Bill and I recorded this podcast the morning of the Super Bowl so good eats and adult beverages were front and center of our discussion. We go on a jag about the lack of places to find good bread in Sonoma County and come up with a pretty good impromptu list of great places to eat in Sonoma County. So if you have any plans to come to wine county there are lots of good tips in this podcast. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!Our wine recommendation this week is the 2019 Poggio Scalette Chianti Classico. Poggio Scalette (hill of tiny steps) is a small property in the Greve municipality of Chianti Classico and is run by the Fiore family. Initially started by wine consultant Vittorio Fiore who’s name is prominently displayed on the front label the property is now run by his son Jurij. The top wine at Poggio Scalette is Il Carbonaione a 100% Sangiovese which sells for about $50 retail. Today we will be focusing on Il Carbonaione’s sibling or Scalette’s second wine a Chianti Classico.  The vineyards for this bottling sit at an average elevation of 1,500 feet and were planted between 1928 - 2003. The grapes are 100% Sangiovese di Lamole, an ancient clone of Sangiovese and are fermented in concrete vats and aged for ten months in concrete before bottling. Medium ruby color going clear to the edge in the glass. Pretty red fruit and floral aromas complement the cranberry, sour cherry profile on the palate. Medium bodied and mildly tannic with zippy acidity the wine is refreshing and laid back. It shows great drinkability and I immediately went digging into the wine stash to see how many I had on hand ( always a good sign ). I was delighted to discover that the Poggio Scalette Chianti Classico clocked in at 13% abv. Which means I can have more than two glasses in one sitting if I desire without having to worry about overindulging. The drinking window for this wine is short and its probably best enjoyed in the near term. It would pair well with a variety of appetizers, light main dishes, pasta and pizza. $19 Buy it here.Show Links:French government floats €160m fund to ease ‘wine crisis’How product placement gets wine bottles into shows like ‘The Last of Us’Gallo is laying off 355 employeesWhy one of Sonoma’s best wineries hired a winemaker who'd never made wine before Deadly Wildfires Devastate Vineyards in Chile’s Central and Southern Wine RegionsThe Uncertain Future of Island WinesLuca and Elena Currado Vietti say goodbye to the Vietti winery

Bill and I recorded this podcast the morning of the Super Bowl so good eats and adult beverages were front and center of our discussion. We go on a jag about the lack of places to find good bread in Sonoma County and come up with a pretty good impromptu list of great places to eat in Sonoma County. So if you have any plans to come to wine county there are lots of good tips in this podcast. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!Our wine recommendation this week is the 2019 Poggio Scalette Chianti Classico. Poggio Scalette (hill of tiny steps) is a small property in the Greve municipality of Chianti Classico and is run by the Fiore family. Initially started by wine consultant Vittorio Fiore who’s name is prominently displayed on the front label the property is now run by his son Jurij. The top wine at Poggio Scalette is Il Carbonaione a 100% Sangiovese which sells for about $50 retail. Today we will be focusing on Il Carbonaione’s sibling or Scalette’s second wine a Chianti Classico. The vineyards for this bottling sit at an average elevation of 1,500 feet and were planted between 1928 - 2003. The grapes are 100% Sangiovese di Lamole, an ancient clone of Sangiovese and are fermented in concrete vats and aged for ten months in concrete before bottling. Medium ruby color going clear to the edge in the glass. Pretty red fruit and floral aromas complement the cranberry, sour cherry profile on the palate. Medium bodied and mildly tannic with zippy acidity the wine is refreshing and laid back. It shows great drinkability and I immediately went digging into the wine stash to see how many I had on hand ( always a good sign ). I was delighted to discover that the Poggio Scalette Chianti Classico clocked in at 13% abv. Which means I can have more than two glasses in one sitting if I desire without having to worry about overindulging. The drinking window for this wine is short and its probably best enjoyed in the near term. It would pair well with a variety of appetizers, light main dishes, pasta and pizza. $19 Buy it <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/podere+poggio+scalette+docg+chianti+cls+tuscany+italy/2019/usa-ca-y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. <h3>Show Links:</h3><a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/french-government-floats-e160m-fund-to-ease-wine-crisis-497209/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French government floats €160m fund to ease ‘wine crisis’</a><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/product-placement-wine-17769779.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How product placement gets wine bottles into shows like ‘The Last of Us’</a><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/gallo-layoffs-17744008.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gallo is laying off 355 employees</a><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/jasmine-hirsch-winemaker-17743972.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why one of Sonoma’s best wineries hired a winemaker who'd never made wine</a> before <a href="https://www.winemag.com/2023/02/10/deadly-wildfires-devastate-vineyards-in-chile/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deadly Wildfires Devastate Vineyards in Chile’s Central and Southern Wine Regions</a><a href="https://daily.sevenfifty.com/the-uncertain-future-of-island-wines/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Uncertain Future of Island Wines</a><a href="https://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/news/luca-and-elena-currado-vietti-say-goodbye-to-the-vietti-winery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luca and Elena Currado Vietti say goodbye to the Vietti winery</a>

