In the spirit of Dr. Debs’ fantastic blog, Good Wine Under $20, I thought I’d post 5 of my personal favorite California Syrahs for under $20. This list is by no means exhaustive, but represents some of the excellent values I have come across. If you have any to add, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
The Andrew Murray 2005 Tous Les Jours Syrah is a blend of grapes from Andrew Murray’s Estate Vineyard as well as the broader Paso Robles AVA. This is a fruit-driven wine with soft tannins. Andrew Murray Vineyards is known for excellent Syrahs; some of their more expensive ones being “Roasted Slope” and the 100% Estate Syrah. The Tous Les Jours can be purchased for $13.
Beckmen Vineyards is another Syrah specialist that makes a few different bottlings of the grape. The 2005 Big Hands Syrah has ripe currant and blackberry flavors over a layer of spice and smoke. The alcohol level is 14%, and the tannins and acidity balance each other nicely. This wine sells for $15.
Terre Rouge is an excellent Sierra Foothills winery. Although the 2004 Terre Rouge Cotes de l’Quest Syrah 2004 has a deep, concentrated color, this wine drinks very well without any age. Winemaker and owner Bill Easton has produced a great value for Syrah lovers with this wine. It is priced around $16.
Michael David Vineyards is a Lodi winery that is probably best known for 7 Deadly Zins. But they also make an excellent Syrah called 6th Sense. This full-bodied wine has very nice spicy plum and peppery flavors. I have seen this wine available for $18.
Qupe’s 2005 Central Coast Syrah has been widely hailed by the wine press as a great value under $20. It is actually a blend of 93% Syrah, 4% Grenache, Mourvèdre and 1% Counoise giving it added complexity and balance. The grapes are sourced from all over the Central Coast, including Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande Valley. You can find this wine for as low as $15.
As most of you probably know, Gary Vaynerchuk appeared as a guest on the Conan O’Brien show last night. There was quite a bit of buzz flowing through the internet about Gary making the jump to network television. A post about it even made onto the front page of the popular socially driven news site digg.
The fact a story about a wine v-logger made digg’s front page shows the importance of the event (the digg community doesn’t like wine). So the stage was set, and Gary took the short trip to New York to tape the show.
If you’re a normal person, being surrounded by movie stars and celebrities doesn’t put you at ease. But Gary seemed to handle it very well. First, Seth Rogen, the star of Knocked Up, did a funny interview with Conan. Then came Ann Curry, the host of dateline.
With the stage set, and time running out in the show, out comes Gary. I initially thought they were just going to do an interview, but it turned out they had a whole table set up for the interview. After a couple of brief questions about Wine Library TV, which gary handled well, they started to train Conan’s palate.
Gary takes an interesting approach to training one’s palate. The first wine was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which tastes like grass and grapefruit. Before tasting the wine, they both actually eat grass covered with grapefruit juice. Jokingly, Gary said that the grass came from Central Park; the look on Conan’s face was priceless.
After sucking on rocks in salt water, the two moved on to a Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m sure Conan was happy to see that they would get the chance to eat a delightful combination of dirt, cherries and tobacco. Which are flavors common in many Cabs from Bordeaux and some from California.
If you think thats ridiculous, the next and last thing they tried was a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. And what flavor profiles were they trying to learn, none other than sweaty socks and asparagus. So Gary reaches down and pulls off one of his socks, wraps it around a piece of asparagus, and sticks it in his mouth. Conan follows suit.
The point of the exercise was to train Conan’s palate. But everytime Gary asked if he tasted the flavors, Conan would reply, “yeah, this wine is great.” The fact that Conan went through and tried everything was awesome, he was a good sport; and very funny to boot.
All in all, the show was very successful. Gary was funny and enthusiastic, the main reasons why we love his show. It was a great moment for wine, wine bloggers and video bloggers. Congrats Gary, it’s not everyday you get to ask Conan to suck on your sweaty sock.
Conan O’Brien is a celebrity talk show host; movie stars, models, professional athletes, famous authors, politicians, Nobel laureates, and … Gary Vaynerchuk … What?!? About a month ago, we covered a story about a wine v-logger going mainstream. Well, it turns out that Gary V’s article in TIME was only the beginning. On Wednesday, August 1st, Gary is scheduled to be one of the featured guests on the Conan O’Brien Show.
From the beginning, Wine Library TV’s tagline has been “Changing the Wine World.” Month by month, Gary’s enthusiasm has won over the hearts of wine drinkers on the internet. But on Wednesday night, he’ll have his chance to reach out to the world.
As you probably know, Conan O’Brien is the host NBC’s Late Night Show. With the millions of people who watch Conan, this interview has the potential to be a very important moment for video and wine blogging.
Wine Library TV has one of the largest audiences in wine (for non mainstream media), but falls considerably short of publications like Spectator and Enthusiast. On Wednesday night, Gary will be reaching out to an audience that may be larger than both of those magazines combined.
Gary is very excited about his upcoming appearance on Conan, “This is an example that the web 2.0 video movement has the potential to go mainstream … We hope the interview on Conan will open more doors for other video and wine bloggers.”
The philosophy of Wine Library TV is a breath of fresh air. I’m sure this is part of the reason why Conan wants him on the show. According to Gary, “Getting everyone to know wine is about personal taste, not what a critic says. And more importantly to try new things and bring younger people into wine.”
His approach is definitely working. Gary has over 1,000 friends on facebook, a social networking site used predominately by college students. He recently released the Wine Library TV “Bring the Thunder” facebook application, which probably played a large role in his popularity on the site.
I couldn’t think of a better person to represent the web 2.0 wine movement than Gary. It has the potential to be a very big deal; what do you think about the importance of this event? If you could ask Gary to talk about anything on the show, what would it be?
The Napa Valley is a beautiful place. And with good reason, it has become one of the premiere tourist destinations in the United States. If the wine doesn’t inspire you to come out and visit, hopefully these pictures will.
Blogging was once a phenomenon, but has recently made the transition into mainstream media and the lives of people around the world. According to business week, there are over 15 million active blogs as of March 2007. This number seems a bit low, considering anyone with a MySpace account has a blog.
Regardless of how many blogs there are, it’s more about how many people are reading them and their relative influence. It seems that general readership of wine blogs has been increasing, with a proportional increase in their influence. So it was just a matter of time before a wine blogger went mainstream, and brought his or her palate to the world.
What we didn’t know, was that it wasn’t going to happen through the written word, but rather through a different medium. Enter streaming video. Thanks to advances in technology (mainly flash), video players can be imbedded directly onto a webpage. This opened up the door for the next generation of blogging, vlogs.
There are clear benefits of using video as a communication tool. Certain emotions and feelings as well as non verbal cues can be conveyed, which would be lost in words. More importantly, video allows people to have short attention spans. It’s much easier to watch a five minute video then to read a 5,000 word article.
However, it does take a certain person to star in a video. Anyone who can put together a decent sentence can write a blog post. But to record a fun, entertaining vlog that people will actually watch is a different story. If someone could come along and make an interesting wine vlog, it could be gold…
Solid gold that is. And Gary Vay-Ner-Chuck certainly has “brought the thunder.” And it’s official, Gary’s Wine Library TV has gone mainstream. Last week, TIME magazine featured an article on Gary titled Totally Uncorked.
Although rather coarse in it’s description of the Wine Library TV phenomenon, the article does hit on some very important points. That Gary has what it takes to engage, entertain and relate to his audience about a subject that has been historically elitist. “He’s more hyper than Emeril, more cheerful than Rachael Ray, more street than Bobby Flay and cockier than all of them combined.”
I don’t know about “cockier” than all of them combined, come on, Bobby Flay. Enough said. What’s more important than the actually content of the article was fact that a wine blogger is getting mainstream media attention. This isn’t the first time either, CNBC ran a story on Wine Library TV you can see here.
