine can kill or inhibit streptococci bacteria. Streptococci is responsible for tooth decay and sore throats. Gazzoni is currently studying whether certain wine compounds should be added to mouthwash.

Red wine may not be the first thing that comes to mind for maintaining healthy teeth, but Gazzoni says that, “Red wine resulted to be more active as an antibacterial then white wine.” The study will be published in the July 11th issue of ACS’ Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Related Articles

Wine and Health

Science of Wine and Health

Wine and Disease

The French Paradox

Grgich Hills Celebrates 3 Decades of Winemaking

On July 4, 2007, Grgich Hills celebrated its 30th anniversary. Mike Grgich, Austin Hills and Mary Lee Strebl started the winery on July 4th, 1977. They celebrated the event with a private tasting and public party called, “Saturday Night Fever.”

The private tasting featured many of the winery’s old vintages. Mike Grgich said the event included, “…about 30 friends, wine writers, consumers, restaurant owners, professors, all who worked together with us for 30 years. We will taste all of the vintages and remind everyone of the old days and how the wine used to be. We will compare them to our new styles of wines as our style is constantly evolving.”

Originally from Croatia, Mike Grgich left his beloved country to escape communism. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, he has started a winery in Croatia and funded the removal of land mines from the 1991-1995 war. He also sponsored research which has proven that the Zinfandel grape’s genetic roots are in Croatia.

Before starting Grgich Hills, Mike Grgich worked for Robert Mondavi Winery. He is also noted for making the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay which won the famous 1976 Paris Blind Tasting.

Related Articles

Grgich uses Wine to Promote Peace

Grgich Hills Commemorated with Watercolor

Food and Wine Pairing at its Best

It’s Summer, and New Tasting Rooms are taking root in Carneros

The Carneros AVA is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in California’s wine country. This, in combination with world class wine production (especially Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sparkling Wine) has made Carneros a premiere wine country destination.

If you don’t believe me, check out these pictures:

Since you are now fully convinced about the beauty of Carneros, it’s time to pack up and take a trip. What better time to go then now, with seven new tasting rooms opening up by the end of July. These tasting rooms are a welcomed addition to the Carneros tourist industry.

The newest addition is located in Sonoma-Carneros, and will features the wines from Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Both operations are owned by the Cline family, are across the street from each other. Charene Beltramo of Cline said, “It’s a dream come true.”

Later this month, the Clines will be joined by several new tasting rooms at Cornerstone Place. Wineries planning to open tasting rooms include Artesa, Larson Family Winery and Roshambo.

Many of you know Artesa for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their winery is located in Napa-Carneros, where they also have a tasting facility. Roshambo Winery recently sold their Healdsburg winery to Silver Oak, so much to their fans dismay; they have been without a tasting facility for some time.

Roshambo’s new tasting facility promises to be as unique as their approach to marketing. They are planning to work with local artists to design the concepts of their new tasting room. “We’re looking forward to sharing our unique wine experience with the type of person that is enthusiastic about art,” said Dan Ricciato of Roshambo.

This is an exciting time in wine country. Wine touring and tasting is one of the best ways to explore and find new, interesting wineries and wines. These new tasting rooms will feature a wide array of excellent wines, and will surely provide the atmosphere that Carneros is known for.

Related Articles

New crop of tasting rooms sprouts up

Pinot Noir thrives in the Diverse Conditions of Carneros

Favorite Carneros Vineyard Pictures

Richard Sands Steps Down as Constellation CEO

Richard Sands recently announced that he would step down as Constellation’s CEO. His younger brother, Robert, will take over the company’s top job. Richard seems optimistic about the move, saying, “It is an appropriate time to pass the CEO baton. Our efforts will be collaborative, yet Rob will lead the company through the next level of growth.” Richard will retain his seat on the board of directors.

Under Richard Sands’ tenure as CEO, Constellation has seen a significant amount of growth through several acquisitions. In 1993, Sands orchestrated the takeover of Barton Inc., the maker of Ten High Bourbon and distributor of Corona. In 1999, Constellation acquired Franciscan Oakville Estate and Simi Winery followed by Ravenswood in 2001. These were proceeded by the purchase of BRL Hardy Ltd. in 2003 and Robert Mondavi Corp. in 2004; both for over $1 billion.

Richard Sands began working for the family business in 1979. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming executive vice president in 1982, president and chief operating officer in 1986, and CEO in 1993. He has also been chairman of the board since 1999, the year his father passed away.

Robert has been with the company since 1986, originally serving as general counsel. After his promotion was announced, Robert said that he is, “enthusiastic about opportunities ahead of me.”

The Impact of Wine Library TV going Mainstream

Blogging was once a phenomenon, but has recently made the transition into mainstream media and the lives of people around the world. According to business week, there are over 15 million active blogs as of March 2007. This number seems a bit low, considering anyone with a MySpace account has a blog.

Regardless of how many blogs there are, it’s more about how many people are reading them and their relative influence. It seems that general readership of wine blogs has been increasing, with a proportional increase in their influence. So it was just a matter of time before a wine blogger went mainstream, and brought his or her palate to the world.

What we didn’t know, was that it wasn’t going to happen through the written word, but rather through a different medium. Enter streaming video. Thanks to advances in technology (mainly flash), video players can be imbedded directly onto a webpage. This opened up the door for the next generation of blogging, vlogs.

There are clear benefits of using video as a communication tool. Certain emotions and feelings as well as non verbal cues can be conveyed, which would be lost in words. More importantly, video allows people to have short attention spans. It’s much easier to watch a five minute video then to read a 5,000 word article.

However, it does take a certain person to star in a video. Anyone who can put together a decent sentence can write a blog post. But to record a fun, entertaining vlog that people will actually watch is a different story. If someone could come along and make an interesting wine vlog, it could be gold…

Solid gold that is. And Gary Vay-Ner-Chuck certainly has “brought the thunder.” And it’s official, Gary’s Wine Library TV has gone mainstream. Last week, TIME magazine featured an article on Gary titled Totally Uncorked.

Although rather coarse in it’s description of the Wine Library TV phenomenon, the article does hit on some very important points. That Gary has what it takes to engage, entertain and relate to his audience about a subject that has been historically elitist. “He’s more hyper than Emeril, more cheerful than Rachael Ray, more street than Bobby Flay and cockier than all of them combined.”

I don’t know about “cockier” than all of them combined, come on, Bobby Flay. Enough said. What’s more important than the actually content of the article was fact that a wine blogger is getting mainstream media attention. This isn’t the first time either, CNBC ran a story on Wine Library TV you can see here.

Gary’s tag line is “changing the wine world,” which is a rather bold statement. However ambitious, it seems to be happening, with over 25,000 daily visitors to his vlog. This kind of influence is nothing to scoff at. His approach to wine is refreshing, and is a step in the right direction.

The wine industry needs someone like Gary to reach out into new markets and capture their attention. We need to scream from the roof tops “Hey! Wine isn’t all snobbery and elitism!” A similar stereotype had a strangle hold on golf, that is until Tiger Woods came along and changed everything.

Golf is more popular than ever, and in large part it was due to Tiger Woods showing that golf was not just an elitist game. Not saying that Gary is Tiger, but something similar is happening. Although many of you may disagree, the more we can bring wine to the masses the better.

Cheers to Gary and the WineLibrary team, keep the great episodes coming. You may think this post is biased because we advertise for WineLibrary, but this post was my honest assessment of the wine bloggosphere and Gary’s influence within it. If you don’t think so, leave me a comment.

Two Buck Chuck takes home Double Gold

To the surprise of many, Charles Shaw’s 2005 California Chardonnay was judged the best Chardonnay at the California State Commercial Wine Competition. The Charles Shaw label is better known as “two buck chuck,” and is a staple at any Trader Joe’s.

The official results are not going to be released until July 12th; but Renata Franzia of Bronco’s Franzia family received the news last Friday, and has been spreading the word since. According to Renata Franzia, the Chardonnay received 98 points, Best of Class, Double Gold and Best of California.

Some of you might be thinking that the competition was fixed, but Dr. Richard Peterson, veteran winemaker and a State Fair judge said, “We have the most open judging I know. There is nothing to bias the judging: we get numbered glasses; we don’t know region, brand or price; we evaluate the judges frequently to make sure they’re tops in the field. Charles Shaw won because it is a fresh, fruity, well-balanced Chardonnay that people and judges, though maybe not wine critics, will like!”

This is officially the “Judgment of California.” Well, maybe it doesn’t carry the significance of the Paris Blind Tasting, but it is a great day for the Franzia family of wines.

Because most people associate a wine’s quality with its price, there is a stigma surrounding “bargain and box wines.” Because of that, this win is a pretty big deal. It shows that price doesn’t always correlate with quality. And is a huge step for the Charles Shaw brand and the Franzia family.

Related Articles

“Two Buck Chuck” Celebrates its Fifth Birthday

Franzia moving towards Environmental Responsibly

$1.99 Chardonnay Judged California’s Best

Charles Krug Winery Denies Charges of “Unfair Labor Practices”

Charles Krug Winery has formerly denied charges of unfair labor practices that were brought by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) on June 13.

The ALRB’s complaint states that Charles Krug Winery illegally fired 27 union employees in 2006 after it, “failed to bargain in good faith with the United Farm Workers for wages, hours and work conditions.”

The ALRB also alleges that the winery wanted the farm workers to take physical exams with the intent of firing the older ones. To settle this matter, the ALRB wants Charles Krug Winery to re-hire the employees as well as pay them back wages.

But the winery is not backing down, and Thomas Fossey, Charles Krug’s Chief Financial Officer, recently stated, “I don’t think it would have been appropriate to settle,” adding, “We don’t think the charges were appropriate.” The next step will be a hearing before an administrative law judge in Napa.

Related Articles

Charles Krug

Charles Krug Winery

Krug Winery Charged With Unfair Labor Practices

New Features on Calwineries are Officially Live

Since Calwineries launched in November, we have been trying to connect our users and visitors to California’s wine country. California is a huge state, and is considered by many to be its own independent wine producing country. To help bridge the gap, we have recently launched a couple of new features to foster a deeper connection to California and its wine.

Rather than trying to tell you what to like, we wanted to let you decide for yourself. For each winery and wine, you can click the “mark as favorite” button which saves that page to your profile as a bookmark. Clicking the favorite button is also a vote for that wine or winery.

Rather than organizing the wines and wineries alphabetically, we decided to organize them based on their popularity in our community. Each time someone marks a wine or winery as a favorite, the number in the favorites ticker increases. Our winery and wine pages are organized so that the most popular are at the top, which hopefully makes these pages more relevant to you.

Marking a winery as a favorite not only keeps track of what you like, but it also keeps you up to date with that winery. In your profile, you can see any recent news from the wineries you marked as favorites. You can also sign up for the RSS feed and get the news sent straight into your RSS reader. By visiting your profile, you can see any recent news or releases from your favorites.

The most recent addition to Calwineries is functionality that allows you to sign up for winery mailing lists and wine clubs. This is the next step in connecting you to your favorite wineries and wines. Instead of having to go to each winery website to sign up for mailings, you can do it straight through Calwineries.

We are proud to welcome Inertia Beverage Group to the Calwineries family. Inertia is an industry leader in winery software, and we are happy to work with their team and client wineries. Calwineries is continuing to grow and develop, and we would like to thank you, our users and visitors, for your support. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

Wineries with Mailing Lists on Calwineries

13 Appellations

Arista Winery

Artesa Winery

August Briggs Winery

Baldacci Family Vineyards

Beaucanon Winery

Belvedere Winery

Benessere Vineyards

Beringer Vineyards

Bighorn Cellars

Bonterra Vineyards

Bourassa Vineyards

Bravante Vineyards

Brookdale Vineyards

Calistoga Cellars

Chameleon Cellars

Chanticleer

Chateau Felice

Chateau Souverain

Chateau St Jean

Chumeia Vineyards

Cornerstone Cellars

Cosentino Winery

DeBurca Winery

DeLoach Vineyards

Dolce Winery

Downing Family Vineyards

Dutcher Crossing Winery

Ehlers Estate

Etude Wines

Ehrhardt Estates

Far Niente

Fetzer Vineyards

Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery

Fritz Winery

Graeser Winery

Hahn Estates

Halleck Vineyard

Heron Wines

Hourglass

Humanitas

Iridesse

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Kapcsándy Family Winery

Lancaster Estate

Laurel Glen Winery

Lobo Loco Wines

Londer Vineyards

Luna Vineyards

Macchia Wines

Matthiasson Family Vineyards

Maurice Car’rie Winery

McDowell Valley Vineyard

McNab Ridge Winery

Medlock Ames

Mettler Family Vineyards

Mi Sueno

Mount Palomar Winery

Moss Creek Winery

Naughty Cellars

Nickel & Nickel

Pacific Star Winery

Parador Cellars

Pellegrini Family Vineyards

Renteria Wines

Rosati Family Winery

Roth Winery

Russian Hill

Sapid Wines

Seavey Vineyard

Seghesio Family Vineyards

Sequoia Grove

Smith & Hook

South Coast Winery

St Clement

Stonegate Winery

Tamayo Family Vineyards

Taz Vineyards

Terra Valentine

Titus Vineyards

Trefethen Vineyards

Tricycle Wine Company

Twisted Oak Winery

Vare Vineyards

Vino Con Brio

VM Vineyards

Watts Winery

Whitmore Wine Company

Copia Changes its Mission, Focuses on Wine

Since it was established in 2001, Copia has embraced the lofty goal of being, “The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts.” Unfortunately, a less than ideal location (Downtown Napa) and rather convoluted mission has caused Copia to struggle financially over the past few years. Most of the visitors who come to wine country immediately head upvalley and bypass the town of Napa altogether.

In an effort to shore up its position as a major tourist destination, Copia has announced that it will refocus on what made Napa Valley famous in the first place- wine. To this end, ten self-serve wine tasting bars have been installed and each offers a themed selection of four wines. Examples include, “Best of Napa Valley Appellation,” “Chocolate-Friendly Wines” and “Favorites from Copia’s Wine Team.”

Education is a major component to these wine tasting bars as well. One is called, “Finding Fault in Your Wine,” and will pour a sound wine, a wine with TCA, a wine with volatile acidity and a wine contaminated with Brettanomyces. Consumers will be able to compare these faults side-by-side with an unflawed wine so they can better distinguish them.

Another tasting bar is called, “Oak Gets in Your Wine,” and will pour four different Chardonnays. One is fermented in stainless steel tanks, one is fermented in stainless steel tanks with the addition of oak chips, one is fermented in French oak barrels and the last is fermented in American oak barrels.

These wine tasting bars are an excellent idea and seem like they will be quite useful for developing educated consumers. There is certainly no substitute for tasting wines side-by-side in this fashion to develop one’s palate. But the question remains, are these reforms too little too late for Copia?

Related Articles

Copia

Napa Valley

TCA Taint

“Two Buck Chuck” Celebrates its Fifth Birthday

Charles Shaw, aka, “Two Buck Chuck,” is a brand that stirs deep emotions amongst consumers and vintners alike. But despite the fact that owner Fred Franzia is a deeply divisive figure, there is no denying the brand’s success; over 300 million bottles have been sold in its first five years. The wine is carried exclusively at Trader Joe’s.

Franzia has ruffled many feathers in his career, often lambasting the alleged snobbery of the high-end wine industry. “We’re not out to gouge people. What I would like to see is every consumer be able to afford to have wine on the table every day and not feel insecure about it.”

Representing approximately 8% of the California wine market, Charles Shaw has forever changed the industry, both here and abroad. One can now find an abundance of cheaper wines in any store, often referred to as “critter labels” like Yellow Tail of Australia.

Franzia’s impact on the wine industry has certainly been a double-edged sword, eliciting both praise and condemnation. On the one hand, there are those that believe he has popularized everyday wine drinking to the public. But others contend he merely dumbs down and sterilizes what has long been an artisanal product.

Franzia has clashed with the Napa Valley Grape Growers Association over his use of geographically identifiable labels on wines that do not contain grapes from that region. Although he lost that case, it has not seemed to slow him down.

Franzia is able to produce wines at very low costs because he literally owns the means of production from vines to distribution. So it seems that regardless of his controversial business practices, Franzia’s “Two Buck Chuck” will be around for many years to come.

Have you dreamed of owning your Own Napa Valley Vineyard?

Have you ever dreamed of owning a vineyard in the Napa Valley? Does the thought of waking up and walking through rows of Cabernet Sauvignon vines make you happy? If so, now seems to be the perfect time to buy. There are quite a few Napa Valley Vineyards on the market that seem to be moving slowly and are ripe for the picking.

Although the price tags are borderline ridiculous, there are tangible benefits to buying existing vineyards over developing new ones. The permits and Environmental Impact Reports, coupled with development costs make developing vineyards an overly difficult ordeal. If you have the money, buying a producing vineyard is probably the best way to go.

Broker Steve Gregory of Morgan Lane in Napa said, “It takes a long time and a huge bureaucratic hassle to get approvals for a winery, and if your vineyard has a slope over 5%, it takes a $100,000 environmental impact plan and 3 years to get approval.”

It is not a surprise that many aspiring vintners are buying developed properties rather than dealing with the hassle. But there seems to be a dip in the market, as buyers are turning their heads to properties that were historically bought very quickly. Chuck Sawday, of Pacific Union real estate said, “There’s not much urgency among buyers. Even if you reduce prices, there’s not much action.”

Prominent Napa Valley Vineyard listings include:

Waters Ranch: A 22 acre estate in the Atlas Peak AVA owned by Jayson Pahlmeyer. Price tag: $28.5 million.
Pillar Rock Vineyards: A 114 acre estate in the Stags Leap AVA owned by Ron and Teri Kuhn. Price tag: $19.5 million.
Unnamed property: 40 acre vineyard that just received a mid-90 score from Robert Parker for its first wine. Price tag: $21 million
Twin Creeks Vineyard: A 120 acre vineyard in Wooden Valley. Price tag: $12.5 million.

Anyone who truly loves wine would love to have their own vineyard in the Napa Valley. However, as you can see by the above price tags, it’s not cheap. For those who can afford it, now is a perfect time to quit your day job and start living your dream as a vintner in the Napa Valley.

Related Articles

Napa Valley

Grape Growing

“The House of Mondavi” Explores the Rise and Fall of a Wine Dynasty

Julia Flynn Siler, a contributing writer for the Wall Street Journal, has just released her long awaited book about the Mondavi Family. The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, “is a tale of visionary genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal.” Siler exhaustively researched her book, conducting over 500 hours of interviews with over 200 individuals.

The Mondavi Family’s rise is truly a great American success story. In 1906, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi immigrated to the United States from the Marche region of Italy. Cesare and Rosa initially entered the wine business in Lodi, where they shipped grapes to home winemakers under a provision of the Volstead Act.

In 1941, the couple purchased the historic Charles Krug Winery for $75,000 as a legacy for their sons, Peter and Robert. The two brothers never saw eye-to-eye; Peter wanted to focus on catering to the bulk wine market whereas Robert wanted to create a high-end market for American wine. The feud came to a head during the 1960s, and Robert left the family business to found his own winery in 1966.

Robert Mondavi achieved his dream of creating American awareness of fine wine, forever changing Napa Valley in the process. The next few decades were a whirlwind of success for the family, culminating in an IPO in 1993.

Robert’s children, Michael, Timothy and Marcia, each took different roles in the family company. Michael became Chairman and wanted to expand the business into mid-range price points, starting such labels as Woodbridge and Mondavi Coastal. Timothy focused on grape growing and winemaking, and advocated that the corporation focus on its high-end products. Marcia moved to the East Coast and ran the family’s business in that part of the country.

Meanwhile, Robert shifted his attention to philanthropic efforts. During the early 1990s, when the corporation’s stock was at an all time high, Robert gave tens of millions of dollars to UC Davis and Stanford. He also pledged millions to develop COPIA in downtown Napa. As Siler explains in her book, Robert Mondavi apparently overextended himself leading to a loss of family control in the corporation. This culminated in 2004, when Michael was ousted from his role as Chairman, followed by the sale to Constellation soon after.

Despite the Mondavi Family’s missteps, they have had an incalculable impact on the development of the California wine industry. For a much more in-depth examination of this story, read Siler’s, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, which is available in bookstores across the country.

Genetically Modified Yeast is Causing Controversy in Wine Country

The development of genetically modified winemaking yeast called ML01 has major implications for the industry and is already inciting passions on both sides of the issue. Because it is a much simpler organism, yeast can be genetically modified with more ease than the grape vines themselves. ML01 is only available in North America where there are few restrictions on genetically modified foods.

Proponents of ML01 argue that because yeast can be genetically modified to kill unwanted bacteria, this eliminates the need for as much sulphur dioxide to be added; a major source of hangovers.

A major appeal to winemakers is the fact that genetically modified yeast ferments wine much more quickly than traditional strains. Genetically modified yeast can also promote certain tastes and aromas in wine.

As stated in New Scientist, “GM yeast has dazzling potential because many of the ‘organoleptic’ qualities of a wine – its colour, aroma and flavour – are created by chemicals spat out by yeast as it munches its way through the mush of crushed grapes. And the metabolic pathways that produce these chemicals have proved obligingly easy to manipulate.”

Despite the upsides of genetically modified yeast, widespread use likely faces an uphill battle. Most wineries will be wary to adopt ML01, as much of wine’s appeal is due to its image of a traditional product. Others argue that the use of genetically modified yeast will homogenize wines styles and point out that the long-term effects to consumers and the environment are unclear.

Related Articles

Wine Production

Wine Chemistry

Yeast Types

Sulfur Dioxide

Virginia was the first U.S. State to Produce Wine

To many, the United States wine industry began with the 1976 Judgment of Paris. To some extent, this is true. Some important aspects of U.S. wine were born that day. But grape growing and winemaking began long before that.

Because California produces ninety percent of U.S. wine, it’s easy to think that wine production began in the golden state. But it didn’t, the original home is Jamestown, Virginia; where John Smith planted grapes and made wine in 1607.

For those of you who have spent time on Calwineries, you know that it takes a special set of environmental and social conditions to produce good wine. If the right soil, geology, terrain and climate come together with a demand for wine, then it can be successfully produced.

Environmental conditions were the main problem for Jamestown settlers; it was more or less swampland. But this didn’t stop pressure from the British, who wanted to produce wine that would rival the French. This was a tall task considering that Jamestown was not an appropriate place to grow grapes.

Just as you would expect, the European varietals that the settlers brought died. So they searched the countryside looking for vines that could survive the harsh conditions. The grapes they did find, which were probably Muscadine Scuppernong, did not produce the quality of wine that the British were looking for.

Because of the difficulty in producing anything worth drinking, the colonies began shipping a port style wine from the Portuguese island Madeira. The signers actually toasted the Declaration of Independence with Madeira.

Because of said factors, and many others, the colonies gave up on producing wine, and turned their attention to producing tobacco. The Virginia wine industry didn’t resurface again until the 1950’s. It now thrives because of advances in knowledge and technology.

The number of wineries in Virginia grew from only three in 1975 to more than 125 today. This jump shows the states promise for growing grapes and making wine. Although Virginia only has 3,000 acres of vineyards (compared to the half million in California), it is finally starting to realize the dreams of the original settlers 400 years ago.

Related Articles

History of Wine

1976 Blind Taste Test

Grape Growing

Wine Production

Krug Winery charged with “Unfair Labor Practices”

To many, Charles Krug Winery is synonymous with Napa Valley wine production. Their history dates back to 1861, where they were the only commercial winery in the Napa Valley. Much has changed since then, including Labor Laws, which Krug winery is finding out the hard way.

On Thursday, June 14th, the California State Labor Relations Board ruled against Krug Winery (Owned by the Peter Mondavi family) and has formally filed charges alleging violations of labor laws concerning the firing of 27 workers during the summer of 2006. Representatives from Krug have denied any wrongdoing.

The allegations come from the winery’s decision to fire 27 vineyard workers after Krug’s contract with the United Farm Workers (UFW) expired. Apparently, the UFW contract protected the vineyard workers from being fired in this manner. Without the contract, the workers seemed to be at risk for termination.

But the United Farm Workers feel differently, as they filed charges soon after the firings. The UFW has accused Krug of unfair labor practices. This was almost a year ago; then on Thursday, Freddie Capuyan, director of the Labor Relations Board (ALRB), found that “Mondavi had committed some unfair labor practices.”

Capuyan and the ALRB have charged Mondavi and Krug Winery with discrimination against their employees. Specifically, the ALRB alleges they failed to bargain in good faith with the United Farm Workers for hours, wages and employment conditions. Also Krug allegedly didn’t furnish relevant information during labor negotiations.

