Supporting independent craft wineries.

406, 2023

Napa Valley’s Audacious Journey Down the Wine Tech Rabbit Hole

By |June 4, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Bob Dylan once sang, “Admit the waters around you have grown,” and boy-oh-boy was he right.  On the rugged and treacherous terrain of the wine industry, where fortunes are made and lost with every sip, the tides of change have swept through like a tempest, leaving many wine tech companies in its wake. […]

3105, 2023

The Resounding Success of ROAR in the Santa Lucia Highlands

By |May 31, 2023|Categories: Industry, News|Tags: |

Credit: ROAR Wines In the picturesque landscape of the Santa Lucia Highlands, in Monterey County, where rolling hills meet endless skies, the Franscioni family has cultivated a rich agricultural heritage spanning three generations. […]

2704, 2023

Revolutionizing Wine through Innovation and Sustainability: Alileo Wines, From Sicily to Massachusetts

By |April 27, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Courtesy Alileo Wines It was a chance encounter in 2001 that brought Alexandra Dane and Antonio Bertone together. Some might describe them as extreme business travelers–always on the move– others might say it was just plain serendipity. […]

1604, 2023

3 Steves Winery: Friendship, Resilience, and Exquisite Wines in Livermore Valley

By |April 16, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Credit: 3 Steves Winery The story of 3 Steves Winery is not just about exquisite wines, but also about friendship, resilience, and a deep passion for winemaking. It all started when three men named Steve – Steve Burman, Steve Melander, and Steve Ziganti – met at a shareholder meeting for another winery they had invested in. Dissatisfied with the direction of that winery, they decided to venture out on their own and start their own label. […]

1104, 2023

Pushing Boundaries: Brandlin Estate’s Focus on Innovation and the Future of Mountain Winemaking in the Napa Valley

By |April 11, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

© 2020 Marc Fiorito // Gamma Nine Photography Nestled among the rugged terrain of Mount Veeder lies Brandlin Estate, a winery with a rich history dating back to the 1870s. Once a homestead where the Brandlin family farmed orchard fruit and operated the local grain store and stagecoach, the estate eventually became a premier winery. […]

904, 2023

Beneduce Vineyards – Fear not the Umlaut

By |April 9, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

In February 2023, I traveled to New Jersey to visit a few of their top wineries. One was Beneduce Vineyards, where I met owner/farmer/winemaker Mike Beneduce for a comprehensive – and impressive – portfolio tasting – plus an engaging conversation about winegrowing and winemaking. […]

304, 2023

The 4th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition Announces Results

By |April 3, 2023|Categories: California, Featured, Industry, Local Wine Events, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The 4th Annual Cabernet Franc Competition, founded and sponsored by Michael Kelly of California Wines & Wineries, took place on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at The Golf Club at Copper Valley in Copperopolis, California. […]

2803, 2023

Baldacci Family Vineyards: A Heartwarming Story of Family, Sustainability, and Exceptional Wines in Napa Valley

By |March 28, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

(Photo Credit: Rocco Ceselin) Family dynamics can be challenging at times, but there is something about the bonds of blood that keep people united, especially when it comes to working together towards a common goal. This is particularly true for family owned businesses, where members often wear many hats and work long hours to keep the business thriving. For the Baldacci family, this is the heart and soul of their operation. […]

1303, 2023

Grosgrain: A Journey through the World of Rare and Interesting Grape Varieties in Walla Walla

By |March 13, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Owners Matt and Kelly Austin. Courtesy Grosgrain Vineyards. It’s a journey that began with a love for music, but ultimately led to a passion for wine. Matt Austin, co-founder of Grosgrain Vineyards, initially moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after completing law school. But life took a different turn, and he eventually found himself practicing tax law, a profession he never grew to love. However, living in California exposed him to the world of wine, and it was here that his interest in winemaking began to grow. […]

803, 2023

Moneyball Approach to Wine: Revolutionizing the Wine Industry with Objective Quality Metrics

