Does the Wine Industry Worry Too Much?

The vineyard folks worry about climate change, pests, water supplies and more. I figure that's okay because farmers are supposed to worry. When it comes to the future of wine sales, there's a lot of worry to go around and I'm not sure that it's all necessary.

Ken Wilson's Expanding Empire

  Maybe you've heard of Wilson, Mazzocco, or Soda Rock wineries. That's just three of the eleven in the Wilson Artisan Wine collection throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. It's definitely a collection, as Ken collects wineries, B&Bs, and vineyards like others collect bottles of wine. Ken and winemaker Diane Wilson's wineries also collect lots of gold medals. 

 Ken has added a new winery to his bevy of businesses.

Napa Valley Cabernet is the New Merlot

That's crazy! 

Hear me out.

North Coast Wine Challenge 2024, the Big Winners

Yes, it's another wine judging! This one is local and allows wines from all over the region -- Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, Mendocino, Solano Counties.

Marketing a Winery to a Younger Audience

For background, the wine industry foresees big trouble ahead. The generation that fueled the wine boom of the last few decades is aging out, and the younger ones don't seem as interested in wine.

One winery may have found a way to grab onto the future.

Why Pinot Noir is So Popular

Pinot Noir has been the darling of the American wine world for a couple of decades. Why is it so popular? The previous post, Why Pinot Noir Is So Expensive, touched on its popularity related to price increases over the past several years. This post will be about why everyone loves Pinot.

Why Pinot Noir Is So Expensive

Pinot Noir is the new darling. Actually, not that new anymore, as it's been on a 20 year run. It seemed to start about the time of the release of the movie Sideways that hailed Pinot Noir at the expense of Merlot. If you look at the numbers though, Pinot Noir was already gaining followers before the movie. 

Where there is rapidly increasing demand, there will be increased prices. And, boy, have we seen prices go up!

Wine Labels, Part 2, Producer Terms

Part one of understanding American wine labels was published a couple of days ago. That one covered the basics of government-mandated information on labels, except for producer info. Examples of this are "produced and bottled by" or "cellared by." These terms are confusing and are pretty important to your understanding of the quality of a bottle of wine. 

When I shop, I look at the appellation, the alcohol percentage, and this producer info to help me decide if I will like the wine.

Understanding Wine Labels

What does all the information on an American wine label mean? Let's take a look at the legally required part, what the government says has to be there. A little knowledge can help you pick out the right wine. This is better than choosing by the artwork or just picking up a celebrity wine. Yeah, we all like Snoop Dogg, but that doesn't mean 19 Crimes is always your best choice.  :)

The blog post coming later this week will focus just on the producer information because that one piece of information is a bit complicated, but can be very important.

A Look at Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon along with Chardonnay are the most popular wines in the world. Anyone who has ever had any wine at all probably has an opinion on Cab Sauv. Anyone who considers themselves a wine aficionado / snob / expert will have an appreciation for this wine. Some only drink Cabernet. Of the 1,300 or so grape varieties used to make wine Cabernet Sauvignon is king.

For years, people have loved to dissect and offer opinions on Napa Valley Cabernet, and for much longer on Bordeaux wines.

International Riesling Day

Wednesday, March 13th is World Riesling Day, sometimes called International Riesling Day. This was proclaimed by Germany, as this day marks the first known written mention of Riesling - March 13, 1435. It's been around longer than many popular grapes.

Old, Historic Wineries of Sonoma County

A couple of days ago was Old historic wineries of Napa Valley. Today it's Sonoma's turn.