Gary’s tag line is “changing the wine world,” which is a rather bold statement. However ambitious, it seems to be happening, with over 25,000 daily visitors to his vlog. This kind of influence is nothing to scoff at. His approach to wine is refreshing, and is a step in the right direction.
The wine industry needs someone like Gary to reach out into new markets and capture their attention. We need to scream from the roof tops “Hey! Wine isn’t all snobbery and elitism!” A similar stereotype had a strangle hold on golf, that is until Tiger Woods came along and changed everything.
Golf is more popular than ever, and in large part it was due to Tiger Woods showing that golf was not just an elitist game. Not saying that Gary is Tiger, but something similar is happening. Although many of you may disagree, the more we can bring wine to the masses the better.
Cheers to Gary and the WineLibrary team, keep the great episodes coming. You may think this post is biased because we advertise for WineLibrary, but this post was my honest assessment of the wine bloggosphere and Gary’s influence within it. If you don’t think so, leave me a comment.
Have you ever dreamed of owning a vineyard in the Napa Valley? Does the thought of waking up and walking through rows of Cabernet Sauvignon vines make you happy? If so, now seems to be the perfect time to buy. There are quite a few Napa Valley Vineyards on the market that seem to be moving slowly and are ripe for the picking.
Although the price tags are borderline ridiculous, there are tangible benefits to buying existing vineyards over developing new ones. The permits and Environmental Impact Reports, coupled with development costs make developing vineyards an overly difficult ordeal. If you have the money, buying a producing vineyard is probably the best way to go.
Broker Steve Gregory of Morgan Lane in Napa said, “It takes a long time and a huge bureaucratic hassle to get approvals for a winery, and if your vineyard has a slope over 5%, it takes a $100,000 environmental impact plan and 3 years to get approval.”
It is not a surprise that many aspiring vintners are buying developed properties rather than dealing with the hassle. But there seems to be a dip in the market, as buyers are turning their heads to properties that were historically bought very quickly. Chuck Sawday, of Pacific Union real estate said, “There’s not much urgency among buyers. Even if you reduce prices, there’s not much action.”
Prominent Napa Valley Vineyard listings include:
Waters Ranch: A 22 acre estate in the Atlas Peak AVA owned by Jayson Pahlmeyer. Price tag: $28.5 million.
Pillar Rock Vineyards: A 114 acre estate in the Stags Leap AVA owned by Ron and Teri Kuhn. Price tag: $19.5 million.
Unnamed property: 40 acre vineyard that just received a mid-90 score from Robert Parker for its first wine. Price tag: $21 million
Twin Creeks Vineyard: A 120 acre vineyard in Wooden Valley. Price tag: $12.5 million.
Anyone who truly loves wine would love to have their own vineyard in the Napa Valley. However, as you can see by the above price tags, it’s not cheap. For those who can afford it, now is a perfect time to quit your day job and start living your dream as a vintner in the Napa Valley.
To many, the United States wine industry began with the 1976 Judgment of Paris. To some extent, this is true. Some important aspects of U.S. wine were born that day. But grape growing and winemaking began long before that.
Because California produces ninety percent of U.S. wine, it’s easy to think that wine production began in the golden state. But it didn’t, the original home is Jamestown, Virginia; where John Smith planted grapes and made wine in 1607.
For those of you who have spent time on Calwineries, you know that it takes a special set of environmental and social conditions to produce good wine. If the right soil, geology, terrain and climate come together with a demand for wine, then it can be successfully produced.
Environmental conditions were the main problem for Jamestown settlers; it was more or less swampland. But this didn’t stop pressure from the British, who wanted to produce wine that would rival the French. This was a tall task considering that Jamestown was not an appropriate place to grow grapes.
Just as you would expect, the European varietals that the settlers brought died. So they searched the countryside looking for vines that could survive the harsh conditions. The grapes they did find, which were probably Muscadine Scuppernong, did not produce the quality of wine that the British were looking for.
Because of the difficulty in producing anything worth drinking, the colonies began shipping a port style wine from the Portuguese island Madeira. The signers actually toasted the Declaration of Independence with Madeira.
Because of said factors, and many others, the colonies gave up on producing wine, and turned their attention to producing tobacco. The Virginia wine industry didn’t resurface again until the 1950’s. It now thrives because of advances in knowledge and technology.
The number of wineries in Virginia grew from only three in 1975 to more than 125 today. This jump shows the states promise for growing grapes and making wine. Although Virginia only has 3,000 acres of vineyards (compared to the half million in California), it is finally starting to realize the dreams of the original settlers 400 years ago.
Pinot Noir has been vinified for centuries and is one of the world’s noble grape varieties. But what is it about Pinot that allows it to make wines that have such haunting finesse and concentration? While its greatness has often been attributed to the muses, there are some definitive things that set Pinot Noir apart from other red grapes.
Pinot Noir is a thin skinned grape with lighter pigments than most other red varieties. This is because Pinot Noir lacks acylated anthocyanins which most other red grapes have. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.) These tannic compounds are responsible for much of the pigments in red wine. Pinot does contain the other major tannic compound called polyphenols, which gives it sufficient structure.
Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grapes to grow and produce into wine. This has at the same time infuriated and delighted winemakers. When it is done well, there is nothing else like Pinot Noir. But several things must fall into place to accomplish this, and both nature and man must cooperate.
Pinot Noir ripens early in the growing season, and because of its thin skins, it is particularly susceptible to rot. It needs to methodically develop in a cool climate, but also needs enough heat to develop its distinctive flavors and aromas. Therein lays one of the difficulties in cultivating the grape.
The best soils for Pinot Noir are limestone and clay based. In general, the more clay, the more weight the Pinot will have. Pinot does well in soils that were once ancient sea beds and have a high pH from fossilized sea shells (high Calcium content). In contrast, Cabernet Sauvignon and many other red grapes like gravelly, very well-drained soils that are often of alluvial origin and have a lower pH.
In comparison to most other red varietals, Pinot Noir has a greater propensity for mutation. Part of the reason for this is that the grape has been grown since ancient times and there has been ample opportunity for genetic variation. Whereas Cabernet Sauvignon has around 20 distinct clones, Pinot Noir has over 1,000. This is why Pinot translates the terroir of a site so effectively; it adapts and changes to its natural environment significantly more than most other red grapes.
Cabernet Sauvignon and other red grapes can certainly display terroir, but not to the same extent as Pinot. Cab is a much more predictable grape, and no matter where it is planted, it will have some traits distinguish it. This is not the case with Pinot Noir, and there is much more variation depending on the specific plot of land and the people who vinify it.
Hence the more complex AOC system in Burgundy as opposed to Bordeaux. The French in general are concerned with terroir, but in Burgundy it is an obsession.
Few California wine regions produce Pinot Noir with the same depth and finesse as Carneros. Carneros straddles the southern parts of Napa and Sonoma Valleys about 40 miles north of San Francisco.
Despite the fact that Carneros overlaps both Napa and Sonoma, the region has an identity all its own. This can be seen in every aspect of the terrain which is generally quite flat and less varied than Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Carneros is also decidedly more rustic and less pretentious than its more famous neighbors.
Why Pinot Noir Thrives in Carneros
Summer days are often cooled by fog from the San Pablo Bay. But it is Carneros’ wind that really makes it a world-class Pinot Noir region. These winds can actually shut down the metabolic processes of the vines, retaining all-important acidity. The wind is also critical because it dries out moisture that settles on the vines overnight. This helps protect against mold and mildew.
Pinot Noir is also well-suited to the soils of Carneros, which are generally quite dense and shallow. These soils have medium to low fertility and are comprised of a significant amount of clay. This makes for small root systems and natural vigor management, leading to dense fruit flavors.
The southern part of Carneros is extremely flat, and only a few feet above sea level. This is the coolest part of the region, and generally makes the lightest wines. Undulating hills roll through the northern part of the region, especially on the Napa side. Some of these hills reach an elevation of 400 feet above sea level. Pinot from this part of Carneros, including the warmer Congress Valley, is quite a bit more extracted and fuller-bodied.