VinoWeek - Episode 74 - Good Eats in Sonoma

Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on the sale of the Robert Sinskey Vineyard Winery, tasting room and vineyards. However billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick elected to not purchase the brand. For the moment the Sinskeys plan to lease back the facility and continue business as usual. Press Democrat writer Sarah Doyle pens a piece on how Sonoma County winemakers are “passing the torch” and making plans to extend their family legacies. Ingredient labeling for wine starts this year in the EU. The rest of the worlds wine markets will soon follow suit. Is ingredient labeling a win for consumers and producers?Jess Lander uses an electric corkscrew regularly but she seems to think she may be in the minority. Do you own and electric corkscrew? Jackson Family Wines has filed a lawsuit against their insurance company for failure to honor claims submitted due to fire damage from wildfires. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/esther-mobley/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Esther Mobley</a> of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/Robert-Sinskey-Vineyards-Wonderful-Company-17658981.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20%28Premium%29&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=t.co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sale of the Robert Sinskey Vineyard </a>Winery, tasting room and vineyards. However billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick elected to not purchase the brand. For the moment the Sinskeys plan to lease back the facility and continue business as usual. Press Democrat writer Sarah Doyle pens a piece on how Sonoma County winemakers are “<a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/passing-the-torch-at-3-sonoma-county-wineries/?artslide=4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">passing the torch</a>” and making plans to extend their family legacies. <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2022/12/wine-labeling-could-be-a-blessing-in-disguise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ingredient labeling</a> for wine starts this year in the EU. The rest of the worlds wine markets will soon follow suit. Is ingredient labeling a win for consumers and producers?Jess Lander uses an <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/electric-corkscrew-17618892.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electric corkscrew</a> regularly but she seems to think she may be in the minority. Do you own and electric corkscrew? <a href="https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265370" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jackson Family Wines has filed a lawsuit</a> against their insurance company for failure to honor claims submitted due to fire damage from wildfires. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 73