By |March 8, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Billy Beane, the former Oakland Athletics’ general manager, revolutionized baseball with his “Moneyball” approach, which relied on statistical analysis to evaluate players and build a winning team on a budget. This approach can also be applied to the world of wine. Just as baseball has specific metrics to evaluate player performance, such as Wins Above Replacement (WAR), a similar metric can be developed to measure a wine’s quality or value compared to other wines of the same grape variety or from the same location, among a variety of other criteria. […]

2802, 2023

Acumen Wines: Discover the Magic of Atlas Peak in Napa Valley

By |February 28, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: , , |

Acumen Wines, a renowned wine estate, established its vineyard on the slopes of Atlas Peak, drawn to the exceptional quality of Napa Valley’s high elevation vineyards.  […]

2401, 2023

Lewis Wines: A Couple of Buddies Crafting Delicious Terroir-Driven Wines in the Texas Hill Country

By |January 24, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Friendship is a powerful bond that can lead to great things, this is certainly true for the story of Lewis Wines. Founded in 2010 by two college buddies, Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb, after they both gained experience working at a winery in Texas. The brand was born out of a shared passion for wine and a desire to work for themselves in agriculture.   […]

1601, 2023

Uncorking the Hidden Gems: A Look into Small Wine Producers in the Dundee Hills of Oregon

By |January 16, 2023|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

As the sun rises over the valley, the dew-covered vines glisten in the morning light, and the air is filled with the sweet aroma of ripening grapes.  The Dundee Hills AVA in Oregon is a renowned wine region known for producing some of the finest Burgundian style wines in the world. Situated within the larger Willamette Valley AVA, the Dundee Hills are located about 28 miles southwest of Portland and are protected from the Pacific Ocean’s climate by the Coastal Range mountains. […]

2912, 2022

A Look at the Bordeaux Style Wines of Boordy Vineyards in Maryland

By |December 29, 2022|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Boordy Vineyards has a rich history dating back to 1945 when it was founded by Philip and Jocelyn Wagner as Maryland’s first winery. Philip Wagner was a newspaperman serving as an editorial writer for The Baltimore Sun for almost 35 years. […]

2012, 2022

Exploring the Rich History and Sustainable Practices of Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma

By |December 20, 2022|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Although  the winery was only established in 1982, Gloria Ferrer’s rich history dates back to the 1500’s as the family brought with them a multi-generational knowledge of grape growing and sparkling winemaking with them from Spain. […]

1512, 2022

Aridus Wine Company: Pursuing a Dream in Southeast Arizona

By |December 15, 2022|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Scott and Joan Dahmer had always dreamed of starting a vineyard and winery, and they found the perfect location in southeastern Arizona. In 2009, they purchased a 40-acre property along Turkey Creek in Pearce, which sits at an elevation of 5,200 feet. […]

1012, 2022

Bells Up Winery – The End of the Beginning

By |December 10, 2022|Categories: Digest, Featured, Industry, Marketing and Sales, News, Oregon, Origin Stories, Q&A|Tags: , , , , , , |

In August 2021, I met Sara and Dave Specter of Bells Up Winery for the first time during a media visit that was a bit more formal – a sit-down tasting and interview with them both.

712, 2022

Titus Vineyards: Crafting High-Quality Family Estate Wines in the Heart of Napa Valley

By |December 7, 2022|Categories: Featured, Industry, News|Tags: |

Titus Vineyards, located in the heart of the Napa Valley, has been producing high-quality estate wines for over 20 years. Founded by the Titus family, they started out growing and selling grapes, but in the late 1990s, the family decided to focus on making their own wines. […]

312, 2022

Youngberg Hill’s Wayne Bailey – Farmer First

By |December 3, 2022|Categories: Digest, Featured, Industry, News, Oregon, Origin Stories, Q&A|Tags: , , , , |

In late October 2022, I visited Youngberg Hill in Oregon’s McMinnville AVA. It is a gorgeous 50-acre property with a historic inn atop the hillside, surrounded by astounding views and meticulously farmed, organic and biodynamic vineyards planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris.

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