However, climate does not explain everything. A couple decades ago, most Carneros Pinot Noir was light-bodied and known for its dried cherry, dusty cranberry, and herbal flavors. But when phylloxera struck in the 1980s and 1990s, the older Martini clones were largely replaced with Dijon clones. These grapes make distinctly darker wines with more concentrated flavors that are often more a matter of plums, black cherries, and blueberries.
Carneros is in a bit of a transitional phase right now. Although the region’s Pinot Noir is famous the world over, there has been a lot of talk about Merlot or Syrah possibly supplanting the grape. While it is true that some of the warmer microclimates in Carneros are perhaps better suited to Merlot and Syrah, Pinot is still alive and well in the wine region.
For all the beauty that wine is and represents, there is a very dark, dangerous side of alcohol. Alcohol abuse is a semi-taboo subject among people in the wine industry. It’s not hard to see why an industry built on alcohol sales would avoid a subject that shows the negative effects of their products.
This is understandable. However, it is important to acknowledge the sometimes deadly effects of alcohol abuse and advocate the responsible consumption of wine. Unfortunately, there are very few wineries who mention this, and even fewer that support related organizations.
There is a causal relationship between alcohol and 60 types of disease and injury
Alcohol is reported as the cause of about 20 – 30% of oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, homicide, epileptic seizure, and motor vehicle accidents (WHO, 2002)
Below is a graph of the global per capita consumption of alcohol from 1961 through 2001.
As you can see, total alcohol consumption increases up to the beginning of the 1980’s. There is a slight decrease, and then remains relatively stable. This would indicate a general stabilization of world wide alcohol consumption, but examination of specific regions shows a different picture.
SEAR: South-East Asian Region
WPR: Western Pacific Region
EUR: European Region
EMR: Eastern Mediterranean Region
AMR: Region of the Americas
AFR: African Region
This graph shows why the overall world wide alcohol consumption is relatively stable. On a regional level, those with the highest consumption are decreasing, and those with the lowest consumption are increasing. Another interesting fact is the positive correlation between increasing alcohol consumption and increasing level of economic development.
Top Wine Drinking Nations
The above table shows the highest beverage per capita consumption. Looking at the data, it is not a surprise that the countries at the top of this list are those that produce the most wine, with one notable exception: the United States.
There will be more to come from this report later.
These posters were scare tactics to keep Russians from drinking during Prohibition, which lasted from 1914 – 1925. It was introduced at the beginning of World War I to keep peace within the non fighting population.
The purpose of media is to connect the public to the world around them. This comes in many forms; the written and spoken word, images, sounds and video. This connection is often lost in translation, as some things are too beautiful to be described through words and images.
This is one of the major problems facing many artisan crafts. There is no way that the written word can convey the emotions and beauty of certain things. One of these artisan crafts is winemaking. It is as simple as letting grapes ferment and as difficult as a laboratory experiment.
On April 16th, 2007, Don Sabastiani & Sons released a film that may have changed the way the winemaking process is portrayed. It is one thing to teach the public about crush, but it is another to make them a part of it. And after watching this B. Napa film, it feels as if you were taken along on their epic journey through crush.
It is difficult to articulate the emotional connection that this film brought out. It took the hardship, the beauty, the suffering, the art, the science, the dedication and most importantly, the people of the winemaking process and presented them to you, the wine lover; in a way that brings you right along with them through crush.
The impact of this film is yet to be seen. To anyone who truly loves wine, it embodies the reasons why we love it so much. It’s not just the complexity of taste, or the tradition it represents, it’s the magnificence of the process. To B. Napa, it is their job to “Capture this moment and seal it in a bottle.”
Fred Franzia is no stranger to controversy. He has been the subject of numerous legal battles over his 49 different labels and business practices. But on the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Charles Shaw label, he seems to be taking a step in the right direction.
At a lunch-in at the Bronco facility, Franzia announced that he is “exploring the possibility” of building a glass bottle factory in Napa County. And by “explore the possibility” he means, were moving forward with this project.
For the past five years, consumers have bought 300 million bottles of “Two Buck Chuck,” including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Shiraz. Most of these 300 million glass bottles were imported from China or Mexico. Although it may not seem like much, importing these bottles is definitely not helping the local environment. According to Franzia,
“The real bonus is (it) will eliminate 62,000 truckloads, or approximately 375,000 diesel-driving hours, per year.”
Having a local bottle factory should decrease the total annual diesel truck emissions within the San Francisco Bay by more than 32,000 tons, primarily of carbon dioxide. Additionally, Franzia said “Our new glass plant will be compatible with today’s environmental requirements.”
If that wasn’t enough, the facility will create over 350 “high paying jobs” for local community members, adding to the Napa County tax base. Franzia did not comment on the timeline, but he already purchased the property where the facility is intended to be built.
Taking steps to reduce the impact of his business on the environment is a good step. This rings especially true in California’s bay area, where people seem particularly sensitive to this issue. To many, Franzia is seen as the bad guy, taking steps like this will help lessen that stereotype.
With the success of last year’s Festival del Sole, it is no surprise that event organizers are planning a return trip to California’s wine country. This year’s event will incorporate staged opera along with the usual dose of music and art.
Festival del Sole will bring world class instrumentalists, vocalists and conductors to wine country. The musical and theatrical event will feature the Bay Area’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the University of Texas at Austin Wind Band and the return of the Russian National Orchestra.
Scheduled for July 13 – 22, the 10 day festival will take place at several fitting venues; including Napa Valley Opera House, Lincoln Theater and a new venue, Castello di Amoroso. Festival del Sole will mirror a festival in Cortona, Italy that is held during the summer.
The festival is presented by the Del Sole Foundation for the Arts and Humanities. The daily concerts will be followed by meals prepared by celebrity chefs, paired with the best wines that California has to offer.
Every so often, you hear a wild idea, and say “that’s good, I’d try that.” This is not one of them. Japanese Geneticists have discovered a gene which stimulates yeast fermentation in the udders of “sake cows.” They can turn off the gene that makes milk and turn on the gene that makes alcohol, providing the base ingredients for wine.
According to an article on the subject, “Although the process is in its infancy the implications for the wine industry are huge. Should Dr Sakegami’s research come to fruition (or fermentation if you will) we could see the first commercially produced wine from a mobile vineyard within 15 to 20 years.”
First of all, no, the implications on the wine industry are not huge. Who in their right mind would want to drink wine made from the udders of cows. Cow udders don’t provide the controlled environment that is needed to produce quality wine.
Also, just because the cow udders stimulate alcoholic fermentation doesn’t mean that they can produce wine. Wine is made when wine grapes are fermented, how would you get pure grape must into the udders of cows. It seems like there would be other products in there as well, like milk. Milk and Wine don’t sound like a very good pairing.
It’s great that scientists are experimenting with genetics, but perusing this commercially may not be the best idea. If I were offered wine from cows, I would have to say, No Thanks.
On April 2nd, Medlock Ames Winery announced the anniversary of their move to sustainable energy. They run their entire operation on Solar Power, from lighting the winery, to powering their electric vehicles.
For Medlock Ames’ commitment to the environment is clear. For them, sustainable energy is not just an ideal; it’s a way of life. They have made sustainability an integral part of their business; only using organic farming methods in their vineyards.
The dedication to Solar Energy has not only saved the winery money, but has also endeared their winery to many who feel that certain agricultural practices are hurting the environment. Their solar panels produce 140,000kWh annually, which is more than enough to fully power their business.
Winemaker Ames Morison said, “We chose to invest in solar power as a long term commitment to powering our business with clean, renewable energy.”
But generating power is only one piece of the sustainability equation; it has become a part of every aspect of their business. They have enlisted Owls and Hawks to patrol the vineyard for voles and gophers that can devastate the soil. Their vineyard is often occupied by sheep and geese, which eat unwanted vegetation and help, fertilize the soil.