With Christmas around the corner we put together a list of some of our favorite wines for the holidays. The Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes hasn’t slowed the uptick in wine prices. It can be fairly easy to blow up your wine budget with just one or two bottles of  splurge purchases. Most of the wines on our list can all be had for under $35. Searching for one wine that pleases everybody is a fools errand. It’s invariably better to select a variety of wines, open them all at once and let your guest choose what they would like to drink. There are plenty of wines here to please even your most finnicky guests. Thanks for listening to our podcast and Happy Holidays.2019  Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé Vielles Vignes - Father and son team Denis and Maxime Dutron use Chardonnay from their oldest parcels, some as old as 85 years of age to craft this beautiful White Burgundy. 100% Chardonnay, natural fermentation, left on the lees for a year, 70% stainless steel the rest in barrel. Taut and mineral, with green apple and grapefruit. A distinctive Macon that may bring the ABC (anything but Chardonnay) crowd back into the fold. $272019 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay - In contrast to the former old world Chardonnay the Ramey’s make a 100% Chardonnay using a plethora of the old world techniques. Whole cluster pressing, native yeast barrel fermentation, lees aging, malolactic fermentation and light fining sans filtering. Baked apple and pear notes complement the layers of savory oak and baking spice. Beautifully textured and balanced. $38  2021 Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc - A perennial crowd pleaser the grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from all over California. Its style remains remarkably consistent from year to year. Ripe melon and white peach aromas jump out of the glass. Lemon and lime flavors work well with the clean mineral finish. $122020 Michel Delhommeau “Harmonie” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie - Michel and Nathalie Delhommeau farm the Melon de Bourgogne grapes for their Muscadet in the volcanic rich soils of the Loire Valley in northwest France. After fermentation the wine spends 5 months “Sur Lie” (in the tank on the lees).  Lemon, apple, fresh and vibrant with a bracing minerality and tingling acidity on the finish. This Muscadet calls out for fresh oysters on the half shell and other light seafood dishes. $17 2021 Quivira Rosé Wine Creek Ranch - Cranberries, rhubarb and strawberries aromas compliment the zippy acidity of this 70% Grenache, 11%Counoise, 9% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah blend. Made with organically grown grapes. $202020 Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco - Most of us have never served a dry red sparkling wine. Here’s your chance to wow your guests. Concerto, made from 100% Lambrusco Salamino comes in an attractive bottle that is shaped like a bowling pin. The grapes are organically farmed. When poured into a glass you get a beautiful purple froth. Dark ruby red in color the wine taste of raspberry and strawberries with hints of licorice. It’s completely dry on the palate with a fresh zippy clean finish. Serve it slightly chilled not cold. $30Frederic Magnien Crémant De Bourgongne Blanc De Noir - If you love Champagne but you need to watch your coins a bit more closely try exploring sparkling wines from other regions of France. French sparkling wines that use the traditional method and are made outside of the Champagne region are called Crémant. This 100% Pinot Noir from the Burgundy area can be served as an aperitif and also has the body and weight to be served throughout a meal.  A light amber color, very fine bubbles, aromas of bing cherries and strawberry. Champagne quality without the sticker shock. $202019 Siduri Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - The consistency of the Siduri brand which was acquired by Jackson Family Wines several years ago continues unabated. Adam Lee may no longer be the winemaker but the assertive and beautiful Pinot Noir style he pioneered continues. Black cherry and spicy raspberry flavors on the palate, medium in length with good acidity. A very attractive entry level Pinot Noir. $302020 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel - Morgan Twain-Peterson crafts this deep ruby colored wine from old vineyards (some 100+ years old) throughout Sonoma County. Made with native yeast fermentation and aged in French and Austrian oak puncheons and foudres. In the glass black and red fruit, lavender and pepper aromas. On the palate black plums, a round texture with good acidity and length. Drink and enjoy this youthful Zinfandel now and do yourself a favor and save a few bottles for the next few years. $222019 Hess Collection Allomi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - This 79% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Petite Sirah 5%Malbec 4% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot blend comes from the Allomi vineyard in Pope Valley of northeast Napa Valley. Black and blue fruit, tobacco and oak lead the way for this seemlessly integrated full bodied red. A cushy textured mouthfeel with a long finish. $302019 Obsidian Ridge Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon - 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Petit Verdot 2%Malbec 1% Petite Sirah 1% Syrah. Grown in the volcanic rich soils of the Red Hills of Lake County the wine is aged for 18 months in Hungarian oak barrels. Black fruit, black cherry and vanilla, full bodied and tannic. $35 Show LInks:Best WinesColumbia Winery Tasking RoomLets talk with Maureen DowneyAMOS Electric Autonomous Tractor Tour Visits LodiMendoza declares emergency after late season frostFreak frost hits Argentinian vineyards as Mendoza declares emergencyE &amp; J. Gallo Winery Announces Acquisition of Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles AVAhttps://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/carlo-trinchero-arrest-17584624.php

