The barrel room at Robert Mondavi.

“His passion… was crafting beautiful wines, and evangelizing the wine-centric lifestyle, a mash-up of good wine, good food, good conversation, good friends, fine art, hard work, and above all, an appreciation for all the pleasures that ensued.” In honor of Robert Mondavi’s 100th birthday, Paul Gregutt writes a touching post. 

“Maybe it’s a matter of experience. Or maybe it’s contrariness. But what is it about some wine lovers that makes them so unwilling to accept certain realities?” In his latest WineSpectator.com column, Matt Kramer brings attention to two realities that wine enthusiasts seem unwilling to accept.

In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre profiles Carlton McCoy, a DC-native who recently earned the rank of master sommelier. 

Elsewhere in the Post, McIntyre suggest “5 summer wines to try.” (Domaine Pfister’s Cuvee 8 is absolutely delicious.) 

In Sonoma, the value of grapes is skyrocketing.  

“Culture, not politics, is key when it comes to selling Turkish wines in America.” Mike Veseth writes a thoughtful piece on Turkish wines. 

At Wakawaka Wine Reviews, Elaine Brown previews Forlorn Hope’s 2012 St Laurent. 

“[Oregon] is inspired by Burgundy, but it’s not Burgundy.” In Wine-Searcher, W. Blake Gray chats with Veronique Drouhin-Boss, head winemaker at both Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley and Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy. 

On Brunellos Have More Fun, Whitney Adams chats with Christine Marais Hoffman, a sommelier at Terroni who happens to be pregnant. 

Over at Reign of Terroir, Ken Payton chats with Pierre Galet, the “father of modern ampelography.” 

Texas Viognier might be worth trying.  

Jamie Goode offers some quick impressions from Vinexpo.  

E! News reports: “Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s wine has been a nonstop success since it first landed on the shelves in March of this year.”

From Wikimedia.

In Vouvray, some vineyards have experienced total loss of this year’s crop from hail damage. Details from Chris Kissack and The Drinks Business. 

“It makes the New World, in this way, so exciting… We’re striving for what expresses these sites in the most beautiful way. We don’t know what that is yet.” In Wine & Spirits, Elaine Brown reports on “The Seven Percenters.” 

“Two good journalists, Mike Dunne and Rick Kushman, took over the California State Fair competition this year. That’s why I agreed to judge.” W. Blake Gray judges at this year’s California State Fair competition. One conclusion? California Chardonnay is completely different now. 

“When a national wine consumer rights organization does launch… one would expect and hope that those members of the trade who have an interest, financial and philosophical, in seeing consumer wine laws liberalized will support consumers.” Tom Wark explains why “the… interests of the wine trade are nearly identically aligned with the political and financial interests of consumers.” 

On Forbes.com, Larry Olmsted chats with Francis Ford Coppola about wine.’ 

Elsewhere in Forbes, Katie Kelly Bell profiles “The Steve Jobs Of Wine: Winemaker Paul Hobbs.” 

“When Napa almost always gets knocked for its pricing, it’s worth noting that in the long view, things are neither as good nor as bad as they seem.” Jon Bonné offers some historical perspective on the pricing of Napa Cabernet.  

“What’s in that bottle anyway?” In the San Jose Mercury News, Laurie Daniel writes about ingredient labeling on wine bottles. 

“The global online wine market is worth around $5 billion and continues to grow by more than 30 percent each year.” In Wine-Searcher, Rebecca Gibb provides some fascinating numbers on online wine sales. 

“Still, restaurants like Commander’s Palace must constantly come up with ways to sell more wine.” In Bloomberg, John Mariani wonders who orders those $10,000 wines off restaurant wine lists. 

Wine has become democratic and modern. There are prices and drinking styles to suit everyone. So why hasn’t the closure method evolved?” In BBC News Magazine, Tom de Castella wonders why people are such snobs about corks.

“Since leaving the apparel business some 25 years ago, he doesn’t seem to have spent much time thinking about clothes.” In the Wall Street Journal, Jay McInerney visits the extreme Sonoma Coast to spend some time with David Hirsch.  