The ALRB wants all of the workers to be rehired and paid back wages. The case can be settled out of court, or can be taken before a judge for administrative review.

Related Articles

Labor board rules against Krug winery

UFW urges boycott of Charles Krug Winery

CA Winegrape Growers Declare California Wine Country an Independent State

The California Association Winegrape Growers (CAWG) has long supported California’s wine industry. They’ve backed programs dedicated to sustainable wine grape growing, vineyard wildlife habitat restoration, pest management and community relations. Now the CAWG has launched a “Declaration of Independence” for California.

Like the United States breaking away from England, the CAWG’s declaration seeks to separate California’s wine country from the rest of the United States. The CAWG wants to position California along side the major wine producing countries; France, Spain and Italy.

According to CAWG president Karen Ross, “The goal is to remind consumers what California has to offer: the many growing areas of California Wine Country, the diversity of varietals, price points and value, and all the smart, innovative people involved in the business.”

To bring about awareness, the CAWG has launched a website, called One Nation Under Vines, to further their cause. The newly launched website highlights the major wine regions (which they designates as states in the country), but does not go into any detail of them besides their general location. Hopefully there will be more to come.

One Nation Under Vines hopes to feature “beyond wine” information, which includes accommodations, restaurants, attractions and festivals. This is a major step in establishing California as its own independent entity. There is much more to wine country than just wine.

If there is any region in the United States that could break away, it would be California. The Wine Institute states that California is the fourth largest producer of wine worldwide. The CAWG felt it was time for California to take its place as a force in the international wine industry.

Related Articles

California Association of Winegrape Growers

Medlock Ames’ Dedication to Sustainability not just an Ideal, It’s a way of Life

Movement towards Sustainable Winegrowing in California

Napa Winery Fined Half Million for Breaking Enviornmental Policy

Some Napa Vintners are in a battle with environmentalists and environmental policy makers about the proper use of their land. There seems to be a strong resistance to the use of pesticides, and development of certain pieces of property.

Recently, Palmaz Vineyards agreed to settle charges that they violated county and state land use regulations. According to the Napa County Counsel’s Office and Napa District Attorney’s Office, Palmaz Vineyards failed to get the proper permits to plant 750 vines too close to a stream that runs through their property.

In the settlement, the Palmazes agreed to pay a $375,000 civil penalty to the county for violating stream setback and other laws; $130,000 to the Napa County Fish & Wildlife Propagation Fund, $15,000 to the Department of Fish and Game and $30,000 to the State Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

Napa County Counsel Robert Westmeyer said, “This resolution is in the best interests of all concerned. The alternative would have involved years of protracted and expensive litigation, with no guarantees as to the outcome.”

In addition to the financial penalties, the settlement:

Orders the Palmazes to restore a natural spring; plant willow, bay and live oak trees along a stretch of Hagen Creek where vegetation was cut back; and remove approximately 750 vines from areas protected by stream setback regulations;

Prohibits the Palmazes from engaging in any future activities that would violate the county’s soil erosion control, stream setback and grading ordinances;

Prohibits the Palmazes from violating Fish and Game regulations protecting stream beds, banks and channels;

Places a moratorium on further development on the Palmaz property until the winery conducts and complete a wetlands and watercourse assessment;

Requires the Palmazes to contact the county if they plan to acquire and develop any other property in unincorporated Napa County.

All in all, the Palmazes estimate that the overall cost to fully resolve the cost will be around $1.25 million. This is a hefty price for planting 750 vines. With the amount of money in grape growing and winemaking, it’s important for stiff regulations to protect the environment.

2006 California Wine Sales & Other News

Spanish missionaries planted the first grapes in California in the 19th century. But until the 1976 Paris tasting, California’s wine industry was little more than a sparkle in the eyes of vintners and winemakers. After the “vinous shot heard round the world,” California wine has been steadily growing and has now earned an international reputation for excellence.

With this in mind, it is not surprising that 2006 was a record year for United States wine sales. According to Jon Fredrikson, of the Gomberg-Fredrikson report, 189 million cases of California Wine were sold in 2006, up two percent from ‘05. The retail value of this wine increased as well, up 8 percent, totaling $17.8 billion.

The domestic market for California Wine far surpasses international demand, as the total value of U.S. wine exports in 2006 was only $876 million. This number is up 30% from 2005. Additionally, California’s wines made up over 95% of all U.S. exports in 2006.

Other California Wine News

E & J Gallo Winery announced that it has acquired 182 aces of vineyards in Napa Valley’s Chiles Valley form California Wine Co.

Mario Monticelli was named winemaker for Trinchero Napa Valley in St. Helena. He is the former winemaker for Quixote Winery in Napa.

David Tate is the new winemaker for Barnett Vineyards in St. Helena. Tate was previously assistant winemaker for Ridge Vineyards.

Erich Bradley is the new winemaker for Hop Kiln Winery in Healdsburg and HK Generations Wines. Since 2003, Bradley has been winemaker at Audelssa winery in Glen Ellen.

Joel Gott Wines promoted Alisa Jacobson to winemaker. Jacobson has been assistant winemaker since 2003.

Amphora Winery owner-winemaker Rick Hutchinson hired Jay Kell as assistant winemaker. Kell was most recently associate brand manager at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa.

NVV’s E Auction is not Just About Wine

Auction Napa Valley is starting today at various wineries throughout the Valley. Today is just a warm up for the rest of the week’s festivities. Tomorrow is the barrel tasting and E Auction, and Saturday is the main event, the Live Auction. The Live Auction has raised over $68 million for charity since 1981, and will continue to do so this year. The E Auction is a relatively new event that we have covered here and here.

The beauty of the E Auction is that you can participate from anywhere in the world. Like the Live Auction, the majority of E Auction lots are wine verticals and special bottles. But several are not just about the wine, and are some of the more popular lots among bidders.

Lot #114: Cooking with Cakebread Cellars

This lot features a private cooking class at Cakebread Cellars for 14 people with Cakebread Cellars culinary director Brian Streeter. The class will include lunch and, of course, feature Cakebread Cellars wines. Each guest will also receive an apron and cookbook; the winning bidder of this lot will receive a double magnum of 2004 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.

Lot # 119: An Affair to Remember

Lot number 119 features your own personal Napa Valley winemaker and chef for the evening. Domaine Chandon etoile Chef Christopher Mannning and winemaker Tom Tiburzi will come to your home and prepare a fabulous meal with paired with Chandon sparkling and varietal wines. This lot also features 3 cases of Domaine Chandon Carneros Pinot and Brut Sparkling Wine.

Lot #123: Fantesca Estate & Winery’s Hands-On Harvest

Fantesca Estate and Winery invites you to be a part of Fantesca’s crush crew at their third-annual “Hands-on Harvest” on Saturday, October 6, 2007. “While sipping some of Fantesca’s top drops learn how to pick, sort and crush the estate harvest. After being a part of the crush crew, the team will walk through our naturally cool cave to the estate where they will be rewarded with a well-deserved gourmet lunch prepared by one of Napa’s top chefs.” The winning bidder will also receive one Fantesca Estate & Winery limited-edition 3L etched bottle of 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lot #142: Winemaker for a Day

Kevin, Chris and Stephen Corley welcome eight of you to Monticello Vineyards for a day of tasting and blending of CORLEY Proprietary Red Wine in the Corley Family’s Jefferson House Reserve Room. The Corleys will lead you through blending trials for you to make your own version of their Proprietary red wine: four cases that after aging and bottling will make its way to your cellar!

Related Articles

Find your Favorite Napa Valley Wineries

Is Napa too Far? E-Auction brings Auction NV to your Home

Tickets for Auction Napa Valley on Sale Tomorrow

Napa Valley Wine Country

As Apple Moth Threatens Napa Grapes, Local Officials Plan to Take Action

Napa County officials have announced that they will begin using organic pesticides to combat the light brown apple moth. The initial spraying will be concentrated on a small stretch of land near Highway 29 and Lincoln Avenue.

Although there are many homes in the area, a spokeswoman for Napa County stressed that Bacillus thuringiensis is, “approved for use in organic growing facilities so it is on the benign end of the scale, which is encouraging.” Even still, concerned residents can attend a meeting about the issue at West Park Elementary School on June 12th at 7 pm.

Native to Australia, the light brown apple moth has spread to New Zealand, Hawaii and the British Isles. It was recently discovered in a number of Bay Area Counties including the backyard of a West Napa home. The moth feeds on several different crops including citrus, cherries, apples and grapes.

Hopefully the use of Bacillus thuringiensis will stop the moth from spreading any more than it already has. With the total value of Napa County agriculture at around $477 million in 2006, it is little surprise that the threat is being taken very seriously.

Related Articles

Pests and Diseases

Moth is Huge Threat to Napa County Vineyards

Sharpshooter Discovered in Napa

Natural Defense Against Vineyard Pests

Small Boutique Wineries featured at Alexander Valley Event

Sonoma County is home to some of California’s best wineries. While some Sonoma operations are scaled for Disneyland size tourism, others are not. Great wines are produced from large and small wineries, but certain down home qualities are reserved for small productions.

Seven small wineries were featured in last weekends Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association’s Taste of the Valley. You would think that smaller producers could be lost in the fold among wineries like Alexander Valley Vineyards, Clos du Bois, Silver Oak, Simi and Souverain.

But the “Outlaw 7” banded together to meet, greet and pour their wines. This club includes Wilson-Fleming, Icaria Creek, Joseph Family, Quaking Hills, Hart’s Desire, Kachina and Mojon’s Bench.

“For us it’s about the boutiqueness and the variety and about having fun,” said Jeffrey Smith of Icaria Creek. “You can go to Clos du Bois and meet one of their 400 employees or you can come see us and it’s a little bit different. It’s what Sonoma County used to be.”

The Outlaw 7 held their tasting at the Thunderbird Ranch, which was perfect for the western style theme of the event. Over 2,500 people attended over the two days. According to Tony Fleming of Wilson-Fleming Estate Winery, “This is the only time we get to do these public tastings,” said Fleming. “Other wineries you can go to any day, for us it’s once a year.”

In a show of good faith, a portion of the group’s wine sales were donated to California Human Development. Which is s Sonoma charity that helps disenfranchised, underrepresented people with education, jobs and housing. Cheers to the Outlaw 7, they are true backbone of the California wine industry.

Related Articles

Alexander Valley

Sonoma County

What Sets Pinot Noir Apart

Pinot Noir has been vinified for centuries and is one of the world’s noble grape varieties. But what is it about Pinot that allows it to make wines that have such haunting finesse and concentration? While its greatness has often been attributed to the muses, there are some definitive things that set Pinot Noir apart from other red grapes.

Pinot Noir is a thin skinned grape with lighter pigments than most other red varieties. This is because Pinot Noir lacks acylated anthocyanins which most other red grapes have. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.) These tannic compounds are responsible for much of the pigments in red wine. Pinot does contain the other major tannic compound called polyphenols, which gives it sufficient structure.

Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grapes to grow and produce into wine. This has at the same time infuriated and delighted winemakers. When it is done well, there is nothing else like Pinot Noir. But several things must fall into place to accomplish this, and both nature and man must cooperate.

Pinot Noir ripens early in the growing season, and because of its thin skins, it is particularly susceptible to rot. It needs to methodically develop in a cool climate, but also needs enough heat to develop its distinctive flavors and aromas. Therein lays one of the difficulties in cultivating the grape.

The best soils for Pinot Noir are limestone and clay based. In general, the more clay, the more weight the Pinot will have. Pinot does well in soils that were once ancient sea beds and have a high pH from fossilized sea shells (high Calcium content). In contrast, Cabernet Sauvignon and many other red grapes like gravelly, very well-drained soils that are often of alluvial origin and have a lower pH.

In comparison to most other red varietals, Pinot Noir has a greater propensity for mutation. Part of the reason for this is that the grape has been grown since ancient times and there has been ample opportunity for genetic variation. Whereas Cabernet Sauvignon has around 20 distinct clones, Pinot Noir has over 1,000. This is why Pinot translates the terroir of a site so effectively; it adapts and changes to its natural environment significantly more than most other red grapes.

Cabernet Sauvignon and other red grapes can certainly display terroir, but not to the same extent as Pinot. Cab is a much more predictable grape, and no matter where it is planted, it will have some traits distinguish it. This is not the case with Pinot Noir, and there is much more variation depending on the specific plot of land and the people who vinify it.

Hence the more complex AOC system in Burgundy as opposed to Bordeaux. The French in general are concerned with terroir, but in Burgundy it is an obsession.

Related Articles

Pinot Noir thrives in the Diverse Conditions of Carneros

WS Top 100 Day 4: Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Pneumatage: The Future of Pinot Noir?

Wine Basics: How to Pick a Good Pinot Noir

Siduri Releases New Ultra Premium Pinot Noirs

E-Auction Napa Valley Bidding is Open: Featured St Helena Lots

California Wine Country’s biggest event, Auction Napa Valley, will be held on June 7th to June 10th. This year, a couple of lots at the E-Auction celebrate the diverse and excellent producers in the St. Helena wine region. Many of these wines are extremely difficult to find and are only available through mailing lists.

Lot #102 is called Appellation St. Helena – Heart of the Napa Valley. It is a mix of 16 different bottles of wine from Anomaly Vineyards, Beringer Vineyards, Chateau Boswell, Crocker & Starr Wines, Flora Springs Winery, Ehlers Estate, HALL, Hundred Acre Wine Estate, Raymond Vineyard & Cellar, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, William Cole Vineyards, Wolf Family Vineyard, David Fulton Winery and Merryvale Vineyards.

The current bid for Lot #102 is $1,300: for more information click here.

This lot also includes a wine tasting and tour for 4 people at David Fulton Winery, Crocker & Starr Wines, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, Anomaly Vineyards and William Cole Vineyards. The proceeds from Auction Napa Valley benefit local health and children’s organizations.

Lot #103 is similar to #102, and is called Appellation St. Helena – More from the Heart of the Napa Valley. This lot includes 15 bottles of wine from Casa Nuestra Winery & Vineyards, Bressler Vineyards, Corison Winery, Del Dotto Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Ehlers Estate, Hourglass, Parry Cellars, Revana Family Vineyard, Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery, Trinchero Family Estates and Rutherford Grove Winery.

The current bid for Lot #103 is $1,800: for more information click here.

The winning bidder will also be treated to a wine tasting and tour for 4 people at Vineyard 29, Parry Cellars, Revana Family Vineyard and Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery. Auction Napa Valley supports some great causes and has raised over $69 million since it was established in 1981.

Related Articles

Find your Favorite Napa Valley Wineries

Is Napa too Far? E-Auction brings Auction NV to your Home

Tickets for Auction Napa Valley on Sale Tomorrow

Napa Valley Wine Country

Find your Favorite Napa Valley Wineries

One of the major problems facing the California wine industry and the wine loving public is accessibility. With the hundreds of wineries in the Napa Valley alone, it’s a daunting task to find ones you like. This is one of the goals of Calwineries, and also of other organizations like The Napa Valley Vintners Association (NVV).

The NVV recently launched a new website with a feature that helps you find the Napa Valley wineries that are interesting to you. It’s mainly devoted to finding wineries to tour, so unfortunately has little to do with the wine itself. But it still is a great resource and worthy of attention.

After navigating to the Napa Valley Wineries page, you will be able to search for wineries in three sections, by category, by city or by name.

The “wineries by category” is the most interesting feature, so we should start there. This feature allows you to narrow the winery results based on categories. These include, if the winery is open to the public, if tours are given, if it has a wine club, if it has a picnic area, even if it is dog friendly.

You can see how this would be beneficial if you are traveling to the Napa Valley. You can view your results in the form of a list, or map. The map, pictured below, adds a visual aspect to your results, making them more manageable (its easier to see 100 wineries on a map, then in a list).

The one draw back to this feature is that you cannot narrow you results with multiple factors. For instance, I would like to see a list of wineries that are open to the public, have tastings, have a picnic area and are dog friendly. As it stands, you can only see the wineries in these individual categories.

The next part of the NVV winery finder is wineries by city. These results, like wineries by category, can be viewed in list format of map format. The cities you can search by are; Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Napa, Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena and Yountville.

The last part of this feature is wineries by name. Like many other data bases, you can search NVV member wineries by name. This is mainly useful if you already know what you are looking for, rather than looking to discover new wineries.

Overall, this new feature is a great way to find Napa Valley wineries to visit. If you want to use their new winery feature, click here.

Related Articles

Is Napa too Far? E-Auction brings Auction NV to your Home

Tickets for Auction Napa Valley on Sale Tomorrow

Napa Valley Wine Country

Today’s the 31st Anniversary of the Most Important Tasting in California’s History

Today marks the 31st anniversary of the most important day in California wine history. Many regard the 1976 Judgment of Paris as the ‘tasting that changed the world.’ This was certainly true for the Napa Valley wineries that took home top honors, beating wines that were supposedly unbeatable.

There were two categories, Reds and Whites. Six California Cabernet Sauvignons were competing against four of the top reds from Bordeaux, including a 1970 Châteaux Haut-Brion and Mouton-Rothschild. And six California Chardonnays were competing against four of the top whites from Burgundy.

After the panel of eight French men and one French woman went through the blind tasting, they thought it was a landslide victory for France. But after the results were tallied, the French judges were shocked to discover that California came out on top in both categories.

This victory truly was the “shot heard round the world,” and raised California’s wine industry to a new level. The winning Cabernet was the 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, and the winning Chardonnay was the 1973 Chateau Montelena.

Pinot Noir thrives in the Diverse Conditions of Carneros

Few California wine regions produce Pinot Noir with the same depth and finesse as Carneros. Carneros straddles the southern parts of Napa and Sonoma Valleys about 40 miles north of San Francisco.

Despite the fact that Carneros overlaps both Napa and Sonoma, the region has an identity all its own. This can be seen in every aspect of the terrain which is generally quite flat and less varied than Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Carneros is also decidedly more rustic and less pretentious than its more famous neighbors.

Why Pinot Noir Thrives in Carneros

Summer days are often cooled by fog from the San Pablo Bay. But it is Carneros’ wind that really makes it a world-class Pinot Noir region. These winds can actually shut down the metabolic processes of the vines, retaining all-important acidity. The wind is also critical because it dries out moisture that settles on the vines overnight. This helps protect against mold and mildew.

Pinot Noir is also well-suited to the soils of Carneros, which are generally quite dense and shallow. These soils have medium to low fertility and are comprised of a significant amount of clay. This makes for small root systems and natural vigor management, leading to dense fruit flavors.

The southern part of Carneros is extremely flat, and only a few feet above sea level. This is the coolest part of the region, and generally makes the lightest wines. Undulating hills roll through the northern part of the region, especially on the Napa side. Some of these hills reach an elevation of 400 feet above sea level. Pinot from this part of Carneros, including the warmer Congress Valley, is quite a bit more extracted and fuller-bodied.

However, climate does not explain everything. A couple decades ago, most Carneros Pinot Noir was light-bodied and known for its dried cherry, dusty cranberry, and herbal flavors. But when phylloxera struck in the 1980s and 1990s, the older Martini clones were largely replaced with Dijon clones. These grapes make distinctly darker wines with more concentrated flavors that are often more a matter of plums, black cherries, and blueberries.

Carneros is in a bit of a transitional phase right now. Although the region’s Pinot Noir is famous the world over, there has been a lot of talk about Merlot or Syrah possibly supplanting the grape. While it is true that some of the warmer microclimates in Carneros are perhaps better suited to Merlot and Syrah, Pinot is still alive and well in the wine region.

Favorite Carneros Vineyard Pictures

Matanzas Creek Winery to Host Days of Wine and Lavender

Matanzas Creek Winery will host their 11th annual Days of Wine and Lavender festival on June 23rd from 1-4 pm. Each year, as the estate’s trademark lavender begins to bloom, Matanzas Creek celebrates the beginning of summer with wine, live music, vineyard tours, and food prepared by the winery’s chef.

Matanzas Creek is located on an impeccably landscaped property in Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley wine region. Patricia Kaczmarek cares for about 4,500 lavender plants including Provence and Grosso varieties. The winery also makes several lavender products that can be purchased online.

Matanzas Creek was established in 1977 under the leadership of Merry Edwards. With her meticulous winemaking practices and careful clonal selections in the vineyard, Edwards brought the winery to national prominence in a matter of a few years. Her Sauvignon Blanc was particularly acclaimed in the early 1980s.

Current winemaker François Cordesse works closely with vineyard manager Brandon Axell to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Days of Wine and Lavender is a great opportunity to try some of these renowned wines as well as enjoy the beautiful scenery. Tickets are $95 per person and $75 for wine club members.

Interesting facts from World Health Organization’s Report on Alcohol

For all the beauty that wine is and represents, there is a very dark, dangerous side of alcohol. Alcohol abuse is a semi-taboo subject among people in the wine industry. It’s not hard to see why an industry built on alcohol sales would avoid a subject that shows the negative effects of their products.

This is understandable. However, it is important to acknowledge the sometimes deadly effects of alcohol abuse and advocate the responsible consumption of wine. Unfortunately, there are very few wineries who mention this, and even fewer that support related organizations.

After reading the 94 page Global Status Report on Alcohol from the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s not hard to see that alcohol abuse is a significant problem facing the world’s population. According to the report;

2 billion people world wide drink alcohol
73 million have diagnosable alcohol use disorders
There is a causal relationship between alcohol and 60 types of disease and injury
Alcohol is reported as the cause of about 20 – 30% of oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, homicide, epileptic seizure, and motor vehicle accidents (WHO, 2002)

Below is a graph of the global per capita consumption of alcohol from 1961 through 2001.

As you can see, total alcohol consumption increases up to the beginning of the 1980’s. There is a slight decrease, and then remains relatively stable. This would indicate a general stabilization of world wide alcohol consumption, but examination of specific regions shows a different picture.

SEAR: South-East Asian Region
WPR: Western Pacific Region
EUR: European Region
EMR: Eastern Mediterranean Region
AMR: Region of the Americas
AFR: African Region

This graph shows why the overall world wide alcohol consumption is relatively stable. On a regional level, those with the highest consumption are decreasing, and those with the lowest consumption are increasing. Another interesting fact is the positive correlation between increasing alcohol consumption and increasing level of economic development.

Top Wine Drinking Nations

The above table shows the highest beverage per capita consumption. Looking at the data, it is not a surprise that the countries at the top of this list are those that produce the most wine, with one notable exception: the United States.

There will be more to come from this report later.

Moth is Huge Threat to Napa County Vineyards

The USDA has confirmed that the light brown apple moth is in Napa County after an adult male specimen was found in a trap near Highway 29. This news is alarming because the pest feeds on many crops during its larval stages including grape vines.

The light brown apple moth is native to Australia, and is also found in New Zealand, the British Isles, and Hawaii. It was not discovered in the Continental United States until March 22nd of this year. The moth has been identified in eight counties and quarantine measures have been put in place to slow its spread.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A. G. Kawamura underscored the efforts to stop the moth, saying, “We are moving quickly to detect the extent of any infestation and contain the problem in the smallest possible area.” Several measures are being considered to combat the moth from spreading.

Because males are attracted to pheromones released by females, researchers may release similar compounds to confuse the mating process. In Australia and New Zealand, insecticides and natural predators have also been used to control the population.

The extent of the threat to Napa’s wine industry is still unknown, and more traps are being set to determine how large the population is. “I would not want to characterize it as being any more or less than it is in any other place in the Bay Area (where the moths have been found), but it is not a good thing that we should find it up there,’’ said Larry Hawkins of the USDA.

Related Articles

The Effect of Pests and Diseases on Grape Growing

Sharpshooter Discovered in Napa

Natural Defense Against Vineyard Pests

Breaking: Cork’d is Being Acquired by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV

Cork’d, the social wine notes sharing site, is being acquired by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library and Erik Kastner for an undisclosed amount. Cork’d is widely recognized in the web development community as the work of Dan and Dan.

Dan Benjamin and Dan Cederholm that is. Benjamin was responsible for the programming end of Cork’d, and is the man behind Hivelogic. Cederholm is a creative designer of Simple Bits, and is widely known as a master of CSS. To see what the Dans have to say about the acquisition, click here and here.

When Wine Library TV changed its look to the Cork’d interface last Friday, it was a sign of the emerging deal between the two. Additionally, Cork’d began the transition by switching to the 100 point rating system, starting a “cork board” to facilitate discussion between members and opened up an easy way to import wines for cellartracker.