With Christmas around the corner we put together a list of some of our favorite wines for the holidays. The Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes hasn’t slowed the uptick in wine prices. It can be fairly easy to blow up your wine budget with just one or two bottles of splurge purchases. Most of the wines on our list can all be had for under $35. Searching for one wine that pleases everybody is a fools errand. It’s invariably better to select a variety of wines, open them all at once and let your guest choose what they would like to drink. There are plenty of wines here to please even your most finnicky guests. Thanks for listening to our podcast and Happy Holidays.2019 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé Vielles Vignes - Father and son team Denis and Maxime Dutron use Chardonnay from their oldest parcels, some as old as 85 years of age to craft this beautiful White Burgundy. 100% Chardonnay, natural fermentation, left on the lees for a year, 70% stainless steel the rest in barrel. Taut and mineral, with green apple and grapefruit. A distinctive Macon that may bring the ABC (anything but Chardonnay) crowd back into the fold. $272019 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay - In contrast to the former old world Chardonnay the Ramey’s make a 100% Chardonnay using a plethora of the old world techniques. Whole cluster pressing, native yeast barrel fermentation, lees aging, malolactic fermentation and light fining sans filtering. Baked apple and pear notes complement the layers of savory oak and baking spice. Beautifully textured and balanced. $38 2021 Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc - A perennial crowd pleaser the grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from all over California. Its style remains remarkably consistent from year to year. Ripe melon and white peach aromas jump out of the glass. Lemon and lime flavors work well with the clean mineral finish. $122020 Michel Delhommeau “Harmonie” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie - Michel and Nathalie Delhommeau farm the Melon de Bourgogne grapes for their Muscadet in the volcanic rich soils of the Loire Valley in northwest France. After fermentation the wine spends 5 months “Sur Lie” (in the tank on the lees). Lemon, apple, fresh and vibrant with a bracing minerality and tingling acidity on the finish. This Muscadet calls out for fresh oysters on the half shell and other light seafood dishes. $17 2021 Quivira Rosé Wine Creek Ranch - Cranberries, rhubarb and strawberries aromas compliment the zippy acidity of this 70% Grenache, 11%Counoise, 9% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah blend. Made with organically grown grapes. $202020 Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco - Most of us have never served a dry red sparkling wine. Here’s your chance to wow your guests. Concerto, made from 100% Lambrusco Salamino comes in an attractive bottle that is shaped like a bowling pin. The grapes are organically farmed. When poured into a glass you get a beautiful purple froth. Dark ruby red in color the wine taste of raspberry and strawberries with hints of licorice. It’s completely dry on the palate with a fresh zippy clean finish. Serve it slightly chilled not cold. $30Frederic Magnien Crémant De Bourgongne Blanc De Noir - If you love Champagne but you need to watch your coins a bit more closely try exploring sparkling wines from other regions of France. French sparkling wines that use the traditional method and are made outside of the Champagne region are called Crémant. This 100% Pinot Noir from the Burgundy area can be served as an aperitif and also has the body and weight to be served throughout a meal. A light amber color, very fine bubbles, aromas of bing cherries and strawberry. Champagne quality without the sticker shock. $202019 Siduri Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - The consistency of the Siduri brand which was acquired by Jackson Family Wines several years ago continues unabated. Adam Lee may no longer be the winemaker but the assertive and beautiful Pinot Noir style he pioneered continues. Black cherry and spicy raspberry flavors on the palate, medium in length with good acidity. A very attractive entry level Pinot Noir. $302020 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel - Morgan Twain-Peterson crafts this deep ruby colored wine from old vineyards (some 100+ years old) throughout Sonoma County. Made with native yeast fermentation and aged in French and Austrian oak puncheons and foudres. In the glass black and red fruit, lavender and pepper aromas. On the palate black plums, a round texture with good acidity and length. Drink and enjoy this youthful Zinfandel now and do yourself a favor and save a few bottles for the next few years. $222019 Hess Collection Allomi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - This 79% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Petite Sirah 5%Malbec 4% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot blend comes from the Allomi vineyard in Pope Valley of northeast Napa Valley. Black and blue fruit, tobacco and oak lead the way for this seemlessly integrated full bodied red. A cushy textured mouthfeel with a long finish. $302019 Obsidian Ridge Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon - 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Petit Verdot 2%Malbec 1% Petite Sirah 1% Syrah. Grown in the volcanic rich soils of the Red Hills of Lake County the wine is aged for 18 months in Hungarian oak barrels. Black fruit, black cherry and vanilla, full bodied and tannic. $35 Show LInks: <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/best-wines-2022" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Wines</a> <a href="https://komonews.com/news/local/columbia-winery-closing-tasting-room-december-2022-woodinville-washington-wine-country-ej-gallo-chateau-ste-michelle-club-members" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Columbia Winery Tasking Room</a> <a href="https://www.wine-conversation.com/conversations/lets-talk-with-maureen-downey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lets talk with Maureen Downey</a> <a href="https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/264083" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AMOS Electric Autonomous Tractor Tour Visits Lodi </a><a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2022/11/mendoza-declares-emergency-after-late-season-frost/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mendoza declares emergency after late season frost</a> <a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/freak-frost-mendoza-vineyards-argentina-491310/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freak frost hits Argentinian vineyards as Mendoza declares emergency</a> <a href="https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2022/11/10/e-j-gallo-winery-announces-acquisition-of-denner-vineyards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E &amp; J. Gallo Winery Announces Acquisition of Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles AVA</a> <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/carlo-trinchero-arrest-17584624.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/carlo-trinchero-arrest-17584624.php</a> <a href="https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/264083" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a>