“Perhaps people go nuts about Jura because the wines are so distinctive yet quite complicated.” Jancis Robinson was impressed with London’s first-ever Jura wine delegation, of 28 different vignerons. 

Cambridge University won this year’s Left Bank Bordeaux Cup. 

The Wine Company, an importer and wholesaler based in Saint Paul, chats with me!  

In Palate Press, Michael Cervin writes about “The (Very) Slow Rise of the Wines of Crete.”  

Just as Turkey’s “wines are getting better and better,” heavy-handed regulations are making it harder than ever for producers to sell their wares within the country. 

Tom Wark comments on the “the recommendation of a powerful group French of health advocates that… wine blogs, social media postings and other online outlets be banned from promoting, advertising or otherwise celebrating wine.” Alder Yarrow is also angry about it. 

In China, wine distributors are stocking up on purchases amid fear that the nation’s trade fight with the European Union will drive up import tariffs. 

“The wine market is dead. It could take years for this market to recover.” Evidence is emerging that the wine investing is “floundering.” 

“It isn’t only the diversity in the cuisine that intimidates many when it comes to pairing Cantonese food with wine, but the order in which the food is enjoyed.” In her latest Wine-Searcher column, Jeannie Cho Lee MW writes about pairing wines with Asian cuisines. 

As I passed from vineyard to vineyard, which are often nestled in the hillsides next to these villages, I couldn’t help but think that if ever a wine’s character reflected a place, then it is in Rioja.” In the Montreal Gazette, Bill Zacharkiw writes about the “charm of old Rioja.” 

Jordan Vineyards & Winery has launched its “first Estate Tour & Tasting experience.”

Each week, as regular readers know, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Sebastian Donoso, winemaker at Campovida in Hopland, California. 

Donoso, a native of Chile, earned his degree in enology and viticulture from California State University, Fresno. While there, he worked under John Giannini, who heads up Fresno State’s Winery and wine production program. He then went to Saracina Vineyards, spending four years as an enologist and assistant winemaker under Alex MacGregor before landing at Campovida. 

Check out our interview with Sebastian below the fold.  Read the rest of this entry »

One of California's best.

“California is an awfully big wine-producing world. It’s time to embrace it.” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov praises Dirty & Rowdy, Massican, Matthiasson, and seven other “producers worth seeking out.” #GoAmerica

“When it comes to stocking up the cellar for the summer months, an eclectic choice of wines is required to cope with every eventuality.” Some sage advice from Will Lyons in the Wall Street Journal Europe. 

Shanken News Daily reports that “California’s premium-plus wine segment ($10-and-above) is thriving.” 

“If I do suddenly go, John has to bottle the Pinot for me.” Hawk Wakawaka spends time with two of California’s most exciting winemakers, John Lockwood and David Mahaffey. 

Two wine collectors from New York are suing Charlie Trotter. The allegation? Selling a counterfeit magnum of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. 

Alfonso Cevola spends “A week on (and on and on) the wine trail in California.” 

“The wines are a throwback to an era of low-alcohol, terroir-driven purity that is a rare treasure today.” In the latest email from Weygandt Wines, Sam Mitchell profiles Domaine Saladin. 

Forbes offers an “Insider’s Guide To Food And Wine Classic In Aspen.” 

In New Zealand, winemakers are hailing the 2013 vintage as “one of the best in history.” 

In Chicago, Binny’s is slated to become “one of the largest beverage alcohol superstores in the world.” 

VinTank releases version 3.0. (Last year, Alder Yarrow explained why VinTank rocks.)

Facebook.com/sommdocfilm.

In a smart post, Joe Roberts details “The Fast Track To Wine Authority That Nobody’s Taking.” Tom Wark agrees. 

Inspired by the news that thieves broke into Chateau d’Yquem, Dr. Vino lists the 12 largest wine heists.

