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).