Archive for the ‘Wine Education’ Category
With Natural Wine now the hottest category in the wine industry I thought it time to offer my top 10 list. What’s remarkable is just how many folks are drinking Natural Wine these days. The Natural Wines that make my top 10 list are delicious examples of what can be done when winemakers around the world dedicate themselves to using natural grapes to produce wine. THE TOP TEN NATURAL WINES Sutter Home White Zinfandel—California Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir—Vin de Pays…
What’s the difference between drinking wine and smoking marijuana? There’s no punchline here. It’s a legitimate question being asked by folks in Oregon who will go to thee polls in November and vote for whether to allow marijuana to be sold and regulated like wine. In fact, the voter initiative, Measure 80, has the official tag-line of “Regulate Cannabis Like Liquor”. Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a supporter of Measure 80, answers the question this way: “Liquor has no…
If you ever wanted a precise explanation as to why alcohol wholesalers and some retailers so vociferously opposed winery-to-consumer shipping throughout the 90s, 00’s and up until today, all you have to do is take a cursory look at ShipCompliant and Wines & Vines’ new winery-to-consumer shipping report. According to these sources, winery to consumer shipping now annually account for $1.35 billion in sales. But what’s remarkable is that those sales represent 8.6% of the total American wine retail marketplace…
I recently read an essay in which the author submitted the notion that one of the best strategies for easing the burdens of life is to do what is necessary to unbridle one’s self from as many decisions as possible. The idea is that we spend too much of our precious time on earth making mundane decision and we invest too much psychic energy in decision making where the consequences of our decisions are of very little importance. It got…
Is there any compelling reason a winery ought to be required by law to use any amount or percentage of grapes from within the state where it resides? I can’t think of one. Kansas winemakers are finishing up there 2012 harvest about now and doing so under a new rule concerning the origin of grapes they use to produce wine. Under Kansas law that went into effect this year, 30% of a winery’s annual production must be based on grapes…
