Wine Industry: "The Sky is Falling"

Not quite. 

This has been seen before, and the wine industry recovered, usually to get even bigger than before. That doesn't mean it'll be a quick downturn. Will it be a year, will it be a decade (jeez, I hope not)?

Is the Alcohol % Listed on the Wine Bottle Correct?

Maybe it's correct. A legit winemaker/winery will be very close to the labeled percentage. Those that care more about market perception than honesty may take a different route.

Distinct Differences in Sonoma County AVAs

Definition: AVA = American Viticultural Area, aka an appellation. An AVA is an officially recognized grape-growing area in the U.S. Examples include Napa Valley and Willamette Valley.

When someone asks, What's the difference between Napa and Sonoma? I would say that Sonoma has a wider range of grapes grown and styles made. Napa is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, with Chardonnay a distant second. Sonoma County wine regions showcase the diverse climates and soils, resulting in an impressive variety of wines and styles. 

Wine For Nat'l Cheesecake Day

Wednesday, July 30, 2025, is National Cheesecake Day. You were probably wondering what wine to have with your favorite cheesecake.

Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, USA

There are tons of “top ten” lists out there—best cars, best retirement spots, best beaches. Recently, CNN Travel put out a list of the ten best towns in the U.S. to visit, and guess what? Petaluma, population 60,000, located in southern Sonoma County, made the cut. 

So, what’s the scoop on Petaluma, and why do most travelers overlook it?

"California Doesn't Have Seasons"

Yeah, we do.    :)

Wines for National Hot Dog Day

Wednesday, July 16, 2025, is National Hot Dog Day which begs the question, what wine to pair with your dogs? I'm glad you asked.

Buying Zinfandel

Zinfandel has been called America's grape for a long time; long before DNA testing took it to Primitivo in Italy and farther back to an obscure grape in Croatia. If you really want to know the Croatian name for American Zinfandel, it's usually called Crljenak Kaštelanski, but sometimes Tribidrag. Hey, you asked.

Let's say you are looking to buy a bottle of California Zin. How should you go about that? Some help follows.

Vermentino in Sonoma County

Several Italian grape varietals are catching on in California, from Fiano to Barbera. The current hot one is Vermentino, as it's showing up in more wineries in Sonoma County, and around the state.

Pinot Noir Without Breaking the Bank

Specifically, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from premium wine producers at low to moderate prices. Russian River is the primary region of Sonoma County for this wine, and a significant amount is produced. 

Avoiding Palate Fatigue

Palate Fatigue is when you've overindulged. It's not about becoming intoxicated; rather, it's physical and mental exhaustion. You've worn out your taste buds, and can no longer tell the difference between wines. The fatigue stems from physical from sensory saturation and the mental strain of concentrating on the various smells and tastes. Yes, wine tasting is hard work!

Winery Visitation is Down. What to Do?

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?