Archive for the ‘Wine Places’ Category
There is now and has been for some time, a very serious debate occurring in Napa Valley. On the face of it the debate appears to be over the issue of growth, the Valley’s ability to sustain its essentially rural nature and the role the wine industry plays in both. Committees have been formed. Government is involved. Community groups have coalesced. Opinion pieces and letters have been written. Recommendations have been made. Action is set to be taken. Based on…
Last week Nancy Keates investigated the Oregon wine industry for the Wall Street Journal. In general, the article profiled a number of folks who have spent lots of money building wineries, building homes in Oregon wine country and generally gentrifying their way to happiness and profit. However, buried in this story was a fascinating factoid: in 2014 the number of wineries in Oregon increased by 12% to 676. That’s HUGE! I don’t know how the figure was derived, but let’s…
The reason the Wine Bloggers Conference is heading to New York’s Finger Lakes District is because the wines are so damn good and it’s a region that is impressing more and more wine drinkers across the country every year. I’ve had the chance to taste a number of really great wines from the area at wine competitions, both those made with hybrids and vinifera. However, one thing the Conference attendees won’t be tasting when in New York, but that they…
Shepard Bliss (what a great name!) is the latest in what is becoming a slew of people pushing back against the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The anti-industry activists appear to be concerned the growth in the industry will cause massive harm not only to the counties and their environments, but also to the quality of life for residents. What’s interesting about these anti-winery activists is the remarkably disingenuous way they are trying to make their case against…
Napa Valley has just seen its busiest tourist month of the year come and go. October, during the height of harvest is when the Valley sees more tourists than any other month. From October, visits fall precipitously until January, which sees the fewest visitors. All this is leading me to the point that November just may be the best month of year to visit Napa Valley…But it depends on your disposition. 1. THE BEAUTY OF THE VINEYARDS For those looking…
