Sonoma County is known for its fine wines.Visit Sonoma wineries for a wine tour. Relax, and enjoy a much deserved break. Learn about Sonoma restaurants and accommodations for your getaway.
Original post by Tom Wark
Discover fine wines at the fantastic Temecula Wineries. Read reviews of the best temecula accommodations and best romantic restaurant. Learn about wineries in Temecula and access links to each.
Original post by Tom Wark
Discover top wine picks. What the best white wine and red wine purchases? Find the fine wine buys right here. Buy wine now.
Original post by Tom Wark
The 2008 San Luis Obispo Wine Industry Awards were recently announced at the California Mid-State Fair. The awards are organized by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Grape Growers of Paso Robles, and the San Luis Obispo Vintners Association. These awards are particularly prestigious in California Wine Country because the honorees are nominated and voted for by other members of the local wine industry.
William Sheffer of Halter Ranch Vineyard was named Winemaker of the Year. Before leading the winemaking team at Halter Ranch, Mr. Sheffer made wine for several other notable San Luis Obispo County wineries, including, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Eberle Winery, and Adelaida Cellars.
Ric Fuller of Shimmin Canyon Vineyard was awarded the title Wine Grape Grower of the Year. His past experience includes working for Paul Masson Vineyards as well as planting the only privately owned research vineyard in San Luis Obispo County. Fuller was a founding member of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
The Wine Industry Person of the Year was awarded to Jerry Lohr, founder of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines. During the late 1960s, Dr. Lohr was one of the first people to recognize San Luis Obispo County???s potential as a world-class winemaking region. In 1971, he planted his first vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA.
Dennis T. Collins was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumously). Over his career, he worked with many of California’s best known wineries including Gallo, Franzia, and Bronco Wine Company. He founded Big Red Vineyard in 1996, and also began working as the General Manager for Treana Vineyards in 2002.
Wine is big business in San Luis Obispo County, and contributes approximately $1.8 billion a year to the local economy. Over 1 million tourists visit the wine region annually.
Original post by Calwineries.com Blog
For centuries, wine has been associated with regions because it is such a distinguishing factor of character and quality. Very few would argue that the location grapes are grown does not make a difference (except maybe Fred Franzia). The issue of labeling wine with a specific region has become a little contentious in California lately, and Calistoga is a major battleground.
In 2005, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena petitioned the Federal Government to create a Calistoga AVA in Northern Napa Valley. Based on the TTB’s criteria for AVA creation, he had a perfectly legitimate case. Calistoga certainly has a history of producing distinctive wines based on soil, climate, and other physical factors.
But Barrett’s proposal stirred up quite a controversy, namely with Calistoga Cellars. This winery has built an established brand name around the region, but does not use the required 85% of Calistoga grapes in their wines. Calistoga Cellars vehemently opposes the creation of the Calistoga AVA, because if it goes through, they will have to either change their brand name or start using the required amount of Calistoga grapes.
The Federal Government responded to this dilemma by suggesting considerable changes to the current wine labeling laws. More broadly, they fundamentally called into question the significance that place of origin has on resulting wines. This has reignited the ongoing battles between brand-centric and terroir-centric wineries.
Barrett admirably wants to preserve the accurate portrayal of geography on wine labels. Local terroir gives artisanal wines their character, and this should be protected. Barrett has some powerful allies, including the Napa Valley Vintners.
According to Richard Mendelson, attorney for the Napa Valley Vinters, “When consumers buy a bottle of wine in a restaurant, order off the list and see Calistoga Cellars, they’re going to think it’s from Calistoga.” This is a valid point and pretty much sums up why regional names should be protected.
At the same time, it is also understandable that Calistoga Cellars will not relinquish their name brand or alter the makeup of their wines without a fight. But because so many wines are marketed largely on their region of origin, it is misleading to the customer to falsely claim an association with a region that does not exist.
A possible solution might be for the federal government to disallow the use of any region on a wine label that does not meet the required 85% of grapes to be labeled as such, but fairly compensate existing wineries that will be affected. In the future, they should prohibit any winery naming themselves after a region unless they meet the AVA???s requirements.
But this would not account for wineries that are named after future AVA???s that do not yet exist, so a remedy would need to be devised for these situations as well. America does not have an exceptionally long history of wine production, and in many cases, the distinctions between regions are just starting to crystallize. This is clearly a difficult issue and will likely require considerable mediation and litigation to be resolved.