“Just like sommeliers, today’s well known bartenders often garner a reputation for a specific area of expertise. The wine community associates Paul Grieco with Riesling in much the same way that the cocktail community associates Phil Ward with mezcal.” Eater’s Levi Dalton explores the divide  between wine enthusiasts and spirits obessessives.

“Wise takes the viewer through the vineyard, harvest, crush, fermentation, barreling and bottling of wine in a zippy opening, and in about the time it takes to open and pour a glass of wine, viewers are launched into the story.” Paul Gregutt reviews SOMM.

No one will ever finish that book on wine. There’s just too much to know, and it’s constantly evolving, constantly changing.” On WineSpectator.com, Ben O’Donnell chats with David O’Day, the wine director of Del Frisco.

“A new website to be launched at the start of Vinexpo… is designed for wine enthusiasts wanting to find a soul mate.” Wine-Searcher has the details on VineaLove.

“I think if more people drank Champagne on a regular basis the world would be a better place.” Elsewhere in Wine-Searcher, Rebecca Gibb chats with Doug Shafer.

“The over-valued Aussie dollar has affected all segments of the Australian wine industry, but bulk wine sales have been perhaps the most impacted because international competition is so fierce for commodity wines.” Mike Veseth dives into the latest economic news from Australia to explain how it’s impacting the wine market.

Alder Yarrow tastes his way through Italy’s “best wines” at OperaWine 2013.

In Bloomberg, Miles Weiss reports that “Goldman Sachs… accepted almost 15,000 bottles of fine wine as loan collateral from a former high-ranking executive.” Over at Forbes, Kathryn Tully wonders if more collectors will turn wine into cash.

On Saturday, Stephen Pessagno, co-founder of Pessagno Vineyards in Monterey County, passed away. He was 55. Steve Heimoff writes a thoughtful obituary.   

From Wikimedia.

On Monday evening, “thieves broke into a warehouse at France’s renowned Chateau d’Yquem and stole 380 half bottles of wine.” The take was worth about $132,000.

“Having spent all my wine years as a member of the wine press, my experiences are that winemakers and wine sellers are usually found in nice restaurants, at long lunches or dinners, or at special tasting events organized to present the wines in the most attractive way possible. The real world is a tougher arena.” Paul Gregutt hits the road hawking his wines.

In both Barolo and Barbaresco, vintners are experimenting with whole-cluster fermentation. In Wine-Searcher, Kerin O’Keefe has the details.

“Glass shape changes the ways in which aromatic compounds come up into the headspace of a glass over time, and… we’re capable of smelling at least some of those differences.” In Palate Press, Erika Szymanski highlights some a fascinating study on glass shape conducted by researchers at UC Davis. 

“For the couple behind some of South America’s most spectacular boutique hotels… this would be the biggest challenge yet.” In Food & Wine, Salma Abdelnour profiles Alex and Carrie Vik, the “art-collecting couple” behind Vina Vik, a hotel and winery in Chile’s Millahue Valley. 

“The legacy of Mondavi’s belief and passion lives on though the countless small producers who populate the Napa Valley, and the United States as a whole.” In Forbes, Katie Kelly Bell celebrates Robert Mondavi’s 100th Birthday. 

“Purists will wince.” France24 profiles the efforts of Winestar to “democratize the sale of quality wine” by selling it in cans.  

“Weed wine is always found in an unlabeled bottle with a blank cork and I try not to get too excited or aggressively ask for more.” In Vice, Bonnie Collins writes about some of the more herbaceous wines coming out of California.

As regular readers know, I write a free, twice monthly wine column that’s distributed to newspapers across the country.

These columns are hosted by Palate Press: The Online Wine Magazine. If you don’t see my column in your local newspaper, please send an email to your paper’s editor and CC me (David – at – Terroirist.com).

In my latest column, I I take a look at the wine blogosphere — and argue that wine bloggers are virtually indistinguishable from the “conventional” wine media.

Wine Blogging Grows Up

Last week, about 250 wine bloggers gathered in Penticton, a small city in British Columbia, Canada, for the sixth annual North American Wine Bloggers’ Conference.