According to Cederholm, Cork’d has 20,000 members. This provides a good base for Wine Library TV to begin integrating their live tastings into the Cork’s platform. Because Cork’s is built in Rails, and Erik Kastner is a Rails expert, there is an excellent opportunity for Cork’d to become more than a social “wine notes” sharing website.

Gary V. brings an energy and passion for wine that will surely grow Cork’d into the next big thing in the wine industry. Cork’d was widely thought of as a site for web developers who like wine. But Gary brings the wine knowledge to bridge the gap into mainstream wine lovers.

It will be interesting to see what develops over next few months. Needless to say, the team at Calwineries is very interested and excited to see the new developments.

Disclaimer: The Calwineries team are certified Vayniacs and are evangelists for Wine Library TV.

Karen MacNeil honored as WLA Winner; Still one of the most important Women in Wine

Karen MacNeil is a wine educator, television personality, consultant and most importantly, a writer. Many of you may recognize her as the author of The Wine Bible, which has sold over 380,000 copies. And on April 27th, MacNeil was recognized for her efforts, as she was honored as the Wine Appreciation Guild’s 2006 Wine Literary Award (WLA) winner.

MacNeil joins wine luminaries that have won this award, including; Robert Parker Jr., Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson and Andrea Robinson. MacNeil is no stranger to awards, as she was honored by the James Beard Foundation when she won the coveted, “Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award” in 2004.

As the award ceremony began, Appellation America wine writer, and former WLA winner Dan Berger spoke of Karen MacNeil, and her contributions to the wine industry. Over her 25 year career, she has appeared in over 50 magazines, as well as founding and running the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America.

In addition, she also hosts a television show, Wine, Food & Friends with Karen MacNeil, which aims foster everyday wine enjoyment. Her outlook on wine is refreshing, and is good for the wine industry.

MacNeil is without a doubt one of the most important women in wine. It is no surprise that WLA chairman emeritus Elliot Mackey called MacNeil a “fitting addition” to the list of award winners. According to Mackey, “She has helped prove to the American public that wine is worth the time it takes to learn about it.”

A Culinary Evening with California Winemasters Raises $1.52 Million

The 18th annual Culinary Evening with California Winemasters raised an impressive $1.52 million for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Held at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, the event bested last year’s total by 9% and is one of the top charity auctions in the nation.

The evening began with a tasting featuring over 60 California wineries. This was followed by a silent auction of 700 lots and then a live auction of 46 lots. There were several notable bids at the event, and everyone seemed to be in the spirit of helping the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; an extremely worthy cause.

A dinner for three couples at the French Laundry including a vertical tasting of Gemstone from 1997 to 2003, and an overnight stay at Meadowood Resort, went for $15,000. One of the more remarkable lots was a dinner for eight at Garric Cellars as well as three bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon for the rest of the top bidder’s life. The winning bid was $10,000, but the winery’s owners, Ricardo Cajulis and Gary Ochwat, graciously agreed to award the runner-up the same lot for $9,000.

A few of the other notable lots was a magnum of 2003 Screaming Eagle that went for $7,500, a 3 liter of Harlan Estate brought in $6,600, and a 9 liter bottle of 2004 von Strasser Reserve with a dinner at Grace Restaurant was sold for $12,000.

2007 Executive Wine Summit Ponders, “Where is the Industry Heading?”

Several of the wine industry’s biggest names recently spoke at Yountville’s Villagio Inn & Spa for the 2007 Executive Wine Summit. The agenda included looking back at the past few decades as well as thoughts on where the wine industry is heading.

Panelists included Michael Mondavi (owner of Folio Fine Wine Partners in Carneros), Joel Gott (owner of Joel Gott Wines), Carolyn Wente (owner of Wente Vineyards in Livermore Valley), and Leonardo LoCascio (CEO of Winebow, an importer of Italian wines).

After speaking extensively about his family’s experience in the wine industry since the 1960s, Michael Mondavi turned to the growing importance of wineries’ sales and marketing departments and the increasing internationalization of the industry. Exposure, Mondavi believes, is the key. “Once people taste our product, they will continue to be drawn to it.”

Joel Gott talked about the increasing demand for organic wines as well as his recently launched True Earth label. True Earth is an ambitious, relatively high quantity venture consisting of non-vintage organic wines that are made at Sutter Home. Gott also spoke about the challenges of making products that are truly environmentally friendly, citing packaging concerns.

Although Carolyn Wente’s family has been making wine for many years, she contended that, “the California wine industry is still in its infancy.” She continued by saying there will be many opportunities for fostering new international markets over the next decade. Wente also talked about the importance of connecting wine to a specific location and lifestyle. “Wine is about enjoying the lifestyle experiences and we have to keep going back to the consumers and tell them our stories.”

Leonardo LoCascio spoke about America’s increasing consumption of wine and the opportunities that this presents. He predicted that, “By 2009, the U.S. market will be the largest in the world, surpassing France and Italy combined, with its 300 million people.” Since he founded Winebow in 1980, LoCascio has had an uncanny ability to keep his importing business in line with changing demographics and preferences. Robert Parker has called him, “One of the most influential wine personalities of the last 20 years.”

Queen Enjoys California Wines at White House Dinner

On their recent trip to the United States, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, were honored with the first white tie dinner of George Bush’s presidency. Dignitaries enjoyed three California wines along with a five course meal prepared by White House chefs.

The first wine poured was the Newton Chardonnay “Unfiltered” 2004. Made with grapes from the Carneros wine region, this wine was fermented with natural yeasts and aged in French oak. It has a nice mix of fresh, citrus flavors and tropical fruit notes. The Wine Advocate has called this wine, “Consistently one of California’s finest, longest-lived Chardonnays…”

The Newton Chardonnay was followed by the Peter Michael Les Pavots 2003. This is a single vineyard wine made with grapes grown at an elevation of 1,800 feet on Mt. St. Helena. Les Pavots was originally developed by famed winemaker Helen Turley during the mid 1980s. The 2003 is a Bordeaux blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, and 5% Petite Verdot.

The final wine served was the Shramsberg Brut Rose 2004. Over the past few decades, Schramsberg sparkling wines have been enjoyed many times at presidential events and dinners. Probably the most famous occasion was the 1972 “Toast to Peace” by President Nixon and China’s Chou En-Lai.

Overall, it was a great day for the California wine industry. To see the complete menu for the White House dinner, click here.

Twisted New Website for Twisted Oak

For those of you who don’t know, Twisted Oak is a Sierra Foothills winery that has taken the world of wine by storm. Their innovative marketing approach is refreshing in a sea of traditional, borderline boring campaigns.

But what would marketing be without the wine to back it up. Twisted Oak’s Calaveras County Tempranillo (quite possibly their most popular wine) won the Silver Medal at the San Francisco Wine Competition. It has also received rave reviews from the wine bloggers, including this one from the winehiker.

Recently, Twisted Oak launched a new website to back up their online and offline marketing campaigns. They have really hit the nail on the head with this one. It has all of the elements of a great winery website.

Even though there is a lot going on, it is still relatively simple. It would be easy to get lost in the nine different navigational choices, but they bring the most important elements into the right hand side bar: the wine list, their wine club, latest news and newsletter sign up. Very good.

As someone who uses the Twisted Oak website, I must say that Intertia Beverage Group and the Twisted Oak team put a great deal of thought into its development. Too many wineries spend all of their money of flash based websites that are almost non functional. It’s good to see that Twisted Oak refrained from using flash, and stuck to good old “indexable” html.

A congratulations is in order to the Twisted Oak team for launching of a beautiful website. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here.

Ehlers Estate G.M. accused of Embezzling over $100K

The wine industry is not known for crime. But there are cases where someone takes advantage of the trusting nature of this industry. Ehlers Estate is a St Helena Winery known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and charitable donations to Cardiovascular research.

It came as a surprise to everyone that the former general manager, Daniel Brady Sibert was arrested and accused of embezzlement. On April 26th, four Napa County Sheriffs searched the property of Sibert looking for related information.

Captain John Robertson said that Sibert embezzled more than $100,000 from 2005 to 2006. The amount continues to rise as they uncover more evidence. Sibert also faces charges of grand theft and passing worthless checks.

Russian Prohibition Propaganda

These posters were scare tactics to keep Russians from drinking during Prohibition, which lasted from 1914 – 1925. It was introduced at the beginning of World War I to keep peace within the non fighting population.

BREAKING: Red Wine Found to Kill Cancerous Cells

On May 4th, a research study is going to be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry explaining that a chemical in red wine actually KILLS cancer. The chemical in question is found in the skins of red grapes and was found to kill human leukemia and lymphoma cells.

This beautiful molecule, C-3-R (cyanidin-3-rutinoside), is found in high concentrations in red wine. It is produced by certain red varietal vines to protect the berry from ultraviolet radiation.

It was tested on leukemia and lymphoma with very promising results. All of the cancerous cells died within 18 hours or less, and none of the non cancerous cells were injured. This is a major breakthrough in the medical community. For years, researchers were searching for something that would kill cancerous cells and not harm healthy ones, this is a huge breakthrough.

The health benefits of red wine have come to light in recent years. The relationship between red wine and cardiovascular disease has been documented in famous studies like the French Paradox. But this discovery may be the most important to date.

If used as a cancer treatment, C-3-R would have to be commercially produced. As the levels found in red wine would not be high enough to be therapeutic. One would have to drink near lethal amounts of red wine to have the effect needed to combat leukemia or lymphoma.

Also, this research has shown that certain varietals and regions produce higher amounts of beneficial anti-oxidants. For example, Pinot Noir has a higher amount of C-3-R and Resveratrol than almost all other red varietals. Additionally, specific regions, like Oregon and Burgundy were higher in the desirable antioxidants than those of warmer regions like California.

The physiological reason for this isn’t very well understood, but researchers are very optimistic that they may be on track to finding a cure for certain cancers. C-3-R is currently being tested, so don’t expect it to be available anytime soon. Hope is on the horizon, and it may be in your glass. Cheers.

Proposed Bill allows Vintners to Donate without License

It’s a crime to donate without a license. Vintner Bill Wolf, of Eagle Eye Wine in Napa, learned about this law the hard way after he was cited by the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) for donating his wine to a charitable event.

However, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans is heading a movement to decriminalize donating without a license. Assembly Bill 323, if passed, would allow more California winemakers to donate and pour wines at charitable events. This bill is supposed to address a law that most winemakers don’t even know exists.

According to Evans, “Some vintners are prohibited from donating and pouring wine at nonprofit fundraisers … This is extremely confusing for nonprofits trying to organize fundraising events whose good work relies on contributions from the wine industry.”

Most of the confusion surrounding this law lies in definition of a “winery.” According to the ABC, wineries hold a license called an “02,” which indicates that they have a physical winery on their property. If you carry an “02” license, you can donate to non-profits, if not, it’s illegal.

Although this may not seem like a problem, it can be for labels who do not own their own winemaking facilities. AB 323 would allow some other types of licensed vintners to donate along with those who carry the “02” license.

Instead of paying the fines, Bill Wolf toke the issue before an administrative judge. Wolf noted that, “We felt it was not only unfair to us but the nonprofits we want to support.” AB 323 now heads to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for further review.

Napa Agriculture Drops 13% in 2006

In 2006, the total value of Napa agriculture dropped to $477.7 million from $548.6 million in 2005, a 13% decrease. It is important to realize though, that 2005 was an unusually large and lucrative winegrape harvest. Winegrape sales were valued at $469.1 million in 2006, down from about $540 million in the previous year.

Cabernet Sauvignon made up 49.3% of all vineyard acreage, but only 36.7% of total grape tonnage. This is partly explained by the fact that Cabernet Sauvignon dominates most mountain sites in Napa, where yields are usually lower than the valley floor. Cab sold for an average of $4,126 per ton.

Pound for pound, Roussanne was a much more expensive grape than Cabernet Sauvignon, and sold for an average of $6,500 per ton. But this grape is quite rare in the valley, and it did not make up a large percentage of overall sales. Merlot bounced back a bit after its post-Sideways slump, selling for an average of $2,691 per ton, and reclaiming its second place position from Chardonnay.

Winegrape sales accounted for 98% of all Napa Valley agriculture in 2006. Other products in the report include floral and nursery crops ($3,556,800), livestock ($3,210,300), poultry and other animal products ($488,500), field crops ($286,300), vegetable crops ($256,200), and timber ($21,200).

Six out of the “Forty Exceptional Business Leaders under Forty” from the Wine Industry

Northern California is the proverbial heart of California’s wine country. Narrowing down our geographic focus, the North Bay (Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties) is home to some of the best wineries in California and maybe the world.

If you live in these areas, wine is a part of your life. So much so that it almost becomes second nature. But certain things remind you of how much influence the wine industry has on the North Bay economy and living. A perfect example is a story that the North Bay Business Journal wrote on the “top forty exceptional business leaders under forty.”

The wine industry doesn’t exactly embody youth. Yet, six out of the forty make their living in wine country. That’s fifteen percent! I doubt fifteen percent of North Bay jobs are in the wine industry. Cheers to those who made the list; they are listed below with a brief description from the article.

Naomi Brilliant: 34, Owner and president, Roshambo Winery, Healdsburg

”Since starting the winery in 1999, Naomi Brilliant has been fueled by the desire to “make wine culture fun and bring it to every lifestyle.” Every element of the winery is infused with Ms. Brilliant’s personality and the irreverent attitude that has become the brand’s trademark. But the winery isn’t all image, garnering awards and distribution in more than 25 states.”

Holly Finkelstein: 33, Owner, CEO and general manager, Judd’s Hill Winery, St. Helena

“Though Judd’s Hill Winery has been around since 1989, Holly Finkelstein has helped transform the company since joining it three years ago. She spearheaded a custom crush operation to complement the boutique winery’s 3,000-case annual production.”

John Jordan: 34, CEO, Jordan Vineyard and Winery, Healdsburg

”John Jordan oversees all aspects of Jordan Vineyard and Winery, which had $26 million in sales last year. “Building a team that took Jordan from the No. 5 position in the Wine & Spirits most-requested brands poll to No. 1 in one year” has been his biggest accomplishment, he said, noting that staying competitive with the resources of larger conglomerates is a continuing challenge for the small, family-owned winery.”

Vanessa Robledo: 29, President, Robledo Family Winery, Sonoma

”Vanessa Robledo has worked with her family over the last 10 years to expand Robledo Family Winery from its modest start at 100 cases to the 20,000-case winery it is today. Before her father started the winery, Ms. Robledo was working to help build the family vineyard management businesses.”

August Sebastiani: 26, Managing director, The Other Guys division of Don Sebastiani & Sons, Sonoma

”August Sebastiani runs Don & Sons’ new California wholesale division, The Other Guys, which is targeting sales of 10,000 cases this year of five labels such as Plungerhead Zinfandel. Putting his undergraduate political science degree from Santa Clara University into action, he won a seat on the Sonoma City Council in November.”

Don Sebastiani Jr: 29, Director of marketing, Don Sebastiani & Sons, Sonoma

”Just a couple of years after Donny Sebastiani earned his degree in business economics from Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, his father, Don Sr., transformed Cecchetti-Sebastiani Cellar into a nimble, hip wine-branding juggernaut with upscale yet premium-priced selections, such as Smoking Loon and Used Automobile Parts. In the past couple of years, the 100-employee company has garnered accolades such as Winery of the Year from Gomberg Fredrikson & Associates under Donny Sebastiani’s marketing leadership.”

Is Napa too Far? E-Auction brings Auction NV to your Home

Tickets for Auction Napa Valley went on sale a few weeks ago. But if you can’t afford the $5,000, two ticket package, and you want to bid on the best wine from the Napa Valley, there is hope. In addition to the usual events, there will also be an E-Auction.

The E-Auction offers a chance for wine connoisseurs from around the world to participate in Auction Napa Valley from the comfort of their homes. This years E-Auction marks the third anniversary of the event, and promises to be the best to date.

This year’s bidding system is straight forward and easy. However, deciding what lots to bid on is a more difficult task. The lots of E-Auction open for bidding on Friday, May 25th. According to the Napa Valley Vintners, “Previewed below is Lot number 1, which includes a Viking bbq and the NVV’s own Stacey Dolan to come to your house to help flip burgers! She makes a mean kabob too!”

The E-Auction will feature the best of Napa Valley’s wine, tickets for special events and luxury items. You will have a chance to bid on these rare lots, with the proceeds going to Napa County Charities. Since 1981, Auction Napa Valley has donated over $68 million to Napa County health, youth and low-income housing non-profit organizations.

For more information on Auction Napa Valley and the E-Auction, click here.

The Ritz in Napa

Anyone who has lived in or frequented the Napa Valley over the past couple of decades knows how much the region has changed. There was a time in the not so distant past when the valley was known for its prune orchards and state hospital rather than fine wine and restaurants.

Even as the towns of St Helena and Yountville became world-class destinations, much of the city of Napa remained relatively unchanged until a few years ago. The construction of Copia as well as the flood control project, with its new bridges and infrastructure improvements, has made downtown Napa a much more inviting place.

And now the rumors have been confirmed that the Ritz Carlton is coming to the city. The 351 room hotel will be located right across the Napa River from Copia, and will include a number of luxury condominiums.

Local reaction to the announcement has been mixed, but it appears that the project has been given the go ahead. A now defunct project called the Napa Resort and Spa was originally going to be built on the land. The same number of rooms was approved, and all that is left to do is get a few design changes through the city. So it sounds like there will indeed be a Ritz Carlton in Napa; something few would have predicted a decade ago.

25th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival

From May 18th to May 20th, 2007, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance will hold its 25th Annual Wine Festival. Few California wine regions have experienced the growth that Paso Robles has over the past few decades. There are now more than 170 resident wineries; 10 times the number there were during the festival’s inaugural year.

On Saturday May 19th, from 1 pm to 5 pm, visitors will be able to sample some of the region’s best wines at a tasting in downtown Paso Robles. 88 wineries will participate in the event this year, which is expected to attract a crowd of about 6,500. This is California’s largest outdoor wine tasting.

Tickets to the festival are $50 and the Silver Pass can be purchased for $75. The latter admits guests an hour earlier than the general public, allowing for a less crowded tasting experience. Tickets for designated drivers and children are $15.

In addition to Saturday’s tasting, the Paso Robles Wine Festival also includes a golf tournament on May 18th, as well as winemakers’ dinners, educational seminars, special tastings, and winery tours.

Kendall-Jackson’s new Winery is dividing Knights Valley Community

Kendall-Jackson founder Jess Jackson’s plan to build a new winery in Knight Valley is stirring up a great deal of controversy in the Knights Valley. Members of the Knights Valley/Franz Valley Association feel that the plans would violate the protective aspect of the scenic route plan for that area.

“The whole Franz Valley/Knights Valley area within the county general plan is even more restrictive, and this project, we feel, will severely and negatively violate the protective aspect of that plan.”

The proposed winery and visitor’s complex would be the first public tasting room in Knights Valley. The permit also includes storage caves in the hillside, a 200 person event center and a 42 acre vineyard.

There has been a great deal of controversy in the community over the winery proposal. It has even spilled over into the Knights Valley/Franz Valley Association board of directors, resulting in the attempted removal of two board members.

Members of the Knights Valley/Franz Valley Association Board listed out their concerns with the project; with the most important being additional buildings built on the agricultural preserve. This is a major problem for those living in the community. But Jackson has addressed the majority of these concerns and the project is moving forward.

We will see if this rift will stop the development, only time will tell.

Crush embodies the Beauty of Wine

The purpose of media is to connect the public to the world around them. This comes in many forms; the written and spoken word, images, sounds and video. This connection is often lost in translation, as some things are too beautiful to be described through words and images.

This is one of the major problems facing many artisan crafts. There is no way that the written word can convey the emotions and beauty of certain things. One of these artisan crafts is winemaking. It is as simple as letting grapes ferment and as difficult as a laboratory experiment.

On April 16th, 2007, Don Sabastiani & Sons released a film that may have changed the way the winemaking process is portrayed. It is one thing to teach the public about crush, but it is another to make them a part of it. And after watching this B. Napa film, it feels as if you were taken along on their epic journey through crush.

It is difficult to articulate the emotional connection that this film brought out. It took the hardship, the beauty, the suffering, the art, the science, the dedication and most importantly, the people of the winemaking process and presented them to you, the wine lover; in a way that brings you right along with them through crush.

The impact of this film is yet to be seen. To anyone who truly loves wine, it embodies the reasons why we love it so much. It’s not just the complexity of taste, or the tradition it represents, it’s the magnificence of the process. To B. Napa, it is their job to “Capture this moment and seal it in a bottle.”

To watch Crush, click here.

Franzia moving towards Environmental Responsibly

Fred Franzia is no stranger to controversy. He has been the subject of numerous legal battles over his 49 different labels and business practices. But on the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Charles Shaw label, he seems to be taking a step in the right direction.

At a lunch-in at the Bronco facility, Franzia announced that he is “exploring the possibility” of building a glass bottle factory in Napa County. And by “explore the possibility” he means, were moving forward with this project.

For the past five years, consumers have bought 300 million bottles of “Two Buck Chuck,” including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Shiraz. Most of these 300 million glass bottles were imported from China or Mexico. Although it may not seem like much, importing these bottles is definitely not helping the local environment. According to Franzia,

“The real bonus is (it) will eliminate 62,000 truckloads, or approximately 375,000 diesel-driving hours, per year.”

Having a local bottle factory should decrease the total annual diesel truck emissions within the San Francisco Bay by more than 32,000 tons, primarily of carbon dioxide. Additionally, Franzia said “Our new glass plant will be compatible with today’s environmental requirements.”

If that wasn’t enough, the facility will create over 350 “high paying jobs” for local community members, adding to the Napa County tax base. Franzia did not comment on the timeline, but he already purchased the property where the facility is intended to be built.

Taking steps to reduce the impact of his business on the environment is a good step. This rings especially true in California’s bay area, where people seem particularly sensitive to this issue. To many, Franzia is seen as the bad guy, taking steps like this will help lessen that stereotype.

April in Carneros

The 20th Annual April in Carneros Open House will be held on April 21st and 22nd from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are $25, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to scholarship programs at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College. 21 wineries will be pouring wine and holding events for guests including live music and food pairings.

This is a great opportunity for connoisseurs of the region to taste some rare, hard to find wines. For example, one of the participating wineries, Adastra Vineyards, is seldom open to the public. Truly a boutique producer, Adastra makes a very small amount of top-notch Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

McKenzie-Mueller is another outstanding, family-owned winery that will open its doors for April in Carneros. Owners Karen McKenzie and Bob Mueller make single vineyard Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Malbec, and Merlot from their property on the Napa side of Carneros. They also produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which are both blends of Carneros and Oak Knoll fruit.

A wine tasting at Adastra Vineyards and McKenzie-Mueller is well-worth the $25 price of admission, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Guests will also be able to sample the wines at Bouchaine Vineyards, Castle Vineyards & Winery, Ceja Vineyards, Cuvaison Estate Wines, sparkling wine specialist Domaine Carneros, the brand new Folio Winemakers’ Studio, Homewood Winery, Kamen Estate Wines, Larson Family Winery, MacRostie Winery and Vineyards, Mahoney Vineyards (formerly Carneros Creek), Richardson Vineyards, Robledo Family Winery, Schug Estate, Tin Barn Vineyards, Truchard Vineyards, Ty Caton Vineyards, and Viansa Winery.

Sterling Vineyards Supports Land Trust of Napa County

Sterling Vineyards has announced that a portion of the sales of their 2004 Wild Lake Ranch Napa Valley Merlot will be donated to the Land Trust of Napa County. The Land Trust has either purchased or holds the easement to 47,000 acres since it was founded in 1977.

Over the next 10 vintages, proceeds from the Wild Lake Napa Valley Merlot will be used to finance the Land Trust’s next major project: protecting 3,000 pristine acres near Mount St Helena. According to a recent article by Jane Firstenfeld of Wines & Vines, $22 million has already been secured for the acquisition, including a $5 million gift from Randy and Lori Dunn, and a $5 million low-interest loan from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Sterling Vineyards will release 500 cases their 2004 Merlot on May 1st, 2007. Available only at the winery, it will retail for $50 a bottle, and is expected to generate about $600,000 for the Land Trust over the next decade.

Sonoma County Grape Camp

From September 24th – 26th, 2007, the Sonoma County Winegrape Association will put on the Sonoma County Grape Camp. This unique event will give participants the opportunity to be involved with harvesting grapes and blending wine. But it won’t be all work and no play; there will also be plenty of wine tasting, dinners prepared by well-known chefs, and croquet lessons.

