Daily Wine News: America’s First AVA

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-15-2023

The view of the August AVA.

In VinePair, Hannah Staab shares the story of America’s first AVA: Augusta, Missouri. “In 1980, the U.S. decided to implement a method to recognize specific wine regions, inspired by the successful designation of origin systems in Europe that protect special wine regions from being replicated by imposters. Hot off of the 1976 Judgement of Paris, Napa was the talk of the town, and regarded as a shoo-in for AVA status. However, it was Augusta’s rich history and distinct terroir that gave it an edge in the eyes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (now known as the TTB). Although it might not seem like it now, Augusta was once a thriving, innovative wine region, and its advancements contributed greatly to the world of wine as a whole…”

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Esther Mobley highlights Ashes & Diamonds Winery’s zero-zero Napa wines.

The E.U. is adding nutrition info to wine labels. Is the U.S. next? Aleks Zecivic takes a look at that’s ahead in Wine Enthusiast.

In the Buyer, Abbie Bennington says it’s time to take a look at the Glera grape with fresh eyes, and embrace Prosecco beyond its budget-conscious styles.

In Wine-Searcher, Wink Lorch reports on three new visitor centers in Burgundy that aim to tell the region’s wine story.

On the Oregon Wine Press, Kerry McDaniel Boenisch remembers Dick Erath, “an Oregon wine pioneer.”

Jeff Gonick puts together a beer drinker’s guide to wine in InsideHook.

Daily Wine News: Gene Editing

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-14-2023

(Wikimedia)

In SevenFifty Daily, Danielle Beurteaux looks at how researchers are using gene-editing technologies like CRISPR to fight back against one of the wine industry’s biggest problems: powdery mildew disease.

“Multiple studies of scores from Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator have shown that organic wines perform better than their peers…But why do these wines taste better?” In Wine-Searcher, Kathleen Willcox reached out to producers, critics and experts for insight.

Dan Petroski founded Massican in 2009, establishing a winery that was unusual for Napa in both its output and culture. In Club Oenologique, Jim Clarke talks to the man who built a brand in the digital sphere and has plans to meet his customers in a virtual world.

Alder Yarrow explores the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA on JancisRobinson.com.

Can rosé ever be considered fine wine? Gérard Bertrand not only thinks so, he launched the most expensive rosé in the world to prove it. Now he’s got his sights set on orange wine, as Robert Joseph reports in Meininger’s.

In InsideHook, Emily Monaco talks to Alice Feiring about common misconceptions about the natural wine category.

Sarah Andersen explores the Brooklyn natural wine scene in the Financial Times.

Daily Wine News: Radical Farming

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-13-2023

Raj Parr (Source: Phelan Farm)

At Phelan Farm, Raj Parr wants to radically change wine. Esther Mobley catches up with the influential sommelier in the San Francisco Chronicle. “To prevent mildew, Parr sprays the vines with milk, not traditional fungicides. To add potassium to the soil and aid photosynthesis, he applies fermented nettles, rather than the typical fertilizer…His approach at the fledgling Central Coast vineyard, Phelan Farm, eschews interventions that even the crunchiest organic adherents would find inoffensive. Parr believes his techniques are not only better for the Earth — building healthy soils may help mitigate the farm’s contributions to climate change — but will yield better-tasting, more interesting wines.”

In the New York Times, Laura M. Holson explores wineries of the Santa Cruz mountains. “If winemakers in Sonoma and Napa Valleys, farther north, are viewed as sophisticated siblings, the wineries in the triangle formed by the towns of Corralitos, Morgan Hill and Hollister are their relaxed country cousins. They are related, but each has its own quirks.”

In SevenFifty Daily, industry experts offer tips for maximizing the educational and networking benefits of trips to wine country, from the prep to the follow-through.

Matt Kettmann dives into California heritage clones in Wine Enthusiast.

In Food & Wine, Brian Freedman put together a list of Washington State wineries to visit.

Bâtonnage Forum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in wine and fostering opportunities that create equity within the industry, announced Michelle Schromm as its new executive director.

Mike Veseth, the wine economist, takes a look at the anatomy of the Italian wine industry’s success.

Daily Wine News: The Grape Revival

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-12-2023

As a means of fighting climate change and preserving history, producers across Europe are reviving grape varieties that have never been cultivated for modern, commercial wine production. In SevenFifty Daily, Jessica Dupuy talks to the wineries behind the movement to revive forgotten grapes.

Sancerre is exploding in the Bay Area, and sommeliers can’t quite figure out why, reports Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle. “Sancerre’s charms are easy to appreciate. Unlike many Sauvignon Blancs from California and New Zealand, which can be sharp and herbal, Sancerre tends more toward floral, mineral and stone-fruit notes…But that doesn’t fully explain the extent of Sancerre’s explosion in recent years. Billy Weiss, owner of North Berkeley Imports, attributed the scarcity in part to a series of low-yielding vintages in the region.”

