Jan 9, 2019
One of the best things about undergoing a change of venue (we are moving), is it forces you to re-evaluate the set-up or functionality of your living space. As the packing for our move to Oregon commenced, little Henry George and I found ourselves standing in front of and staring at a collection of 250 bottles of wine. This is by no means huge. But it’s significant enough to get you thinking about the process of moving it and where…
Jan 3, 2019
I’ve lived in Northern California for 55 years. I’ve lived in the North Coast Wine Country (Sonoma and Napa) for more than two decades. Nearly all of my very best friends are located here in Northern California. The heart of the Industry in which I’ve worked for 25 years is here in Northern California. At the end of January, I’m packing up my family and leaving for Oregon’s Willamette Valley. That we are leaving is largely an economic decision. In…
Nov 30, 2018
The San Francisco Chronicle’s excellent young wine editor, Esther Mobley, engages in some really interesting speculation this week. In response to Katherine Cole’s excellent survey of how some wine labelling regulations have and are changing in the U.S. published in SevenFifty Daily, Mobley asks the following question: “Will this emulation of Europe at some point endanger our distinctively American spirit of experimentation when it comes to planting vineyards?” What Esther is asking is will wine labelling regulations in the U.S….
Oct 25, 2018
News that the Coppola family of Napa and Sonoma winery fame purchased the Vista Hills Vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley shouldn’t be a real surprise. While there isn’t an exodus to Oregon among California winemakers, there certainly is a turning north in winemakers’ investment view. The Vista Hills Vineyard is a pretty prime spot. Located in the Dundee Hills AVA and situated next door to Domaine Drouhin and Domaine Serene, the 42 acres of vineyard and tasting room and winery…
Sep 18, 2018
According to a recent story by the Portland Oregonian’s wine writer Michael Alberty, winemakers and winergrowers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, home to some of the best Pinot Noir produced anywhere in the world, are likely to support a bill that would require Conjunctive Labelling to support the larger Willamette Valley AVA. I think this is a mistake. Conjunctive Labelling Laws require that a winery place the name of a larger recognized winegrowing region on their label even when the grapes…