It doesn’t end there; Medlock Ames also utilizes the “horse and plow” method to cultivate their vineyard. This may seem like a bad idea, but tractors compact the ground and pollute the environment, something they are trying to move away from.
Medlock Ames dedication to sustainability is commendable. They have established themselves as leaders in the movement towards environmental accountability and renewable energy. For more information on Medlock Ames, visit their website.
With more and more people using the internet to find and buy wine, it isn’t hard to see the opportunity presented by direct to consumer sales. This, coupled with relaxed state regulations, is making this channel a legitimate force in the wine industry.
Recently, VinQuest released their annual survey “to measure the size and dynamics of the U.S. consumer direct sales channel.” They surveyed 3500 + bonded wineries in the United States; with 230 actually participating. Paul Mabray feels that their sample size isn’t large enough to be statistically significant; but doesn’t give the numbers behind his reasoning.
With 6.5% participation of wineries, it seems like enough to render relatively accurate results (assuming random selection of participants). After consulting Statistics: Edition 3, by Freedman, Pisani and Purves (who was my Stats 2 Prof. at UC Berkeley), “If a large number of those selected for the sample do not in fact respond to the questionnaire or the interview, non-response bias is likely” page 336, Paragraph 1.
Non-response bias can kill the legitimacy of survey. If a statistics professor looked at VinQuest’s data, they would immediately dismiss the results. However, since their data is not being submitted to the court of law (or statistical journal), there are trends that can be accepted and examined.
Here are some of the major points found by VinQuest’s survey;
Total direct to consumer sales by U.S. wineries in 2006: $2.4 Billion
Value of wine shipped directly to U.S. consumers in 2006: $1 Billion
2006 wine club sales at U.S. wineries: $598 Million: 66% Increase
2006 online sales at U.S. wineries: $197 Million: 45% Increase
2006 tasting room sales at U.S. wineries: $1.3 Billion: 18% Decrease
2006 event-driven sales at U.S. wineries: $100 Million: 30% Decrease
One statistic I take issue with is “2006 tasting room sales at U.S. wineries: $1.3 Billion: 18% Decrease.” VinQuest’s study said “Visitor counts and sales per guest were down in many key U.S. wine regions, leading to lower tasting room and event sales in 2006.” What exactly is a “key U.S. wine region”?
If you are going to publish results that are intended to be taken seriously, you have to fully disclose your methods and results. Selective reporting of results is a huge red flag; and is grounds for dismissing the entire study.
However, taken at face value, these results are promising. The online wine industry is growing, and as state regulations begin to loosen up, this trend will continue the way its going. This is good for both winery and consumer.
Options for consumers will grow; beyond what their local grocery store offers. Wineries will not be forced to dump their wine at half price to wholesalers. And the collective knowledge of the public’s perception of wine will increase with growing exposure to more wineries and regions. It seems to be a win, win, win.
The beauty of wine country is both poetic and inspirational; yet representing the true nature of wine is a seemingly impossible task. But for Bret Lyman, its just a day at the office.
As the Sonoma Valley Film Festival approaches, Bret is putting the final touches on Crush, a Don Sebastiani & Sons Film. This film documents the journey of winemaker Richard Bruno through Crush. Crush offers a unique view of what really happens during crush at a world renowned winery. Take a journey through Crush with Don Sebastiani & Sons;
If you are using an RSS reader, click here to watch the trailer.
Since the 1970s, the U.S. wine industry has been driven by varietal wines – those labeled by type of grape, e.g. Chardonnay or Merlot. These were the years of America’s wine renaissance, and the industry transitioned from using predominantly generic names, e.g. Chablis and Burgundy.
However, interest in blended red wines is increasing each year. California has been leading the charge, and sales in this category are up 19% versus last year. In fact, California red blends are outpacing the growth of many single red varietals, including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Many of these red blends are made using the traditional Bordeaux grapes, (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot), and carry the Meritage name on their labels. This name was established by the Meritage Association “to identify hand-crafted wines blended from the traditional ‘noble’ Bordeaux varietals.”
But these are not the only red blends gaining popularity in America. The acreage of vineyards planted with Rhone varietals, (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignane, etc.), has greatly increased in recent years throughout California. Many of these grapes are being blended rather than bottled as varietal wines.
In a way, America’s taste in wine has come full circle. In the years following Prohibition, producers were interested in riding the coattails of established European wine regions, even if their wines did not resemble the originals. But as America producers found their bearings, they began to differentiate themselves from Europe by labeling their wines by varietal (something rarely done in Europe).
This development also went hand-in-hand with the many New World innovations in technology. Rather than seeing wines as the product of a specific place, they were seen as the product of a type of grape and winemaking. This is changing, and there is currently more respect for high-quality grape growing and site selection than ever before.
As America’s wine industry matures, many premium-quality producers are no longer constrained by labeling their wines according to varietal. Until recently, most consumers were not comfortable purchasing a wine that was not labeled according to the grape it was made with.
The Federal Government requires that varietal wines contain at least 75% of the grape it is labeled with, largely so the consumer knows what to expect.
However, this is an arbitrary number, and winemakers need more flexibility in order to make the best product possible. They are therefore turning to blends that do not carry varietal labels. Thankfully, the American consumer is increasingly aware of the benefits of blending certain complimentary grapes, and these wines are thriving in the marketplace.
1 Based on IRI InfoScan, Total US Food & Drug, Unit Sales % Change vs Year Ago, 52 weeks ending 2/25/07
Many of you know the Stags Leap wine region for their world class Cabernets, but one of Stag Leap’s small wineries is drawing international attention for more than its wine. Quixote Winery is the only building in America designed by Viennese artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Hundertwasser, who passed away in 2000, was known for his eccentric design; no two windows are the same, olive trees grow on the roof and straight lines are no where to be found. He focused on using natural light to illuminate the tasting room, bringing a lively upbeat feel to the experience.
Visitors can relax in the patio garden that features a striking mosaic of tinted glass. Hundertwasser used blue tiles to “drip” from the roofline to represent the nearby reservoir. “His philosophy is: Straight lines are anathema.”
Owner Carl Doumani said “If they walk in here and they’re happy, they’re going to like our wines more.”
This is a great approach that is seemingly lost to many wineries in the Napa Valley. The design of Quixote winery leaves a lasting memory to visitors, bringing them that much closer to Quixote’s wine.
If you are in the Napa Valley, and would like to visit Quixote Winery, call 707-944-2659 or e-mail lew@quixotewinery.com to make an appointment
The Guinness Book of World Records was originally established to settle drunken arguments in the pubs of Britain and Ireland. This book was the answer to alcohol induced debates that were once only solved through good old fashioned brawls. That is, until 1991, when they banned all alcohol related entries due to fear of litigation. However, the 1979 edition did print these records, which are reproduced below. For edits and additions, please leave a comment below and the list will be updated.
Strongest Beer
The strongest known beer in 1979 was EKU Kulminator Urtyp Hell from Kilmbach, West Germany, at 13.2 percent alcohol (1979).
Update: Bavarian brewer Harald Schneider, from southern Germany, brewed a beer that was 25.4% alcohol. Source.
Weakest Beer
The weakest liquid ever marketed as a beer was a sweet ersatz beer from Germany be Sunner, Colne-Kalk in 1918. It had less than 0.2 percent alcohol (1979).
Speed Beer Drinking
Steven Petrosino of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania on June 22nd, 1977, drank 1 liter of beer in 1.3 seconds. Peter G. Dowdeswell of Earls Barton drank two liters in 6.0 seconds on February 7th, 1975 (1979).
Fastest Beer Drinking Relay
Czech patriots drank 2,662 half-litres of beer in less than 17 hours. Drinking at a rate of over 156 beers per hour, or 2.6 mugs per minute, the Czechs can now claim to be the fastest “relay” drinkers in the world (2004). Source.
