There are a myriad of reasons and guesses as to why California wineries are seeing a downturn in visitors. These usually revolve around economic uncertainty including tariffs, a whiplash effect from the Covid lockdowns when online purchases shot up, higher prices for wine tastings, and younger consumers turning to other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
What are wineries doing, or could be doing, to counteract the loss of visitors?
These are a few picks of quality wines from Sonoma County that aren't too expensive and should be relatively easy to find in wine shops and big box retailers. There are more, these are a few I know about.
Whether it's Rosé All Day or Yes Way Rosé pink wine is the in wine. Some info about this wine phenomenon follows.
Some of the major players in the industry are reducing their footprint in the wine business. This is a sign of uncertainty in the future of the wine market.
This is a snapshot of the wine industry 100 years ago. Why the1920s? Prohibition took effect in 1920 making it illegal to manufacture, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages. It wasn't against the law to drink if you acquired it legally. You could make your own hooch.
1920 was a big year for the country as Women's Suffrage was also ratified, giving women the right to vote. One small step...
Women and their wine have a special relationship. Here's a sometimes humorous look at this culture.
A little bit about Chardonnay from California, the love it or hate it wine. It even has its own "club," the ABC or Anything But Chardonnay.
It's the story of California Chardonnay. You've heard the bad news about the current problems in the wine industry. The younger consumers aren't drinking as much wine and there are the tariffs. The fact is, the American wine industry came from an afterthought to prominence a half-century ago and has been growing most of that time.
In 1975 there were over 300 wineries in California. Ten years later it had doubled. Currently, there are almost 5,000. That sounds like success.
One grape has been Mr/Ms. Steady for all that time. Chardonnay.
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. It's the gateway to summer grilling. Let's take a look at some wine suggestions for grilled food. As always, the best wines are the ones you like, whether they're listed here or not.
Don't forget to take a moment or two on Monday to remember the soldiers and sailors that didn't get to come home.
Sonoma County in the summer means an almost endless list of things you can do. Some of them are: sit outside at a winery while sipping, swim, float, surf, or kayak on the cool water, hike a trail, go to the fair, and listen to music.
For other ideas, check out previous blog posts on Major Events for Summer and Alternatives to Wine.
This is a short tutorial on what to look for in a wine. This can help you find out why you like or dislike certain wines.
A 2022 survey by Wise Voter lists the top five wines for every state. Not sure why Wise Voter cares about wine, but here we go.
Some highlights on the #1 choices:
The full list - you have to scroll down aways to find the list.
