The Way We Sell Wine Needs to Change

The American wine industry, like all alcohol businesses, has been shaped by two major regulatory changes that dramatically increased access and market power. These changes have paved the way for today's ongoing consolidation, affecting both which wines reach consumers and how.

The first was the 1933 repeal of Prohibition, shifting from criminal alcohol operations to a legal three-tier system of producers, wholesalers, and retailers. The second was the Supreme Court overturning state direct-to-consumer laws in 2005, which opened the entire country to home delivery.

Chardonnay, the Commodity Wine

Commodity - A basic good like crude oil, grain, or steel that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type. A soybean is a soybean, it doesn't matter where it comes from.

To some, Chardonnay is a commodity.

Air Travel Into Sonoma County

Southwest Airlines has just announced upcoming service to STS, Sonoma County's commercial airport. SW will be offering flights to and from Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Burbank. Vegas and San Diego will be daily. Ticketing is available now, but the flights don't begin until April 2026.

Currently, Alaska Airlines has the most flights to STS with Los Angeles, Orange County, Burbank, Las Vegas, San Diego, Palm Springs (seasonal), Portland, and Seattle routes. 

American Airlines has service to Dallas and Phoenix. 

You may see mention of Avelo Airlines flights to STS, but they have pulled out, and good riddance. 

BTW, the nearest winery tasting room to the airport terminal is less than three miles.  :) 

Sonoma County Harvest Events 2025

Autumn is harvest time in Wine Country and there are many special events to celebrate the harvest. If you're going to be in the area this fall, don't miss the last item on the list!

Bored with Chardonnay, Cabernet, and/or Pinot?

Chard, Cab, and Pinot are the Big Three in wine. If you drink only what's popular, you might be bored with these. And with demand comes higher prices. What are some alternative wine varietals that are similar and possibly less expensive?

Wineries Moving Into Distillation

 If you can't beat 'em ...

September is California Wine Month

 Over 20 years ago, the California State Legislature gave us a whole month to celebrate wine!

Agrivoltaics

An issue with solar panel fields is the amount of land they can take up. You've maybe seen solar panels over parking lots. What if you could put them on farmland?

Agrivoltaics is using solar panels in conjunction with farming to turn the shade from the panels into a positive. A positive, get it? I'm pretty charged by the potential here.

Wine Writing from the Past

 A few wine-related articles from the last century.

Where Does California Wine Come From?

To some, California wine and Napa wine are the same. That is, when they think of premium California wine, they are focused on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This isn't the reality of California wine.

Choosing Sonoma County Wineries to Visit

This is the best list I've seen to help someone choose where to go for wine tasting in Sonoma County. A lot of work went into the article. While it's not absolutely all-inclusive, it has over 120 recommendations. Great job!

MacRostie Winery, Russian River Valley
image from sonomamag.com

The Ultimate Guide to Sonoma Tasting Rooms from Sonoma Magazine

Wine Trends By Decade

There have been many American wine trends over the years. It's not as though wine fashion was invented with that organic non-alcoholic natty orange wine you're drinking. 

The seminal event that kicked-started American wine was the 1976 Judgment of Paris. We'll start from there.