The Wine You Buy Tells Your Age

We like to compare generations in many way, so why not wine consumption?

Michigan, A Cold Climate Wine Success

 Not every quality wine has to be grown in a Mediterranean climate, as it turns out.

Sonoma/Napa Winery News

 Current happenings, mostly related to the slowdown in wine visitation.

The Coming Weird Wine Grape Harvest

Mother Nature controls much of what happens in agriculture, and wine grapes are especially finicky. Harvest timelines and fruit quality vary based on weather and peoples' decisions. The 2026 spring weather was most unusual and that's going to have an impact.

Using AI to Select Wineries to Visit

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere on the Internet. Perhaps, you could say it's being shoved down our throats. Regardless, we all probably use it, more so with the youngest among us. Millennials and Gen Z of drinking age. Yes, some of the Gen Z (1997 to 2012) are of drinking age!

Following is some help in using AI to actually give you useful suggestions.

State Comparison for Wine

Statistically, how "winey" is each state?

Who Drinks Organic Wine?

Organic wines have received a lot of media attention. But who is drinking organic wine? The previous blog post defines what organic wine is.

What Is Organic Wine?

Part of the personal health trend means consuming healthy food and drink. For many this means it's organically grown or raised. Organic wines have gotten lots of media buzz, but what exactly is organic wine?

Tasting Fees: Many Wineries Are Getting It

Tasting room fees have doubled since 2012. Tasting room traffic is way down. Coincidence?

Premium Canned Wine

Wine in cans started with a sweet, fruity, fizzy beverage in a can with a cute, colorful label on the outside. It's growing up and becoming a beverage for adults rather than for college kids at the beach or maybe sneaking them into movie theaters and concerts.

2026 Direct-To-Consumer Wine Report

Silicon Valley Bank's yearly report is a benchmark on the current state of the American wine industry. They put out two major annual reports, The State of the U.S. Wine Industry, and this one, the Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) Wine Report. Direct-to-consumer and wholesale are the channels for a winery to sell product. DTC means they get to keep all the profit, wholesale means it's shared with the wholesalers and retailers.

Is Overripe Over?

By overripe, I mean the soft, lush, blockbuster fruity wines of California. By questioning if they are finished as a style, I mean they aren't going away anytime soon, but are they losing popularity. We are seeing a return by some winemakers to what I consider more balanced and structured wines.

Coming to Sonoma County?

If you're flying into Northern California to visit Sonoma County or Napa Valley, rather than landing in San Francisco or Sacramento, consider flying directly into wine country. There are plenty of flights into the Sonoma County Airport (STS).

Here's the current list from the Petaluma Argus-Courier. This information is also at the airport's site.

Approximate drive times from STS: 

Healdsburg  13 minutes
Sonoma  50 minutes
Calistoga  32 minutes
Napa  65 minutes

The Wine Sub-Culture

Wine same customs have been around for many generations, and it seems almost impossible to change any of them. It's not all necessarily bad, but some things make you wonder.

If We Lose Wineries During the Downturn

California's wine industry experienced explosive growth in the 2010-2020 timeframe, adding roughly 1,500 wineries between 2010 and 2020 alone. Since the mid-1990s the number of wineries in America has been on a steep climb.

Zinfandel on the Rebound?

Premium Zinfandel appears to be bucking the broader trend of declining wine sales. Some white wines are also bucking the trend.

Pour Decisions (Wine Jokes)

 Friday funnies time. Might be some dad jokes in there.

Dining Out is not as Popular as it Once Was

About 20% of U.S. wine is sold to restaurants generating at least 40% of sales in dollar value, because of restaurant mark-ups. There's bad news on that front as inflation eats into people's eating out habits.

Sonoma/Napa Recent News

Recent winery-related happenings in Sonoma and Napa County.

Happy Hour at the Winery

image from sonomamag.com

 

More innovation is being used to attract more foot traffic. Several Sonoma and Napa wineries are hosting evening happy hours featuring wines by the glass, small bites, and even a food truck. Grab some friends, then head over, and grab a glass of wine.

Last year, a nearby Sonoma Valley winery did this. I went once, but their by-the-glass prices kept me from going back a second time. I'm going to check it out again this year. It's a great idea for the summer if done right.