Highest Documented Blood Alcohol Level
An unidentified middle-aged Latvian man was unconscious but stable after a blood test showed 7.22 parts per million (0.7%) of alcohol, police spokeswoman Ieva Zvidre said. “An average person would vomit at around 1.2, lose consciousness at 3.0 and stop breathing at a level of about 4.0 parts per million” Zvidre said (2003). Source.
Most Alcoholic Person (actual name of record)
It is recorded that a hard drinker named Vanhorn (1850 – 1911) averaged more than four bottles of Ruby Port per day for 23 years prior to his death at 61. He is believed to have emptied 35,688 bottles (1979).
Beer Consumption
The nation with the highest beer consumption per person is West Germany, with 39.8 U.S. gallons per person in 1976. In the northern territory of Australia, the annual intake has been estimated to be as high as 62.4 U.S. gallons per person (1979).
Youngest Recorded Death from Alcohol Poisoning
A 4 year old boy, Joesph Sweet, in Wolverhampton, England, in died 1827 from alcohol poisoning, reported in the Stafford Assizes case R. v. Martin (1979).
Most Alcoholic Drink
During Independence (1918 – 1940) the Estonian Liquor Monopoly marketed 196 proof potato alcohol. In the U.S., Everclear (190 proof) is marketed by the American Distilling Co. (1979).
Most Expensive Liqueur
A half bottle of Peres Chartreux, Tanrragone, June of 1945 has been sold for 130 francs, equivalent to $59 per bottle (1979).
Most Expensive Spirit
Grande Fine Champagne Napolean, 1811 was auctioned at Christie’s of London in December 1976 for $374 for a single bottle (1979).
Oldest Wine
The oldest datable wine has been an amphora salvaged and drank by Captain Jacques Cousteau from the wreck of a Greek trader sunk in the Mediterranean circa 230 B.C. Wine jars recovered from the Pompeii eruption of A.D. 79 were found labeled VESUVINUM – The oldest known trade mark (1979).
Most Expensive Wine
The highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine of any size is $18,000 for a jeroboam of 1864 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild dry red Bordeaux, purchased at an auction in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 25th, 1978 (1979).
Update: The most expensive wine ever sold is a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite which sold at Christie’s London in December, 1985 for £105,00 (about US $160,000). Source.
Greatest Wine Auction
The single largest sale of wine took place at Christie’s of King Street, St. James, London, on March 25-26, 1976, when 31,000 bottles of Bordeaux wines were auctioned for $1,500,000 (1979).
Champagne Cork Flight
The longest distance for a champagne cork to fly from an untreated bottle 4 feet from level ground is 102 feet 11 inches by Gary P. Mahan at La Habra Heights, California on August 2nd, 1975 (1979).
Longest Prohibition
The longest lasting imposition of Prohibition against consumption of alcoholic beverages has been 26 years in Iceland (1908 – 1934). Other prohibitions have been in Russia (1914 – 1924) and the United States (1920 – 1933)(1979).
Largest Beer Selling Establishment
The Mathaser Bayerstrasse 5, Munich, West Germany averaged 100,800 pints sold per day. It was rebuilt in 1995 to seat 5,500 people (1979).
Longest Bar
The longest bar with Beer pumps was built in 1938 at the Working Men’s Club, Mildura, Victoria, Australia. Its counter is 298 feet in length, with 27 pumps (1979).
Oldest Brewery
The oldest brewery is the Weihenstephan, Brewery in Freising, near Munich, West Germany, founded in 1040 (1979).
Largest Single Brewer
Anheuser-Busch, Inc. In 1975, the company sold 35,196,180 barrels, the largest annual volume ever produced by a Brewery (1979).
Largest Brewery
The largest brewery on a single site is Adolph Coors Co. of Golden Colorado, which produced 12,800,000 barrels in 1978 (1979).
Calwineries, inc. does not want anyone to try and break these records. We are a site about California Wine Country and do not endorse excessive drinking, under any circumstance. For more wine information, click on the learn tab or that link.
As the international wine industry becomes more and more competitive, wineries are turning to technology to get an edge in the market. The goal is generally to extract as much flavor as possible without extracting too many harsh tannins. A small but growing number of winemakers are using a technique called pneumatage to accomplish this.
During red wine fermentation, the skins, seeds, and other debris float to the top of the container forming the “cap.” Winemakers resubmerge the cap by punching it down or pumping wine over the top.
However, punching down or pumping over the cap both can shred the skins and release seeds into the wine. Because these seeds contain harsh tannins, winemakers often have to press the must before they have attained the right amount of flavor.
In response to this dilemma, Pulsair Mixing Systems developed attachments for the base of the tank which inject air into the wine. This extracts color and flavor from the skins without tearing up the skins and releasing seeds. The health of the yeast cells also benefit from the oxygen bubbles.
Based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Benton Lane Winery was one of the first to use pneumatage for their Pinot Noir production. Other wineries using the technique include Glen Fiona, Bonny Doon, Malivoire, and Cedar Creek.
When it comes to wine, what happened to the court of public opinion? Does the public even have an opinion? The wine industry has been dominated by a few individuals for such a long time that the voice of the masses has been drowned in a whirlpool of professional wine critics and writers.
The total reliance on professional opinion is one of the major factors contributing to the sorry state of the wine industry. Unfortunately, most people seem to be afraid to voice their opinion about wine. But there is one important thing to remember, tasting wine is a SUBJECTIVE experience.
It doesn’t matter what someone else has said about a particular wine, its all about what YOU think about it. While there are definite benefits to reading wine critic reviews, they should be taken for what they are; someone’s opinion on a subjective experience. Taking these opinions as rule is the best way to back your palate into a corner and never really discover what you really like and don’t like.
Free Thinkers are to Sheep as “Followers of their own Preferences” are to “Followers of Wine Critics Preferences.”
Fortunately, over the past couple of years, things have been changing. The development of the wine blogosphere, although still in its infancy, has enabled a more democratic take on wine and the wine industry. Instead of reading a wine publication, many people are searching blog posts for wine reviews. These reviews are a better representation of public opinion because they are not corrupted by the forces influencing major wine magazines.
Public Opinion is to Elite Snobbery as Wine Blogger Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews
In addition to the wine blogs, there are now wine websites that are more interested in what people like you think than what some professional wine critic thinks. User generated wine sites like Cork’d, Winelog, Openbottles, Bottletalk and Vinorati all emphasize user opinion.
The trend towards impartial user reviews is taking hold in almost every major industry. User reviews are all over sites like Amazon and Overstock, and were the driving force behind the development of blogs; as they morphed from personal websites to weblogs at the turn of the millennium.
Democracy is to Non-Marxist Imperialism as User Generated Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews.
It seems that there are three major categories of opinion; Wine Critics, Wine Bloggers and the General Publics. Which is most important to you? How many people would have a give a positive review of a wine to convince you its good? If a wine critic gave a wine a bad review, would you automatically think its bad?
These are questions you can only answer for yourself, but have serious implications on the direction of the wine industry. As more emphasis is placed on wine blogger and general public opinion, the wine industry will become more democratic and less imperialistic. And it is within this movement that people will free their palates and truly develop their own tastes and preferences.
The relationship between alcohol and health is undeniably controversial. So much so that National Institutes of Health (NIH) covered up the association between abstinence from alcohol and increased risk of heart disease.
In 1974, the Framingham Study found that the “big four” risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, high cholesterol and abstinence from alcohol. However, when the NIH reported the study, they only mentioned three.
NIH officials said, “Refer to only three major risk factors and remove all reference to alcohol. With all the abuse in this country, we must not say alcohol prevents (coronary heart disease). If you must comment on alcohol, say it has no effect.”
This information was revealed at the recent International Wine and Heart Health Summit at Silverado Resort in February. Cover-ups like this one are not surprising, the NIH is known for selectively reporting information to the public.
