Wines Stories of 2020

  A look at the main stories covered in this blog for 2020. Yeah, guess what, the Covid pandemic tops the list as it related to the wine business. Second on the list were the wildfires.

Quirky Sonoma County

  There are a number of what you might call odd events that happen throughout the year in Sonoma County. You might not see anything quite like this back home.

The Father of Premium Wines

Unless you're a local to Sonoma County you've probably never heard of Agoston Haraszthy or even know how to pronounce his name. The Anglicized version is sort of ah-gas-ton hair-as-tee. He is the father of premium wine in California.

Wine Myths

There are a few things you hear or read about wine that just aren't true. Let's hit on a few.

The People Who Make the Wine You're Enjoying

  The people usually getting the credit are wine makers (deserved) or winery owners (not necessarily deserved). Like any successful company it's the people you hire that do the actual work.  In small wineries, as any small business, a person will wear multiple hats. What are their roles in the wine industry?

Plan to Visit Sonoma County During the Holidays?

  It won't be happening. Sonoma County announced a stay-at-home order effective December 12, 2020 through January 9, 2021. Tasting rooms are closed, restaurants are closed except for take-out, hotels are closed.

  How about Napa? As of the day I'm posting this Napa has not shut down, but they are near record levels for Covid cases so you have to expect it's coming.

  Stay safe. Sonoma County Stay At Home Order

 

12/16/20 Update: Napa County is about to close down also.

 

 

Drinking a Little Less

Yep, we've seen the studies about moderate consumption being healthy. We'd like to believe, but I think most of us have doubts about, the validity of these claims. This is why there's a trend to drinking less, drinking lower alcohol beverages, or not at all. Well, there's another way.

2020 California Wine Grape Harvest

You probably heard about the wildfire in Napa Valley during the 2020 grape harvest. Maybe you even thought, "OMG the wines are all ruined!"  Well, no. There were localized loses to California grapes, but there is plenty of wine being made and it sounds like it's been a pretty good to an outstanding year.

Following are some regional reports for the main premium wine grape areas. The info is from the 2020 Harvest Report from the Wine Institute.

Sonoma Zinfandel Producers to Look For

Chances are you aren't much of a zinfandel person if you live outside California because, unfortunately, most of the zins that make it into the distribution channels to your local stores are mediocre or, worse, pink.

Picking Out a Bottle of Wine

  You're in a retail shop looking at many wine labels and it might be a bit overwhelming. Where do you start? Most begin with a particular varietal as in, "I want a chardonnay tonight." But after that?

  Some ideas to help you make a selection:

Tough Loses in Sonoma County this Week

Local obits with a bit of Sonoma County history.

Covid and Drinking Behavior

  Yeah, I think we already knew this, but alcohol consumption is up since the Covid-19 epidemic started. A study by RTI International, a non-profit research institute, polled 1,000 in the U.S. about their drinking habits pre-Covid compared to during Covid. The research was done last May.

  The number of drinks per day, amount consumed, and even binge drinking all increased by about 25% during Covid. The biggest increases were with women, Blacks, and anyone with children at home. That last one should be no surprise. Plus you figure women are carrying the burden of the child duties in the house, including schooling. There's even the new Sober Mom Squad to help. Sober Moms say they aren't against drinking, but I guess they'd like you to be sober when trying to figure out 8th grade algebra. Though thinking back I was sober for algebra class and it didn't really help.

Old Time Family Wineries of Sonoma County

Sonoma County has an interesting wine history with the first grapes actually planted by Russians(!) in 1812 near the Pacific Coast. The wine biz in Sonoma County goes back to the mid-19th century just after the start of the Gold Rush. That's not really very long by European standards, but there were only about 500 settlers in the entire county when California became a state in 1850. 

The Impact of Smoke Taint on Wine

  Smoke damage from wildfires is a reality for wineries in Oregon and Northern California for the 2020 harvest. This following article from the Oregon Wine Press delves into the subject of wine changes brought about by smoke. The takeaways for consumers has to do with how widespread the problem may be, what wines are more likely to have smoke traits, and how you would describe those smells and flavors.

  Realities of Smoke, Oregon Wine Press

Covid and Your Sense of Smell

For those unlucky enough to have had Coronavirus, or may get it in the future, it could be bad news for your enjoyment of food and wine. The following article, originally from the Washington Post, looks at the problem.

