Calwineries

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.

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.

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.”

© The New Yorker Collection, 1998. Michael Maslin from cartoonbank. All Rights Reserved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.