Jon Bonné on the proposed premier crus of Fleurie. “Does any of this matter?  And, crucially: Is this a good thing to pursue at a time when people worry Beaujolais is losing its populist mien?”

In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre shares his love for Rhone Valley wines.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague delves into whether you should really order the second cheapest wine.

Dom Pérignon’s former chef de cave Richard Geoffrey is trying his hand at sake. W. Blake Gray catches up with him in Wine-Searcher.

For SF Gate, Tamara Gane explores Healdsburg, “a laid-back town in Wine Country.”

Daily Wine News: Tourism vs. Terroir

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-09-2023

(Flickr: Lazy_Artist)

Santorini’s wine culture is one of the oldest in the world but it faces an existential threat from tourism, which offers producers a financial boost while gradually squeezing vineyards off the island. In Club Oenologique, Adam Lechmere talks to its winemakers about the challenge to survive.

In PUNCH, Jenny Eagleton looks at how natural wine has paved the way for a natural spirits movement. “It’s important to note that the concept of natural spirits is neither new nor limited to North America and Europe…What is new is the gradual formation of a global community around these spirits that mirrors the early rumblings of revolution in wine that began over two decades ago, and has resulted in a reorganization of how we drink.”

Fire happens quickly, but the recovery can take years. In Decanter, Katie Kelly Bell checks in on four iconic producers in Napa who are rebuilding with an eye towards the future.

In the Buyer, Richard Siddle reports on how the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation is hoping to make an impact on the industry and environment.

On JancisRobinson.com, Tamlyn Currin looks at how Roussillon wineries have been resilient in the face of climate change.

Antonio Galloni explores Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte, Carema, and Valtellina in Vinous. “Quite simply, I have never tasted more riveting, breathtaking wines from these appellations than I have over the last six months or so.”

Daily Wine News: Defining Wine

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-08-2023

In PUNCH, Jirka Jireh highlights the producers focusing on co-ferments, hybrids and foraged ingredient, and looks at how these beverages are making the natural wine movement more expansive and accessible.

Why is it so difficult to talk about natural wine in Burgundy? Simon J. Woolf explores the increasingly blurred line between classical and natural techniques in the region.

James Lawrence looks at the many ways in which the wine industry is embracing the digital revolution in Wine-Searcher. “Armed with data tracking technology, vintners are increasingly intent on watching you…By 2033, one suspects that few wineries, European or otherwise, will be aloof to the advantages of big tech.”

In the Zoe Report, Nicole Kliest on how women who are mothers navigate the male-dominated wine business. “Despite the nuanced challenges mothers in the wine industry might face, there’s a common thread: The idea of ‘having it all’ doesn’t compute and setting boundaries is more realistic.”

Trends and technologies developing in the US will steer what happens to wine in the next decades. Decanter’s US team highlights the most exciting and important developments. 

In TRINK, Samantha Cole-Johnson on her journey to understand Germany’s Prädikat system.

Jamie Goode explains what wines need to age well. (Hint: Good acidity is key.)

Daily Wine News: The Future of Chile

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-07-2023

The flag of Chile.

“After traveling approximately 2,800 miles, tasting over a thousand wines and visiting around forty wineries and vineyards for this report, I believe that the most exciting wines in Chile are made outside the commercial box. Some are firmly plugged into the rat race, understandably trying to hit the sales sweet spot, but others patiently study the different variables existing in their terroirs, trying out new styles and ideas that might open up new flavor horizons.” In Vinous, Joaquín Hidalgo explores the Chilean winemakers thinking outside the box.

In Decanter, Jim Budd offers notes on 2022 Loire reds. “This is a very good quality vintage across the board, with the potential to be one the greats.”

Italy wants to take on Provence with Puglian rosato, Vito Palumbo, CEO at Antinori’s Tormaresca estate, tells the Drinks Business.

Sean P. Sullivan delves into Washington State wine’s past and the promise of Ste. Michelle.

In Wine-Searcher, Nat Sellars looks at how Robin and Andréa McBride of McBride Sisters Wine Company are opening doors in the wine industry.

Kate Dingwall talks to wine professionals about what they drink when they’re off duty in InsideHook.

In the Zoe Report, Abby Stern explores white wines for summer.

Daily Wine News: War & Wine

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-06-2023

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov reports on wine culture in politically unstable regions such as Ukraine, Iran, and Armenia, where winemaking continues amid war and other fraught moments.