VinoWeek - Episode 72 - Holiday Wines

A recent article by Colman Andrews titled Paradise Lost: The Flame Out of Napa Valley’s Iconic Wine Country raised a number of eyebrows in Northern California. The article’s main themes being that the Valley’s growth has lessened its charm and that corporatization has made visits to Napa Wineries too expensive for most people.I just recently attended the 18th annual Wine &amp; Spirits Top 100 tasting at the City View at Metreon in San Francisco. This was the first public wine tasting I have attended in several years (we all know why) and that reluctance to attend public events was the sentiment of so many other attendees that I met and talked with over the evening. I offer some observations of how public wine tastings are changing and for the most part for the better. Peg Melnik pens a nice piece highlighting pioneering Italian winegrowers in Sonoma County. Not everybody is selling out. It’s refreshing to see these families holding onto their traditions and successfully passing the business of winemaking onto their descendants. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendation this week is the 2017 Vigneti Massa Derthona. Derthona is the age-old name of Tortona, a village in southeast Piedmont, in the northwest region of Italy. Derthona is Timorasso, a grape that had all but been abandoned until Walter Massa recognized its potential to make compelling wines. Up until the eighties Timarasso vines had been pulled and replanted with Cortese and Chardonnay which were easier to sell and more popular at the time. Massa began working with Timorasso vineyards he could find and also began planting new Timorasso vineyards in the eighties and nineties. This 100%Timorasso is a mix of several vineyards around the village of Monleale, although it should be noted that Massa also produces three vineyard designated Timorasso bottlings. It’s fermented using indigenous yeast, receives skin contact for 48 to 60 hours beforehand and battonage after fermentation in stainless steel and concrete vats. He holds the wine for six months after bottling as Timorasso can be quite shy and unexpressive when young. With bottle age it comes around and begins to display its powerful and concentrated flavors. In the glass the color is a bright vibrant gold. The aromas show yellow fruit, honeyed almonds and beeswax. On the palate more of the afore mention flavors the wine is intensely rich and unctuous with surprising freshness and acidity and a medium length finish. Given the substantial structure of this wine I suggest you pair it with rich chicken and pork dishes or fondue. When Massa started this rediscovery of Timorasso there were just a handful of hectares planted. Today there are more than 150 hectares planted in the Colli Tortonesi DOC (Tortona hills). This is a wine you will probably have to hunt down. Unless you’re working with a specialty wine retailer you’ll have to source it over the internet. Having said that if your your looking for a new distinctive high quality wine to experience and learn about then don’t miss out on Walter Massa’s Derthona. 13.5% alc 5,000 cases  $32 - $39 

