The Super Bowl and Sonoma County

The Super Bowl isn't just about game day. For the entire week leading up to the game there are various "fan experiences" located throughout San Francisco. The game is being played about 50 miles south of SF, but nobody is traveling early to see Santa Clara.

Most of these events open today, Jan 30th. One of the items is the Sonoma County wine lounge at the Super Bowl City fan village.

You Might Have a Drinking Problem If ...

How do you know if you might like wine just a little too much? There are signs to look for and I'm here to tell you what they are. Go ahead, ask me how I know.

Yes, there are a LOT of wineries

The number of North American wineries grew by over 400 last year to a total of almost 9,500. California grew by 140 to over 4,000, or 43% of the total, with Washington and Oregon in a distant 2nd and 3rd place. Oregon closed the gap on Washington by adding 57 wineries whereas its neighbor to the north added just 14. Why the bigger growth in Oregon? Pinot Noir is hot. 

Article from Wines & Vines

Where to get your Zinfandel fix in Sonoma County

Zinfandel, Sonoma County's grape. Okay, other areas of the state grow it too, but Sonoma is really home to Zin and Dry Creek Valley is Zin Central. There are lots of great Zinfandels from other parts of the county, but this list will concentrate on Dry Creek Valley.

Lousy Title for a Wine News Article

A New York Post article titled "Millennials are ruining the American wine industry" says millennials aren't buying much domestic wine. Sales might flatten out after many years of growth.

Article
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There are two things wrong with this story besides the terrible title and the poorly-written script on the web page.

Ten Mistakes We Make When Buying Wine

There are a zillion wines out there to pick from. It can be intimidating. Here are some mistakes we've all probably made. We should know better!

Where to get your Sparkling Wine fix in Sonoma County

Ah, bubblies. If there ever was a beverage meant to put you in a good mood it's sparkling wine. As a bonus it pairs with many foods so it's not just for celebrating or brunch. So where should you go in Sonoma County for your sparkling wine?

The Red Wine Woody

Seems like red wine will cure all of humanity's ails. Maybe we should drop Merlot on ISIS.

Per another study, men who consume a lot of the compounds found in many fruits -- and red wine -- are less likely to have erectile dysfunction.  

Article from decanter.com
 

You Don't Have to Spend $100 to Get a Great Napa Cabernet

Napa Valley is famous for Cabernet Sauvignon and rightly so. Being famous means the demand can outstrip the supply. Vineyard land is expensive, Cab grapes are expensive to purchase, and therefore the wine can be really expensive.

But you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a good Cabernet from Napa Valley. Lots of people seem to want to pay a lot for the trendy, cult stuff -- let them. We're not because we are too poor/too smart (pick one) to do that.

Where to get your Chardonnay fix in Sonoma County

You're coming for Chardonnay so where to go? Here are some wineries known for their Chard. These suggestions won't all be to your taste as Chardonnay is all over the board in styles from the lean and mean to the buttery, oaky, thick ones.

Is red grape juice just as healthy as red wine?

Turns out, no. Besides, to paraphrase, no good story ever started with a bottle of Welch's grape juice.

The New York Times says "most likely wine is better" though there haven't really been any studies done on grape juice. Besides who wants all that sugar when you can have alcohol instead.

Article from NYT's Well Blog.

Sonoma County 2015 - The Year in Acquisitions

Sonoma County, and next door in Napa, saw a number of local drinks businesses change hands. A couple of the big boys, Gallo and Constellation Brands, were the main players.

Sauvignon Blanc Set for Growth?

Yeah, it's a new year so people like to make predictions and spot the next trend. But there are signs from other things we consume that lead me to believe Sauv Blanc may steal some Chardonnay and Pinot Gris drinkers. Are many Americans leaving sweet for bitter? And how could this affect Sauvignon Blanc sales?