Covid-19 May Steal or Warp Your Sense of Smell

Cool Facts About Old Vines

There's an interest in, and maybe even a passion for, wines labeled as old vine. In California it's mostly old vine Zinfandel though you occasionally see other old vine wines. I suppose the interest comes from the same idea of people interested in redwood trees that have been around for so long -- they've survived fires, wars, and pandemics.

Tasting Rooms Might Be Changing Permanently

  Covid rules changed the way we eat and drink outside the home. No more elbow-to-elbow dining or drinking. Wine tasting rooms have adjusted. It was a fairly easy change for some wineries that were already doing much of what Covid rules require.

Restaurant Wine Post-Pandemic

  So whenever things lighten up and it's safer to go out and socialize how many people will actually partake? It's looking a little iffy for restaurants and therefore restaurant wine sales.

Wine Faults

Wine is a  living agricultural-derived product that, unfortunately, can have a number of faults. Following are the ones you are more likely to see. Luckily, they don't appear too often. Many are winemaking faults, but some happen after the finished wine has left the winery and may even be your fault. If you don't believe it was your responsibility then return the wine to where it was purchased.

Covid and Wine (and Beer and Spirits)

 It looks as though U.S. wine sales will be flat for 2020. That's probably a relief for the wine biz. Sales had been growing since the end of the Great Recession though the growth rate dropped enough in 2019 to give some people concern. At the beginning of 2020 the predictions were for a leveling off of sales. Once the pandemic hit nobody had any idea.

How Winemakers are Dealing with Smoke Taint

  Smoke taint, it's the latest trend in wine! Okay, it isn't though I recently read one blogger saying smoke taint should be part of your terroir. Um, no. Smoke taint from wildfires is a thing now. It can give a wine a campfire smell and taste. Or sometimes it's said the wine smells like an ashtray. Yuck.

  Local winemakers have been dealing with this on-and-off since 2008. As they gain experience they are learning about what grapes to toss and what might be saved by some special things done to the fruit.

  This is a link to an article on interviews with a few local winemakers and what they're doing this year -- from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

The Unsung Heroes of the 2020 Grape Harvest

The real heroes are the firefighters and other first responders, but ... 

  Great wine starts in the vineyard according to most winemakers. It's not the winemaker doing the work in the vineyard and often they don't even oversee the vineyard management. There are whole crews of mostly immigrant Hispanics toiling away to make sure you get great wine.

Wildfires and the Real Harm to California's Wine Economy

 Real, physical damage? Overall it's pretty small. Where is the actual damage? It's in the perception.

And Now the Bad News About Alcohol

   Yes, you read the good things in beer and wine and how a bit of alcohol a day may be beneficial. You've certainly heard about health benefits of red wine. Of course, there's the downside of too much alcohol.

   A CDC study on alcohol from 2011-2015 gave some dark statistics.

Lodi Wine

"Stuck in Lodi Again," Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969.

When it comes to wine Lodi often gets no respect just like in that song. In the last half of the 19th century settlers were planting the table grape Tokay, but also wine grapes like Zinfandel. Lodi is in the vast Central Valley known for farm crops, but not so much for quality grapes though most of California's wine grapes are actually grown in the valley, but are used for the less expensive wines (Thunderbird anyone)? 

It turns out Lodi is special.

The Harrowing Harvest from Hell

  Smoke taint. What vineyard owners and winemakers have worried about for several years now has hit harder than ever in 2020. Of course, 2020. Why not? Everything else has.

Coming Soon: West Sonoma Coast AVA

In 1987 as interest in planting grapes in cooler areas of Sonoma County grew the Sonoma Coast appellation was born. It immediately took criticism for being too large (500,000 acres/780 sq miles) with much of the land not even being near the coast. The argument in favor was it all had coastal influence, but that description could include most of Sonoma County.

(Appellation = American Viticultural Area = AVA)

Sonoma County Harvest Fair 2020

This would have been the weekend (Oct 2-3) for the annual public tasting of the gold medal winning wines. If ever there was a year where this wasn't going to happen 2020 is it. The event was canceled months ago because of the pandemic. Recent fires, still going strong, aren't threatening the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa that hosts the tasting, but the air quality is unhealthy.

Nonetheless the judging was held and there are winners. I have not tasted any of these as I would have at the public tasting in previous years so I can't offer any insight.

Here is the link to the award winners.