A recent article by Colman Andrews titled <a href="https://www.lamag.com/longform/paradise-lost-the-flame-out-of-napa-valleys-iconic-wine-country/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paradise Lost: The Flame Out of Napa Valley’s Iconic Wine Country</a> raised a number of eyebrows in Northern California. The article’s main themes being that the Valley’s growth has lessened its charm and that corporatization has made visits to Napa Wineries too expensive for most people.I just recently attended the 18th annual Wine &amp; Spirits Top 100 tasting at the City View at Metreon in San Francisco. This was the first public wine tasting I have attended in several years (we all know why) and that reluctance to attend public events was the sentiment of so many other attendees that I met and talked with over the evening. I offer some observations of how public wine tastings are changing and for the most part for the better. Peg Melnik pens a nice piece highlighting <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/proud-legacy-of-italian-winegrowers-in-sonoma-county/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pioneering Italian winegrowers in Sonoma County</a>. Not everybody is selling out. It’s refreshing to see these families holding onto their traditions and successfully passing the business of winemaking onto their descendants. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendation this week is the 2017 Vigneti Massa Derthona. Derthona is the age-old name of Tortona, a village in southeast Piedmont, in the northwest region of Italy. Derthona is Timorasso, a grape that had all but been abandoned until Walter Massa recognized its potential to make compelling wines. Up until the eighties Timarasso vines had been pulled and replanted with Cortese and Chardonnay which were easier to sell and more popular at the time. Massa began working with Timorasso vineyards he could find and also began planting new Timorasso vineyards in the eighties and nineties. This 100%Timorasso is a mix of several vineyards around the village of Monleale, although it should be noted that Massa also produces three vineyard designated Timorasso bottlings. It’s fermented using indigenous yeast, receives skin contact for 48 to 60 hours beforehand and battonage after fermentation in stainless steel and concrete vats. He holds the wine for six months after bottling as Timorasso can be quite shy and unexpressive when young. With bottle age it comes around and begins to display its powerful and concentrated flavors. In the glass the color is a bright vibrant gold. The aromas show yellow fruit, honeyed almonds and beeswax. On the palate more of the afore mention flavors the wine is intensely rich and unctuous with surprising freshness and acidity and a medium length finish. Given the substantial structure of this wine I suggest you pair it with rich chicken and pork dishes or fondue. When Massa started this rediscovery of Timorasso there were just a handful of hectares planted. Today there are more than 150 hectares planted in the Colli Tortonesi DOC (Tortona hills). This is a wine you will probably have to hunt down. Unless you’re working with a specialty wine retailer you’ll have to source it over the internet. Having said that if your your looking for a new distinctive high quality wine to experience and learn about then don’t miss out on Walter Massa’s Derthona. 13.5% alc 5,000 cases $32 - $39

VinoWeek - Episode 71 - Wine Tastings Making a Comeback

Do you prefer your wines younger or do you have a taste for aged wines? I’m firmly in both camps having developed a palate for both. As bottled red wines age they give up some of their youthful freshness, the tannins soften and the wines begin to display secondary aromas.  On this podcast Bill and I offer our thoughts on aged wine, particularly California Pinot Noir. We also talk about how our palates have changed over the years. Bill suggests it just may be our lifestyle that is leading our changes in taste. I spent a few months this year working as an intern at a Russian River Valley winery this fall. My goal was to learn how to make high end RRV Pinot Noir. Mission accomplished. It’s been a long time since I’ve dragged hoses around a cellar but I took to it again like a duck in a new found lake. I worked with a wonderful crew albeit I was merely a part timer. It was a great experience. It was my wife’s first participation as a harvest widow. She was not a fan. She is so glad harvest is over. I’ll share a little of what I learned during harvest 2022. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Do you prefer your wines younger or do you have a taste for aged wines? I’m firmly in both camps having developed a palate for both. As bottled red wines age they give up some of their youthful freshness, the tannins soften and the wines begin to display secondary aromas. On this podcast Bill and I offer our thoughts on aged wine, particularly California Pinot Noir. We also talk about how our palates have changed over the years. Bill suggests it just may be our lifestyle that is leading our changes in taste. I spent a few months this year working as an intern at a Russian River Valley winery this fall. My goal was to learn how to make high end RRV Pinot Noir. Mission accomplished. It’s been a long time since I’ve dragged hoses around a cellar but I took to it again like a duck in a new found lake. I worked with a wonderful crew albeit I was merely a part timer. It was a great experience. It was my wife’s first participation as a harvest widow. She was not a fan. She is so glad harvest is over. I’ll share a little of what I learned during harvest 2022. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 70 Has your palate changed?