On September 24th, the Sonoma County Grape Camp will begin with a welcome dinner prepared by Chef Mark Stark at Hoot Owl Vineyard in the Alexander Valley wine region. Chef Stark is the owner of Willi’s Wine Bar in the town of Santa Rosa.

The following morning, participants will get a feel for harvesting grapes before a tasting and lunch with Winemaker Terry Adams of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. Croquet lessons on the winery’s lawn will follow, and then a wine and food workshop will be held by Chef John Ash at the Vintners Inn. The day will end with a paella dinner and wine tasting on the banks of the Russian River.

The final day will commence with a bit more grape harvesting in the morning, followed by a blending seminar led by Winemaker Aaron Piotter of Ferrari Carano. Then it’s time for a lesson in cheese making and pairing courtesy of Jennifer Lynn Bice, owner of Redwood Hill Farm, and Ziggy The Wine Gal, host of the radio program, “Wine Wednesday.” The Sonoma County Grape Camp will conclude with a dinner prepared by Chef Jeffrey Madura.

Festival del Sole Returns to the Napa Valley

With the success of last year’s Festival del Sole, it is no surprise that event organizers are planning a return trip to California’s wine country. This year’s event will incorporate staged opera along with the usual dose of music and art.

Festival del Sole will bring world class instrumentalists, vocalists and conductors to wine country. The musical and theatrical event will feature the Bay Area’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the University of Texas at Austin Wind Band and the return of the Russian National Orchestra.

Scheduled for July 13 – 22, the 10 day festival will take place at several fitting venues; including Napa Valley Opera House, Lincoln Theater and a new venue, Castello di Amoroso. Festival del Sole will mirror a festival in Cortona, Italy that is held during the summer.

The festival is presented by the Del Sole Foundation for the Arts and Humanities. The daily concerts will be followed by meals prepared by celebrity chefs, paired with the best wines that California has to offer.

For tickets to all Festival del Sole events, contact the Lincoln Theater Box Office at 944-1300 or Lincoln Theater.

Castle Winery Opens in Napa

On April 9th, the long-awaited “Castle Winery” opened for tours and tastings in the town of Calistoga. Owner Darryl Sattui, (also the proprietor of V. Sattui Winery), spent over a decade constructing Castello di Amorosa in Northern Napa Valley, hiring stonemasons and transporting materials from Europe.

Tourists will undoubtedly be attracted to Castello di Amorosa’s stunning architecture, but the building also contains wine production facilities and a barrel room in the “dungeon.” Additionally, the winery will offer a wine club called “Friends of the Baron.” Benefits of joining the club include invitations to parties on the site and preference on using the “royal apartment.”

Castello di Amorosa’s current white and rosato releases include the 2004 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay, 2005 Napa Valley Pinot Grigio, 2005 Napa Valley Pinot Bianco, 2005 Dry Gewurztraminer, 2005 Dolcino Gewurztraminer, 2005 Il Raggio Del Sol Muscato, and 2005 Gioia Rosato d’Sangiovese.

Red wines include the 2003 Napa Valley Merlot, 2004 Napa Valley Sangiovese, 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Il Barone Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2003 La Castellana Napa Valley Super Tuscan (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese).

Wine from Cows? No Thanks

Every so often, you hear a wild idea, and say “that’s good, I’d try that.” This is not one of them. Japanese Geneticists have discovered a gene which stimulates yeast fermentation in the udders of “sake cows.” They can turn off the gene that makes milk and turn on the gene that makes alcohol, providing the base ingredients for wine.

According to an article on the subject, “Although the process is in its infancy the implications for the wine industry are huge. Should Dr Sakegami’s research come to fruition (or fermentation if you will) we could see the first commercially produced wine from a mobile vineyard within 15 to 20 years.”

First of all, no, the implications on the wine industry are not huge. Who in their right mind would want to drink wine made from the udders of cows. Cow udders don’t provide the controlled environment that is needed to produce quality wine.

Also, just because the cow udders stimulate alcoholic fermentation doesn’t mean that they can produce wine. Wine is made when wine grapes are fermented, how would you get pure grape must into the udders of cows. It seems like there would be other products in there as well, like milk. Milk and Wine don’t sound like a very good pairing.

It’s great that scientists are experimenting with genetics, but perusing this commercially may not be the best idea. If I were offered wine from cows, I would have to say, No Thanks.

After the Fire, Looking to the Future

In the wake of one of the worst disasters to ever hit the California wine industry, the owners of the Wines Central warehouse are working to cleanup and repair their building. On October 12th, 2005, $200 million worth of wine was destroyed in a suspicious fire that investigators believe was the result of arson.

Mark Anderson has been arrested and charged with arson in the fire as well as several counts of embezzlement. Prosecutors contend that Anderson was stealing wine from clients and set the fire to cover up his activities. Anderson has pled not guilty, and even if he is found responsible, many wineries will still be affected by the devastating loss of the fire for years to come.

Although Wines Central had insurance for the building itself, individual wineries were responsible for insuring their own products. Many of the smaller wineries lacked proper coverage and were deeply hurt by the fire. One example was Coho Winery, which lost all but 12 cases of their 2003 vintage.

Debbie Polverino, manager of Wines Central, recently told the Napa Valley Register how taken aback many wineries were when they heard news of the fire.

“They didn’t think anything would happen, and nobody expected arson. Some of the smaller wineries are having a hard time. ... Wineries lost face for a year in the market. Some were able to release their new vintage early and others had to sit it out. A few didn’t have anything left.”

Although Polverino added that, “Most wineries have been compensated by their insurance companies at this time,” this is not the case for everyone. Even wineries that were adequately insured are facing red tape and headaches as they try to collect for their damages.

At this point, all that Wines Central and Polverino can do is look to the future and take steps to prevent this catastrophe from ever repeating. “We are moving forward and expect to rebuild our business and put this nightmare behind us.”

Medlock Ames’ Dedication to Sustainability not just an Ideal, It’s a way of Life

On April 2nd, Medlock Ames Winery announced the anniversary of their move to sustainable energy. They run their entire operation on Solar Power, from lighting the winery, to powering their electric vehicles.

For Medlock Ames’ commitment to the environment is clear. For them, sustainable energy is not just an ideal; it’s a way of life. They have made sustainability an integral part of their business; only using organic farming methods in their vineyards.

The dedication to Solar Energy has not only saved the winery money, but has also endeared their winery to many who feel that certain agricultural practices are hurting the environment. Their solar panels produce 140,000kWh annually, which is more than enough to fully power their business.

Winemaker Ames Morison said, “We chose to invest in solar power as a long term commitment to powering our business with clean, renewable energy.”

But generating power is only one piece of the sustainability equation; it has become a part of every aspect of their business. They have enlisted Owls and Hawks to patrol the vineyard for voles and gophers that can devastate the soil. Their vineyard is often occupied by sheep and geese, which eat unwanted vegetation and help, fertilize the soil.

It doesn’t end there; Medlock Ames also utilizes the “horse and plow” method to cultivate their vineyard. This may seem like a bad idea, but tractors compact the ground and pollute the environment, something they are trying to move away from.

Medlock Ames dedication to sustainability is commendable. They have established themselves as leaders in the movement towards environmental accountability and renewable energy. For more information on Medlock Ames, visit their website.

Survey Results Biased: But Direct Wine Sales are Growing!

With more and more people using the internet to find and buy wine, it isn’t hard to see the opportunity presented by direct to consumer sales. This, coupled with relaxed state regulations, is making this channel a legitimate force in the wine industry.

Recently, VinQuest released their annual survey “to measure the size and dynamics of the U.S. consumer direct sales channel.” They surveyed 3500 + bonded wineries in the United States; with 230 actually participating. Paul Mabray feels that their sample size isn’t large enough to be statistically significant; but doesn’t give the numbers behind his reasoning.

With 6.5% participation of wineries, it seems like enough to render relatively accurate results (assuming random selection of participants). After consulting Statistics: Edition 3, by Freedman, Pisani and Purves (who was my Stats 2 Prof. at UC Berkeley), “If a large number of those selected for the sample do not in fact respond to the questionnaire or the interview, non-response bias is likely” page 336, Paragraph 1.

Non-response bias can kill the legitimacy of survey. If a statistics professor looked at VinQuest’s data, they would immediately dismiss the results. However, since their data is not being submitted to the court of law (or statistical journal), there are trends that can be accepted and examined.

Here are some of the major points found by VinQuest’s survey;

Total direct to consumer sales by U.S. wineries in 2006: $2.4 Billion

Value of wine shipped directly to U.S. consumers in 2006: $1 Billion

2006 wine club sales at U.S. wineries: $598 Million: 66% Increase

2006 online sales at U.S. wineries: $197 Million: 45% Increase

2006 tasting room sales at U.S. wineries: $1.3 Billion: 18% Decrease

2006 event-driven sales at U.S. wineries: $100 Million: 30% Decrease

One statistic I take issue with is “2006 tasting room sales at U.S. wineries: $1.3 Billion: 18% Decrease.” VinQuest’s study said “Visitor counts and sales per guest were down in many key U.S. wine regions, leading to lower tasting room and event sales in 2006.” What exactly is a “key U.S. wine region”?

If you are going to publish results that are intended to be taken seriously, you have to fully disclose your methods and results. Selective reporting of results is a huge red flag; and is grounds for dismissing the entire study.

However, taken at face value, these results are promising. The online wine industry is growing, and as state regulations begin to loosen up, this trend will continue the way its going. This is good for both winery and consumer.

Options for consumers will grow; beyond what their local grocery store offers. Wineries will not be forced to dump their wine at half price to wholesalers. And the collective knowledge of the public’s perception of wine will increase with growing exposure to more wineries and regions. It seems to be a win, win, win.

Public Tastings Raise Controversy in Placer County

Placer County may not get anywhere near the amount of wine tourists as Napa or Sonoma, but a recent story by the Auburn Journal shows that the issue of public tastings is still a controversial subject in the region. Pescatore Vineyard has a permit to produce wine on-site, but not to allow public tastings or sales.

Neighbors argue that Pescatore’s owner, David Wegner, is proceeding with public tastings anyway. They point to language on his website, which in fact states, “It (Pescatore Vineyard) is a perfect place for wine sampling, small group tours or other special occasions.” Neighbors further contend that this activity leads to increased traffic and drunk drivers.

In response, Wegner cites Placer County zoning laws that state lands used for agriculture are allowed to conduct on-site visits and tastings. He also argues that because his winery is very small, he needs to offer on-site tastings and sales to survive.

It seems that County Agriculture Commissioner Christine Turner empathizes with Wegner’s situation. To Ms. Turner, the potential scale of the operations must be taken into account. “Some people think we’re going to be like Napa and Sonoma counties. But there’s no way we’ll have that level of activity. We don’t have that amount of land.” The Placer County Board of Supervisors will have the final say on the controversy.

Grgich uses Wine to Promote Peace

What is your wine doing to make the world a better place? Most answer with; “it brings happiness into the lives of those who drink it.” Very true. But for Mike Grgich, its not about personal satisfaction, his wine is being used to support the Roots of Peace non-profit.

Roots of Peace is an organization that is “dedicated to the eradication of landmines by returning de-mined land to productive agricultural use.” For Mike Grgich, this project hits especially close to his heart, being that his home country, Croatia, is one of the main points of de-mining activity.

Grgich was inspired to help the people of Croatia following the War of Independence. After joining the Roots of Peace organization in 2000, he has raised funds to restore the vineyards of Croatia. Since then Roots of Peace has completed several projects in Croatia.

In honor of his efforts, Grgich will receive the Roots of Peace 2007 Global Citizen award on May 6th aboard the Queen Mary 2. CEO and founder Heidi Huhn said, “The grapevine represents the seeds we have in common rather than those (that) separate us.” Cheers to Mike Grgich for his efforts in Croatia and his vineyards.

ProCork: The Perfect Wine Closure?

Cork taint has long been a problem in the wine industry, affecting anywhere from 1% to 10% of all production depending on who you ask. Cork taint occurs when the TCA molecule contaminates wine, and is usually blamed on faulty natural corks. Numerous solutions have been proposed and enacted, most notably screw caps, which effectively form an airtight seal.

But proponents of natural cork argue that wine will only properly age with a tiny bit of oxygen exposure. Many producers of age-worthy wine are reluctant to use screw caps not only because of this concern, but also for aesthetic reasons. Popping a cork has a connotation of quality that is hard to replace with a screw cap.

In response to this dilemma, an Australian company has introduced a new closure called ProCork which claims to allow a bit of oxygen into the wine but no TCA. According to the company’s website, “ProCork’s permeable membrane is the result of many years of research in food science, cork and robotics technology and will enable natural cork to be used by the wine and beverage industry with the confidence that their products will not be affected by any off character imparted by the cork.”

ProCork is already widely used by the always innovative Australian wine industry, and Decanter.com recently reported that a Bordeaux winery will also begin trials with the closure. Chateau La Dauphine plans to bottle an amount of wine with ProCork and compare its effects regarding aging and TCA taint with wine bottled with natural cork over the next decade. If all goes well, ProCork could offer the best of both worlds for wine consumers.

Don Sebastiani & Sons Presents: Crush

The beauty of wine country is both poetic and inspirational; yet representing the true nature of wine is a seemingly impossible task. But for Bret Lyman, its just a day at the office.

As the Sonoma Valley Film Festival approaches, Bret is putting the final touches on Crush, a Don Sebastiani & Sons Film. This film documents the journey of winemaker Richard Bruno through Crush. Crush offers a unique view of what really happens during crush at a world renowned winery. Take a journey through Crush with Don Sebastiani & Sons;

If you are using an RSS reader, click here to watch the trailer.

Difficulties in Protecting Place and Origin in the Wine Industry

Protecting geographical integrity is important not just for wine producers, but also for consumers. Different governments have set up systems to ensure the consumer knows what they are purchasing. Recently, there have been two stories in the news that demonstrate some headway has been made in protecting geographical integrity, but also the difficulties the movement still faces.

Wine Enthusiast Online recently reported the good news that six new regions have signed the Wine Accord, an international group whose stated mission is to, “protect wine place and origin.” The regions that signed the Wine Accord include Paso Robles, Sonoma County, Victoria, Western Australia, Tokaj, and Chianti Classico. Napa Valley, Champagne, Porto, Jerez, Oregon, Washington, and Walla Walla Valley are already members of the group.

Other headway has been made in protecting geographical integrity. The United States and European Union have finally come to an agreement which will limit the use of 16 regional names to wines produced locally. Three of these regions include Champagne, Chablis, and Burgundy; names that have been used for generic wines to mislead American consumers for decades.

But the news is not all positive for advocates of protecting geographical integrity. Paul Franson of Wines and Vines describes the trials and tribulations of establishing the Calistoga AVA in a recent article. Two brands, Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estates, have objected to the new AVA. The thing is, neither of these brands is located in Calistoga. More importantly, their wines do not use the required 75% of grapes to legally use the term Calistoga on their labels if the AVA is approved.

As Franson points out, Calistoga’s struggle has parallels to Bronco Wine Company’s recent attempt to use Napa Ridge on their labels, even though the required amount of Napa grapes were not used in these wines. The issue is quite clear-cut: consumers have a right to know what is in a bottle of wine before they purchase it. Anything less is misleading.

Tickets for Auction Napa Valley on Sale Tomorrow

Each year, the Napa Valley Vintners Association holds their annual auction to benefit local Napa Valley Charities. This year marks the 27th edition of this event, held at Meadowood Country Club in St Helena, Ca.

Auction Napa Valley was founded to “celebrate the wines, people and land of Napa Valley.” But the real winner is charity, with over $68 million given to Napa County health, youth and low-income housing non-profit organizations since their inception in 1981.

Friday, June 8th, 2007 – Taste Napa Valley – This festival features Napa Valley food and wine. This is a day time event, held outdoors where participating vintners will be pouring their finest releases, paired with catered food. The event then moves indoors to the – Barrel Tasting and Auction – This is a great opportunity to taste future releases from your favorite wineries. The evening culminates with private auctions at the personal homes or wineries of the Vintners.

Saturday, June 9th, 2007 – Live Auction and Dinner – The day begins in the vineyards and at the wineries of your favorite vintners, who are hosting private parties for their guests. The evening features the main event of the weekend, the diner and auction at Meadowood Napa Valley. They will be auctioning off 40 lots of the best wine that Napa Valley has to offer.

Sunday, June 10th, 2007 – Farewell Reception – The farewell reception will be headed by the Joseph Phelps Vineyards Family, and is set to be a fitting end to a great weekend.

To purchase tickets, click here, or call 707.968.4217.

Are Bordeaux Style Blends the Future of American Wine?

Since the 1970s, the U.S. wine industry has been driven by varietal wines – those labeled by type of grape, e.g. Chardonnay or Merlot. These were the years of America’s wine renaissance, and the industry transitioned from using predominantly generic names, e.g. Chablis and Burgundy.

However, interest in blended red wines is increasing each year. California has been leading the charge, and sales in this category are up 19% versus last year. In fact, California red blends are outpacing the growth of many single red varietals, including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Many of these red blends are made using the traditional Bordeaux grapes, (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot), and carry the Meritage name on their labels. This name was established by the Meritage Association “to identify hand-crafted wines blended from the traditional ‘noble’ Bordeaux varietals.”

But these are not the only red blends gaining popularity in America. The acreage of vineyards planted with Rhone varietals, (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignane, etc.), has greatly increased in recent years throughout California. Many of these grapes are being blended rather than bottled as varietal wines.

In a way, America’s taste in wine has come full circle. In the years following Prohibition, producers were interested in riding the coattails of established European wine regions, even if their wines did not resemble the originals. But as America producers found their bearings, they began to differentiate themselves from Europe by labeling their wines by varietal (something rarely done in Europe).

This development also went hand-in-hand with the many New World innovations in technology. Rather than seeing wines as the product of a specific place, they were seen as the product of a type of grape and winemaking. This is changing, and there is currently more respect for high-quality grape growing and site selection than ever before.

As America’s wine industry matures, many premium-quality producers are no longer constrained by labeling their wines according to varietal. Until recently, most consumers were not comfortable purchasing a wine that was not labeled according to the grape it was made with.

The Federal Government requires that varietal wines contain at least 75% of the grape it is labeled with, largely so the consumer knows what to expect.

However, this is an arbitrary number, and winemakers need more flexibility in order to make the best product possible. They are therefore turning to blends that do not carry varietal labels. Thankfully, the American consumer is increasingly aware of the benefits of blending certain complimentary grapes, and these wines are thriving in the marketplace.

1 Based on IRI InfoScan, Total US Food & Drug, Unit Sales % Change vs Year Ago, 52 weeks ending 2/25/07

Quixote Winery is better by Design

Many of you know the Stags Leap wine region for their world class Cabernets, but one of Stag Leap’s small wineries is drawing international attention for more than its wine. Quixote Winery is the only building in America designed by Viennese artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Hundertwasser, who passed away in 2000, was known for his eccentric design; no two windows are the same, olive trees grow on the roof and straight lines are no where to be found. He focused on using natural light to illuminate the tasting room, bringing a lively upbeat feel to the experience.

Visitors can relax in the patio garden that features a striking mosaic of tinted glass. Hundertwasser used blue tiles to “drip” from the roofline to represent the nearby reservoir. “His philosophy is: Straight lines are anathema.”

Owner Carl Doumani said “If they walk in here and they’re happy, they’re going to like our wines more.”

This is a great approach that is seemingly lost to many wineries in the Napa Valley. The design of Quixote winery leaves a lasting memory to visitors, bringing them that much closer to Quixote’s wine.

If you are in the Napa Valley, and would like to visit Quixote Winery, call 707-944-2659 or e-mail lew@quixotewinery.com to make an appointment

New AVAs Requested in Paso Robles

The Paso Robles AVA Committee is moving ahead with its “master plan” to divide the large region into 11 smaller sub-AVAs. The group recently submitted requests for 3 new sub-AVAs to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and plans to submit the others in the next few weeks.

Founded by Jerry Lohr, the Paso Robles AVA Committee retained the services of renowned UC Davis geologist Deborah Elliott-Fisk to divide the region into more meaningful sub-AVAs according to geology and climate.

However, a competing plan to establish a Westside sub-AVA is already in the pipeline at the TTB. Many wineries have criticized this proposed division, arguing that it is a marketing ploy that does not correctly reflect the nuances of the region.

Complicating the issue further is the fact that the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has spent considerable time and money in recent years to raise awareness of the Paso Robles brand. To ensure that none of this effort is lost, the Alliance is backing a piece of legislation introduced by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) that would require “Paso Robles” to still be on the wine label if the sub-AVA requests go through.

But no matter how the issue is settled, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s mission will remain the same, according to spokeswoman Staci Jacob. Jacob recently told the San Francisco Chronicle, “We’re still driving and getting awareness for Paso Robles as a wine region. That’s where the conjunctive labeling comes in. It will help ensure Paso Robles remains the dominant AVA while the sub-appellations can truly tell the story.”

Historic Oakville Grocery saved from Bankruptcy by Leslie Rudd

Oakville Grocery is a hallmark of Napa Valley’s wine country. Since 1881, locals and tourists alike have enjoyed its gourmet food for lunches and picnics on lazy wine country afternoons. But recent cash-flow problems threatened the chain, and rumors flew of bankruptcy.

The three Oakville Grocery stores were about to close when Leslie Rudd, of Rudd Vineyards, stepped in to lend the company enough money to keep them afloat until a deal was struck.

Rudd and an unidentified buyer are now working through paperwork to make the Oakville Grocery chain theirs. The store on Highway 29 is one of 73 Napa County sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is on the list of protected structures starting in 1993.

Rudd said, “I love the history surrounding this beloved Napa Valley brand. I want to see the 1881 building refurbished and the brand thriving once again…My intention is to maintain Oakville Grocery as a separate brand and to recreate as much as possible the historic feel and experience that has made it a ‘must stop’ for Napa Valley visitors.”

Suspect Charged in Wine Arson

Mike Anderson, a 58 year old man from Sausalito, has been charged with arson in a fire that destroyed as much as $300 million worth of wine at the Wines Central warehouse in Vallejo. The blaze stunned the California wine industry, as over 90 wineries stored much of their merchandise at Wines Central.

What made the fire particularly devastating was the fact that many wineries housed rare, vertical collections at the warehouse. These wines are irreplaceable, and blaze put a dent in the historical production of many California wineries. In a particularly egregious example, Saintsbury lost the bulk of its older inventory dating to 1979.

Anderson owns Sausalito Cellars, a company that specializes in storing high-end wine. He rented part of the Wines Central warehouse for his commercial and private clients. Prosecutors contend that Anderson sold much of his clients’ wine without their knowledge through a different company. Because of this, he is also charged with tax evasion and fraud.

In 2005, Anderson’s attorney, Douglas Rappaport, told the San Francisco Chronicle that, “He would have no motive whatsoever to set a fire. Mark may be the obvious culprit, as in ‘the butler did it.’ But I’ve played enough Clue to know that the butler never does it.”

In addition to these recent legal troubles, Anderson is also facing several counts of embezzlement in Marin County. These charges are the result of allegations that 7,600 cases of wine worth an estimated $1.1 million have gone missing. Anderson has pled not guilty in this case.

Duckhorn For Sale?

There have been many acquisitions in the California wine industry lately, and another group of well-known wineries may be for sale. Duckhorn Wine Company consists of Duckhorn Vineyards and Paraduxx, both in the Napa Valley, and Goldeneye in the Anderson Valley.

Duckhorn’s president, Alex Ryan, recently told Decanter.com that the company, “Is not for sale, but they are not ruling out the possibility of selling.” He went on to say that, “A sale may be one of the options we are looking at. It may be appropriate to bring in some help at this stage. But there is no deal. There is no buyer.”

Based in the St Helena wine region, Duckhorn Vineyards has been extremely successful since it was established in 1976. Founders Dan and Margaret Duckhorn initially made their name producing Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

In 1997, the Duckhorns expanded the scope of their production by starting Goldeneye in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley wine country. This winery focuses on Pinot Noir. Paraduxx was introduced several years later, and makes a proprietary red blend.

A fourth brand, Canvasback, will soon be launched as well. Canvasback will focus on the traditional red grapes of France’s Rhone Valley including Syrah and Grenache. The 2004 vintage will be available in the next few months.

Wine Institute Advocates a Reduction in Indian Duties on U.S. Imports

The Wine Institute recently voiced support for opening a dialogue with India to reduce “prohibitive duties” on United States wine imports. The Wine Institute is an organization that represents and advocates for over 1,000 U.S. wine-related businesses.

