Archive for the ‘Wine Education’ Category
Allow me to quote Charles Olken from the preface of his newest book "The New Connoissuers' Guidebook to California Wine & Wineries": "It is now three decades since my first book, The Connoissuers' Handbook of California Wine, appeared in print." Olken, through numerous editions of that original Handbook, and through his newsletter, The Connosseurs' Guide To California Wine (born in 1974), has been regulatory and habitually chronicling the California wine landscape longer than anyone I know. He understands its evolution,…
First things first: No, "Napa Valley" and "Sonoma County" and the "North Coast" can not together nor separately appropriately be described as singular weather zones. Put another way, grapes grown on the valley floor in the Yountville region of Napa and grapes grown near the top of Spring Mountain in Napa Valley are likely to have experienced differing weather conditions throughout the year. The same can be said for Alexander Valley and the Sonoma/Carneros region. That said, the harvest in…
Pinot On The River, the great Pinot-centric even that takes place in the Russian River Valley next weekend, holds great importance for me. Almost exactly one year ago I attended the 2009 Pinot On the Rivers Sunday Tasting at Rodney Strong Vineyards on the same day I decided to quit smoking. The array of Pinots at the tasting was so compelling it helped me forget the withdrawals I was having, for at least a time, and put me on the…
Every big thing starts small. Every success is an idea first. The future is built on the present I've mentioned it before and alluded to it later: If American wine consumers are going to be heard and if their interests are to be taken seriously, they must speak up. And they need to speak up with one voice. The idea is "The American Wine Consumer Coalition". • When state legislators consider laws concerning consumer access to wine, they don't consult…
The key to successfully living in the town of Napa, I've discovered, is to appreciate what you are closer to, and therefore get to more quickly, than had you not moved to this bustling city that anchors the south end of Napa Valley. It's been five months since I moved from Sonoma to Napa. I've had a good deal of time to explore the outlines and contours of this city. And while I remain extraordinarily happy with my decision to…