Harvest Fair Grape Stomp competition from a past year

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is the other white wine. In a number of ways it's a better wine than Chardonnay in my opinion. It's a clean, crisp, refreshing beverage. It's best chilled at refrigerator temp. This is notable because most Chard is better at a cool cellar temp and it's generally served to cold.

Chardonnay is fruity and often heavy, oily. Pinot Griggio/Gris more neutral (a drinking without thinking wine). Sauvignon Blanc is more herbal and bright (acidic). These general characteristics of the wine make it great in warm weather and make it a good food wine.

Sauv Blanc is also less expensive than Chard with most premium ones around $15-30, but there are many around $10-12.

Where are the bad wine reviews?

You see movie critics give rotten reviews when due. Book and music reviewers will do the same. So where the heck are the bad wine reviews? Some guesses.

Piquette - The Next Trend?

Current trends are in the alcohol biz are hard seltzer and orange wine. Maybe Piquette is next, or not. Hard seltzer is popular because it supposed to be healthier, refreshing, and easy drinking. Orange wine because it's different. Rosé is hot because it's easy to sip, guzzle, or quaff. And for the color, I guess.

Critiquing Wine

   In the past I've mentioned that you should be careful of wine criticism whether from a professional, maybe a wine writer or wine judge, or from an amateur like the rest of us. We all have our prejudices. Let's look at a couple of those preconceptions.

Balance in Wine Consumption

With many things too little or too much is bad when it comes to things we put in our body. With some less is always better. With alcohol there are mixed messages.

Wine Life in 2021

Once we have our vaccine and herd immunity (and I'm hoping this is in a few months) what happens to wine and the wine business? 

Smoke Taint in 2020 Wines?

This is a year of widespread wildfires in California and much of the West. The fire season in the Wine Country started in earnest in August from lightning strikes and is still going strong, unfortunately. What's in store for this vintage? The quick answer is nobody is sure yet.

What is smoke taint?

In short, the wine tastes like a smoky campfire. You can read in-depth about smoke taint at Wine Spectator, "Understanding Smoke Taint in Wine."

Previous years with smoke taint

The first time I remember smoke taint in wine was in 2008 when there were spring lightning strike fires to the north of Sonoma in Mendocino County. A smoky haze hung over the area for much of June of that year. Northern Sonoma and Napa and especially Mendocino County were the most affected. Then in 2017 wildfires happened at harvest time. I haven't had a lot of wine from this vintage, but it seems smoke taint is hit-or-miss. A reputable vintner should not be selling you smoke tainted wine anyway. 

What affect might it have this year?

You can read about that here from from Food & Wine, "Do California Grapes Have Smoke Taint from Wildfires?"

Covid & Wine Funnies

 Because during the Pandemic it is always five o'clock.

"Traveling" During Covid

Vacation travel isn't what it used to be. My wife and I like to go to Hawaii every year -- no one particular island as we switch among them. Since we can't go this year we try to recreate a vaca at home. Occasionally we eat something Hawaiian like macadamia nut-encrusted mahi mahi though right now we can't seem to even find fresh mahi mahi. Then we will get Koloa Hawaiian rum punch or mai tai pre-made cocktail mixes, eat outdoors on our "lanai" while playing surf sounds on the Bluetooth speaker, and pretend we're in Hawaii. 

Do you have a favorite wine region? This might be a great time to "vacation" there with a meal similar to a nice dinner you had and, of course, some wine from a favorite winery. Recreate your own little bit of California, Oregon, or wherever. Use a fine bottle of wine to take you back to a happy experience.

If some foods get any more scarce we may be recreating Hawaii with Spam and eggs. 

Cabernet Franc on an Upswing?

Cabernet Franc is one of the so-called Big Five Bordeaux grapes, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. As with some of these it's often used as a blending grape. On its own you'll find a leaner, floral, and often herbaceous wine. The best have a nice complexity and can age.

Future Issues with the California Wine Industry

There are short- and long-term potential shake-ups coming to the local wine industry. Following are a few things that may have a large impact on the local wine biz.

Just as we're getting ready to pick grapes ...

No, there's no opportune time for a wildfire. These lightning strike fires in the Bay Area have come just about the time many are wanting to begin picking their grapes. The main wine areas affected are parts of Sonoma, Napa, and Santa Cruz.

Geyser Peak Winery

 Geyser Peak was the 29th bonded winery in the state when it started up in 1880. That's a seriously long time for a California winery to be around. In that long history there have been changes, of course, and not always for the best.

Inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County

Everybody likes a deal. Maybe these aren't quite everyday cabernets for all budgets, but qualifies as reasonably price cab from a premium wine growing area, Sonoma County. The good news is Sonoma cab is a lot cheaper than Napa cab. These are ones that should be good most any vintage year and under twenty-five bucks.

Cabernet Sauvignon is king of the red wines so tends to be more expensive than most others, but it Sonoma County it's Pinot Noir that seems to have gotten the press (and price increases). This means you can find some good cabs at reasonable prices.

Sonoma County Harvest Update

 I sat in on a webinar presentation on Aug 12th hosted by Sonoma County Winegrowers along with a representative from the grape growing side (Cameron Maurtison) and the winemaking side (Nicole Hitchcock).

Cameron is from a well-known wine family, the Mauritsons, who own several hundred acres of grapes in northern Sonoma County and in nearby Lake County. He is part of the family's 6th generation working in the local wine biz.

Nicole works for J winery, purchased a few years ago by Gallo, and is known for their sparkling wines. 2015 was her first harvest at J (the year Gallo purchased the winery).

The First Thing to Know About Premium Wines

If you only want to know one thing about wine it's that there is no one right answer.

Why bring this up? Whether you're shopping for clothes, a TV, or a car there are always lots of different opinions and you probably know there is no one answer that fits everybody. Why do folks thing wine is sometimes different?

What "Dry" Wine Means

Wine grapes, like any fruit, make sugar and are picked sweet, very sweet actually. It's quite the science to pick at just the right level of sweetness as the final alcohol level and many characteristics of the wine are at stake. Yeast converts this sugar into alcohol during fermentation.

Always Wanted to Own a Vineyard?

Okay, let's say you're rich and want to be a discerning farmer. How about a fancy house and fancy vineyards? This is what a lot of people dream of, and why not? These aren't inexpensive. All are in Napa or Sonoma County. Wine Country livin' for the rich and maybe famous.

Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable Wines

Of the many things about wine that can confuse you and I, one is figuring out the meanings of organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines. The following article, written by a European wine writer, talks about the differences in agriculture.

BKWineMagazine

A simple definition of what it means when a wine says it's organic, biodynamic, sustainable, or natural.

VerveWine

Sonoma County by the Numbers

You can learn a lot about a place by looking at the numbers. This can also help clear up some misconceptions. Of course, visiting is the easiest way to learn about an area.

Pandemic Glassware

All available from Amazon!

Gag Me With the Celebrity Rosé

Famous people have been in the alcohol business for awhile. Remember when George Clooney and friends sold their Casamigos Tequila brand for one billion dollars? Sonoma County has the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and it is a real winery unlike many celebrity wine labels. Mario Andretti has his namesake winery in Napa. Sometimes the rich and famous just put money behind a winery, sometimes they find winemakers to make wine for them, or their involvement can be somewhere in between. But let's get one thing straight, they are not winemakers.

Harvest Work

Do you like long hours, hard work, getting sticky, getting wet, with lots of insects, stinging and otherwise? Oh yeah, sometimes it's really hot, sometimes you'll be cold. And I do mean really long hours for a couple months. It's best if you're under 30 years old because if you're older you are either too smart or too out of shape for the job.

Due to the pandemic and restricted travel there are lots of openings for wine grape harvest interns. In normal years people would come from all over the world for the opportunity.

Elbow deep in Pinot Noir
image from navarrowine.com

Article from the Napa Valley Register.

Wine in a Can

This article, The Evolution of Wine in a Can, talks about the (slowly) increasing number of wines in cans available and it's no longer just cheap, mediocre wines. 

Winery Sales & Wine Club Gains/Losses

Business has certainly changed since the Covid virus hit. WineBusiness.com took a look at wineries' online direct-to-consumer sales after the pandemic started.

In the U.S. about half of the wineries said DTC sales are up over 20%. Unfortunately, sales actually decreased by more than 20% at many wineries.

Wine Business Study

The 2020 Grape Harvest; Like No Other

   So we've got this pandemic thingy with businesses opening and closing again; the number or cases flattening then rising again; and who knows what the actual flu season will bring. Every year the wine grape harvest relies on a temporary influx of workers in the vineyards and in the cellar.

States Drinking the Most Wine

Who is pounding down the most wine? Per government statistics these states drink the most in total volume and per capita. Congratulations, I think.

Are Alcohol Sales Spiking?