As it stands today, U.S. producers must pay several different duties that amount to 150% to 550% of the wine’s wholesale price. As a member of the WTO, India is technically not supposed to charge duties over 150%.

According to the Wine Institute, India imported $674 million worth of wine in 2005; more than twice the amount a decade ago. With its large and increasingly affluent population, the country is one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world.

In order to capitalize on India’s emerging taste for wine, United States trade representatives have requested that talks be initiated through the WTO. This is especially timely considering French imports to India rose by 35% last year. The U.S. wine industry certainly does not want to lose too much ground in this emerging market.

Dear Guinness Book of World Records: Where’s the Alcohol Entries?

The Guinness Book of World Records was originally established to settle drunken arguments in the pubs of Britain and Ireland. This book was the answer to alcohol induced debates that were once only solved through good old fashioned brawls. That is, until 1991, when they banned all alcohol related entries due to fear of litigation. However, the 1979 edition did print these records, which are reproduced below. For edits and additions, please leave a comment below and the list will be updated.

Strongest Beer

The strongest known beer in 1979 was EKU Kulminator Urtyp Hell from Kilmbach, West Germany, at 13.2 percent alcohol (1979).

Update: Bavarian brewer Harald Schneider, from southern Germany, brewed a beer that was 25.4% alcohol. Source.

Weakest Beer

The weakest liquid ever marketed as a beer was a sweet ersatz beer from Germany be Sunner, Colne-Kalk in 1918. It had less than 0.2 percent alcohol (1979).

Speed Beer Drinking

Steven Petrosino of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania on June 22nd, 1977, drank 1 liter of beer in 1.3 seconds. Peter G. Dowdeswell of Earls Barton drank two liters in 6.0 seconds on February 7th, 1975 (1979).

Fastest Beer Drinking Relay

Czech patriots drank 2,662 half-litres of beer in less than 17 hours. Drinking at a rate of over 156 beers per hour, or 2.6 mugs per minute, the Czechs can now claim to be the fastest “relay” drinkers in the world (2004). Source.

Highest Documented Blood Alcohol Level

An unidentified middle-aged Latvian man was unconscious but stable after a blood test showed 7.22 parts per million (0.7%) of alcohol, police spokeswoman Ieva Zvidre said. “An average person would vomit at around 1.2, lose consciousness at 3.0 and stop breathing at a level of about 4.0 parts per million” Zvidre said (2003). Source.

Most Alcoholic Person (actual name of record)

It is recorded that a hard drinker named Vanhorn (1850 – 1911) averaged more than four bottles of Ruby Port per day for 23 years prior to his death at 61. He is believed to have emptied 35,688 bottles (1979).

Beer Consumption

The nation with the highest beer consumption per person is West Germany, with 39.8 U.S. gallons per person in 1976. In the northern territory of Australia, the annual intake has been estimated to be as high as 62.4 U.S. gallons per person (1979).

Youngest Recorded Death from Alcohol Poisoning

A 4 year old boy, Joesph Sweet, in Wolverhampton, England, in died 1827 from alcohol poisoning, reported in the Stafford Assizes case R. v. Martin (1979).

Most Alcoholic Drink

During Independence (1918 – 1940) the Estonian Liquor Monopoly marketed 196 proof potato alcohol. In the U.S., Everclear (190 proof) is marketed by the American Distilling Co. (1979).

Most Expensive Liqueur

A half bottle of Peres Chartreux, Tanrragone, June of 1945 has been sold for 130 francs, equivalent to $59 per bottle (1979).

Most Expensive Spirit

Grande Fine Champagne Napolean, 1811 was auctioned at Christie’s of London in December 1976 for $374 for a single bottle (1979).

Oldest Wine

The oldest datable wine has been an amphora salvaged and drank by Captain Jacques Cousteau from the wreck of a Greek trader sunk in the Mediterranean circa 230 B.C. Wine jars recovered from the Pompeii eruption of A.D. 79 were found labeled VESUVINUM – The oldest known trade mark (1979).

Most Expensive Wine

The highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine of any size is $18,000 for a jeroboam of 1864 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild dry red Bordeaux, purchased at an auction in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 25th, 1978 (1979).

Update: The most expensive wine ever sold is a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite which sold at Christie’s London in December, 1985 for £105,00 (about US $160,000). Source.

Greatest Wine Auction

The single largest sale of wine took place at Christie’s of King Street, St. James, London, on March 25-26, 1976, when 31,000 bottles of Bordeaux wines were auctioned for $1,500,000 (1979).

Champagne Cork Flight

The longest distance for a champagne cork to fly from an untreated bottle 4 feet from level ground is 102 feet 11 inches by Gary P. Mahan at La Habra Heights, California on August 2nd, 1975 (1979).

Longest Prohibition

The longest lasting imposition of Prohibition against consumption of alcoholic beverages has been 26 years in Iceland (1908 – 1934). Other prohibitions have been in Russia (1914 – 1924) and the United States (1920 – 1933)(1979).

Largest Beer Selling Establishment

The Mathaser Bayerstrasse 5, Munich, West Germany averaged 100,800 pints sold per day. It was rebuilt in 1995 to seat 5,500 people (1979).

Longest Bar

The longest bar with Beer pumps was built in 1938 at the Working Men’s Club, Mildura, Victoria, Australia. Its counter is 298 feet in length, with 27 pumps (1979).

Oldest Brewery

The oldest brewery is the Weihenstephan, Brewery in Freising, near Munich, West Germany, founded in 1040 (1979).

Largest Single Brewer

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. In 1975, the company sold 35,196,180 barrels, the largest annual volume ever produced by a Brewery (1979).

Largest Brewery

The largest brewery on a single site is Adolph Coors Co. of Golden Colorado, which produced 12,800,000 barrels in 1978 (1979).

Calwineries, inc. does not want anyone to try and break these records. We are a site about California Wine Country and do not endorse excessive drinking, under any circumstance. For more wine information, click on the learn tab or that link.

More Wineries are Turning to Pneumatage

As the international wine industry becomes more and more competitive, wineries are turning to technology to get an edge in the market. The goal is generally to extract as much flavor as possible without extracting too many harsh tannins. A small but growing number of winemakers are using a technique called pneumatage to accomplish this.

During red wine fermentation, the skins, seeds, and other debris float to the top of the container forming the “cap.” Winemakers resubmerge the cap by punching it down or pumping wine over the top.

However, punching down or pumping over the cap both can shred the skins and release seeds into the wine. Because these seeds contain harsh tannins, winemakers often have to press the must before they have attained the right amount of flavor.

In response to this dilemma, Pulsair Mixing Systems developed attachments for the base of the tank which inject air into the wine. This extracts color and flavor from the skins without tearing up the skins and releasing seeds. The health of the yeast cells also benefit from the oxygen bubbles.

Based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Benton Lane Winery was one of the first to use pneumatage for their Pinot Noir production. Other wineries using the technique include Glen Fiona, Bonny Doon, Malivoire, and Cedar Creek.

PinotBlogger: Can I Help Build your Winery?

Recently, there has been a great deal of attention on winery marketing campaigns that engage their customers. Fantesca Winery unveiled their Wine Corkies and Twisted Oak is allowing their fans to Write this #x%x! Both wineries are encouraging participation in the winemaking process and are taking strides to break through the winery-consumer barrier.

However, there is a winery that has effectively broken down this barrier by taking an approach that has never been seen before. Many of you know him as the PinotBlogger, some of you know him as Josh, and everyone will soon know him as the front man and palate behind Capozzi Winery.

The concept of the PinotBlogger blog is to document the birth of the Capozzi Winery in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. On the surface, this seems like a novel approach to generate some pre-launch buzz. But the PinotBlogger has taken this approach into the stratosphere, as a bonafide star of the wine blogging community.

Some may argue that this isn’t the case. But I offer evidence to the contrary. In a January post, titled Help us Design our Tasting Room, the PinotBlogger asked for help from his friends, followers and fans to design the Capozzi Winery tasting room;

“We are starting the process of designing our tasting room and I’d love to get some feedback from you…If your idea is used we will commemorate it and be sure to give you credit. Perhaps a plaque if appropriate, or maybe we’ll build a shrine to your genius for all to see.”

What?!? I can help design a winery tasting room! Talk about being a part of the process. With 32 comments, it’s easy to see how well this was received by the wine blogging community. Some of the responses were 750 words +.

The interest and passion generated from this post is not only a sign that the PinotBlogger has nailed the mission of his blog, but also the he is on the verge of creating something no other winery has been able to do; a winery based community.

Regardless of whether the PinotBlogger decides to build a full fledged social network around the construction of Capozzi winery, he has built a community around his blog. It would be beneficial for everyone to be able to become more active in the process. Because the more people are involved, the more loyal they will be once Capozzi begins producing wine.

What winery wouldn’t want a group of highly passionate evangelists as customers? It’s an interesting approach and I’m excited to see the other interesting ways the PinotBlogger will get us all involved.

Wineries can now Pour at Non-Profit Events

Non-profit organizations are the unheralded heroes of the business world. They support their communities by providing services and goods that are desperately needed by disenfranchised populations. But they can’t carry out their missions without the financial support of the government and community businesses.

In wine country, one of the most important sources of monetary support comes from wineries. But there have been restrictions that limit the degree to which a winery can be involved in fund raising efforts, putting a serious strain on the non-profit community.

However, there is currently legislation that would allow vintners to pour wine at charitable events regardless of local licenses and restrictions. When this bill is signed and put into action, a great sigh of relief with be heard from all wine country non-profits.

In a survey conducted by New Level Group, a Napa based consulting firm, 58 percent of responding nonprofits said wine donations were “very important” to their cause. And in the Napa Valley’s wine country, this number is even more dramatic, with “96 percent of responding Napa County nonprofits [saying] that wine donations were very or somewhat important.”

This new bill will help non-profits fund their efforts and help wineries contribute to the causes they feel are important. This is a great day for wine country and non-profits all over California.

Public Opinion is to Elite Snobbery as Wine Blogger Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews

When it comes to wine, what happened to the court of public opinion? Does the public even have an opinion? The wine industry has been dominated by a few individuals for such a long time that the voice of the masses has been drowned in a whirlpool of professional wine critics and writers.

The total reliance on professional opinion is one of the major factors contributing to the sorry state of the wine industry. Unfortunately, most people seem to be afraid to voice their opinion about wine. But there is one important thing to remember, tasting wine is a SUBJECTIVE experience.

It doesn’t matter what someone else has said about a particular wine, its all about what YOU think about it. While there are definite benefits to reading wine critic reviews, they should be taken for what they are; someone’s opinion on a subjective experience. Taking these opinions as rule is the best way to back your palate into a corner and never really discover what you really like and don’t like.

Free Thinkers are to Sheep as “Followers of their own Preferences” are to “Followers of Wine Critics Preferences.”

Fortunately, over the past couple of years, things have been changing. The development of the wine blogosphere, although still in its infancy, has enabled a more democratic take on wine and the wine industry. Instead of reading a wine publication, many people are searching blog posts for wine reviews. These reviews are a better representation of public opinion because they are not corrupted by the forces influencing major wine magazines.

Public Opinion is to Elite Snobbery as Wine Blogger Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews

In addition to the wine blogs, there are now wine websites that are more interested in what people like you think than what some professional wine critic thinks. User generated wine sites like Cork’d, Winelog, Openbottles, Bottletalk and Vinorati all emphasize user opinion.

The trend towards impartial user reviews is taking hold in almost every major industry. User reviews are all over sites like Amazon and Overstock, and were the driving force behind the development of blogs; as they morphed from personal websites to weblogs at the turn of the millennium.

Democracy is to Non-Marxist Imperialism as User Generated Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews.

It seems that there are three major categories of opinion; Wine Critics, Wine Bloggers and the General Publics. Which is most important to you? How many people would have a give a positive review of a wine to convince you its good? If a wine critic gave a wine a bad review, would you automatically think its bad?

These are questions you can only answer for yourself, but have serious implications on the direction of the wine industry. As more emphasis is placed on wine blogger and general public opinion, the wine industry will become more democratic and less imperialistic. And it is within this movement that people will free their palates and truly develop their own tastes and preferences.

Ernest Gallo Passes Away at Age 97

Ernest Gallo, co-founder of the wine producing giant E & J Gallo, has passed away in his hometown of Modesto, California at the age of 97.

Along with his brother Julio, Ernest established E & J in 1933 immediately after the United States repealed Prohibition. The business was founded with $5,900 and a winemaking recipe the brothers found in the Modesto Public Library. Ernest spearheaded sales and marketing for the company, while Julio made the wine. Julio passed away in 1993.

For many years, E & J Gallo was the largest wine producing company in the world. It has since fallen behind Constellation Brands, but the company still sells an amazing 75 million cases a year. Ernest’s son, Joseph, is now the head of E & J Gallo.

One of the reasons E & J was so successful was that the brothers did not just focus on making wine; they bought and planted enormous tracts of vineyards and were involved in every aspect of distribution. Ernest and Julio even manufactured their own bottles at a glass factory they owned. This gave them unparalleled control and led to the meteoric rise of the winery.

E & J produced and marketed generic table wines named after European wine regions such as Burgundy and Chablis. The brothers are also famous for developing such brands as Thunderbird, a high-alcohol fortified wine, and Ripple, a fruit-flavored wine.

In an interview on his 90th birthday, Ernest stated, “My brother Julio and I worked to improve the quality of wines from California and to put fine wine on American dinner tables at a price people could afford. We also worked to improve the reputation of California wines here and overseas.”

So This is How Wine is Sold

Sharpshooter Discovered in Napa

The discovery of an adult glassy-winged sharpshooter at a Napa Valley nursery is causing serious concern in the local wine industry. As reported by the St. Helena Star, the insect was found on February 22nd, in a group of plants from Orange County.

This is the first official sighting of an adult glassy-winged sharpshooter in Napa County. The pest has previously been found along the Highway 80 corridor in Solano County, and ravaged Temecula’s wine industry during the 1990s.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter carries Pierce’s Disease, a virus that is deadly to grape vines as well as several other agricultural goods. Pierce’s Disease was long carried by the blue-green sharpshooter, a much feebler insect than its robust cousin. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is about a half inch long, and is capable of flying several miles in a day.

Napa Valley’s wine industry is not taking this finding lightly, and agriculture departments on the county, state, and federal level have sprung into action to investigate and quarantine if necessary.

It should be noted, however, that the glassy-winged sharpshooter cannot fly when the temperature is lower than 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, and the high for the day was 53 degrees. The adult was found early in the morning, and was not moving because of the low temperature. Hopefully no others escaped before the day warmed up.

Dave Whitmer, Napa County’s Agriculture Commissioner, is especially concerned with the discovery because the plants were from a nursery certified as non-infested. “It raises a warning flag to begin with in our regulatory system. You would not expect an adult glassy-winged sharpshooter to be moving on nursery stock from a nursery designated as non-infested,” Whitmer remarked.

NIH Blocked Info on Wine and Health Connection

The relationship between alcohol and health is undeniably controversial. So much so that National Institutes of Health (NIH) covered up the association between abstinence from alcohol and increased risk of heart disease.

In 1974, the Framingham Study found that the “big four” risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, high cholesterol and abstinence from alcohol. However, when the NIH reported the study, they only mentioned three.

NIH officials said, “Refer to only three major risk factors and remove all reference to alcohol. With all the abuse in this country, we must not say alcohol prevents (coronary heart disease). If you must comment on alcohol, say it has no effect.”

This information was revealed at the recent International Wine and Heart Health Summit at Silverado Resort in February. Cover-ups like this one are not surprising, the NIH is known for selectively reporting information to the public.

While it’s understandable to withhold this type of information, they are jeopardizing the health of responsible drinkers. It is important for the public to receive objective information so they can make decisions on what’s good for their health and what’s not.

“Beyond Hang Time” Seminar

Grape hang time and subsequent alcohol levels are hot topics in the California wine industry right now. In response, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association will host, “The Future of Napa Valley: Beyond Hang Time.” This seminar will take place on Thursday, March 8th, 2007 at Copia in downtown Napa.

Several topics will be discussed by scientists, grape growers, and winemakers. The day will start with Deborah L. Elliot-Fisk, from UC Davis, giving talk entitled, “What Makes Napa Valley So Special?”

Climate and change and global warming are on a lot of vintners’ and consumers’ minds right now. In response, Rick Snyder, also from UC Davis, will address the question, “What is Happening to Napa’s Weather?” Ed Weber, of the University of California Cooperative Extension, will speak on the “Results of the 2006 Napa Valley Hang Time Study.”

Coming from the winemaker’s perspective, Andy Walker, Larry Brooks, Michael Silacci, and Bob Wample will talk about, “Pursuing Ripeness and Flavor in Wines.” Finally, vineyard managers Jon Ruel, Sam Turner, Steve Matthiasson, and Pete Richmond will discuss, “Vineyard Strategies for Achieving Ripeness and Flavor.”

Tickets for this event are $75 for members of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association and $115 for non-members. Call (707) 944-8311 for information on attending.

Proposed Westside Paso Robles AVA Draws Criticism

The controversy surrounding attempts to establish sub-AVAs within Paso Robles shows no sign of abating anytime soon. Several members of the Paso Robles wine industry have written to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau expressing their criticism of the proposed Westside Paso Robles sub-AVA.

Terry Brady of Clautiere Winery argues that the proposal is not based on any real viticultural differences, and is a marketing ploy. Brady contends that proponents of the Westside sub-AVA want, “be able to take advantage of a perceived superiority of this part of the appellation.”

Blair Zajac of Ma Vigne au Soleil agrees with Brady, stating, “From a wine sales consideration, implementing the proposed new boundary will have a negative impact on east side wine sales of quality fully equal to that of the west side.”

Dennis T. Collins, the General Manager of Treana Winery, is also critical of the proposed sub-AVA, but not for the same reasons. Treana makes a wine called “Westside,” and Collins believes that the existence of a Westside Paso Robles sub-AVA would cause consumer confusion.

The establishment of AVAs is a tricky issue, and the entire California wine industry is closely watching the process unfold in Paso Robles right now.

Write This %@#$! and Win Twisted Oak Wine

How involved are you with your wine? Do you know the winemaker? Have you been to the winery? Do you write about your experience on Cork’d or WineLog?

As web applications evolve, they open up channels for you to interact with your wine online. This has enabled you to write about your experiences, interact with other wine lovers, and has paved the way for a virtual wine tasting experience. Gary Vaynerchuck is on the right track, but hasn’t hit the nail on the head yet.

As this movement picks up steam online, it is creeping into the offline world. Last month, I reported on an innovative approach Fantesca Winery used to reach out to their customers. Their efforts were a great example of getting their customers involved with the winemaking process.

Another winery that is doing a great job of engaging their customers is Twisted Oak. They are the out right leader for wineries in the blogosphere with El Bloggo Torcido (PinotBlogger is exempt because his winery isn’t functional yet). They are doing a great job expanding their audience and reaching out to new people.

But reaching new people is just the first step in the process. Now that they have effectively found this audience, it is then the goal to engage them and get them invested in the Twisted Oak brand; enter Write This %@#$!

You, the Twisted Oak fan, can write the back label of Twisted Oak’s 2006 Sierra Foothills x%x#$! Looking at the examples of back labels, you can use your creative talents to win the grand prize, a case of the 2006 x%x#$!.

Your entries are going to be judged by the Twisted Oak Crew, and must be submitted by March 16th, 2007. Even if you don’t win the grand prize, you still win. Everyone who enters will receive a coupon for a 20% discount on your next purchase from Twisted Oak. Details for the competition can be found here.

Good luck, and Write That %@#$!.

Central Coast Viticulture and Enology Conference

On February 22nd and 23rd, Fresno State University hosted the 10th Annual Viticulture and Enology Conference with a focus on color in grapes and color and wine. A wide array of winemakers and researchers spoke on color development and color management in grape growing and winemaking.

As reported by Wine Business, “the lectures focused on plant hormones and their relationship to grape color; color-extracting enzyme technology; enotannins and color; yeast, polysaccharides and polyphenols; cultural practices that influence color; near infrared spectroscopy and differential harvesting; and packaging and labeling.”

Sanliang Gu spoke about the effect that ABA (S-abscisic acid) has on anthocyanins (the compounds that give red grapes their color) when applied to grapes in the vineyard. Gu is the Ricchiuti Chair of Viticulture Research at Fresno State University. According to Gu, ABA sprayed onto Cabernet Sauvignon berries increased anthocyanins by “up to 40 percent.”

Francois Botton, a scholar at Martin Vialatte Oenologie in Epernay, France, focused his talk on how different tannins can affect anthocyanins depending on their origin. Botton found that certain tannins increase anthocyanins more than others, and revealed his specific research to the conference.

Hospices of Sonoma Barrel Auction

Hospices of Sonoma, a Pinot Noir barrel auction, will be held on April 20 and 21. The 2 day event includes a gala barrel tasting, auction, and 17 winery tasting dinners. 37 carefully chosen wineries will offer specially made Pinot Noir for auction.

The largest Pinot Noir barrel auction in the United States, Hospices of Sonoma is modeled after Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, France. This annual charity event draws many of the world’s top wine collectors and luminaries. All proceeds are donated to hospitals for the underprivileged.

Hospices of Sonoma will benefit The Children’s Village of Sonoma County, Barry Zito’s Strikeouts for Troops Foundation, the Okizu Foundation, and the WCC Charitable Foundation.

Some of the wineries that will have dinners include Halleck Vineyard, Gloria Ferrer, Hartford Family Wines, J Vineyards & Winery, Russian Hill Estate, Olivet Lane, De Loach, Chasseur, The Donum Estate, Schug Estate, Emeritus Vineyards, and Dutton Estate.

Sonoma County Barrel Tastings

As spring emerges in wine country, the whole landscape begins to come alive. Yellow mustard blankets the land and the vines are pruned for another growing season. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Sonoma County wineries are also preparing for the traditional barrel tasting events held in March: the Russian River Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Weekends and Savor Sonoma Valley: A Barrel Tasting and Culinary Experience.

The Russian River Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Weekends will be held on March 4 and 9-11. About 110 wineries from Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley will give visitors the chance to taste samples from the barrel.

Savor Sonoma Valley: A Barrel Tasting and Culinary Experience will take place on the weekend of March 17-18. 19 wineries have teamed up with several local restaurants to provide an excellent wine and food experience for visitors.

At both events, winemakers will be on hand to answer any questions the public may have. This is a great opportunity to interact with the people who are responsible for making your favorite Sonoma County wines. You can also buy wine that is still in the barrel at a considerable discount. Most importantly, it is a great chance to see the beauty of Sonoma County and the genesis of the 2007 vintage.

Lodi Winemakers Work to Prevent Suburban Sprawl

Lodi’s wine industry has made tremendous strides in recent years. Once known for mass production, several boutique wineries have sprung up and are justifiably targeting higher price points. Michael-David Vineyards just released the region’s first wine priced at over $50; a Cabernet Sauvignon named “Rapture.” While the quality of Lodi wines is no longer in question, there is a new threat to the industry: suburban sprawl.

As reported by San Joaquin County’s Recordnet.com, the populations in the nearby cities of Sacramento and Stockton are increasing rapidly. The Lodi greenbelt is caught in the middle, prompting local winemakers and grape growers are taking steps to prevent suburban sprawl from creeping in.

They face several challenges. With the cost of housing in the San Francisco Bay Area at stratospheric levels, moving to outlying areas like Lodi, Stockton, or Sacramento is the only option for many people. Additionally, it is much more lucrative to develop land with houses or strip malls than it is to farm.

Since demographic and economic trends are not on their side, Lodi vintners are focusing their efforts on lobbying for regulation to prevent vineyards from being developed. This may be the only way to ensure that premium Lodi wines will be enjoyed by future generations.

Round Pond Website Review: The Good and the Bad

It is not news to anyone reading this blog that the internet’s reach is growing. More and more people are using the web to find, learn and explore their interests; and this trend is not showing signs of slowing down.

In fact, the rate of growth is increasing. However, there are auxiliary consequences of this growth. One is higher expectations of websites from the public. This can mainly be attributed to the widespread acceptance of social networks and use of CSS (a type of code that makes websites beautiful).

There is a large amount of pressure for websites to not only look great, but also provide value and functionality. And the wine industry is no exception. As the public turns to the internet to find and purchase wines, it is important for winery websites to cater to these new expectations.

Rising to the challenge, many wineries are building new websites. One of these is Rutherford’s Round Pond Winery, who just launched their new website yesterday.

