Archive for the ‘Wine Gossip’ Category

Aug 22, 2007

A Chance To Take Down The Munchkin

One of the very best (meaning fun) winery events I’ve ever attended was the Roshambo Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships. As Virginie Boone at WineAbout Blog points out, there was fear that Roshambo would not be able to carry on with this contest of skill, wit and intuition after having sold their winery to Silver Oak. Naomi Brilliant wouldn’t let that happen. The 5th Annual Roshambo Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships is set for October 6th at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa, Sonoma…

Aug 15, 2007

Harvest Widows & Widowers Prepare for Abandonment

Driving through southern Napa Valley and the town of Sonoma yesterday I saw no less than 8 trucks hauling grapes—nice, plump, aromatic grapes. (ever drive behind a truck hauling just-harvested grapes? It smells like I imagine the Welch’s production factory does.) Harvest is undoubtedly underway here in the North Coast. My reports have Sauvignon Blanc coming in just about everywhere. Pinot can’t be that far behind, particularly in the warmer areas. There is still a lot that can happen between…

Aug 1, 2007

Behold: The Golden Age of Artisan Winemaking

Today, on the front page of the SF Chronicle, above the fold, was a huge story about the sale of venerable Stag’s Leap Winery for $185 Million. This story, along with the news that William Hill and Canyon Road went to a consortium of St. Michelle and Antinori and Duckhorn sold most of it’s value to an equity firm, led to the state of Napa Valley being a BIG concern not just in the media but in the industry. I…

Jul 26, 2007

Ask For that Sweet Caress

Do you know who Randall Dunn is? For those of you who do, bear with me. Dunn is one of the most respected winemakers in America. He built Caymus Special Selection. He defined the meaning of mountain-grown Cabernet. He helped put Howell Mountain on the viticultural map. He consulted for the likes of La Jota and Pahlmeyer. His Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet was identified by Jim Laube as one of a very few produced at the time to be…

Jul 23, 2007

Can a Film Help Popularize $175 Napa Cabs?

There’s a good deal of Hollywood Intrigue surrounding the cinematic interpretation of the famed Paris Tasting that put California on the maps. There are apparently now two rival productions in the works that will bring the story to movie theaters. "Bottle Shock" is set to go into production staring Alan Rickman as Steve Spurrier and Bill Pullman as Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena while "Judgment of Paris" is the "official" film based on Jim Tabor’s book "The Judgment of Paris….