You may have heard the news that alcohol sales are heading up to new heights during the pandemic. You may have seen a chart showing the spike in wine sales. The thing to realize is that overall alcohol sales are not going up. It's just that sales are moving to different channels; from on-premise to off-premise (drinking out vs. drinking at home).

Getting Folks Back to the Tasting Room

Some are ready to come back out wine tasting now any way they can. Some will not come back until things get back to the normal of a few months ago. Then there is what's probably the largest group of folks in the middle that will maybe come back, depending on certain conditions. It may be if they feel safe. It may be if they think it will still be fun.

Is the Wine Industry Racist?

There is a handful of Black-owned wineries in California. For that matter there isn't a whole lot of Mexican-American owned ones either even though there are many Hispanic people employed by wineries (mostly in the field and the cellar).

You can see a list of Black-owned wineries from Wine Enthusiast.

A Short History of California Merlot

If you're going to talk about California Merlot there is one event that defines everything that went before and after. It's called the French Paradox and it happened in 1991.

Wine (and Alcohol) Jokes

Friday laugh time

California's ABC, Our Own Little Fascist State

The Golden State's Department of Alcohol Beverage Control with an annual budget of something like $85 million is the regulatory body for all things alcohol. They make up rules, they enforce them, they do it all. Some things done in the past have been kind of laughable, but not many will laugh in public for fear of retaliation. They have ABC "cops" that can show up at your business at any time and look at anything they want. Warrant? They don't need no stinking warrant.

Now under the pretext of the current pandemic emergency they've decided to do away with due process. I mean, that does make their job more difficult when they have to prove something before punishment is rendered. Now they can go in and if there's something they don't like they can shut you down on the spot. No, it doesn't have to be covid/public health related. Your bar could just be too rowdy for them (a disorderly house in ABC speak).

You can read more from the legal experts.

Sieg Heil, boys.

A Short History of California Chardonnay

Chardonnay has been the best selling wine in the U.S. for a long time so it would seem it's not affected by wine trends. Or is it? Let's take a look at Chardonnay beginning about 1970 when premium wine production ramped up in the Golden State.

Fri Wine Funnies

Cuz, damn, we need a laugh!

Now Might be the Time to Visit Napa Valley

Napa Valley is world famous and draws the corresponding crowds. Of course, until recently almost all businesses have been closed, but Napa Valley wineries are starting to open back up. The wineries and restaurants will, of course, be operating differently. But if you wanted to visit Napa, but were put off by the crowds, then 2020 is probably the year for you. Without the out-of-state visitors traffic should be light.

Wineries are requiring appointments so you'll have to plan ahead. With social distancing rules most will be seeing fewer guests. You'll want reservations at most restaurants, too. And remember to BYOM (bring your own mask).

Opportunities for Wineries Post-Lockdown

During the lockdown we've seen wine sales via shipping go up by triple digit amounts and retail sales, mostly in grocery stores, go up by double digits. Counteracting that is sales via the tasting room is near zero other than wine clubs.

As wineries open under new rules how can they maintain the good while gaining back where they've lost? Well, ain't that the million dollar question.

Sonoma County Opening Up

Currently there are a few dozen wineries offering tastings with food in an outdoor setting and by reservation. The county health officials decided food was required in this first phase though I'm not clear why. Some restaurants are open with outdoor seating. This might be changing as early as this Saturday, June 6th.

Reading Wine Labels With a Jaded Eye

This isn't another piece about how to read everything on an American wine label -- producers, growing area, vintage, etc. This is about items you may want to give a cautious eye to. Why? Because everything may not be as it seems.

Economic Impact on Sonoma County

It has been reported here and other places about the impact on wineries from the pandemic. With no visitors there's almost no tasting room sales. With no restaurant dining there's no wines sales there either. Luckily, online wine orders are way up.

Rosé Alternatives for the Summer

If you're not a huge fan of rosé wines and maybe a little tired of the "rosé all day" phrase know that there are alternatives! There are many chilled wines with decent acidity that work great in warm weather. Why acidity? That's what makes a wine refreshing. So flabby Chardonnay and even Viognier are out.

You want to think of crisp (there's that acid again), fairly dry (not much, if any sugar), whites that don't have high alcohol because you don't want to be sipping on a 15% alcohol wine on the patio in the heat. I'm thinking of New World versions of these wines. Yes, I know there are plenty of European wines that fill the bill, too, especially since many tend to be drier and lower in alcohol.