Alder Yarrow offers his thoughts on Montefalco Sagrantino. “It has a foggy past, a relatively short modern history, and a future of opportunity…Endowed with thick, dark skins packed with anthocyanins, Sagrantino is a beast of a wine, no two ways about it.”

Jancis Robinson says that South Africa “now seems to have found its sweet spot for Pinot Noir, on the south coast west of Cape Agulhas among the orchards of Elgin and, particularly, in an underpopulated valley that is known as ‘heaven on earth’, Hemel-en-Aarde in Afrikaans, in the hinterland of the whale-watching resort of Hermanus.”

In TRINK, Valerie Kathawala highlights Archetyp Alpine, the “Portland, Oregon-based start-up launched this spring with a mission to showcase wines from seven countries that touch the Alps. But this isn’t its only distinction. Archetyp’s founders are also leveraging a direct-to-consumer model that essentially allows it to operate as a cellar door in the U.S. for the 18 wineries it represents. Integral to the mission is direct investment in social, environmental, and educational projects in the places these wineries call home.”

“Archeologists digging in the Negev desert in southern Israel have uncovered evidence of a booming wine industry dating back more than 1,500 years,” reports Suzanne Mustacich in Wine Spectator. “They have also found and genetically analyzed two ancient winegrape varieties that thrived in the hot, dry climate of the region. Some members of Israel’s young wine industry hope to use the grapes to produce wines with a link to the region’s long history.”

In InsideHook, Evan Bleier catches up with Bernie Williams, legendary Yankee outfielder turned winemaker.

Daily Wine News: Pesticide Problems

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-05-2023

Vineyards in the Wachau. (Photo credit: Austrian Wine)A draft EU proposal would prohibit the use of pesticides in nature reserves—but for winemakers in the challenging region of the Wachau, is there an alternative? Petra Loho reports on the issue in SevenFifty Daily.

“Can individuals gain experience without formal education today? And more importantly, are we all wasting time, money, and energy on wine education and wine certifications when practical experience may prove more relevant?” In VinePair, Sedale McCall explores the pros and cons of various wine education programs.

In Food & Wine, Betsy Andrews profiles Katie Jackson of Jackson Family Wines, highlighting her Rooted for Good initiative and commitment to sustainability.

Acclaimed winemaker Kelby James Russell (of Red Newt Cellars) has launched a winery called Apollo’s Praise in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, reports Martin Green in Decanter.

The wines are undoubtedly excellent. But, in a context of global financial unrest, will prices prove sufficiently attractive for buyers to invest now rather than a few years down the line? Chloe Ashton reports on the Bordeaux 2022 en primeur campaign in the World of Fine Wine.

In the Sacramento Observer, Mike Dunne reports on the “Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective (LAIC, or “lacy”), a program to recruit and mentor members of minority groups they see as underrepresented in the nation’s wine trade – people of color, the indigenous, LGBTQ. Only 0.1% of U.S. wineries are Black-owned.”

In Travel + Leisure, Matt Kirouac explores how the tiny logging town Guerneville became the queerest part of Northern California wine country.

Daily Wine News: Bordeaux Tourism

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 06-02-2023

Place de la bourse in Bordeaux. (Wikimedia)

Two decades ago, Bordeaux vineyards were virtually closed to tourism; now, it’s one of the world’s premier wine destinations. Roger Morris looks at what’s changed in SevenFifty Daily. “As wineries at all levels began tapping into the tourism business, smaller wine regions and lesser-known estates, like Hourtin-Ducasse, began innovating to create offerings to compete with the big players, whether in terms of affordability or novelty. Now there are a whole range of wine experiences at every price point, and plenty of rental cars, bikes, and tour guides to access them.”

“On Wednesday, the Land Trust of Napa County finalized the purchase of Walt Ranch from its previous owners, who endured a relentless, 17-year battle against environmental groups in order to plant a vineyard in Napa’s rural Eastern Hills.” Jess Lander has the details in the San Francisco Chronicle.

In TRINK, Sara Emilia Nässén explores the producers moving in a regenerative viticulture direction in Alto Adige.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague highlights the Fleurie wines of Beaujolais, which may soon gain premier cru status.

In Wine Enthusiast, John Capone says it’s time to stop being afraid of sulfur in wine. “When used responsibly, in minuscule parts per million (ppm), the average person should never be affected—except that they may be aware of a noticeable lack of VA or mousiness. If you’ve ever nosed into a glass of natty wine you were looking forward to drinking, only to be greeted with a wretched and unmistakable stink that makes the wet sock of cork taint seem like a field of flowers, then you might agree that sulfur is not a sign of Satan.”

Davide Bortone explores Sicily’s grape renaissance in Wine-Searcher.

David Williams ponders the 2021 Vintage Ports in the World of Fine Wine.