Archive for the ‘Wine News’ Category

Jul 5, 2016

The Petaluma Gap: Hurry Up Already!

The news is that the Petaluma Gap wine growing region in southern Sonoma County is still awaiting a report back from the Feds on their application for official AVA status. With their application having been submitted in February 2015, it’s likely that we will hear from the TTB this year. My money is on approval. From what I know the process was undertaken in a very deliberate manner by members of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance including using practiced AVA…

Apr 4, 2016

Building A Wall Around Napa and Making THEM Pay

The Nimby movement in Napa County is quickly becoming a laughing-stock. And there is good reason for this all too common response. Consider this tidbit written by Dan Mufson of Napa Vision 2050, the Chief Nimbyist organization: “Napa’s resident-based agricultural economy is dying. It is quickly being replaced by a corporate-based tourism economy. Willful ignorance is never a pretty thing. However, it is a desperate thing and that is the only possible explanation for this most ignorant of statements. Shall…

Dec 2, 2015

The Top Wine Stories of 2015

It has been an interesting year in wine. No single story dominated the wine news. There was no economic disaster. There was nothing that had an overwhelming impact on the wine world. Still, a diverse set of very interesting stories emerged from the U.S. wine world. Below are those stories from 2015 I thought most important, particularly for members of the wine trade. They are in no particular order. However, I can say that the story listed as #1 will…

Jul 6, 2015

Beer is Better than Wine Because, Well, Because

Maybe it’s bad reporting. Maybe it’s just a matter of click-bating. Maybe its just a case of someone throwing a ball through a window then running away. No matter what it is, a story claiming that “beer is a better drink to serve with food” breaks one of my cardinal rules: if you are going to make a bold statement, at least make the slightest effort to back it up with reasoning. As explained in the Telegraph and at Drinks…

Oct 29, 2014

A Great Story About a Great Wine Man

I used to joke with a former colleague at a wine PR firm that the first one of us to get their visage depicted in a line drawing in the Wall Street Journal wins—triggering an automatic dinner at the restaurant of our choice. However, after reading this absolutely wonderful and inspiring story about Peter Mondavi, Sr. celebrating 100 years of age, I think it’s pretty clear that the person who has this kind of article written about them wins the…