Wineries Embrace Happy Hour from Sonoma Magazine. 

 

The Coming of Enhanced Wine Tourism

Wine tourism has always meant visiting wineries, tasting wines, maybe buying, and moving on. Sometimes there might be a look at the wine production facility. This is changing.

Sonoma Mountain Appellation

The Sonoma Mountain range that sits to the west of Sonoma Valley separating it from the Santa Rosa and Petaluma plains. The highest point in the range is Sonoma Mountain at about 2,500 ft. 

Within the Sonoma Mountain range is the Sonoma Mountain appellation or AVA. 

Not All Wine is in the Doldrums

The common opinion is that wine sales are in trouble. While overall sales are definitely down, not all market segments are the same. Here's where you'll find growth.

Visiting Sonoma County, Part 2

The previous post was title Visiting Sonoma County -- Basic Info. This one is the intermediate course.  🍷

Visiting Sonoma County -- Basic Info

If you're planning a visit here are some things to consider. 

Alternates to Your Favorite Wine Varietal

Why try something besides your favorite kind of wine? One reason is that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon are often on the expensive side due to their popularity. Another, you might just want to change it up.

This is focused on alternatives made in California. 

Free Stuff in Sonoma County This Summer

There are numerous free events and other ideas for the warm months of 2026.

Where To Go In California, By Wine Varietal & Style

The idea for this post came about after reading for the hundredth time in a Napa social media group, "We're going to Napa for our first time! I love Riesling, where do we go?" I didn't reply, but I'm thinking, you go to New York or Washington State. You don't go to Napa.

Following along with that idea is this, "I like ____. Where can I find it?" Not all-inclusive, but I hit some of the major ones.

Napa Being All Friendly

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I say this halfway joking.

The Growth of White Wine

White wines are in the midst of a boom cycle as U.S.sales surpassed red wines in 2024. That same year global white wine sales were up 3% while red wines were down 3%. Why is this and what might red wine producers learn?

The Emergence of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County

Sonoma County growing areas such as Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Petaluma Gap are known for Pinot Noir. Following is a timeline for the growth of Pinot in the county.

The Rise and Fall of Kenwood Vineyards

Kenwood Vineyards, located in the village of Kenwood in Sonoma Valley, has been a fixture of Sonoma County winemaking for over 50 years. The site has been home to winemaking for 120 years.

Complimentary Wine Tastings!

Spring in Alexander Valley
image from sonoma.com

Fourteen wineries in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley will offer free wine tastings and ten percent off of wine purchases during the month of April 2026. There are also some special rates on nearby lodging.

Some big name wineries are among the fourteen, including Jordan, Robert Young, and Silver Oak. 

Don't miss out! 

Info at Alexander Valley Winegrowers 

For other wine tasting deals in Sonoma County, see this previous blog post. 

A Visual Look at the Wine Market

A look at the wine market in a few graphs.
Every Picture Tells a Story, Don't It? Rod Stewart, 1971.

The Hot Spots for Zinfandel

Where are the best spots to grow Zinfandel? Here's a look at the top growing areas, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).

Cool Spots for Pinot Noir

Pinot loves a cool growing season. The grapes are thin-skinned, ripen early, and want slow maturing to retain their acids. A warmer climate means the thin skins get damaged by the hot sun, the acids are degraded, and the grape sugars shoot up before the flavors can develop. You wind up with a flabby, soft, simple wine. 

Changing Winemaking Customs

It seems like now might be a great time to change up the traditions in the wine biz. 

2025 California Grape Crush Report

 The state agriculture department has released the 2025 Preliminary Grape Crush Report. Following are a few highlights.

Could This Be a Big Reason Why Wine Sales are Down?

You've heard that wine sales are looking gloomy, and you've probably heard different reasons why.

Younger consumers don't think it's cool because their parents drink it. There's too much competition from newer beverages like RTDs (ready-to-drink alcoholic drinks in cans), seltzers, ciders, and craft beer.  There are health concerns. Another contributing factor is a post-pandemic let-down after huge sales just after businesses reopened in 2021. These all contribute, but price may be key.

