Our trip to Alsace could be done over a long layover, although it’s practically impossible since the nearest major airport is three hours away. Spent (mostly) eating and drinking, we also learned a ton about the people, their wines and the region. Here’s a glimpse into the 24 hours we were there. We had […]
A Google news search for El Nino’s effect on vineyards generates tens of pages of opinion articles speculating on if and how the big winter will contribute to the quality of the 2016 harvest. As always, the media is stirring up concern regarding the impact of heavy rainfall on grapevines in articles such as Eater’s, […]
Many wineries have already or are just about to make the biodynamic Preparation 500, where cow manure is packed into cow horns and buried in the soil through the winter. This Spring, the horn will be uncovered, its contents stirred into water to make a “tea” and then sprayed on the vineyards’ soil in the […]
Over 8,000 out of the 615,000 acres of wine grape vineyards are now farmed certified organic in California. All that fruit from those vineyards then produce organic wine, right? Wrong. This is one of the biggest disconnects in wine understanding, especially when it comes to marketing. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has very strict stipulations regarding […]
One of the more recent Guild of Sommeliers podcasts out takes a look into the practice of sustainability in wineries, what it requires from the growers and winemakers, and the outcomes of practicing it. One of the featured guests on the show said something to the effect of (and don’t quote me) if you’re shopping […]
Not enough oak for you last time? Here’s some more on the topic of oak aging. Click here to read our first post on oak. In wine production, there are three main categories suitable for aging wine: French, American and Hungarian/Eastern European. French Oak The main reason for aging wine in French oak is the […]
You always wondered what exactly people are talking about when they say this wine is oaky…until you taste a wine that’s way. too. oaky. Too much oak influence in a wine will suck all the moisture out of your mouth and leave you with a dry, woody, vanilla-y like flavoring that leave you wondering if […]
Or lack thereof… In this post, we’ll explore what’s happening in California vineyards right now, bloom! Checking out the weather forecast last week ago, we noticed rain was scheduled for yesterday, Thursday. It wasn’t much but if it were, it could have left a powerful impact on the vines. Only several weeks ago, the vines started […]
And we’re not talking about your hot Saturday night date! Working my first crush in California, all the interns and winery staff wore pretty much the same thing: jeans in the morning and in the cellar, shorts and a t-shirt outside. Good boots, an occasional sweater for the early mornings and late nights. When it’s […]
Believe it or not, all of Napa Valley was dry farmed until the 1960s, when overhead irrigation systems were introduced. Just a few years later came the early stages of drip irrigation. Still, the benchmark classics of Napa Valley – BV, Inglenook, Martini and others, were farmed without irrigation for many years before then. How […]
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