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Original post by Calwineries.com Blog
Twenty or thirty years ago Champagne was a sure bet. All the Grand Marques made great wines and it was only a matter of whose style you liked the best. Those days are long gone and now the big brand Champagnes are some of the worst wines deals you can buy. During this same period a bubbly revolution occurred worldwide and today Champagne is no longer the only source for the finest quality sparkling wines. Now American brands like Iron Horse, Gruet and Argyle offer wines that out-sparkle most of the big Champagne brands in both price and quality. You can now add Oregon’s Soter Vineyards to that list.
Last Saturday my group at the International Pinot Noir Celebration found themselves at Soter Vineyards for lunch and a seminar on sustainable agriculture. Every morning of IPNC a fleet of buses spreads out over the Willamette Valley taking groups to seminars and sumptuous lunches, but you don’t know where your going until you get there. Your destination really doesn’t matter as every event is exceptional. Our lunch was prepared by Chef Peter Birk of Seattle’s famed Ray’s Boathouse and served in Soter Vineyard’s beautiful new entertainment center with a spectacular view of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and the Coast Range.
Gouda wafers and smoked sablefish
Alaskan weathervane scallops, arugula, strawberries, fresh corn
Sockeye salmon, black tea custard, roasted plums
Oregon chukar, confit of Walla Walla onions and local mushrooms
Summer fruit tart (made with berries picked on the estate by the Soter family that morning)
Original post by Craig Camp
French wine production from the 2008 grape harvest is likely to equal 2007 levels, the country’s national wine agency says.
Original post by Tim
Scott Paul Wines’ tasting room offers visitors the opportunity to compare old world Burgundies with new world pinot noirs. In 2006 Scott Wright (no relation to Ken Wright) opened a tasting room to share his passion for wines from the Burgundy region of France and introduce wine lovers to his pinot noirs.
Original post by Tim
Wennerberg Park is transformed into a showcase of fine food, wine and arts for Carlton’s Walk in the Park. The event runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 and parking is free.
Original post by Tim
Lorraine Chambarry sampled the Clos Du Bois Classic Merlot at the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park’s wine and cheese tasting and pronounced the wine very good.
Original post by Tim
A Fillmore man was arrested this week on suspicion of stealing four 55-gallon plastic wine barrels, two of which were found filled with diesel fuel, authorities said.
Original post by Tim
Carmenere, one of the six noble Bordeaux grape varieties, is undergoing a resurgence in Chile. (See related story, Page F1.) We hadn’t seen many Chilean Carmeneres in stores or on wine lists, so we decided to give them a try. The last time we tasted Chilean…
Original post by Tim
Opening Wednesday is the movie “Bottle Shock.” Shot in Napa and Sonoma counties, the indie production loosely follows the story of wine merchant Steven Spurrier’s famous Paris wine tasting, which also was written about in George Taber’s book “The Judgment of…
Original post by Tim
Its groan-inducing title excepted, Sergio Esposito’s “Passion on the Vine” (Broadway; $25) is making a good case for itself as the wine read of the summer. Esposito, who founded the New York wine shop Italian Wine Merchants - with help from Mario Batali and…
Original post by Tim
Bob Rizzolo of Chesterfield, a part-time wine maker at Wine Necessities in Ballwin, doesn’t mind that some of the business proceeds are going to the dogs.
Original post by Tim
Established in 1941, Robertson Winery is recognised today as one of South Africa’s leading cellars. The fertile Robertson Valley with its variety of meso-climates and soil conditions create a wide spectrum of terroirs, allowing us to produce an exciting diversity of wine styles.
Original post by Tim
Plan your own Napa Valley Wine Tour. Includes napa valley winery information,Napa winery map, and info on Napa wine tasting. Access free Napa Valley wine tasting coupons.
Original post by Tom Wark
Plan your own Napa Valley Wine Tour. Includes napa valley winery information,Napa winery map, and info on Napa wine tasting. Access free Napa Valley wine tasting coupons.
Original post by Tom Wark
Napa spas are a great place to pamper yourself in the Napa Wine Country. Enjoy a variety of spa treatments in the gorgeous setting of the Napa Valley.