Round Pond has created a very elegant, straightforward interface for their visitors. Their color scheme is inviting, and using black and white pictures gives the look and feel of a classic website. One of the best features of this new site is the amount of content. Compared to other winery websites, Round Pond has a great deal of unique content. This is beneficial to the visitor and helps them cast a wide net in the Search Engines.

While overall, they are ahead of the curve as far as winery websites are concerned, they definitely have room to improve. They can make the biggest improvement in their Search Results.

Search Engine Optimization is an esoteric and complicated subject; understanding the principals that drive Search Engine Page Results takes years to know and master. A lack of understanding on the part of Round Pond’s development team is probably one of the reasons why they don’t come up number one in the Search Results for their own terms.

Overall, they have a good site, and with a few structural changes, it could be great. A great deal of thought and effort went into the development of their site, and a congratulations is in order.

Natural Defense Against Vineyard Pests

Located in the hills east of the town of St Helena, Spring Mountain Vineyard has long been known for its environmentally friendly grape growing and winemaking practices. When vineyard manager Ron Rosenbrand discovered the destructive mealybug in 5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, conventional treatments seemed like the only option.

As reported by the St Helena Star, Rosenbrand tried to combat the mealybug with insecticides and quarantine measures for 3 years, but to no avail…

“I thought, there’s gotta be another way to do this. We weren’t eradicating and barely controlling the vine mealybug. And with our methods, we were still seeing some spread through the blocks.”

Rather than continuing to fight the bothersome pest with questionably effective pesticides, Rosenbrand decided to take a different approach. In collaboration with a team of UC Berkeley researchers, he released 6 species of insects that are natural predators of the mealybug. These included ladybugs, mealybug destroyers, 2 species of wasps, green lacewings, and minute pirate bugs.

The insects seem to be effective, and Rosenbrand is cautiously optimistic. “I have no idea if this is able to eradicate or control the Vine Mealybug, but I would much rather use biocontrol as a control method than insecticide. It is better for our environment and we’re hoping that last year wasn’t a fluke, but a demonstration of how biocontrol methods can work. We’ll see how things go through this season and by November, if we have similar results, we’ll be able to say we’re controlling and possibly eradicating vine mealybug.”

Natural predators have been used to combat other vineyards pests, notably the glassy winged sharpshooter. Tiny wasps (Gonatocerus triguttatus) have been released in several parts of California to control the spread of the glassy winged sharpshooter.

Temecula's “Ultimate Wine and Food Pairing Event”

The Temecula Winegrowers Association’s “Ultimate” Wine and Food pairing event is set to take place on March 24th from 1 – 4 pm. There will be a dinner that pairs its menu with wines from Baja California to British Columbia (BC to BC).

Taking place at Callaway Winery, event participants will have to opportunity to taste more than 100 wines from fourteen different wine regions. Later that night, an additional event is set that will pair innovative food prepared by Executive Chef E. Dennis van Rumund with local Temecula wines.

Chef van Rumund said, “The menu, which includes international dishes and flavors from the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asia, is proof that wine goes with all kinds of food,”

The cost of the regional tasting is $58 per person, and the dinner is $135 per person plus gratuity. For more information, call the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at 801-800-WINE.

Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association
Linda Kissam, Executive Director
(800) 801-9463

Critic Found Guilty of Libel

In a ruling that has stunned food and wine critics throughout the world, a jury has awarded a Belfast restaurant ₤25,000 for a “defamatory” review by Caroline Workman.

The owner of Goodfellas restaurant, Ciaran Convery, brought the suit against Workman in response to a “hatchet job” of a review. As reported by Decanter Magazine, in 2000, Workman described the, “Staff as unhelpful, the cola as flat, and the chicken marsala as ‘so sweet as to be inedible.’” This is clearly not a flattering review, but libel?

Not surprisingly, the judgment has created quite a stir amongst journalists and critics. It has already been appealed, and National Union of Journalists is throwing its weight behind the issue.

Decanter’s Brian St Pierre summed up the story best when he said, “This says more about juries than about restaurants or critics. It’s easier to convince a jury that a reviewer has been unfair than it is to argue the finer points of free speech.”

By appealing to the jurists’ emotions, all reason flew out the window. Rather than it being evaluated as a matter of free speech, the issue was erroneously shifted to whether or not Workman was being fair with her critique.

New Zealand Wine Exports Increase

While California’s wine industry is stronger than ever, it is no secret that the state is facing increased international competition. Decanter Magazine recently reported that wine exports from New Zealand increased an amazing 30% in 2006.

Last year, the total value of New Zealand’s wine exports was $611 million. To emphasize how rapid the increase has been, consider that in 2003, total exports were less than half of their current value.

Most of the growth in demand for New Zealand wines has occurred in the United States, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, and Canada. Sauvignon Blanc remains the dominant export from New Zealand, and increased 25% last year. Although Pinot Noir is sold in lower quantities, it is surging at a quicker rate that Sauvignon Blanc (41%).

World Wine Trade Group Agrees on Universal Label

The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) recently agreed to some universal elements on wine labels. One of the WWTG’s goals is to ease regulatory burdens associated with imports.

As long as member countries of the WWTG, (United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Canada), include the required information on their labels, (product description, net content, country of origin, and alcohol percentage), no major redesigns will be necessary. The European Union has also approved these guidelines.

While this agreement is a step towards more open markets, certain national regulations will still have to be met. For example, in the United States, warning labels are mandatory and the existence of sulfites must be declared. All imports to America will still have to comply with these laws.

Packaging is a major expense in the wine industry, and redesigning labels can be particularly costly. To read the actual agreement, visit the World Wine Trade Group’s website

The Week in California Wine News

Feb 16, 2007 – Garguilo Vineyards Releases new Oakville Super Blend. Oakville’s Garguilo Vineyards releases their 2004 Aprile Super Oakville Blend.

Feb 15, 2007 – Drinkward Peschon Releases new Wine. St Helena’s Drinkward Peschon Winery released their 2004 “Entre-Deux-Meres” Cabernet Sauvignon.

Feb 14, 2007 – New Events at Fantesca Winery. Upcoming Events at Spring Mountain’s Fantesca Winery.

Feb 13, 2007 – Loring Wine Company Releases four new Pinots. Santa Rita Hills’ Loring Wine Company has released four new single vineyard, Central Coast Pinot Noirs.

Feb 12, 2007 – Kosta Browne Releases new Wines. Russian River Valley’s Kosta Browne Winery releases two of their ten 2005 Pinot Noirs.

Zin-Centric Robert Biale Vineyards Expands Collection

Robert Biale Vineyards recently released several wines from the outstanding 2005 vintage to members of their mailing list. These are the first wines that the Biale Family made in their new production facilities located in the Oak Knoll AVA.

Establishing a physical winery has been a long time coming for the Biales. The family has been growing grapes in Napa Valley for decades, but only recently navigated the regulatory and permit maze that is required to open a bonded winery. Prior to opening the new facility, Biale wines were made at Hendry Winery at the base of the Western Mayacamas Mountains.

The 2005 vintage is shaping up to be an excellent one throughout California. The vines got plenty of water in the winter, followed by a moderate spring. The grapes developed very methodically and were ripened by a late heat wave in September. In other words, 2005 was about as good as it gets for Zinfandel – Biale’s specialty.

That said, the winery is becoming less Zin-centric and offers a number of varietals in their recent release. These include the 2005 Black Chicken Zinfandel, 2005 Old Crane Ranch Zinfandel, 2005 Party Line Zinfandel, 2005 Grande Zinfandel, 2004 Hill Climber Pilgrimage Syrah, 2004 Thomann Station Petite Sirah, 2005 Nonna’s Sangiovese, and 2006 Pollo Bianco Sauvignon Blanc.

The Biale Family’s best known wine is probably their Black Chicken Zinfandel. In the decades following the repeal of Prohibition, and before the renaissance years of the late 1960s and 1970s, there were very few operating wineries in Napa Valley. During those years, Aldo Biale made homemade wine and sold it to locals under the codename “Black Chicken.” Aldo’s son, Robert, names his flagship Zinfandel after this piece of family history.

Origins of the Mission Grape

California owes its earliest winemaking history to Spanish Missionaries who planted the aptly named Mission grape during the 18th century. This varietal made simple, rustic wines that were used mainly for ecclesiastical purposes. It has long-since fallen out of favor and has been replaced by grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

The Mission’s illustrious past combined with its contemporary obscurity has always made it a bit of a curiosity. Until recently, no one knew the exact geographic and genetic origins of the grape.

According to an article in Wine Spectator, the mystery has finally been solved. Alejandra Milla Tapia and his team of researchers at the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología in Madrid have determined through DNA analysis that the Mission grape is genetically identical to Listan Prieto.

Listan Prieto is a Spanish grape that is also known as Palomino Negro. It was grown in Castile before being largely wiped out by the phylloxera outbreak of the late 19th century. There are still substantial plantings on the Canary Islands, as this region was too isolated to be affected by phylloxera. Tapia’s outstanding research has shed light on a major part of California’s wine heritage.

Movement towards Sustainable Winegrowing in California

Sustainable Winegrowing may be a new buzz word in California’s wine country, but for many producers, it is a long-term commitment. Wineries like Fetzer Vineyards, Benziger Family, Buena Vista, and Tablas Creek are not only economically successful, they are also responsible custodians of their land.

The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is an organization that promotes the economic interests of the state’s wine industry and advocates a sustainable winegrape growing program.

Wine is a rare product in that it is both an agricultural and finished good. It is made by nature, the people who work the land, and vintners in the winery. While the CAWG’s primary goal is to, “Produce the best quality wine and/or grapes possible,” their code of sustainable winegrowing also encompasses environmental and social goals.

Some of these other values include their desire to, “Maintain the long-term viability of agricultural lands, and to support the economic and social well-being of farm and winery employees through training and competitive compensation.” The CAWG understands the importance of preserving the natural environment as well as maintaining favorable relations with the workers who are the foundation of the industry.

This is not to say that the California Association of Winegrape Growers is not concerned with economics. Another bullet point in their code states that they want to, “Honor the California wine community’s entrepreneurial spirit.” They certainly have a refreshing and holistic approach to the wine business, and should be supported in their efforts.

Lodi's first "Super Luxury" Wine

In a sign that wines from the Lodi AVA are gaining more cachet with consumers, a recent article reported that Michael-David “Rapture” (Cabernet Sauvignon) will sell for $59 a bottle. The Lodi region has a reputation for quality wine, but generally at lower price points.

However, it is not surprising that this newer, high-priced market is emerging. Lodi has a very long grape growing and winemaking history. It is also one of the few places in California’s Central Valley where small, family farms are still thriving. Some great, handcrafted wines have been made in the region for many years. Adam Mettler and Frank Lambert are the winemakers for the Michael-David label. They also make a Zinfandel called “Lust” which sells for $49 a bottle. The move to sell “Rapture” for $59 a bottle represents a big leap for the Lodi’s wine industry. But some uncertainty still remains. Will consumers accept such a high price point from a non-coastal region?

Mettler and Lambert may very well be the right winemakers to attempt such a feat at the right time. There is a lot of buzz about these 2 young vintners, and Michael-David has gained quite a following in recent years.

Siduri Releases New Ultra Premium Pinot Noirs

Siduri is known for producing single vineyard ultra premium Pinot Noirs, and recently released 3 new wines to members of their mailing list. Based in the Russian River Valley AVA, Siduri is a boutique Pinot producer owned by Adam and Dianna Lee. Each year, they make an amazing 21 different Pinot Noirs with grapes from some of the best vineyards in California.

The new releases include the 2005 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2005 Siduri Terra de Promissio Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2005 Siduri Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir.

The 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of several different vineyards including Muirfield, Shaw, Arbre Vert, and Hawks’ View. At 12.99%, the alcohol level is very moderate. This wine was aged in only 29% new French oak to avoid overwhelming the fruit flavors.

The 2005 Terra de Promissio Vineyard Pinot Noir is from the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast AVA. At less than 1.5 tons per acre, the yields were kept very low. This wine was aged in 44% new French oak for 11 months. It was not fined, filtered, or racked before bottling.

The 2005 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir is the follow-up to the amazing 2004 vintage from this property. Garys’ Vineyard was planted in 1999, and although the grapes have always been superb, the quality level really hit its stride in 2004 and 2005. 768 cases of this wine were produced.

Friday Wine Links 2

Wine Label

Do you need personalized wine labels? If you do, WineLabel.com is the place to go. They make personalized labels and bottle etchings for any occasion. Their mission “is to make you look good! Personalization of your corporate image on our fine wine makes a lasting statement.”

The Wine Diva

Christine Ansbacher is a wine educator and entertainer. The Wine Diva hosts corporate wine tasting events, receptions, wine dinners, wine seminars, team building events, history-based wine dinners and food and wine pairing seminars. If need an event planned, you should check out what she can offer.

The Wine Boutique

The Wine Boutique is a great place to find and buy wines from the world’s wine regions. While offering wines from all over, they specialize in California, Oregon, France and Italy. According to their website, the have a “great selection, great prices, wine reviews, food pairings and more…”

Winestate

Winestate is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the promotion of a greater appreciation and enjoyment of wine. Its readers are both consumers and trade buyers who read the magazine for its in-depth tasting information and features, keeping it on hand as a permanent reference guide for beverage selection. It is Australia and New Zealand’s biggest selling buying guide to wine, beer and spirits.

The “Wonders of Spring Mountain” Wine Tasting is taking place today in the San Francisco

The Spring Mountain AVA may be less famous than its valley floor neighbors, but there are great wines made on this small mountain top wine region. There have been vineyards on Spring Mountain since the Civil War, but its wine industry is just beginning to realize its potential.

“Wonders of Spring Mountain” is the first tasting of the year from Uncorked Events. According to their website, “Uncorked Events was founded on the notion that enjoying wine should always be fun, relaxed, social and educational – never stuffy or snooty! While wine is the focus of our events, we often incorporate gourmet food pairing, art, music and fashion.”

This event will feature over thirty small production wines from eleven Spring Mountain wineries. The lucky few attending this event will have the opportunity to meet owners and winemakers from these prestigious wineries.

In addition to the wine, there will be a specialty chocolate tasting of Raffiné artisan chocolates. The chocolate tasting will be led by master European chocolate chef and company founder Mona Keady. This event will promises to be fun and exciting.

Location: Officer’s Mansion – 1 Fort Mason
Date: Thursday, February 8th, 6:30-9pm
Cost: $40 advance only

Participating Wineries:

“Small-Farm Wineries” can now ship to Kentucky

In an unexpected turn of events, Kentucky state regulators dropped out of a federal lawsuit, allowing direct to consumer shipping from “small-farm wineries.” These wineries are now able to ship wine direct to customers who place online or phone orders.

Small wineries outside of Kentucky are also able to ship direct, but have to apply for licenses through the state Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. According to the state of Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control Board, a “small-farm winery” is one that produces no more than 50,000 gallons of wine per year.

Like many other opponents of direct shipping, Kentucky regulators argued that it would promote abuse in “dry counties” as well as make it easier for minors to buy. Although the law suit was dropped, an appeal is expected from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Kentucky.

This ruling is a serious blow to wine the wine wholesalers of Kentucky, but a victory for consumers and wineries. This opens the door for Kentuckians to begin expanding their wine cellars and begin buying wine from small California wineries.

Any questions can be answered by reporter Alex Davis, who can be reached at (502) 582-4644.

Why there are so many new Wineries

Riesling Sales Increase in America

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, sales of Riesling are increasing in the United States. Riesling is a grape that has long been haunted by its association with cheap, overly sweet jug wines. This is unfortunate because Riesling is capable of a combination of flavor concentration and finesse that few other white varietals achieve.

The SF Chronicle’s Janet Fletcher hit the nail on the head when she remarked, “The less consumers know about wine, these vintners say, the more likely they are to view Riesling as invariably sweet and terribly unfashionable and to fear that enjoying a glass would expose them as rubes.” It is quite ironic that many wine experts will name Riesling as their favorite white varietal, and yet the average consumer continues to see it as a vulgar grape.

But as Fletcher reports, the tide seems to be turning, with Riesling sales increasing 29% in 2006. California has a long history of producing the grape that dates to the 19th century. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, consumer tastes began to change and bone-dry wines became all the rage.

Not that many Rieslings aren’t produced completely dry, because a significant number are. However, the classic German style has low alcohol, high acidity, residual sugar, and no oak. This is the antithesis of the big, oaky Chardonnays that dominated the market for many years (and still do to a large degree).

In any event, it is good to see that the American palate is expanding and that consumers are becoming more adventurous. There really is nothing like the ethereal aromas and flavors of a great Riesling, and it is encouraging to see that more people are experiencing this.

Dealcoholization Processes

Many winemakers want to vinify grapes with ripe flavors that can only be attained at high Brix levels. But this leads to wines with high alcohol that can be out of balance. So an increasing number of wineries are using different types of dealcoholization methods on their wines. As described by Alan Goldfarb of Appellation America, the 3 major types of dealcoholization are reverse osmosis, using a spinning cone, or adding water.

Vinovation is a company that specializes in dealcoholization through reverse osmosis. Vinovation allows their customers to taste the wine at .1% increments so they can find one of the “sweet spots” where alcohol is balanced with fruit flavors. The company argues that their alcohol adjustment services allow, “winemakers to harvest grapes based on flavor characteristics, independent of Brix.”

ConeTech is a company that specializes in dealcoholization using the spinning cone. The spinning cone is a cylinder that removes alcohol through a process called “vacuum distillation.” According to their website, ConeTech owns the largest alcohol adjustment center in the world and is employed by over 600 wineries. Tony Dann, President of Cone Tech, says the the spinning cone, “Enables temperatures measurably lower than other distillation processes.” This is in contrast to reverse osmosis, where the wine needs to be heated to be dealcoholized.

The percentage of alcohol in a wine can also be reduced by adding water, but as Goldfarb points out, this is illegal except for when the fermentation process is “stuck.”

Dealcoholization is not just used to balance the components of a wine. Many producers want to make wines that are under 14.001% alcohol because they are taxed less. Under this threshold, the tax is $1.07 a gallon; wineries are taxed $1.57 per gallon for wine above 14.001%. There are clearly legitimate reasons for dealcoholization, but it remains unclear if reverse osmosis and the spinning cone strip the wine of any of its inherent quality.

France Changes Wine Labels for Export Market

In response to increased competition from the New World and declining domestic consumption, France is changing its wine labeling rules. France will now allow blends of different Vins de Pays to be labeled, Vignobles de France.

The move comes in the wake of criticisms that French wine labels are very difficult to understand, especially by the export market. Many experts believe this is one of the reasons that New World regions have been chipping away at France’s market share in recent years. Ambitious French producers will now be able to make non-traditional blends under the Vignobles de France label.

“We are trying to link together the word ‘France,’ the name of a grape and the name of a brand on which a company can invest over the long term and earn some money,” said Michel Leguay, of Viniflhor, the board that made the decision.

But not everyone is supports the change. Jacques Gravegeal, President of the Union Producers of Vin de Pays d’Oc, said, “The ‘Vignobles de France’ will have the consequence of destroying the quality revolution that has taken place over 20 years in our region.” Others argue that the new designation dilutes the concept of terroir.

France’s new designation has opened a wider debate as to whether or not the country’s wine industry should work to appeal to international tastes, or adhere to tradition.

This Week’s Calwineries News

Friday, February 2nd – The Lake County Wine Alliance distributes funds from Auction. The Lake County Wine Alliance held their 2006 Wine Auction at Steele Wines in the Red Hills AVA.

Thursday, February 1st – Simi Winery Releases 2004 Cab. Alexander Valley’s Simi Winery released their 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wednesday, January 31st – Ceja Vineyards takes duty as host winemaking family at Mustard Festival. This year marks the 14th anniversary of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, and Napa-Carneros’ Ceja Vineyards is the host winemaking family.

Tuesday, January 30th – Galante Vineyards Open House set for February 3rd. Carmel Valley’s Galante Vineyards is opening their doors to a open house to for wine futures tasting.

Monday, January 29th – Inman Family Releases new Pinot Noir. Russian River Valley’s Inman Family is set to release their 2005 Olivet Grange Vineyard Pinot Noir in February.

California Wines Sweep Floor at SF Chronicle Wine Competition

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition took place in early January at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds. Over 1,500 wineries from 20 states submitted some 3,800 wines for judgment. This made it the largest American wine competition in the world.

Like many other wine competitions, they were awarded bronze, silver, gold and double gold. The sweepstake awards were given to the top red, white, sparkling and dessert wine.

The sweepstake award winners are:

Red wine: 2005 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rosa, and 2004 B.R. Cohn Winery Petite Sirah, North Coast;

Sparkling wine: 1999 Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley;

White wine: 2006 Geyser Peak Winery Sauvignon Blanc, California, and 2006 Windsor Vineyards Gewürztraminer, Alexander Valley;

Dessert/specialty beverage: 2005 Navarro Vineyards Late Harvest Muscat Blanc, Anderson Valley.

California’s Wineries can Ship Direct-to-Restaurants Thanks to Inertia Beverage

Wine Marketing powerhouse Inertia Beverage Group announced that their Rethink Wine Trade system is now available in California, as well as Washington State, the District of Columbia and New York.

The initiative allows wineries to ship directly to restaurants and retailers, instead of having to go through wholesales. This is a big step forward for wineries, restaurants and retailers in the aforementioned states.

Inertia’s system utilizes a three tier system where the restaurant or retailer can place an order through the winery’s website. The order then goes through a designated wholesaler who takes the order through a “virtual inventory,” but never actually takes possession of the wine. The wholesaler bills the restaurant then pays the winery. The winery then ships the wine directly to the restaurant or retailer.

This whole transaction happens instantaneously over the internet and complies with all federal and state regulations. This is a big step forward for California’s wineries and will undoubtedly help restaurants get their hands on small production wine.

French Wine Consumption Drops

While California’s wine consumption is on the rise, the opposite seems to be happening in France. According to a recently released study per capita wine consumption in France continues to fall. Between 2001 and 2005, the average French citizen drank 11% less wine.

And there is no sign that this trend will slow anytime soon. By 2010, it is estimated that French wine consumption will drop another 7.84%. In contrast, worldwide consumption of wine is expected to increase by 9.4% over the same period.

Demand for wine is growing very quickly in the United States and Britain. At the current rate, America will overtake France as the largest wine consuming nation in the world by 2010.

As domestic consumption in France continues to drop, export markets are increasingly important to the nation’s wine industry. But there is fierce competition for these markets from New World wine regions including California, Australia, and Chile.

These countries employ many marketing and labeling tactics that are prohibited by the French AOC and Vin de Pays systems. For example, in most cases French wineries are not able to put the grape varietal on their labels, and must identify the wine by geographic region instead. This is confusing to many consumer, especially at mid to low-range price points.

Much of the wine France is currently producing goes unsold and ends up distilled by the European Union. Since 1988, the EU has also been paying struggling grape growers to pull their vines in a practice called “arrachage.” Over production is particularly a problem in Languedoc, but even Bordeaux is not immune.

To combat this glut, Plan Bordeaux was devised in 2005. It calls for 42,000 acres of vineyards to be uprooted in the region. But the plan has met resistance from growers, negociants, and government officials. It remains to be seen how well the French wine industry will adapt to the changing international market and the decrease in domestic consumption.

Screwcaps Increase in United States

AC Nielsen recently reported that in 2006, sales of wines bottled with screwcaps increased by 24.6% in the United States.

Paige Poulos, Founder of the Alliance for Innovative Wine Packaging (AIWP), released the news at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Because natural cork is widely believed to be susceptible to TCA taint, screwcaps are increasingly being used by wine producers. Wines bottled with screwcaps made up 4% of all sales of 750mL bottles of wine in 2006.

No one doubts that TCA taint is an issue, but the extent of this problem is widely disputed. Estimates of bottles affected by TCA range from 1% to 20%. While screwcaps solve the problem of TCA, many experts believe they adversely affect the ability of wine to age. This explains why most age-worthy red wines continue to be sealed with natural cork. According to AC Nielsen, “white wines, imports and wines priced $8 to $11.99,” are most likely to be sealed with screwcaps.

In regards to the potential of screwcaps to replace traditional cork, Poulos said, “The burgeoning market for innovative closures is not about direct competition with natural cork. This is about diversification and convenience, creating new opportunities for the enjoyment of wine as an everyday beverage, and expanding the market. In the immediate future, we see traditional packaging continuing to thrive, with screwcaps and other innovative closures seeing widespread consumer acceptance. This is a very healthy market dynamic.”