An Alternative to the 750 ml Glass Bottle

The glass wine bottle has been around and pretty much unchanged for a couple hundred years. That's pretty amazing when you think of it. Where else do you find this longevity in a consumer product? Problem is it's heavy, it breaks easily, it lets in light and heat easily, and isn't very environmentally friendly.

Wineries: The Next Year

I'm assuming it takes at least a year to get a vaccine and get retail and travel back to some kind of normal. It might be longer, especially for air travel. So what is the outlook for wineries for this time? The key thing here is that one prediction doesn't fit all.

Sonoma County Wine Deals

Currently many wineries are offering something to get you to buy wine from them and have it shipped to your home. Following are some of the web sites listing Sonoma County winery deals. Some offer free delivery if you live in the area. Many offers have expiration dates. Some wineries will show up on multiple sites.

The Wine Road Association covers most wineries in northern Sonoma County (Russian River, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Healdsburg).
Winery offers and deals

Sonoma.com is a site for all things Sonoma. Here's their list of winery deals
Winery offers

From the Sonoma County vintners' web site, Sonomawine.com
Sip from home

From SonomaValleyWine.com
Special offers 

Happy shopping!

Where to Buy Wine Online

Online wine sales are way up during the shelter in place. I expect a lot of it is people who haven't bought online before. Actually, I'm one on them because when you live in a place surrounded by hundreds of wineries there's usually no reason to get wine via the Internet. A little advice and opinion follows.

50 Ways to Get Your Wine Now

The question everybody is asking: How do I get my wine fix?

The video put on by Sonoma County is here to help. Just load up the truck, Chuck.

Following is the link mentioned in the video for the wine and shipping specials, listed by winery.

Wine Specials

Wine & Climate Change

  Below is a link to an article on what a warming planet will do to the wines we drink. The thing is, good wines are very particular about the climate the grapes are grown in. That's why, for instance, you find most of California's premium grape growing in a narrow coastal strip running from Mendocino County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south.

Sattui Returns Stimulus Money

Or the headline could read, "Dario Sattui Does the Right Thing!" That would be funny to anyone that knows about him.

What to Expect When Winery Tasting Rooms Reopen

As I write this in late April we don't yet know when tasting rooms will be allowed to reopen or exactly what the rules will be for wine tasting. So some of this is guesswork. What you can expect is for things to be different.

Comparison: Buying Wine and Buying a Car

A car is your second greatest expense after mortgage/rent. Wine can be expensive, but doesn't require a loan (I hope). What the automakers call an entry-level luxury car costs $40k. More of a standard lux vehicle is in the $55k range. The wine industry says premium wine starts at $20 and it becomes a luxury good at $50 a bottle.

So how are the purchases similar?

Drink Up Your California Cellared Wines

  Styles have changed. Most California reds began changing in the late '90s from the drier Old World style (high acid, tannins, no residual sugar, relatively low alcohol  levels) to wines the opposite of those that just don't age well. These wines are soft and very drinkable when young when you compare them to the Old World style, but they have no where to go but down. 

Wine Sales When the Country Opens Up

Like most of the retail economy wineries are hurting now. What happens when the country opens up in phases? Following is some speculation by the various sales channels.

Winery Virtual Tastings

Wineries offering online get-togethers via social media.This is where the owner or winemaker uses Facebook Live, Zoom or similar app to host a presentation and maybe take questions from viewers. It's been a great way to stay in touch during the current lockdown. It's a way for the winery to say, "Hey, remember us when you're able to come visit again and maybe buy some wine online from us now."

2020 Outlook for the Wineries

Of course wine tasting rooms are closed and it remains to be seen for how long. Most retail business is suffering the same fate. Once wineries reopen for tasting they will still need tourists. That might be a problem. Even when things open up again will people be anxious to go on vacation or will we be cautious? Regardless, the sales lost now will never be recouped as I don't see people getting out of their house and buying cases and cases of wine. We'll see.

Wine Sales are Flat -- This Might be Why

Reasons wine sales have been flat for a long time (unrelated to the pandemic). 

Wines sales have more or less been flat for a long time. Sure, sales have gone up as the economy picked up after the Great Recession of a few years ago. That only happened because sales fell at the start of the recession.

The wine industry may be its own worst enemy.
[begin criticism]

Wine Movies

You've got lots of time, right? Instead of watching Pandemic and freaking yourself out go for something fun that will take your mind off the fact that you're down to your last roll of toilet paper.

Why the Proliferation of Appellations?