Original post by Tom Wark
I’ve always enjoyed taking in a good battle between reason and superstition. They’ve been going on regularly now for quite some time, dating at least since Francis Bacon threw down the gauntlet with “Novum Organum” in 1620.
The battles seem never ending and that’s just fine with me since they provide loads of entertainment value, particularly when the waring parties find themselves at the end of their arguments and, surprise, the opposition is not convinced. And even as we sit back and watch the world views flail at each other, we need to be prepared to be enlightened.
Today, we get to see these battles played out in diatribes issued forth in service of Intelligent Design or natural selection, in the occasional news story on psychotic mothers and fathers wed to the faith of Christian Science and the death of their children, in ancient battles between peoples who claim god gave them the land, and in rancid and acrimonious debates over life, death, sex and birth.
I recently came across a writer of fiction who trades in explorations of the intricacies and absurdities of the battle between reason and superstition. James Morrow is hard to nail down. His early work appeared mainly in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazines, but this seemed only the case because the focus of his short stories had no better place to appear, not because they were stories of ray guns, alien worlds or nanotechnology run amok.
His most recent novels, “The Philosopher’s Apprentice” and “The Last Witchfinder” are both satire and social commentary wrapped up inside the ongoing Reason V. Superstition war. And they are terrific books. However, it’s his collection of short stories, “Bible Stories for Adults”, that truly makes one laugh out loud as well as feel a pinch of embarrassment for the ugly truths of western civilization we all must live with…and a bit too comfortably at that.
But here’s the point: Having delved into Morrow extensively of late, I’m left thinking about where wine works itself into the battle between superstition and reason; where the myths we winos carry with us are too easily allowed to slide around reason and keep moving.
I think they number in the many…
…that quality in wine is definable and objective
…that terroir comes from the soil
…that wine can be judged with a number assigned by a single person and have meaning
…that the “great wines of the world” are few and far between
…just to begin with.
It strikes me that these and other such issues provoke in winos similar battles that can be described as reason v. superstition. Happily for us wine lovers, the outcome of our disagreement over these and other thorny issues rarely if ever lead to burnings at the stake, volatile school board elections, putting children’s lives at stake or losses in personal autonomy. Instead, they merely lead to another glass of wine and maybe a blog post or two.
Original post by Tom Wark
Wines of South Africa (WOSA), the not-for-profit organisation that promotes South African wines worldwide, has launched a new premium red wine brand called FUNDI. Inspired by the 2010 World Cup, the wine industry’s novel job creation and skills development initiative will see profits from all sales of Fundi wine going toward training of 2010 wine stewards.
Original post by Tim
Details of proposed new laws that put alcohol on the same level as pornography, and would effectively ban wine on the internet in France, were leaked to members of the press.
Original post by Tim
Wine is the result of a competition between microbes for nutrients, research suggests.
Original post by Tim
Herald on Sunday rating: * * Where: 23 O’Connell St Ph: 309 5456 Open: Lunch Tuesday-Friday; Dinner Monday-Saturday Wine list: Avoids the obvious Vegetarians: One main Watch out for: The jellybeans by the till Sound check: Conversation-friendly Bottom line: Things fall apart.
Original post by Tim
Sergio Reyes, a 26-year-old native of Los Osos (San Luis Obispo County), now living in Palmdale, won the 2008 Napa Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon Sunday in an easy time of 1:07.01.
Original post by Tim
DEBORAH KOONS GARCIA, widow of Jerry Garcia, will show the film “Seeds of In Good Heart: Soil and the Mystery of Fertility,” at the Wine Country Film Festival Sunday, July 27. She will appear at the festival’s Planet Party on Sunday.
Original post by Tim
HUNTINGTON — Savannah’s Restaurant, 1208 Sixth Ave., Huntington, has once again received Wine Spectator Magazine’s “Award of Excellence” for its outstanding wine list.
Original post by Tim
New York, July 27 : Wine was considered much in vogue recently, but the latest fad amongst US drinkers has taken a back gear towards beer.
Original post by Tim
A nun from rural Mahlabathini makes wine from beetroot - much to the surprise of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. The health minister and other officials tasted the wine at the Richards Bay Agricultural Expo.
Original post by Tim
A nun from rural Mahlabathini makes wine from beetroot - much to the surprise of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
Original post by Tim