Napa, and next door in Sonoma, are two big destinations for out-of-state visitors coming to experience the California wine country. Most people have probably heard about summer crowds and summer prices.
If you'd like to avoid these issues, an off-season visit might be for you. Off-season is considered November through April.
As with the food industry, there are a lot of choices and confusion with wine types relating to health. Remember when the dairy aisle in the supermarket carried three milks only -- whole, skim, and non-fat? Now there's organic, almond, ultra-filtered, A2, lactose free, oat, etc. Having these choices isn't a bad thing, of course, but it can be a bit bewildering.
The same sort of thing is going on with wine, and it's quite confusing.
Some of these are wine stories, some not. Some seem to come right out of the Wild West. Most appeared in the local paper, so are likely to be true. :)
If temperatures rise over the coming decades, some worry about wine grape production in California. Will famous places like Napa Valley get too hot for Cabernet? If you think just moving vineyards north is the answer, well, maybe it's not that simple.
The Wonderful Company is a privately held $5 billion enterprise. Stewart and wife Lynda Resnick's best known product is Fiji Water, then maybe POM pomegranate products. If you check their website or look for information, you'll find them to be quite socially and environmentally responsible. If only that were true.
They own Justin Winery in Paso Robles and Landmark in Sonoma County. They are in the news again because of their recent purchase of Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa.
Not just for wine, but why do people shop online vs. in stores. Some of the reasons are obvious if you're an online shopper.
Happy Anniversary to me. The first post on this wine blog was on December 27, 2008, and titled "Oh no, another wine blog!" Yeah, I'm still here. :)
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There are a couple big stories to the year. One is the well-known wineries that have sold. These happen to all be in Napa. There were smaller, less recognized ones that changed hands, also. The other story is the post-pandemic high prices.
You'll rarely find ten dollar stuff coming from expensive Sonoma County grapes. Those California wines come from the San Joaquin Valley grapes. Most of the wines listed below will be $20-$30. I consider this price to be a good deal for the quality you're getting. You'll often find them for less than the winery's suggested retail.
In Sonoma County, it's easy to find Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé for $20 or less; it's nearly impossible to find Pinot Noir for under $45.
About 90% of wine purchased retail is consumed within a couple of weeks. Usually it's consumed that same day.
The current wine culture says wine should be ready to drink on release. The trick with many premium wines is to also give it aging potential. Some wines will get better with age, others will get worse. The varietal makes the biggest difference, but winemaking and even the weather during the grapes' growing season make a difference.