While it’s understandable to withhold this type of information, they are jeopardizing the health of responsible drinkers. It is important for the public to receive objective information so they can make decisions on what’s good for their health and what’s not.
In a ruling that has stunned food and wine critics throughout the world, a jury has awarded a Belfast restaurant ₤25,000 for a “defamatory” review by Caroline Workman.
The owner of Goodfellas restaurant, Ciaran Convery, brought the suit against Workman in response to a “hatchet job” of a review. As reported by Decanter Magazine, in 2000, Workman described the, “Staff as unhelpful, the cola as flat, and the chicken marsala as ‘so sweet as to be inedible.’” This is clearly not a flattering review, but libel?
Not surprisingly, the judgment has created quite a stir amongst journalists and critics. It has already been appealed, and National Union of Journalists is throwing its weight behind the issue.
Decanter’s Brian St Pierre summed up the story best when he said, “This says more about juries than about restaurants or critics. It’s easier to convince a jury that a reviewer has been unfair than it is to argue the finer points of free speech.”
By appealing to the jurists’ emotions, all reason flew out the window. Rather than it being evaluated as a matter of free speech, the issue was erroneously shifted to whether or not Workman was being fair with her critique.
While California’s wine industry is stronger than ever, it is no secret that the state is facing increased international competition. Decanter Magazine recently reported that wine exports from New Zealand increased an amazing 30% in 2006.
Last year, the total value of New Zealand’s wine exports was $611 million. To emphasize how rapid the increase has been, consider that in 2003, total exports were less than half of their current value.
Most of the growth in demand for New Zealand wines has occurred in the United States, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, and Canada. Sauvignon Blanc remains the dominant export from New Zealand, and increased 25% last year. Although Pinot Noir is sold in lower quantities, it is surging at a quicker rate that Sauvignon Blanc (41%).
The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) recently agreed to some universal elements on wine labels. One of the WWTG’s goals is to ease regulatory burdens associated with imports.
As long as member countries of the WWTG, (United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Canada), include the required information on their labels, (product description, net content, country of origin, and alcohol percentage), no major redesigns will be necessary. The European Union has also approved these guidelines.
While this agreement is a step towards more open markets, certain national regulations will still have to be met. For example, in the United States, warning labels are mandatory and the existence of sulfites must be declared. All imports to America will still have to comply with these laws.
Packaging is a major expense in the wine industry, and redesigning labels can be particularly costly. To read the actual agreement, visit the World Wine Trade Group’s website
There are many great wine websites on the internet. In the first part of Friday Wine Links, I reviewed five wine sites. This version reviews three established sites, Wine Label, The Wine Diva and The Wine Botique.
In an unexpected turn of events, Kentucky state regulators dropped out of a federal lawsuit, allowing direct to consumer shipping from “small-farm wineries.” These wineries are now able to ship wine direct to customers who place online or phone orders.
Small wineries outside of Kentucky are also able to ship direct, but have to apply for licenses through the state Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. According to the state of Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control Board, a “small-farm winery” is one that produces no more than 50,000 gallons of wine per year.
Like many other opponents of direct shipping, Kentucky regulators argued that it would promote abuse in “dry counties” as well as make it easier for minors to buy. Although the law suit was dropped, an appeal is expected from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Kentucky.
This ruling is a serious blow to wine the wine wholesalers of Kentucky, but a victory for consumers and wineries. This opens the door for Kentuckians to begin expanding their wine cellars and begin buying wine from small Californiawineries.
Any questions can be answered by reporter Alex Davis, who can be reached at (502) 582-4644.
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition took place in early January at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds. Over 1,500 wineries from 20 states submitted some 3,800 wines for judgment. This made it the largest American wine competition in the world.
Like many other wine competitions, they were awarded bronze, silver, gold and double gold. The sweepstake awards were given to the top red, white, sparkling and dessert wine.
The sweepstake award winners are:
Red wine: 2005 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rosa, and 2004 B.R. Cohn Winery Petite Sirah, North Coast;
Wine Marketing powerhouse Inertia Beverage Group announced that their Rethink Wine Trade system is now available in California, as well as Washington State, the District of Columbia and New York.
The initiative allows wineries to ship directly to restaurants and retailers, instead of having to go through wholesales. This is a big step forward for wineries, restaurants and retailers in the aforementioned states.
Inertia’s system utilizes a three tier system where the restaurant or retailer can place an order through the winery’s website. The order then goes through a designated wholesaler who takes the order through a “virtual inventory,” but never actually takes possession of the wine. The wholesaler bills the restaurant then pays the winery. The winery then ships the wine directly to the restaurant or retailer.
This whole transaction happens instantaneously over the internet and complies with all federal and state regulations. This is a big step forward for California’s wineries and will undoubtedly help restaurants get their hands on small production wine.
AC Nielsen recently reported that in 2006, sales of wines bottled with screwcaps increased by 24.6% in the United States.
Paige Poulos, Founder of the Alliance for Innovative Wine Packaging (AIWP), released the news at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Because natural cork is widely believed to be susceptible to TCA taint, screwcaps are increasingly being used by wine producers. Wines bottled with screwcaps made up 4% of all sales of 750mL bottles of wine in 2006.
No one doubts that TCA taint is an issue, but the extent of this problem is widely disputed. Estimates of bottles affected by TCA range from 1% to 20%. While screwcaps solve the problem of TCA, many experts believe they adversely affect the ability of wine to age. This explains why most age-worthy red wines continue to be sealed with natural cork. According to AC Nielsen, “white wines, imports and wines priced $8 to $11.99,” are most likely to be sealed with screwcaps.
In regards to the potential of screwcaps to replace traditional cork, Poulos said, “The burgeoning market for innovative closures is not about direct competition with natural cork. This is about diversification and convenience, creating new opportunities for the enjoyment of wine as an everyday beverage, and expanding the market. In the immediate future, we see traditional packaging continuing to thrive, with screwcaps and other innovative closures seeing widespread consumer acceptance. This is a very healthy market dynamic.”
Screwcaps have clearly found a growing niche, and I agree with Poulos that this is less about direct competition with natural cork, (which will likely always be used for expensive red wines), and more about diversifying the choice of closures for wineries who are not making an age-worthy product.
The world’s largest bottle of wine arrived in New York two thursdays ago. At 6-foot-5 and 1,300 pounds, this behemoth bottle of wine is not for the faint of heart. Australian Kim Bullock is expecting a hefty price tag; she already turned down a $100,000 offer.
But that’s nothing compared to the world’s largest keg. At 27 feet long and 25 feet tall, this mammoth keg puts the 6-foot-5 bottle of wine to shame. As you could image, the keg holds a good amount of beer, 55,345 gallons to be exact. This keg is the pride of Germany, and makes its home in the Heidelberg Castle.
Let compare vital statistics:
# of 4 oz glasses of wine in a bottle: 7
# of 16 oz beers in a keg: 124
# of bottles of wine in largest bottle: 387
# of 15.5 gallon kegs in the largest keg: 3570
# of 4 oz glasses in the largest bottle of wine: 2709
# of 16 oz beers in the largest keg: 442,680
% alcohol in wine: 14
% alcohol in beer: 6 (German beer might be pushing 8)
# oz alcohol in 4 oz glass of wine: 0.56
# oz alcohol in 16 oz beer: 1.12
# oz alcohol in bottle of wine: 3.92
# oz alcohol in 15.5 gallon keg: 138
# oz alcohol in largest bottle of wine: 1517
# oz alcohol in largest keg: 492,660
# of friends it would take to drink the largest bottle of wine in the world: ?
# of friends it would take to kill the largest keg in the world: ?
Every so often, a winery will introduce a fun, interesting idea to engage their customers and allow them to participate with their wine. While most wineries are separating themselves from their customer base, Fantesca Winery is doing the opposite.
