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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ongoingdebatesabout 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.”
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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’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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
On December 27th, 2006, U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Simpson IIIruled 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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
On May 4th, a research study is going to be published in the 
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.
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.
From May 18th to May 20th, 2007, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance will hold its 
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.
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.
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.
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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 
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
Located in the hills east of the town of St Helena, 
The 
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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 