Definition

Wine grape-growing areas or appellations or American Viticultural Areas or AVAs (whew) are common in the premium wine market. It can be helpful to know where the grapes were grown.

Smelling Your Wine, an Intro

There's lots of info on wine aromas on the Internet and it can get kind of complicated. Let's keep it simple with an overview to help you figure out what you're smelling.

If You Want to Drink Alone, Now is the Time

Drinking alone is a social no-no as it's supposed to indicate a drinking problem. Though it gets labeled as a problem you may or may not see it that way. With the shelter in place thing now is the time to open that bottle of wine without the guilt!

Sustainable Vineyards and Roundup

A few years ago Sonoma County made a big deal about the county's vineyards going 100% sustainable -- the first region in the country to do so. Sustainable certification is not the same as organic. It is earth-friendly (whatever exactly that means), but also socially responsible with its neighbors and employees. It is a great step.

Looking for that cheap wine you've been hearing about?

Oversupply

You probably have read about the price of wine going down because there's an oversupply in the market right now. Yeah, that's somewhat true -- at the inexpensive end of the market. If you're a wine geek and waiting for your favorite Napa cabernets to drop from, say, $75 to $50 don't hold your breath.

When this consumer-friendly side of supply-and-demand hits what you more often find is some better quality $15 wines. This happens as high-quality grapes get sold at fire sale prices so less expensive wines can be made from them. And that's no bad thing, right?

North Coast 2019 Harvest

The North Coast includes Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties. The link below shows the crop size and grape prices for the last few years. You'll see that the harvest for 2018 was abnormally large and a reason many are saying there's a glut of wine. 

The prices for grapes will help with understanding bottle prices. For instance, look at the price of Napa cabernet compared to the others. And you can see that, in general, grapes from the lesser-known Mendocino and Lake counties are much cheaper.

Link: Northbay Business Journal, The Grape Crop

Wine Grapes: Climate Change's Canary in the Coal Mine

Premium wine gapes are very sensitive to changes in weather.

That's why you hear about good vintages and bad vintages. In California most premium wines are grown in a coastal stretch of land running from Mendocino County (about 120 miles north of San Francisco) to Santa Barbara County (about 120 NW of Los Angeles). This is where the climate works well for top quality grapes.

Smith-Madrone Winery

Stu Smith

Forbes recently gave a shout-out to Smith-Madrone Winery (who, you ask?) owned and operated by brothers Stu and Charlie Smith. The vineyards and winery are situated in the hills between Napa and Sonoma County. They've been doing this for almost 50 years and are both in their 70s.

Visiting their winery is a trip back to before Napa was the darling of the rich entrepreneur. Their wines are also a trip back in time in that they might come across as dry when young and have noticeable acid! I think their wines are phenomenal.

I had a wine class with Stu Smith at the local junior college in the 1980s. He was a riot, and opinionated, back then and apparently still is according to the article. The brothers' stubbornness is probably what's kept them going.

If you're ever in the neighborhood make an appointment to see them. You'll be glad you did.

Forbes article

Direct Wine Shipping for 2019

Direct shipping is wine shipped from the producer to your home. Luckily, most states allow this now. A report on 2019 direct-to-consumer wine shipping from ShipCompliant shows us what this market looks like.

Weird Facts With Your Sense of Smell

Your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste are life, you could say. Smell is the most interesting of the senses and maybe the most misunderstood.

Is My Wine Corked?

When you get a bottle of wine home and pop it for guests, dinner or a special occasion the last thing you want is to have the wine be bad. When there's a fault with the wine you want it to be the winery's fault and not yours. The most common term people know for a bad wine is that it is corked. Corked wines were an all too common thing 15-20 years ago. The problem is still around, but only affects a small percentage of wines.

Napa Wineries Using Sonoma County Grapes

Our neighbors to the east in Napa using Sonoma County grapes is nothing new. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay of Judgement of Paris fame was mostly Sonoma fruit.

Over the years since others from Napa have used Sonoma fruit, often because it was less expensive or maybe because it was a grape variety not too plentiful in Napa. Nowadays it's more for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

One of the better known ones is Duckhorn's second label, Decoy, that gets most of its grapes from Sonoma County and is known as a value wine especially when compared to the Duckhorn Napa Valley prices.

Others include Aubert, Chappellet, Palmeyer, Joseph Phelps, and Hall who has two tasting rooms in Sonoma County.