That so many wine enthusiasts would travel to a city five hours east of Vancouver isn’t surprising. Held in a different winemaking region each year, the annual conference brings together bloggers from across the world to meet one another, share tips and tricks, and learn from industry leaders.

What is surprising, though, is just how mature this group has become. What started as a small collection of amateur wine journalists embracing a new form of communication has evolved into a group of writers that’s virtually indistinguishable from the “conventional” wine media. 

The blogosphere has been trending in this direction for quite some time.

Check out the rest of the piece on Palate Press: The Online Wine Magazine.

Flickr, peruisay.

“It’s white wine, with a label proclaiming it is from the vineyards of Romanee-Conti, the bottle bearing the logo that is on bottles of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and declares its origin as Montpellier in southern France.” Reuters highlights the problem of fake wines in China.

“The greatness of a vintage is confirmed when all the major Port houses declare the vintage, as they have now done with 2011.” In the International Herald Tribune, Eric Pfanner writes about the “excitement” surrounding the 2011 vintage in the Douro. 

“Weingut Robert Weil has been owned by the Japanese whisky giant Suntory since 1988, yet you would never know it.” In the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson highlights the number of wineries owned by Japanese companies.

In the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Chris Smith writes a wonderful profile of Healdsburg teenager Colby Groom — and his efforts to raise money, through wine, for the American Heart Association.

“The best wines are exceptional, and they offer lessons to the valley as a whole.” In the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required), Jon Bonné tastes through Napa’s 2010 vintage.

From The Week: “A pair of new studies suggests a correlation between intelligence and a thirst for alcohol.”

The Summer of Riesling releases its list of this year’s participants. Rock on and drink Riesling!

“We want this to be a real destination where you can come and you can see the history, you can see distillation.” In the Wall Street Journal, Jennifer Weiss writes about the plans of Dutch’s Spirits to open a distillery on the site of a Prohibition-era bootlegging outfit in Pine Plains, New York.

From Wikimedia.

On Saturday evening, the 2013 wine blog award winners were announced. #Honored #Humbled #Happy. 

The 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference will take place on July 11-13 in Santa Barbara, California.

“The experience is a lot like that Montmarte hostel. By chance, we all ended up in the same metaphorical dorm room, and now choose to keep in touch.” In a wonderful post, Lily-Elaine Hawk Wakawaka reflects on wine blogging. 

“In a way, Wallace reminds me of soul singer James Brown — the early days — the dancing-on-street-corners-of-Augusta-Georgia-for-pennies days. Like Brown… Wallace’s wine language is also deeply felt my his fans.” In the Vallejo Times Herald, Rayne Wolfe profiles Hardy Wallace of Dirty & Rowdy. 

“Perhaps it’s time to shed the notion that Aglianico’s value comes from what it resembles rather than from what it is.” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov declares his love for Aglianico. 

“Although the selection seemed as random as it was far-ranging, the rewards were many and prices often absurdly low.” In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague goes “looking for great values in Spanish wines.” 

“Not the most elegant of wine preservation systems, the Air Cork at first looks a bit like something you’d find at Spencer Gifts.” In Wired, Christopher Null tests five different wine-preservation systems. 

“Sorry, wine lovers: tariff threats won’t end China’s thirst for Bordeaux… French chateaux have more to fear from China’s anti-corruption drive than from trade war.” In Reuters, Peter Thal Larsen comments on the news that China might consider trade restrictions on wine imports from the European Union. 

Dave McIntyre reports that a mid-May cold snap caused “considerable damage to many Virginia and Maryland vineyards.” 

Howard Goldberg visits Brooklyn Uncorked to taste through Long Island’s diverse styles of rosés and whites. 

Champagne boosts brainpower. It’s science! 

In Wine Spectator, James Molesworth offers a sneak peek at South Africa’s upcoming vintage. 

In the Financial Times, Lucy Warwick-Ching offers a guide on “how to… invest in wine.” (Subscription required.)