Screwcaps have clearly found a growing niche, and I agree with Poulos that this is less about direct competition with natural cork, (which will likely always be used for expensive red wines), and more about diversifying the choice of closures for wineries who are not making an age-worthy product.

World’s largest bottle of Wine vs. World’s largest Keg

The world’s largest bottle of wine arrived in New York two thursdays ago. At 6-foot-5 and 1,300 pounds, this behemoth bottle of wine is not for the faint of heart. Australian Kim Bullock is expecting a hefty price tag; she already turned down a $100,000 offer.

But that’s nothing compared to the world’s largest keg. At 27 feet long and 25 feet tall, this mammoth keg puts the 6-foot-5 bottle of wine to shame. As you could image, the keg holds a good amount of beer, 55,345 gallons to be exact. This keg is the pride of Germany, and makes its home in the Heidelberg Castle.

Let compare vital statistics:

# of 4 oz glasses of wine in a bottle: 7
# of 16 oz beers in a keg: 124

# of bottles of wine in largest bottle: 387
# of 15.5 gallon kegs in the largest keg: 3570

# of 4 oz glasses in the largest bottle of wine: 2709
# of 16 oz beers in the largest keg: 442,680

% alcohol in wine: 14
% alcohol in beer: 6 (German beer might be pushing 8)

# oz alcohol in 4 oz glass of wine: 0.56
# oz alcohol in 16 oz beer: 1.12

# oz alcohol in bottle of wine: 3.92
# oz alcohol in 15.5 gallon keg: 138

# oz alcohol in largest bottle of wine: 1517
# oz alcohol in largest keg: 492,660

# of friends it would take to drink the largest bottle of wine in the world: ?
# of friends it would take to kill the largest keg in the world: ?

Zinfandel Festival: 273 Wineries Pouring over 1,000 Zinfandels

The 16th annual Zinfandel Festival began on Wednesday with their “Flights, A sit down multi-Zin tasting,” and culminates tomorrow with the Zinfandel Tasting. This San Francisco based event has 273 Zinfandel producers confirmed to pour over 1,000 wines.

The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) organization is a 501© (3) non-profit dedicated to “advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history.”

This event promises to be a great experience. If you are in the area, stop by the Fort Mason Center on Marina Blvd. The event goes from 2 – 5 pm, and is $65 at the door. As far as I know, there are still tickets available. For more information, check out the event website.

Alder Yarrow recently wrote a great piece of advice:

“Don’t try to park anywhere near Fort Mason. Take a cab or public transportation. You’ll miss the whole event while looking for parking. Get there early and have a list of producers you want to visit. As with all public tastings: wear dark clothes, come with a full stomach, and for Pete’s sake, spit your wine. Don’t become one of the stupidly drunk folks who everyone laughs at.”

I would pay particular attention to “…spit you wine…” as most of the Zinfandels will be pushing 16% alcohol.

Some popular wine bloggers are meeting up at the media tasting from 10am – 1pm. If you can get your hands on a media pass, join Josh Hermsmeyer from PinotBlogger, Joel Vincent from Vivi’s Wine Journal and Wine Life Today, Russ Beebe from Winehiker Witiculture, Alder Yarrow from Vinography, Ben and I for some good old fashion fun.

Be Creative and Win a Magnum of Fantesca Cab

Every so often, a winery will introduce a fun, interesting idea to engage their customers and allow them to participate with their wine. While most wineries are separating themselves from their customer base, Fantesca Winery is doing the opposite.

For the past three vintages, Fantesca has printed quotes on their wine’s corks called Fortune Corkies. Who submitted those quotes? The people who drink their wine of course. This kind of fun participation is exactly what the wine industry needs. And if your quote makes it onto the cork, you get a 1.5 liter hand bottled magnum of their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon with your quote as the closure.

If you haven’t heard of Fantesca Winery, they are a small artisan winery in Napa Valley’s famed Spring Mountain AVA. They produce limited quantity Cabs from their estate vineyard and a Hyde Clone Carneros Chardonnay. Although they are a relatively new winery, they have received tremendous acclaim.

“A relatively new operation, this 800 case winery on Spring Mountain dedicated to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon produced an outstanding 2002…It should age nicely for 10 – 15 years. This is an impressive start!” – 90 Points, Robert Parker, Jr.

Here are some examples of quotes that have made it in the past:

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions, and more tolerance.” – Ben Franklin
“In water, one sees one’s own face, but in wine, one beholds the heart of another.” – French Proverb
“Wine is like sunlight held together by water.” – Galileo Galilei *

“There is nothing like good food, good wine, and a bad girl.” – Anonymous*

If you are interested in submitting a “fortune corkie,” email the submission to fortunecorkies@fantesca.com.

Favorite California Wine Country Images

The beauty of California’s wine country can inspire even the most disheartened individuals. These are some my favorite California images. If you are viewing this from an RSS reader click here

California Wine Country Images

Featured are vineyard images from Oakville, Rutherford, Carneros, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and he Dry Creek Valley.

Wine Basics: How to Pick a Good Pinot Noir

At its best, Pinot Noir is like no other wine; both graceful and powerful at the same time. But how does one pick a good Pinot Noir?

Probably the most important variable to look for is the region the wine is from. Pinot is a finicky grape that requires a long growing season with sunny days and cool nights. France’s Burgundy region is the most famous Pinot Noir region in the world, but it is extremely complicated and inconsistent.

A smarter bet is one of the many California or Oregon Pinot Noirs that are available today. While they never reach the heights of the best Red Burgundy, they are also less likely to be corked or simply disappointing for what they are trying to be.

Within California, there are several regions to look for: Santa Rita Hills (Santa Barbara), Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey), Carneros (Napa and Sonoma), Russian River Valley (Sonoma), and the Sonoma Coast. Because of their moderate climates, these are the top Pinot regions in the Golden State.

Oregon’s two best Pinot Noir regions are the Willamette Valley and the Dundee Hills. Both have cool, coastally influenced climates, and have established international reputations for producing the grape.

Another important variable is the alcohol level in the wine. There is an unfortunate trend in California of producing this delicate grape at high alcohol levels (14.5% +). If the alcohol is this high, the grapes were probably picked when they were overripe. This can wreak havoc on the flavor profile, and may throw the balance of alcohol and acidity off.

In the end though, it is your personal tastes that should determine which Pinot Noir you pick. If you like big, jammy Pinots, then disregard the advice about balance between acidity and alcohol.

Along the same lines, many wine connoisseurs love the mystery of opening an expensive Red Burgundy and not knowing if it is going to be vile or beautiful. There is a saying in that region that, “there are no great wines, just great bottles of wine.” But if need a good, well-priced Pinot for your dinner party, California or Oregon is the way to go.

Some of my favorite Pinot Noir Producers include:

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: Rosella’s Vineyard, Garys’ Vineyard, Paraiso Vineyards

Santa Rita Hills AVA: Sanford Winery , Sea Smoke Cellars, Babcock Vineyards

Russian River Valley AVA: Siduri, August West, Williams Selyem

Carneros AVA: Etude,Acacia Winery, Truchard

Sonoma Coast AVA: Freeman Vineyard, Flowers Vineyard, Kistler Vineyards

Dundee Hills AVA: Lange Estate, The Four Graces, Archery Summit

Willamette Valley AVA: Raptor Ridge Winery, Amity Sunnyside Vineyard, Sineann

State of the Wine Blogosphere Address

News that the wine blogosphere is growing is probably not surprising to anyone reading this post. But compared to the rest of the internet, it’s moving at a snails pace. On the surface, this may seem like bad thing, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The internet is known for exponential growth, and change that happens just as fast. This fosters a dog eat dog environment where a start-up can go from an idea, to multi-million dollar “flavor of the month,” to nothing in a matter of months.

To a large degree, technological breakthroughs are responsible for these inevitable changes. If an internet company is not constantly aware of the technological ebb and flow, they are sure to be left in the dust.

In an interview by the Press Democrat, Pro wine blogger Tom Wark explained how the number of wine blogs increased ten fold from 2004 to today. This may seem like a large jump to many, but in internet terms, this is far from exponential.

Exponential growth is what many start-ups dream of when they take ideas from concept to reality. But there is a price that comes along with this kind of growth, and thats long-term viability.

The wine-blogoshpere is growing, but at a slow, constant pace. Wark mentions that “At this stage there are probably 10 wine blogs that generate income from advertising.” What? In three years of growth, only ten wine blogs are making money?

Although this may seem like a dreary statistic for most wine bloggers, it’s actually a very good sign. It means that the wine blogosphere is here to stay. Slow growth is a strong indicator of long-term viability.

Eventually, the wine blogosphere will hit critical mass and many will make “a fine living by sitting in their pajamas in front of their computer, sipping wine and tapping out blog posts about the latest Russian River Valley pinot noir.”

With this in mind, its important for up and coming wine bloggers to keep putting out great content and building a community around their blog. It may not happen over night, but that’s a good sign that WINE BLOGS ARE HERE TO STAY.

How MacGyver would turn a Mini-Fridge into a Wine Refrigerator

What can you learn from the greatest problem solver in history? First of all, even the most difficult problem can be solved with a bit MacGyver ingenuity. That’s right, if MacGyver can foil world domination with a tooth pick and a rubber band, you can do just about anything.

Inspired by a syndicated MacGyver episode, this post explains how to convert your Mini-Fridge into a fully functional Wine Refrigerator. Specialty Wine Refrigerators are very expensive; they can set you back anywhere from few hundred, to a few thousand dollars. Why waste your money when you can convert your mini-fridge into a perfectly functioning make shift wine refrigerator.

Problem: Raising the Mini-Fridge temperature from 42 degrees F (too cold) to 55 degrees F (proper wine storage temp).

At the lowest setting of my Mini-Fridge’s thermostat, the temperature was about 42 degrees F; which will ruin a bottle of wine if left for too long.

Solution: Override the Mini-Fridge’s thermostat to raise the temperature by using an appliance timer and a thermometer.

By using an appliance timer and a thermometer, you can create your own cycle of power to the Mini-Fridge; raising the temperature to the proper level for wine storage.

Components and Information:

1 – Mini-Fridge (preferably used in college to store old pizza and beer)
1 – Heavy Duty Digital Appliance Timer ($13.98)
1 – Refrigerator Thermometer – Digital is best (Ours was $4.99)

Step 1: Buy Heavy Duty Digital Appliance Timer and Refrigerator Thermometer. You can buy the appliance timer at almost any hardware store with an appliance section, or online here. We bought ours at Home Depot in the lighting section. Really, any appliance timer will due as long as is has at least 12 cycles and a three prong input. Refrigerator thermometers can be found at most any grocery store, or online here. Any refrigerator thermometer will due.

Step 2: Plug Mini-Fridge power cord into your appliance timer, then plug timer into outlet. Turn the fridge to lowest power setting possible, and place thermometer in Mini-Fridge. Allow Mini-Fridge to run at lowest setting then check the temperature. If it is below 55 degrees F, move on to step 3.

Step 3: Set Appliance Timer On/Off Settings: Because each Mini-Fridge is different, getting the timing right will take a bit of trail and error. Your appliance timer will allow you to run the Mini-Fridge for a set time, then have the power off for a set time. Interchanging on and off will raise the temperature of the Mini-Fridge to the correct wine storage temp (55 degrees F). We set our timer for two hour increments (2 hours on/ 2 hours off). This raised the Mini-Fridge temperature to 56 degrees F, which is perfect for wine storage. Start with this interval, if the temperature reads too low; adjust intervals to allow longer “off” periods (maybe 1 ½ hours on/ 2 ½ hours off). If the temperature reads too high, adjust intervals to allow longer “on” periods (maybe 2 ½ hours on, 1 ½ hours off).

Once your Mini-Fridge has stabilized at the correct temperature, you have your very own Specialty Wine Refrigerator. Store your favorite wines until you are ready to enjoy them.

*If you are storing your wine for more than six months, it would be wise to invest in a humidifier for your new wine refrigerator.

$162 Billion in Wine, Grape and Grape Products and Growing!

January 17th, 2007 – The MKF Research LLC of St Helena released the results of their study on the economic impact of wine, grapes, and grape products. The outcome? It turns out that these products contribute $162 billion annually to the United States Economy.

The news was delivered today in Washington D.C. by the Congressional Wine Caucus, a 182 member coalition of Congressmen and women from around the country. The study was titled “The Impact of Wine, Grapes and Grape Products on the American Economy: Family Businesses Building Value.” It took into account a almost every major contributing factor from the wine, grape, grape juice, table grape and raisin industries, including; agricultural statistics, employment, taxes, and product revenues.

The MKF modeled their research after IMPLAN, which was developed by the U.S. Forest Service and University of Minnesota. They measured the direct, indirect, and induced economic impact of wine, grapes and grape products. It seems that the MKF covered all of their bases in this study, which is considered by many to be “fully comprehensive.”

Congressman Mike Thompson of St. Helena, co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus said “Grapes, wine, and other grape products are truly an economic catalyst with tremendous growth potential in all 50 states. Policymakers can maximize these economic benefits by supporting legislation that enhances the wine and grape-product industry. Our support will ensure that this all-American industry continues to produce superior products and provide a strong contribution to our economy.”

Congressman Thompson is right about the potential of grape and grape products potential across the country. The number of U.S. wineries increased from 2,904 in 2000, to 4,929 in 2005. According to the study, they contributed over $11 billion in revenue from winery sales alone. In addition to winery sales; distributor revenue contributed $2.7 billion, restaurant wine revenue was just under $10 billion and wine tourism generated over $3 billion.

As you can see, the American wine industry is booming, and is a major contributor to the U.S. economy. But what does this mean for the wine industry and their surrounding communities? Congressman Randanovich of Mariposa Ca, noted that the wineries and vineyards have contributed over $129 million to charitable causes. And the wine, grape and grape products industry generated over 1.1 million full-time jobs nationwide.

However, there are challenges facing the wine and grape industry, which were examined in the report. Some of the most important, included; scarcity of skilled labor, climatic risks, volatile and ever-changing market for wine grapes, shortage of certain types of wine grapes, highly competitive market, increasing pressure from imports, price-value pressure, continuing restrictions on market access reflecting the legacy of Prohibition.

Looking beyond these challenges, there is hope. The study also revealed several opportunities for the wine industry, including; growth of wine tourism, a growing market for wine in the U.S., research documenting many positive health benefits of wine and grape products, and direct-to-market wine shipments within and between many states.

These opportunities are the sparkle in the eye of California’s wineries and vineyards; seeing that roughly 90% of the nations wine production occurs in California. The closest competitors are Washington State and New York, each with a 3% contribution. Even with the inherent limitations of the wine industry, this growth doesn’t seem like its going to stop or slow anytime soon. With any phenomenon, the wine industry will eventually reach its carrying capacity, but since the wine consuming market is growing at a relatively proportional rate, this carrying capacity is not anywhere in sight.

Is There Fish in Your Wine?

A recent proposal by the Federal Government to require listing fining agents as “ingredients” on wine labels is drawing criticism from the industry. At issue is whether or not trace amounts of these agents can cause allergic reactions.

Several fining agents such as egg whites, casein, and isinglass are often added to wine to remove unwanted materials. They bond to debris including dead yeast cells, microorganisms, and astringent tannins before sinking to the bottom of the tank.

The fining agents and unwanted solids are then removed through filtration, racking, or cold stabilization. Bill Nelson, President of Wine America, explains, “It’s kind of like sweeping the wine. You’re putting in something that holds onto those particles in suspension.”

This is where the issue becomes controversial: are the fining agents completely removed, or are there trace amounts left behind that warrant being labeled as ingredients?

Many industry leaders, including the Wine Institute and Wine America, argue that labeling these substances would simply confuse consumers. After all, casein is a milk protein and isinglass is a substance found in sturgeon. Most people do not think of wine containing egg whites, milk protein, and fish derivatives.

On the other side are several lawmakers and a Harvard scientist named Christine Rogers. They point to studies that show food allergies to be a serious health concern for a small amount of the population. The Federal Government seems quite adamant on this issue, but they have opened the door for the wine industry to prove that there is no real health threat. But this will be a costly and drawn out process.

The Effect of Grape Yield and Size on Quality

The Matthews Laboratory at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology released an interesting graphic on the effect of grape yield and berry size on quality. Conventional wisdom asserts that the smaller the berries and yields, the higher quality. But the Matthews Laboratory declared,

“It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters.”

According to the study, vineyard management techniques and physical phenomena are the true reasons for quality levels; not simply berry and yield size. The graph illustrates the “sensory or fruit attribute payoffs” that results from the “journey” that grapes take during the growing season.

For example, small berries that develop in a well-shaded environment will have less color and less tannin. Without treatment, grapes will have more color and slightly more tannin. Grapes that are grown in a water deficient vineyard will have more color and more tannin.

Low yielding vines that are grown in a water deficient environment have less veggie and more fruit flavors. Cluster thinning in this situation has no effect on the grapes’ flavor profile. What I found most interesting was that low yielding vines that are pruned will have more veggie and less fruit flavors according to the graph.

This is a bit counterintuitive as I was under the impression that there was a more or less proportional relationship between pruning and quality. The data from the Matthews Laboratory suggests this is an overly simplistic view.

Decanter World Wine Awards now Open

Jan. 13th, 2007 – The 4th annual Decanter World Wine Awards is now open for entry. This year, all entries can be made online. Decanter is expecting over 7,000 entries from every recognized wine producing region in the world.

According to Decanter, this competition’s aim is to “provide credible recommendations for today’s wine consumer.”

Because the registration and entry system was moved entirely online, there is no limit to the number of entries. The new system provides a number of benefits; entered wines are archived, so if you enter the same wine in future years, all you need to do is change the vintage.

Publisher Clare Malec commented “This is a fantastic step forward for the Decanter World Wine Awards and all those entering wines will see huge benefits. The system has been tailor-made to make it as easy as possible to enter wines.”

You can register your wines at here. The cost of entering per wine is:

£85.00 (£72.34 + VAT) per wine – wines sent from within the UK
£100.00 (£85.11 + VAT) per wine – wines sent from outside of the UK

Friday Wine Links

The World of Fine Wine Magazine is a periodical based out of London that is sold internationally by subscription. The writers for The World of Fine Wine Magazine are as good as they come; topics include, Authenticity in Wine, Wine and the Brain, Terrior in Australia and more.

New England Vine is the complete online resource for wine enthusiasts in the New England region of the United States. Many of you may not know about the New England area as a Wine Region, visiting their site is a great way to experience a new wine culture.

Fufluns.com is an international wine touring website. They focus on wine tours of Tuscany, but that is not all they offer. Also featured are custom wine tours, corporate tours, wine cruises, cooking classes, Tuscan weddings and banqueting.

Wine Enthusiast Names Alexander Valley 2006 Wine Region of the Year

Wine Enthusiast Magazine is one of the most widely read and respected wine publications in the world. At the end of each year, the magazine announces its coveted Wine Star Awards. Alexander Valley was recently named wine region of the year for 2006. The results were published in Wine Enthusiast’s December 15th, 2006 issue.

In the article, Wine Enthusiast alludes to Alexander Valley’s long history of producing Zinfandel which dates to the 19th century. The valley’s propensity for premium quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are also cited.

Pursuing Balance through Dealcoholization

A wine’s complexity and ability to develop with age is directly related to the physiological ripeness of the grapes. This may seem counterintuitive because most New World wines are not generally known for aging, yet the grapes are harvested at much higher Brix levels than in the Old World.

Today, Wine Business ran a fascinating piece that illuminates key distinctions between ripeness and Brix levels. Originally written by Lance Cutler on October 15th, 2005, the article is a discussion with 3 experts (Charles Hendricks, Stefano Migotto, and Clark Smith), that addresses the controversial subject of dealcoholization. As the name implies, Dealcoholization is the process of removing alcohol, usually through cross-flow filtration or reverse osmosis.

Contrary to popular belief, Clark Smith asserts that California grapes do not have high Brix levels because the climate is warmer than Europe. The reasons, he argues, are more complex, and involve California’s higher diurnal fluctuation (day to night temperature swings), and low rainfall in the autumn months preceding harvest.

While the exact reasons for this phenomenon may be debatable, the fact is that grapes in California do not physiologically ripen until sugar levels are higher than they are in Europe. If California vintners harvested at the same Brix levels as Europe, the grapes would not have ripe tannins in the skins, seeds, and stems. Wines would lack complexity and taste “green.”

But Hendricks, Migotto, and Smith all argue that going by the numbers when deciding when to harvest is a mistake as well. Instead, they make the compelling point that there is no way around actually tasting the grapes to determine ripeness, regardless of the Brix measurement.

If the Brix is too high to produce a wine with balanced alcohol, tannins, and acidity, then dealcoholization can be carefully used lower the heat. However, as Charles Hendricks says, it can be difficult to find this “sweet spot.”

What particularly struck me about this article is that advanced technologies are being used in California to effectively produce a more traditional, Old World style of wine. California may have the capability to make the extracted, high-alcohol wines that have wowed many critics and consumers recently, but I am glad to see that some wineries are still pursuing balance; albeit through unconventional channels.

Fermentation’s Tom Wark appointed Executive Director of Specialty Wine Retailers Association

Jan. 10th, 2007 – Pro wine blogger and wine marketing extraordinaire Tom Wark was appointed the Specialty Wine Retainers Association’s (SWRA) new Executive Director. As an organization, SWRA works to build a market for retailer-to-consumer sales. SWRA president Leslie Berland commented, “Tom’s long background in wine marketing and communications and his keen understanding of the issues that confront wine retailers and consumers put him at the top of the list to lead SWRA.” The SWRA lobbies in legislative and regulatory areas to curtail “discriminatory laws” that hurt both retailers and consumers.

A SIDEWAYS Wine Bar to Open in Santa Barbara County

Riding the coattails of popular culture, Tastes of the Valleys is set to open a wine bar called SIDEWAYS. As most of you probably know, SIDEWAYS is an Academy Award winning movie set in Santa Barbara County. The SIDEWAYS wine bar will feature wines from 15 Central Valley and Central Coast producers.

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant and Partner in Tastes of the Valleys said, “The film had done so much for the Central Coast, not just for Pinot Noir itself, but for Pinots all over the Central Coast.” Chambers and his associates successfully convinced Fox Studios to license the name SIDEWAYS for their wine club and wine bar.

The wine bar is going to be located in Solvang, which is right in the heart of the Central Coast wine region. SIDEWAYS wine bar is going to be the designated tasting room for Au Bon Climate and Qupe.

They are going to specialize in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhone Varietals; which comes as no surprise to anyone who has seen the movie. Most of the featured wines are going to be from Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County.

With hundreds of tasting rooms scattered throughout wine country, it’s nice to see someone making an attempt to stand out from the rest.

Tastes of the Valleys, a SIDEWAYS wine bar is located at 1672 Mission Drive, Solvang, Ca. Hours are 11:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. Toll free: (877) 622-9463.

The “Hottest” Business Model in California Wine

The Modesto Bee recently ran an interesting piece about the boon to negociants like Cameron Hughes from California’s wine surplus. Hughes is famous for bottling excess wine under his own label and selling it at Costco as well as on his website.

Hughes’ efforts embody one of the hottest business models in the California wine industry today: buying high-quality wine that is sitting in tanks and selling it under a different label.

As the industry becomes increasing competitive, this trend will likely gain momentum as producers look to cut costs and maximize profits.

This business is clearly booming; Hughes estimates that he will make about 70,000 cases this year, up from 29,000 last year. “We are absolutely on fire right now. We are rocking and rolling. We have so many wines in production.” Hughes is not the first nor anywhere near the largest participant in the negociant game. Fred Franzia’s Bronco Wine Company is much larger, producing labels like Charles Shaw “Two Buck Chuck.”

But Hughes sets himself apart, first and foremost though quality. Unlike many of the larger negociants, he very picky about the wine he buys. Hughes seeks out premium wineries that happen to have excess wine. As the Modesto Bee’s article points out, an amount of surplus wine is produced to give the winemaker more leeway in blending, as insurance against unforeseen problems, or simply because the winery stopped making a particular varietal.

Additionally, not every vineyard block will make it into the final blend, but this is the result of nuanced and subtle decisions rather than poor quality. This wine may very well be delicious on its own, but it simply does not contribute the winemaker’s vision for the vintage.

And this is where Cameron Hughes enters the picture. He buys this wine at a considerable discount and passes much of these savings to the consumer. While the net affect is higher quality at a lower price point; these practices have been criticized as there is a danger of undermining the premium market. For this reason, Hughes does not reveal who he buys his wine from and only labels his bottles by region and lot number.