Large and Small, the Two Wine Industries

Looking at the differences in large vs. small wineries we'll focus on what's typical for each. Large ones are usually owned by corporations or at least have corporate-like structures. Small are family owned and operated. They are different in many ways.

Northern California's Wine Regions

  When people think of California wine, they usually think of Napa Valley Cabernet first. Then maybe Sonoma County, specifically Russian River Valley, for Pinot Noir. There's actually a lot more. This is a look at the main wine regions of Northern California, listed alphabetically.

Wine Regions Experiencing Growth

It's not entirely doom and gloom for the American wine biz. There are areas that are adding vineyards and have new wineries planned. Here's a few of them.

Wine Tasting Deals in Sonoma County

 These are the current deals on wine tasting that I've run across.

The Phases of Wine Sales Going in the Crapper

There are five stages of grief: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. So far with the wine business facing a downturn I've seen action, panic, and marketing. 

Action is ripping out vineyards and lay-offs. That is, cutting product and people -- the usual corporate steps. Panic is the fear you can sense in writing and speech from some in the industry. Marketing is what I see now as people are trying to get more time and money spent on reminding people to buy wine, sometimes in weird ways. One is a tasting room tax on sales with the money going to some as yet undetermined group to do some sort of marketing. 

Whatever the next phase is, I hope we get there soon because this marketing phase seems wrong.

I vote for giving the people what they want. That would be things like fun, unpretentious wine in cans, or at least something beside a 750ml glass bottle. Get rid of the corks, add ingredient labeling. I don't know which phase this is, but I hope it's one of them. Innovation, baby!

Thanks for your attention to this matter.  

Beautiful Wineries of Sonoma County

Some of the most eye-catching wineries in the county are listed below. I don't make any claim to these being the most beautiful as beauty is in the eye of the beholder / beer holder / Chardonnay holder. 

Some are more for the architecture, some for the surrounding landscape, some have artwork. 

The Other Valley for Cabernet

Napa Valley is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon. There are folks out there who believe Napa is the only place for Cab. There's another valley, and it's not too far from Napa.

Spring 2026 Events in Sonoma County

The big happenings from March through May in Sonoma County, some are wine-related, some aren't.

Before American Wines Were Labeled With Grape Names

  American wine wasn't always named for its varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc.).

Cost of Goods Sold for Wine

What determines the price of a bottle of wine? There's definitely supply and demand, for certain wines and for certain grapes from certain places. What we'll cover here are the basics or labor, material, and overhead.

Winter In Sonoma County (pics)

In case it's dreary at home, and you want a break, here's what you might find in Sonoma County in the winter months. All are my photos from past years.

Wine Industry Report for 2026

The Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division puts out an annual report on the financial state of the American wine industry. The data comes from wineries returning a survey of their past year's performance. Their State of the US Wine Industry report is required reading for many in the wine business. Below are a few key points. Go here and click on Download Now to see the full report.

Wine Faults

Something ain't quite right with your wine, but you aren't sure what it might be or if it's just you. Following are the most common problems you can find with wine. Some of them happened at the winery, the others in storage, in transit, or in your hands.

Describing Sonoma County Towns

If you are wondering where to stay when visiting Sonoma County, rather than asking people on Reddit or looking at a map, use this handy description guide to pick what fits your personality.

Towns listed from large to small. 

Visiting Sonoma County in the Winter

Is an off-season visit right for you? Here are pros and cons of a winter visit. The same applies for Napa, our next door neighbor.

Other California Wine Towns

Lots of people know about the wine towns of Napa Valley (Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga), and next door in Sonoma County (Sonoma, and Healdsburg). These burgs tend to be cutesy and pricey. California has other wine towns that aren't so well known, maybe not so cute, and probably not so expensive. 

It's Supposed to be Wine TASTING

Napa Valley and its small towns sometimes have issues with people overdoing it. Luckily, it seems most folks are aware of the potential to overindulge and hire a driver, have a designated-driver, or keep their winery stops to two per day.

Top Wine Stories of 2025

Welcome to 2026. We made it! Following are some of last year's big stories relating to the U.S. alcohol industry.