Invest in Wine Stocks?

I'm not any sort of expert investor, if there is such a thing, so I won't tell you whether you should pick up a few wine stocks. Maybe it's something you might want to do just for fun with a few hundred bucks. Here are some options.

The Upward Trend in Alcohol Levels

Over the last few decades alcohol levels in wines have been going up. Yes, those red wines you see at 14.5%, 15%, or more, used to be 13.x%. There's a similar change with white wines. What happened? Two things.

Winery vs a Label

A winery, by definition, is an establishment that makes wine. Seems pretty straightforward. Much of the wine you see in grocery stores is what I'd call a wine label. I don't mean the physical paper label on the bottle, but it's a winery name that isn't really a single physical winery. You could call it a wine brand without its own winery and made in a wine "factory."

Premium Wine Vineyards on the Move

On the move? Over time, yes, as the land heats up. The average temperature in Napa Valley has gone up 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 125 years. That's a bit higher than the overall increase for the country. In France they have noticed an increase in temperature, just as the rest of the globe has, along with more heat waves, more precipitation in the autumn and winter with a drop in rain in the summer.

The 2021 Drought Vintage

They say less water in the vineyards gives you less tonnage (bad economically), but smaller fruit with more intense flavors producing excellent wines. Well, that adage is about to be tested in California.

Rain and the Grape Harvest

  The Northern Hemisphere is in the midst of the wine grape harvest. One of the things you hear wine people worry about is rain. Why is that?

Sonoma County Wineries with a European Feel

Winery buildings come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like a castle or château, some are in an old barn. These with a European identity are on the fancy side. (Not meaning fancy prices necessarily, just very nice architecture).

Wineries with a European feel from the Press Democrat.

Why it's Difficult to Get Wine Shipped to You

  About 15 years ago the Supreme Court said if you let local state alcohol companies ship to consumers, you have to let out-of-state do the same. This started a trend of more and more states allowing wine shipping, with some caveats.

Next Big Thing in Wine - Michigan. Huh?

The better wine regions in the country are growing in acres of vineyards planted, but none quicker than Michigan. Though that state produces less than one-half of one percent of all American wine now they have big plans. They expect to be at 10,000 acres of wine grapes in a short time (Sonoma County has 62,000 acres). 

Wine Tasting Fee Sticker Shock

With the pandemic rules, most wineries, in the Napa / Sonoma region anyway, have gone to seated tastings by reservation. This controls the size of the crowd and the spacing of groups. 

Since the end of the Great Recession wine prices and tasting fees have increased. Now with the added changes for the pandemic, it's officially sticker shock for anyone who hasn't been wine tasting in a while.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair 2021

Every year the Sonoma County Harvest Fair celebrates the best wines from Sonoma County grapes. This year, as last, there isn't a public celebration as the weekend wine tasting is again cancelled due to the pandemic. 

The list of winners is available for you to peruse and maybe purchase a few favorites (that's what I'll be doing).

Results by winery

Results by wine variety

Italian Style in Sonoma County

Sonoma County has a rich history with Italian immigrants in the local wine industry. Just look at many of the winery names like Fappiano, Martinelli, Pedroncelli, Rochioli, and Seghesio. You can find the Italian spirit at tasting rooms throughout the county, some pretty genuine, some a bit less authentic, but these are great places for Barbera, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and maybe some obscure Italian varietals.