Napa Valley’s Audacious Journey Down the Wine Tech Rabbit Hole
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. […]
The Resounding Success of ROAR in the Santa Lucia Highlands
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. […]
Rombauer Picks Santa Lucia Highlands For Pinot Noir
Rombauer chardonnay, aka “cougar juice,” “Danville crack,” and “Vitamin R,” is prized for its buttery, creamy richness, all sourced from Sonoma County. So many people are now hooked on this soft and sophisticated chardonnay that getting your hands on it now is mater of luck, as it is tightly allocated. The 400k case Napa winery founded in 1980 devotes over 60% of its production to chardonnay, with sauvignon blanc, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and merlot rounding out the portfolio.
Revolutionizing Wine through Innovation and Sustainability: Alileo Wines, From Sicily to Massachusetts
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. […]
3 Steves Winery: Friendship, Resilience, and Exquisite Wines in Livermore Valley
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. […]
Pushing Boundaries: Brandlin Estate’s Focus on Innovation and the Future of Mountain Winemaking in the Napa Valley
© 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. […]
Beneduce Vineyards – Fear not the Umlaut
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. […]
The 4th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition Announces Results
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. […]
Baldacci Family Vineyards: A Heartwarming Story of Family, Sustainability, and Exceptional Wines in Napa Valley
(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. […]
Kiona: From a Ten Acre Vineyard to a Thriving Operation in Red Mountain
Kiona Estate Vineyard. Courtesy Kiona Vineyards. Since its establishment in 1975, Kiona Vineyards has come a long way. What started as a ten acre vineyard in the desert, pioneered by John and Ann Williams and their friends Jim and Pat Holmes, has now grown into a thriving operation that contributes significantly to the development of the Red Mountain AVA. […]
Grosgrain: A Journey through the World of Rare and Interesting Grape Varieties in Walla Walla
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. […]
Moneyball Approach to Wine: Revolutionizing the Wine Industry with Objective Quality Metrics
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. […]
Acumen Wines: Discover the Magic of Atlas Peak in Napa Valley
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. […]
Maison La Belle Vie Winery: A Colorado Love Story
Credit: Maison La Belle Vie Winery Nestled in the rolling hills of western Colorado, the Palisade AVA is a place where the beauty of nature converges with the bounty of the vine– the perfect backdrop for romance. Nicholas and Holly Games’ love story is intertwined with their passion for wine. […]
From Soil to Sip: Madroña’s 50-Year Journey in Winemaking in El Dorado County
For more than 50 years, the Bush family has been making wine in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The family, who originally was not into farming, moved back to Placerville, California in 1967. Situated in El Dorado County, they purchased a property in Camino, where they were advised by local officials to grow grapes. […]
Life-changing Tokaji Furmint
My introduction to Tokaji Furmint was in 2020 – the 2018 Wetzer Tokaji Furmint – a dry white with some botrytis influence made in a minimalist style (native yeast, unfiltered, unfined). I wrote about tasting it – and won one of the categories in the 2022 Hungarian Wines Web Wine Writing Competition.
Mail Road Wines: Mt. Carmel Vineyard’s Contribution to the Thriving Santa Barbara Wine Scene
The Santa Barbara Wine Scene is thriving, with Mail Road Wines at the forefront. The project began as a phone call between winemaker friends Matt Dees and Michael Palmer discussing the idea of making wine from Mt. Carmel Vineyard. […]
Photos: Unified Symposium 2023
Starting on January 24th, more than 10,000 people attended the three-day industry symposium in Sacramento, the largest wine industry tradeshow with more than 650 exhibitors.
Lewis Wines: A Couple of Buddies Crafting Delicious Terroir-Driven Wines in the Texas Hill Country
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. […]
Villány Underground – Péter Bakonyi of Bakonyi Pincészet
The first day of my November 2022 trip to the annual Franc & Franc Forum in Villány, Hungary, we arrived late due to flight delays. Our guide asked my group if we wanted to skip the tastings to freshen up at the hotel and join everyone at dinner – or attend the tastings, but arrive at the first tasting a little late. I had been awake for about 36 hours, but I said yes to the tastings. […]