Summing up his niche, he recently remarked, “The high-end business is always in oversupply. Guys always make more wine than they need.” As California’s wine industry continues to evolve, negociants like Cameron Hughes will continue to challenge the status quo.

Does the Alcohol Industry Target Minors?

With the direct shipping issue raging, the battle lines have been drawn. One of the major arguments against direct shipping, (mainly wholesalers and prohibitionist groups), is that the alcohol industry already targets a youthful audience and less regulation would lead to minors buying wine directly. But a new Penn State study takes issue with these alleged efforts to push booze on children.

From 2001 to 2003, Professor Emeritus John Nelson comprehensively searched for economic evidence of this accusation. In the journal, Contemporary Economic Policy, he published his findings from examining the reader demographics of 28 different magazines that ran 3,675 alcohol advertisements.

Professor Nelson’s conclusion is quite stark: “The percentage of youth readers is not significant in any of the economic regressions, regardless of the model. Policymakers would be well advised to turn their attention to other aspects of youth drinking behaviors, rather than decisions made in the market for advertising space.”

In short, he found no evidence that the alcohol industry intentionally targets a youthful demographic. The most popular magazines for advertisements were about subjects including men’s style, sports, entertainment, and music.

According to Nelson, theses are not especially popular subjects for young people and they make up a small percentage of the readership. He goes on to say an intuitive truth: that audience size and ad costs are the true determinants of promotional decisions.

Napa Spa's New Napa Valley Wine Blog

One of the members of our community recently started a wine blog. Jeff Williams, or napa spa as we affectionately know him, is going to posting on wines from the Napa Valley.

“This blog is about the wines of Napa Valley. Here I post thoughts, comments, wine ratings, wine reviews, and links to interesting Napa Valley information. Read about my experiences at Napa Valley tasting rooms, spas, lodging, restaurants, local business and more…

I certainly look forward to reading more from napa spa, and encourge community members to check it out and support him in his wine blogging endeavors.

You can read the most recent posts here

Atalon Moves From Oakville to Calistoga

Premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer Atalon Winery recently moved from Oakville to Calistoga in the Northern Napa Valley. Atalon was previously using Cardinale’s production facilities and is now making wine at the old Robert Pecota Winery and Vineyards.

Regarding the sale of his land, Mr. Pecota said, “I’m 68 now and with my daughters tending their families and other interests, it seemed like a good time to downsize and get back to doing the things I love most — driving a tractor, growing grapes and making small quantities of handcrafted wine. That’s what I intend to do and I hope our longtime customers will accompany me on the journey.”

Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke are the current owners of Atalon. They purchased the “ghost winery” a few years ago.

Vinfolios New Wine Valuation Engine

Vinfolio is expanding the functionality of its wine cellar management tool called VinCellar by allowing collectors to value their wine more accurately. VinCellar will now evaluate both retail and auction prices from sites like Wine-Searcher and Vinfolio’s Wine Price File in real time.

Regarding the new service, Steve Bachmann, Vinfolio’s Founder and CEO, said, “Gathering relevant and current price data in a systematic fashion to value your collection is difficult. Being able to do this within VinCellar is a natural extension of the software. Knowing what wine you own, where it is and its current value are all essential elements of managing your wine collection.”

CAWG Raising Money to Brand the California Wine “Experience”

As the wine industry becomes increasingly globalized and competitive, regional branding is more essential than ever. This is especially true for areas other than the handful of famous ones (Napa, Sonoma, etc.) that do not immediately bring to mind a luxurious experience.

Because the majority of its wines are sold at low price points, the Central Valley is very prone to foreign competitors like Australia’s Yellow Tail. Many countries and states have formal institutions that promote their wines and in some cases lobby for protectionist measures. California lacks this resource, but the state does have CAWG (California Association of Winegrape Growers) on its side.

CAWG recently announced that it is raising money to bolster the state’s wine industry. Rodney Schlatz, the Chairman of CAWG and a grape grower in Lodi, explains the initiative: “This is a voluntary effort to come up with $500,000 in the next few months. If we had a dollar for every acre of wine grapes in the state, we’d meet our goal.”

Most of the money will be spent on events and press releases that raise awareness of sustainable farming practices in California’s vineyards. Karen Ross, the President of CAWG, says it is all about branding the state’s many grape growers. “Consumers want to know more about the growers, the people behind the bottle. Let the wineries promote their brand, and let the growers promote their brand.”

This initiative is more than just about selling wine; rather it is about emotionally connecting with the consumer on such issues as fair employment practices and organic farming. It is about developing and articulating the entire experience of consuming California wine and setting the region apart by illuminating the people who are behind it all.

Another Victory for Direct Shipping

On December 27th, 2006, U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Simpson III ruled that a Kentucky law banning direct wine sales to consumers who did not physically visit a winery was unconstitutional.

In May of 2005, The Huber Orchard and Winery, an Indiana-based producer, initially filed the lawsuit against Kentucky’s wine shipping statutes. Huber eventually dropped out of the suit, but Cherry Hill Vineyards, an Oregon winery, took over as Plaintiff. Cherry Hill successfully argued that the “in-person requirement” discriminated against out-of-state wineries.

Simpson’s ruling effectively allows small, out-of-state wineries that produce less than 50,000 annual cases to ship directly to consumers in Kentucky. But it is likely that the State of Kentucky will appeal the ruling in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Direct wine shipping lawsuits have frequently been in the news lately, begging the question of when this issue will be settled. The short answer is no time soon. At its core, this is a conflict between the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the 21st amendment.

The Commerce Clause was written to help remedy the highly ineffective Articles of Confederation in the early years of the United States. From an economic standpoint, many states were acting like sovereign nations implementing tariffs and other protectionist measures. The Commerce Clause made it unconstitutional for individual states to discriminate against another’s economic goods.

It should have been just that simple, but then the 18th amendment was passed and Prohibition was enacted. Although the 21st amendment repealed Prohibition about a decade later, it gave states the right to continue to ban alcohol as well as regulate distribution and sales if it was permitted. The result is the legal confusion and complexity that we see today.

Nalle Winery: Ahead of the Curve

I enjoy Zinfandel as much as anybody else, but I have to admit being a bit taken aback by some of the very high alcohol levels of late. Not that these wines aren’t enjoyable for what they are, but sometimes I wonder if I’m drinking a Port rather than a table wine.

However, there are some noteable exceptions, and Nalle Winery is one of them. Winemaker Doug Nalle prides himself on making Zinfandel with moderate alcohol that above all else is balanced. This may not be the type of wine to turn heads at blind tastings, but if you are enjoying it with food, that is a good thing.

The Nalle Family has owned their Dry Creek Valley estate since 1927. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Enology from UC Davis, Doug worked with several famous winemakers including Richard Arrowood and John Kongsgaard. In 1984, he made his first vintage of Nalle Zinfandel.

While many other winemakers age Zin in American oak, Doug only uses French barrels. This contributes to his wines’ considerable finesse, grace, and restraint. His oldest son, Andrew, has been the assistant winemaker at Nalle since 2003. I highly recommend visiting their tasting room in Northern Sonoma County near the town of Healdsburg.

Another Fred Franzia Controversy

Always a magnet for controversy, Fred Franzia, owner of Bronco Wine, is in news again. He is accused of copying the label of Santa Barbara Winery with his new product, Santa Barbara Landing ($4.99 at Trader Joe’s).

While the pictures are different, the names and fonts are clearly quite similar. The question is whether or not Franzia is trying the ride the coattails of established wine regions.

The owner of Santa Rosa Winery, Pierre Lafond, clearly believes so saying, “These producers hope to ride on Santa Barbara’s reputation and perceived customer ingnorance.”

This is not the first time Fred Franzia has been sued for his wine labels. In late 2005, Franzia lost a legal battle for labeling wines that were not from Napa or Rutherford “Napa Ridge,” “Napa Creek,” and “Rutherford Vintners.”

Movement to Protect Wine Label Accuracy Gains Momentum

The movement to protect wine label accuracy in the United States is gaining momentum, and the powerful California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is throwing its weight behind the issue.

President Karen Ross recently indicated that the CAWG is planning to petition the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to change loopholes in the law which let producers include foreign grapes in wine that is labeled “American.”

Ross argues that increasing U.S. demand for wine coupled with liberal import laws on the Federal level have, “…led to the most bothersome trend in global wine sourcing – the blending of California wine with imported wine for ‘American’ appellation products.”

Complicating matters even further is the fact that California has a grape glut of its own. The past few years have seen enormous harvests, and many grape growers have their hands full with in-state competitors let alone worrying about cheap grapes from other countries.

I’m certainly a proponent of free trade, but I do have a problem misleading wine labels. If it makes economic sense to import grapes and wine from oversees, then so be it, but these products should be labeled accordingly. Maybe a line that reads, “grown/produced in x country but bottled in California,” would suffice.

Pneumatage: The Future of Pinot Noir?

One of the reasons Pinot Noir is such tricky wine to make is that just the right amount of tannin needs to be extracted from the grapes’ delicate skins. During fermentation, the cap floats to the top of the container and needs to be periodically resubmerged.

Winemakers have traditionally used pigeage (punch down) or remontage (pump over) to accomplish this. But both of these techniques often agitate the skins to the point that the seeds are separated in the must. This is one of the major sources of green, abrasive tannins that will not mellow with age.

In response to this dilemma, several Pinot Noir producers have adopted a method called pneumatage. Special attachments are installed on the bottom of tanks which inject air bubbles into the must.

The bubbles mix and resubmerge the cap into the must with significantly less trauma than pigeage or remontage. Structure and pigments are imparted in the wine without releasing the harsh tannins that are found in the seeds.

Pulsair Mixing Systems is one of the leaders in developing this new technology. Pulsair produces a number of tank installations to, “harness bubble power.”

Should we Protect the Accuracy of Wine Labels?

A recent study conducted by Fairbank, Maslin & Associates shows that consumers are very concerned about geographical accuracy in wine labels. More specifically, the survey reveals that 85% of consumers are conscious of location when making wine purchasing decisions.

Even more intriguing is the finding that 80% of consumers believe that misleading wine labels are a problem that policy makers should address.

But there are loopholes around geographic accuracy in wine labeling. Thankfully, location/terroir has its defenders and they are weighing in on the issue. The Center for Wine Origins recently launched an online petition in an effort to uphold accuracy in wine labeling.

Linda Reiff, Executive Director of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, made a compelling point for signing the petition when she said, “Wine is now a $100 billion global industry and consumers worldwide should not settle for anything but authentic, unique products. Accurate labeling is critical to ensuring consumers of a wine’s unique qualities and attributes to help them make an informed buying decision. Consumers have a right to know that any wine that carries the name Napa is indeed from the Napa Valley Appellation.”

What Happened to the Moderates in Wine Country?

Today, Jeff Lefevere of Good Grape wrote an interesting post entitled, Where Does Elitism Come From in the Wine Industry? The push and pull of elitism and populism is one of the most difficult dichotomies that the wine industry faces. It manifests itself in every aspect of the business, from production to marketing/sales. I think that Jeff illuminates the opposing, incompatible forces on both sides of this debate quite well.

On the one hand, there are the populists, typified by the Olive Garden Restaurant. The Olive Garden’s management team recently won the Wine Enthusiast’s Person(s) of the Year Award for essentially popularizing mass produced wine to their consumers. There is reason to be skeptical that the populist movement that Olive Garden has initiated will eventually lead to higher end wine consumers. After all, a lot of people start with White Zinfandel and remain in that market demographic for a lifetime.

On the other hand, there are the elitists that make wine unapproachable to the masses. As Jeff points out, these are the Sommeliers and Wine Directors at fancy restaurants, and wealthy collectors. These individuals turn up their nose at anyone who cannot recite the temperature patterns in Bordeaux for any given year.

So where is the middle ground for the moderates; the wine lovers who look for good values but also appreciate excellence on special occasions? This sane group is under attack from both sides. Populists denounce them as snobs because they realize the difference between a drinkable wine and an outstanding one. Elitists scoff at them because they see value for what it is: a favorable relation between price and quality.

Polarization is one of those things that unfortunately go hand in hand with human society. It is easier to attack the opposing side of view than it is to pursue a reasonable reconciliation of views. Ultimately, both the populists and the elitists enjoy the ancient drink made from fermented grapes. But as the saying goes, “the devil is in the details.”

Sustainable Winegrowing in California

California’s wine industry recently got good marks from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). According to the 2006 progress report, there has been a 24% increase in wineries and grape growers who use “green” techniques and business practices.

The results were released during an industry and press event at San Francisco’s Fort Mason. In 2002, the CSWA was jointly founded by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and the Wine Institute. Many wineries and vineyard owners have joined since then, and the movement is clearly gaining momentum.

California has long been a leader in environmentally friendly practices in the vineyard and the winery. Not only is this good for the land, but it also requires a meticulous attention to detail which often translates into better wines for the consumer.

WS Top 100: Napa Valley

The Napa Valley is arguably the most famous wine region in California, so it is no surprise that three wines made the 2006 Wine Spectator Top 100 list. Two Chardonnays and a Cabernet Sauvignon were included.

Kongsgaard is one of the most highly sought after Chardonnay producers in the New World. John and Maggie Kongsgaard produce The Judge (very limited Chardonnay), Chardonnay, Syrah, and a white blend of Roussanne and Viognier.

Although The Judge gets near perfect reviews each year, it is made in such limited quantities that not many people have had the opportunity to enjoy it.

Kongsgaard’s 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay was ranked #8 on the 2006 Top 100. It was also rated an impressive 97 by James Laube.

The Hess Collection also made an appearance on the Top 100 list with their 2004 Napa Valley Chardonnay. At only $20, this wine is an excellent value. The Hess Collection is set on a breathtaking piece of property high in the Mount Veeder AVA. The property has a lot of historical significance, as Brother Timothy of the Christian Brothers used to make wine in the production facilities.

Lewis Cellars is a family owned and operated winery located in the Oak Knoll AVA. Randy and Debbie Lewis buy grapes from several premium Napa Valley vineyards and produce 8,500 cases each year. Their 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked #22 on the 2006 Top 100 list. It has excellent structure and will certainly improve with age over several years.

WS Top 100 Day 6: Dry Creek Valley

Over the course of his 30 year tenure as winemaker at Beringer Vineyards, Ed Sbragia has made many award winning wines. He recently returned to he roots when he established his own label in the Dry Creek Valley AVA.

Mr. Sbragia’s father, Gino, worked for the Italian Swiss Colony in Asti before starting his own Post-Prohibition winery. Unfortunately, the timing was bad and the winery ultimately folded. This makes Ed’s homecoming all the more important to him. He produces the Gino’s Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel to pay homage to his father.

Sbragia’s 26 year old son, Adam, helps with winemaking at the family’s new venture. Adam studied acting at UCLA and originally wanted to break into Hollywood. But he grew tired of the L.A. lifestyle and longed to return to Northern California. Adam currently lives on the family’s Home Ranch Vineyard, where the grapes for the Sbragia Family’s award winning Chardonnay were grown.

The Sbragia Family 2004 Dry Creek Valley Home Ranch Chardonnay ranked #72 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list and is priced at an affordable $25. This is a full bodied Chardonnay with a mouth filling texture. It has beautiful spicy apricot and melon flavors. 1,300 cases were produced.

Lost Comments

Dear Calwineries Members, we had an unfortunate incident yesterday where we lost a few comments. The exact cause of this mishap is under investigation, but be assured that we are getting to the bottom of this.

We apologize for any of your comments we may have lost. Unfortunately, situations like these are part of the growing process and assure you that we are doing everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

- Calwineries Team

WS Top 100 Day 5: Edna Valley

Edna Valley is one of those special California AVAs that seems to excel at producing any varietal that is planted. There is a long history of grape growing and winemaking in Southwestern San Luis Obispo County that dates back to the Spanish Missionary days.

It seems a little counterintuitive for such a small region to make great wines with both Rhone and Burgundian grapes, but that is exactly what is happening in Edna Valley. Located only a few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, much of the east-west running valley is open to coastal wind and fog.

On the surface, it seems that only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir would do well here. But it is Edna Valley’s remarkably long growing season that makes it one of the strongholds of the “Rhone Rangers.” John Alban is one of the original members of this winemaking movement.

The Alban 2004 Edna Valley Reva Syrah is ranked #50 on the 2006 Wine Spectator Top 100. This is not the first time Alban has graced the list and it will probably not be the last. He only made 1,000 cases of this wine, but you can also look for his Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, and Roussanne.

Domaine Alfred’s 2004 Edna Valley Chamisal Vineyard Pinot Noir” is right behind Alban at #51. Proprietor Terry Speizer bought the old Chamisal property in 1994, (it was originally planted in 1972), and began replanting the vineyard with carefully selected clones. This is a serious wine from vine to bottle and is very reasonable at $28. The difficulty lies in finding it.

WS Top 100 Day 4: Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

One of Wine Spectator’s stated criteria for inclusion in their Top 100 is that wines must not only receive a high score and offer good value, but also be “exciting.” I know, this notion is vague to me also, and to some degree it is just another way for the WS Top 100 to take center stage based on other variables rather than just their standard point system.

Even though their write-ups of each winery are quite straight forward and did not inspire a lot of excitement when I read them, tastings and other sources confirm that the Santa Rita Hills winery that made the list is one of the most dynamic in California.

Sea Smoke Cellars is a premium producer of Pinot Noir that has gained a cult following in recent years.

Based on their enormous reputation, it is quite amazing that Bob Davids formally established his vineyard just a few years ago in 1999.

Sea Smoke’s hillside vineyard is situated in the western part of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. It has a desirable southern-facing aspect that lets the vines soak up the afternoon sun. In the evening and overnight, fog from the Pacific Ocean creeps up the Santa Rita River and blankets the vineyard. Regular intervals of sun and fog are the key to complexity and finesse in Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara to the Cote de Nuits.

Listed at a very reasonable $30, the Sea Smoke 2004 Santa Rita Hills Botella Pinot Noir was ranked #53 on the 2006 WS Top 100. It is made with 100% estate grapes, has a deep ruby color, and has exotic, ethereal aromas of cherries and spice.

The attention to detail throughout the grape growing and winemaking processes of this Pinot is quite remarkable. Grapes were hand picked and crushing was forgone to let the fruit speak louder than vinification techniques. The must was punched down by hand to extract flavors and supple tannins.

Once the initial fermentation was complete, the free run was separated from gentle pressings. After racking, the different lots of wine were moved to 40% new French oak barrels and aged for 18 months. Regardless if they conveyed it effectively or not, Wine Spectator certainly picked an “exciting” producer for their #53 spot.

California’s Performance on the WS Top 100: Santa Lucia Highlands

I was not surprised to see that a couple of wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands made the WS Top 100 list. This is one of the most exciting regions in California, and is home to some of the best Pinot Noir vineyards in the world.

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA has several things going for it that makes its Pinot so consistent. The soil contains quite a bit of limestone which is always desirable for Burgundian grapes. Additionally, the climate is blessed with a very long, moderate growing season.

It is no accident that Rosella’s Vineyard and Garys’ Vineyard have consistently made some of the very top Pinot Noir from California. Both have are planted on southeast facing hills and are owned by perfectionist grape growers.

At #59 on the WS 100, the Loring 2004 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is from Gary Franscioni’s vines. He is from an old Salinas farming family that has been growing fruits and vegetables for years. In 1996, Franscioni planted Rosella’s Vineyard with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah on prime, southeast facing slopes.

The Siduri 2004 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir is was ranked just behind Loring at #60. Garys’ Vineyard is a partnership between Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni. This property also has a southeast exposure and is planted in the sandy-loam, limestone influenced soils of the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Wine X Magazine

Wine publications have a tremendous amount of influence in the wine industry. Over the years, casual wine consumers have developed a following because of their insightful articles, wine ratings and recommendations.

A publication that has received a ton of attention lately is Wine X Magazine. They are geared toward the younger audience; featuring music, fashion, videos, books, and travel in addition to wine. They pride themselves on “create[ing] a comfortable forum in which young adults can learn more about the tasty juice without the usual intimidation.”

I’ve found their articles entertaining as well as informative. They are currently the second largest wine-related magazine in the world with two million readers per issue. Their publications are available in print and online. In addition, their website offers hot topics, wine rating, and section called “wine bitch,” where readers can discuss articles and publication materials.

California’s Performance on the WS Top 100: Carneros and Sonoma Coast

Chardonnay is often considered California’s ubiquitous white varietal, and there are many ordinary wines made with this grape. But the Shafer Vineyards 2004 Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay and Aubert 2004 Sonoma Coast Lauren Chardonnay are two wines that stand apart from the masses.

Famous for his Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Doug Shafer shows his winemaking versatility with the 2004 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay. This is an interesting wine that was fermented with only wild yeasts. It was barrel aged but did not undergo malolactic fermentation.

This wine has beautifully pure varietal characteristics and was made with grapes from the cool Red Shoulder Ranch Vineyard in the Carneros AVA. Wind and fog from the San Pablo Bay cools the vines and keeps acidity high, despite relatively warm summertime temperatures.

Mark Aubert is on the short list of California’s best-known wine consultants. With a winemaking resume that includes working at Peter Michael, Sloan, and Colgin, there was considerable excitement when he announced the formation of his own label in 2000. Aubert Wines specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast AVA.

The Aubert 2004 Sonoma Coast Lauren Chardonnay was ranked #30 on the WS Top 100. A bit more expensive than Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch, this really is a stunning wine. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to purchase without being on the mailing list.

California’s Performance on Wine Spectators Top 100 List: Russian River Valley

This is the first part of a series of articles on California’s wines that made Wine Spectators Top 100 list.

Three Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley were awarded coveted spots on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List. The variables used to create this hierarchy include, “quality, value, availability, and excitement.” 13,500 wines were reviewed by the magazine this year.

It’s unfortunate that the these sorts of rankings have as much influence as they do, but the reality is that inclusion in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 brings an incredible amount of exposure and legitimacy to the winery and the region. With this at stake, it’s nice to see that three small producers from one of my favorite regions made the cut.

The Kosta Brown, 2004 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir received an impressive #7 ranking on the list. Wine Spectator scored it 96 and was also clearly impressed with the wine’s $38 price tag. Kosta Browne is a small winery that makes several bottlings of big, extracted Pinot Noir. The grapes were allowed to hang until they developed a very high sugar level (25 – 27 degrees BRIX), while the region’s characteristic fog retained sufficient acidity for balance. As shown on the map below, wind and fog from the Pacific Ocean enters Russian River Valley from the Pacific Ocean.

Their 2004 Russian River Valley Pinot was made with grapes from Amber Ridge, Bly, Cohn, and Koplen Vineyards. Wine Spectator is usually thrilled with massive, fruit forward wines, and with an alcohol level of 15.2%, this wine meets that criterion.

The second Russian River Valley Pinot is Merry Edwards 2003 Russian River Valley Klopp Ranch Methode a Lancienne Pinot Noir, adn at $48 it was ranked #21. Before starting her own winery, Merry Edwards was in high demand as a consultant. She was also the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in the Bennett Valley AVA.

Mueller Winery is another small Russian River Valley producer that made the list. The 2003 Emily’s Cuvee Pinot Noir scored a 93 and ranked #54. Like the Kosta Browne, it costs $38. The grapes used to make this wine were grown in gravel soils and a cool, foggy climate. This fog is critical to retaining the acidity that Pinot Noir is known for.

Cosentino’s Troubles

Even premium Napa Valley wineries are not immune from the difficult realities of the wine industry. Share Cast recently reported that shares of publicly traded Cosentino Signature Wines (MCOZ) have plummeted over 67% since June. Despite their premium quality wines and excellent tasting room location, (west of Highway 29 in Oakville), Cosentino’s distributors are not selling wine fast enough.

Because traditional distribution channels are highly competitive, many wineries are looking for new ways to reach the consumer. Content based, social networking sites are a particularly promising medium as thousands of wine lovers are looking for new producers each day.

Follow Up: Oxidation and Aging Wine

Vines and Wines recently posted an interesting article entitled Phenolics and Oxidation in Wine . Andrew Waterhouse of The American Journal of Enology and Viticulture has been studying the effects of oxidation on wine for quite some time and recently released new research on the subject. Waterhouse contends that it is inorganic compounds in wine such as iron that form “reactive oxygen species.” This leads to browning and other symptoms of oxidation.

As Vines and Wines correctly points out, this research could have broad implications. Regions that consistently produce wines with high oxygen content could have less ability to age gracefully.