For the past three vintages, Fantesca has printed quotes on their wine’s corks called Fortune Corkies. Who submitted those quotes? The people who drink their wine of course. This kind of fun participation is exactly what the wine industry needs. And if your quote makes it onto the cork, you get a 1.5 liter hand bottled magnum of their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon with your quote as the closure.
If you haven’t heard of Fantesca Winery, they are a small artisan winery in Napa Valley’s famed Spring Mountain AVA. They produce limited quantity Cabs from their estate vineyard and a Hyde Clone Carneros Chardonnay. Although they are a relatively new winery, they have received tremendous acclaim.
“A relatively new operation, this 800 case winery on Spring Mountain dedicated to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon produced an outstanding 2002…It should age nicely for 10 – 15 years. This is an impressive start!” – 90 Points, Robert Parker, Jr.
Here are some examples of quotes that have made it in the past:
“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions, and more tolerance.” – Ben Franklin
“In water, one sees one’s own face, but in wine, one beholds the heart of another.” – French Proverb
“Wine is like sunlight held together by water.” – Galileo Galilei *
“There is nothing like good food, good wine, and a bad girl.” – Anonymous*
If you are interested in submitting a “fortune corkie,” email the submission to fortunecorkies@fantesca.com.
At its best, Pinot Noir is like no other wine; both graceful and powerful at the same time. But how does one pick a good Pinot Noir?
Probably the most important variable to look for is the region the wine is from. Pinot is a finicky grape that requires a long growing season with sunny days and cool nights. France’s Burgundy region is the most famous Pinot Noir region in the world, but it is extremely complicated and inconsistent.
A smarter bet is one of the many California or Oregon Pinot Noirs that are available today. While they never reach the heights of the best Red Burgundy, they are also less likely to be corked or simply disappointing for what they are trying to be.
Oregon’s two best Pinot Noir regions are the Willamette Valley and the Dundee Hills. Both have cool, coastally influenced climates, and have established international reputations for producing the grape.
Another important variable is the alcohol level in the wine. There is an unfortunate trend in California of producing this delicate grape at high alcohol levels (14.5% +). If the alcohol is this high, the grapes were probably picked when they were overripe. This can wreak havoc on the flavor profile, and may throw the balance of alcohol and acidity off.
In the end though, it is your personal tastes that should determine which Pinot Noir you pick. If you like big, jammy Pinots, then disregard the advice about balance between acidity and alcohol.
Along the same lines, many wine connoisseurs love the mystery of opening an expensive Red Burgundy and not knowing if it is going to be vile or beautiful. There is a saying in that region that, “there are no great wines, just great bottles of wine.” But if need a good, well-priced Pinot for your dinner party, California or Oregon is the way to go.
Some of my favorite Pinot Noir Producers include:
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: Rosella’s Vineyard, Garys’ Vineyard, Paraiso Vineyards
News that the wine blogosphere is growing is probably not surprising to anyone reading this post. But compared to the rest of the internet, it’s moving at a snails pace. On the surface, this may seem like bad thing, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The internet is known for exponential growth, and change that happens just as fast. This fosters a dog eat dog environment where a start-up can go from an idea, to multi-million dollar “flavor of the month,” to nothing in a matter of months.
To a large degree, technological breakthroughs are responsible for these inevitable changes. If an internet company is not constantly aware of the technological ebb and flow, they are sure to be left in the dust.
In an interview by the Press Democrat, Pro wine blogger Tom Wark explained how the number of wine blogs increased ten fold from 2004 to today. This may seem like a large jump to many, but in internet terms, this is far from exponential.
Exponential growth is what many start-ups dream of when they take ideas from concept to reality. But there is a price that comes along with this kind of growth, and thats long-term viability.
The wine-blogoshpere is growing, but at a slow, constant pace. Wark mentions that “At this stage there are probably 10 wine blogs that generate income from advertising.” What? In three years of growth, only ten wine blogs are making money?
Although this may seem like a dreary statistic for most wine bloggers, it’s actually a very good sign. It means that the wine blogosphere is here to stay. Slow growth is a strong indicator of long-term viability.
Eventually, the wine blogosphere will hit critical mass and many will make “a fine living by sitting in their pajamas in front of their computer, sipping wine and tapping out blog posts about the latest Russian River Valley pinot noir.”
With this in mind, its important for up and coming wine bloggers to keep putting out great content and building a community around their blog. It may not happen over night, but that’s a good sign that WINE BLOGS ARE HERE TO STAY.
What can you learn from the greatest problem solver in history? First of all, even the most difficult problem can be solved with a bit MacGyver ingenuity. That’s right, if MacGyver can foil world domination with a tooth pick and a rubber band, you can do just about anything.
Inspired by a syndicated MacGyver episode, this post explains how to convert your Mini-Fridge into a fully functional Wine Refrigerator. Specialty Wine Refrigerators are very expensive; they can set you back anywhere from few hundred, to a few thousand dollars. Why waste your money when you can convert your mini-fridge into a perfectly functioning make shift wine refrigerator.
Problem: Raising the Mini-Fridge temperature from 42 degrees F (too cold) to 55 degrees F (proper wine storage temp).
At the lowest setting of my Mini-Fridge’s thermostat, the temperature was about 42 degrees F; which will ruin a bottle of wine if left for too long.
Solution: Override the Mini-Fridge’s thermostat to raise the temperature by using an appliance timer and a thermometer.
By using an appliance timer and a thermometer, you can create your own cycle of power to the Mini-Fridge; raising the temperature to the proper level for wine storage.
Components and Information:
1 – Mini-Fridge (preferably used in college to store old pizza and beer)
1 – Heavy Duty Digital Appliance Timer ($13.98)
1 – Refrigerator Thermometer – Digital is best (Ours was $4.99)
Step 1: Buy Heavy Duty Digital Appliance Timer and Refrigerator Thermometer. You can buy the appliance timer at almost any hardware store with an appliance section, or online here. We bought ours at Home Depot in the lighting section. Really, any appliance timer will due as long as is has at least 12 cycles and a three prong input. Refrigerator thermometers can be found at most any grocery store, or online here. Any refrigerator thermometer will due.
Step 2: Plug Mini-Fridge power cord into your appliance timer, then plug timer into outlet. Turn the fridge to lowest power setting possible, and place thermometer in Mini-Fridge. Allow Mini-Fridge to run at lowest setting then check the temperature. If it is below 55 degrees F, move on to step 3.
Step 3: Set Appliance Timer On/Off Settings: Because each Mini-Fridge is different, getting the timing right will take a bit of trail and error. Your appliance timer will allow you to run the Mini-Fridge for a set time, then have the power off for a set time. Interchanging on and off will raise the temperature of the Mini-Fridge to the correct wine storage temp (55 degrees F). We set our timer for two hour increments (2 hours on/ 2 hours off). This raised the Mini-Fridge temperature to 56 degrees F, which is perfect for wine storage. Start with this interval, if the temperature reads too low; adjust intervals to allow longer “off” periods (maybe 1 ½ hours on/ 2 ½ hours off). If the temperature reads too high, adjust intervals to allow longer “on” periods (maybe 2 ½ hours on, 1 ½ hours off).
Once your Mini-Fridge has stabilized at the correct temperature, you have your very own Specialty Wine Refrigerator. Store your favorite wines until you are ready to enjoy them.
*If you are storing your wine for more than six months, it would be wise to invest in a humidifier for your new wine refrigerator.
A recent proposal by the Federal Government to require listing fining agents as “ingredients” on wine labels is drawing criticism from the industry. At issue is whether or not trace amounts of these agents can cause allergic reactions.
Several fining agents such as egg whites, casein, and isinglass are often added to wine to remove unwanted materials. They bond to debris including dead yeast cells, microorganisms, and astringent tannins before sinking to the bottom of the tank.
The fining agents and unwanted solids are then removed through filtration, racking, or cold stabilization. Bill Nelson, President of Wine America, explains, “It’s kind of like sweeping the wine. You’re putting in something that holds onto those particles in suspension.”