Frank Pastori, 1920-2020

This is a story of old-school Sonoma County and the Italian families that made the county what it is today, but without the $100 wines, $50 decanters, or $30 tasting fees. Things used to be a little more rustic and Mr. Pastori was part of that.

Click on this link to read more
From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Some Interesting Graphs

As Rod Stewart would say, "Every picture tells a story, don't it?"

We're Drinking More

Compared to about twenty years ago we are drinking a lot more alcohol according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. We binge drink more, more people die from alcohol-related deaths.

Try Not to Laugh

This one is for locals when they talk with visitors, but maybe out-of-towners could learn from this, too.  :)

Try not to laugh at out-of-towners trying to pronouce Guerneville or Healdsburg.

Try not to wince at visitors asking for Pinot Grigio.

Try not to laugh at tourists saying they are going to the Russian River Brewery at 3 pm on Saturday afternoon.

Try not to wince at out-of-towners saying they are going to the Russian River Brewery on Saturday evening after wine tasting all day.

You may not be able to hold in the groan when they talk about how much they are loving Napa.

Why Visit Sonoma (in Pictures)

"Every picture tells a story don't it," says Rod Stewart. So we'll let photos tell you why you should visit Sonoma County. Some are mine, a couple by others and labeled for reuse.

New Grape Varieties Out of the "Lab"

Not exactly out of a lab, but five new varieties have been bred by UC Davis. The reason is resistance to something called Pierce's Disease that kills grapevines and costs vineyard owners a lot of money.

There are two new whites and three reds. I don't know if these will show up much as bottlings on their own or mostly in less expensive wine blends. The wines are the standard Vitis vinifera grapes crossbred with a grape grown in the Southwest U.S. and northern Mexico, Vitis arizonica, that is resistant to Pierce's Disease. This has taken about twenty years to develop. It will be awhile before any show up in your local store.

Why Supermarket Wine Sucks

Maybe you shouldn't buy your wine at Kroger or Safeway or any other chain grocery store. Here's why:

Natural Wine in Sonoma County

Isn't all wine natural? Not if you ask the folks in the natural wine movement that stays away from additives and anything "unnatural." Sales are growing of wine labeled as natural. Just know there are no legal definitions for what can be called natural wine so be sure to deal with honest vintners.

A couple points: 
If you jump into natural wines you may discover why some of those additives are there.
If these wines are natural that doesn't mean other wines are unnatural. Think of them as conventional wines. 

Here's the scoop from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

A Sonoma & Napa Geography Lesson

What does someone mean when they say "Sonoma" or "Napa?" It's not always clear. A geography lesson follows.

"Celebrating" Prohibition

Prohibition began a century ago in a failed attempt at social control. Anyway, to celebrate lets look at some of the oddball state laws that came about after Prohibition ended when the feds just threw up their hands and turned alcohol control over to the states.

When a Customer Returns Wine

Nothing hurts more than a wine being returned by a customer because it's bad. "Bad" is very loosely defined with wine (as discussed below). Whatever the reason it's costly to replace and there's an irritated person who bought the product and might not again.

The California Grape Glut

It seems we are officially in the too much supply side of the wine grape supply-and-demand cycle. This will lead to cuts in grape prices for some vineyards. And with the excess juice already in the market place this should mean you'll find some good wines at good prices, mostly from negociants (people who buy grapes, juice, or even finished wine and sell it under another label). While this is good news for consumers it's bad news for the people growing wine grapes.

What grape growers are facing from the Press Democrat. 

Sonoma County Cannabis Tourism

You can get a day long tour out of San Francisco to explore Sonoma County's wine, weed, and beer (whew, what a day that would be). You can have cannabis delivered to your room (maybe a couple brownies for after dinner). How about a cannabis and food dinner pairing (bet you hadn't thought of that one). Or a grow tour (like a vineyard tour).

Cannabis tourism isn't huge in Sonoma County, but considering it was nowhere a couple years ago it seems to be turning into a thing probably for folks who live where it's still illegal.

Read all about it in the Press Democrat

Clouds on the Horizon for Wine?

The economy seems rosy, people spent lots of money over the holidays, but maybe the wine biz is in for a bit of a downturn. Not talking about a recession coming, but maybe a premium wine downturn. Several factors are leading people to think this might be about to happen.

Sonoma County Lodging with a View

If you wish to stay somewhere in Sonoma County with a view your best best is on the Pacific Coast though there are places with vineyard views, too.