This is where the issue becomes controversial: are the fining agents completely removed, or are there trace amounts left behind that warrant being labeled as ingredients?
Many industry leaders, including the Wine Institute and Wine America, argue that labeling these substances would simply confuse consumers. After all, casein is a milk protein and isinglass is a substance found in sturgeon. Most people do not think of wine containing egg whites, milk protein, and fish derivatives.
On the other side are several lawmakers and a Harvard scientist named Christine Rogers. They point to studies that show food allergies to be a serious health concern for a small amount of the population. The Federal Government seems quite adamant on this issue, but they have opened the door for the wine industry to prove that there is no real health threat. But this will be a costly and drawn out process.
The Matthews Laboratory at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology released an interesting graphic on the effect of grape yield and berry size on quality. Conventional wisdom asserts that the smaller the berries and yields, the higher quality. But the Matthews Laboratory declared,
“It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters.”
According to the study, vineyard management techniques and physical phenomena are the true reasons for quality levels; not simply berry and yield size. The graph illustrates the “sensory or fruit attribute payoffs” that results from the “journey” that grapes take during the growing season.
For example, small berries that develop in a well-shaded environment will have less color and less tannin. Without treatment, grapes will have more color and slightly more tannin. Grapes that are grown in a water deficient vineyard will have more color and more tannin.
Low yielding vines that are grown in a water deficient environment have less veggie and more fruit flavors. Cluster thinning in this situation has no effect on the grapes’ flavor profile. What I found most interesting was that low yielding vines that are pruned will have more veggie and less fruit flavors according to the graph.
This is a bit counterintuitive as I was under the impression that there was a more or less proportional relationship between pruning and quality. The data from the Matthews Laboratory suggests this is an overly simplistic view.
Jan. 13th, 2007 – The 4th annual Decanter World Wine Awards is now open for entry. This year, all entries can be made online. Decanter is expecting over 7,000 entries from every recognized wine producing region in the world.
According to Decanter, this competition’s aim is to “provide credible recommendations for today’s wine consumer.”
Because the registration and entry system was moved entirely online, there is no limit to the number of entries. The new system provides a number of benefits; entered wines are archived, so if you enter the same wine in future years, all you need to do is change the vintage.
Publisher Clare Malec commented “This is a fantastic step forward for the Decanter World Wine Awards and all those entering wines will see huge benefits. The system has been tailor-made to make it as easy as possible to enter wines.”
You can register your wines at here. The cost of entering per wine is:
£85.00 (£72.34 + VAT) per wine – wines sent from within the UK
£100.00 (£85.11 + VAT) per wine – wines sent from outside of the UK
The World of Fine Wine Magazine is a periodical based out of London that is sold internationally by subscription. The writers for The World of Fine Wine Magazine are as good as they come; topics include, Authenticity in Wine, Wine and the Brain, Terrior in Australia and more.
New England Vine is the complete online resource for wine enthusiasts in the New England region of the United States. Many of you may not know about the New England area as a Wine Region, visiting their site is a great way to experience a new wine culture.
Fufluns.com is an international wine touring website. They focus on wine tours of Tuscany, but that is not all they offer. Also featured are custom wine tours, corporate tours, wine cruises, cooking classes, Tuscan weddings and banqueting.
A wine’s complexity and ability to develop with age is directly related to the physiological ripeness of the grapes. This may seem counterintuitive because most New World wines are not generally known for aging, yet the grapes are harvested at much higher Brix levels than in the Old World.
Today, Wine Business ran a fascinating piece that illuminates key distinctions between ripeness and Brix levels. Originally written by Lance Cutler on October 15th, 2005, the article is a discussion with 3 experts (Charles Hendricks, Stefano Migotto, and Clark Smith), that addresses the controversial subject of dealcoholization. As the name implies, Dealcoholization is the process of removing alcohol, usually through cross-flow filtration or reverse osmosis.
Contrary to popular belief, Clark Smith asserts that California grapes do not have high Brix levels because the climate is warmer than Europe. The reasons, he argues, are more complex, and involve California’s higher diurnal fluctuation (day to night temperature swings), and low rainfall in the autumn months preceding harvest.
While the exact reasons for this phenomenon may be debatable, the fact is that grapes in California do not physiologically ripen until sugar levels are higher than they are in Europe. If California vintners harvested at the same Brix levels as Europe, the grapes would not have ripe tannins in the skins, seeds, and stems. Wines would lack complexity and taste “green.”
But Hendricks, Migotto, and Smith all argue that going by the numbers when deciding when to harvest is a mistake as well. Instead, they make the compelling point that there is no way around actually tasting the grapes to determine ripeness, regardless of the Brix measurement.
If the Brix is too high to produce a wine with balanced alcohol, tannins, and acidity, then dealcoholization can be carefully used lower the heat. However, as Charles Hendricks says, it can be difficult to find this “sweet spot.”
What particularly struck me about this article is that advanced technologies are being used in California to effectively produce a more traditional, Old World s
5 Excellent California Syrahs for Under $20
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The purpose of media is to connect the public to the world around them. This comes in many forms; the written and spoken word, images, sounds and video. This connection is often lost in translation, as some things are too beautiful to be described through words and images.
Fred Franzia is no stranger to controversy. He has been the subject of numerous legal battles over his 49 different labels and business practices. But on the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Charles Shaw label, he seems to be taking a step in the right direction.
With the success of last year’s Festival del Sole, it is no surprise that event organizers are planning a return trip to California’s wine country. This year’s event will incorporate staged opera along with the usual dose of music and art.
Every so often, you hear a wild idea, and say “that’s good, I’d try that.” This is not one of them. Japanese Geneticists have discovered a gene which stimulates yeast fermentation in the udders of “sake cows.” They can turn off the gene that makes milk and turn on the gene that makes alcohol, providing the base ingredients for wine.
The dedication to Solar Energy has not only saved the winery money, but has also endeared their winery to many who feel that certain agricultural practices are hurting the environment. Their solar panels produce 140,000kWh annually, which is more than enough to fully power their business.
With 6.5% participation of wineries, it seems like enough to render relatively accurate results (assuming random selection of participants). After consulting Statistics: Edition 3, by Freedman, Pisani and Purves (who was my Stats 2 Prof. at UC Berkeley), “If a large number of those selected for the sample do not in fact respond to the questionnaire or the interview, non-response bias is likely” page 336, Paragraph 1.
But these are not the only red blends gaining popularity in America. The acreage of vineyards planted with Rhone varietals, (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignane, etc.), has greatly increased in recent years throughout California. Many of these grapes are being blended rather than bottled as varietal wines.
The 
© The New Yorker Collection 2001 David Sipress from 
The relationship between alcohol and health is undeniably controversial. So much so that National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) recently agreed to some universal elements on wine labels. One of the 
© The New Yorker Collection 1993 Warren Miller. All Rights Reserved.
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition took place in early January at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds. Over 1,500 wineries from 20 states submitted some 3,800 wines for judgment. This made it the largest American wine competition in the world.
Wine Marketing powerhouse 
Paige Poulos, Founder of the Alliance for Innovative Wine Packaging (AIWP), released the news at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Because 
Let compare vital statistics:
For the past three vintages, Fantesca has printed quotes on their wine’s corks called 
Here are some examples of quotes that have made it in the past:
In an 
Inspired by a syndicated MacGyver episode, this post explains how to convert your Mini-Fridge into a fully functional Wine Refrigerator. Specialty Wine Refrigerators are very expensive; they can set you back anywhere from few hundred, to a few thousand dollars. Why waste your money when you can convert your mini-fridge into a perfectly functioning make shift wine refrigerator.
Step 2: Plug Mini-Fridge power cord into your appliance timer, then plug timer into outlet. Turn the fridge to lowest power setting possible, and place thermometer in Mini-Fridge. Allow Mini-Fridge to run at lowest setting then check the temperature. If it is below 55 degrees F, move on to step 3.