Bill and I get together for a new podcast after an extended absence. On this podcast you can find out where we’ve been, what’s new in wine country and what we’ve been drinking and eating.It’s summertime so we find ourselves drinking less red wine and more rosé and white wines. Our wine recommendation for this week is the Mönchhof Ürzig Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett. The Mönchhof is said to be one of the oldest wine estates in the West German Mosel Valley dating back to 1177. This fruity off dry version of a 100% Riesling is grown on vertiginous, brick colored, cliff-like hills that tower over the village of Urzig which sits on the left  bank of the Mosel river.A light yellow color with a tinge of green this Riesling has a lovely green apple, lime, lees and jasmine blossom nose. Lovely baking spice, honeyed peaches complexity on the palate, with fresh bright acidity balancing out the light sweetness. A lovely way to welcome in the summer this sublime Riesling would pair well with a variety of fried foods, charcuterie boards, vegetables and sushi. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!   World Beer Cup 2022

Bill and I get together for a new podcast after an extended absence. On this podcast you can find out where we’ve been, what’s new in wine country and what we’ve been drinking and eating.It’s summertime so we find ourselves drinking less red wine and more rosé and white wines. Our wine recommendation for this week is the Mönchhof Ürzig Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett. The Mönchhof is said to be one of the oldest wine estates in the West German Mosel Valley dating back to 1177. This fruity off dry version of a 100% Riesling is grown on vertiginous, brick colored, cliff-like hills that tower over the village of Urzig which sits on the left bank of the Mosel river.A light yellow color with a tinge of green this Riesling has a lovely green apple, lime, lees and jasmine blossom nose. Lovely baking spice, honeyed peaches complexity on the palate, with fresh bright acidity balancing out the light sweetness. A lovely way to welcome in the summer this sublime Riesling would pair well with a variety of fried foods, charcuterie boards, vegetables and sushi. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! <a href="monchhof" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="https://www.worldbeercup.org/winners/current-winners/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Beer Cup 2022</a>

VinoWeek - Episode 69 - Wildfire Hangover

Consolidation in the U. S. wine industry continues at an unabated pace. Most of the mergers and acquisitions are followed weeks later by layoffs and closures of production facilities. Sebastiani, Coppola and Chateau Ste. Michelle are some of the most recent buyouts.   Right now is one of the best times to be looking for a job in the California wine industry. A quick look on winejobs.com will yield hundred of job offers. Terri and I finally ventured out and went wine tasting for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. Bill and I discuss our visit to Ledson Winery in Sonoma Valley and lament the loss of the casual drive up tasting we were able to enjoy before Covid changed our world.Climate change is wreaking havoc everywhere. Recent flooding in Belgium and Germany and in particular the Ahr Valley wine region has cost hundreds of lives and many businesses and livelihoods have been lost. James Lawrence shares the story of how Weingut Paul Schumacher was destroyed by floods.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Consolidation in the U. S. wine industry continues at an unabated pace. Most of the mergers and acquisitions are followed weeks later by layoffs and closures of production facilities. <a href="https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/lifestyle/production-to-cease-at-sebastiani-winery-in-downtown-sonoma/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sebastiani</a>,<a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2021/06/coppola-made-an-offer-it-cant-refuse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Coppola</a> and <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2021/07/washington-winery-sale-raises-questions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chateau Ste. Michelle </a>are some of the most recent buyouts. Right now is one of the best times to be looking for a job in the California wine industry. A quick look on <a href="https://www.winebusiness.com/classifieds/winejobs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">winejobs.com</a> will yield hundred of job offers. Terri and I finally ventured out and went wine tasting for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. Bill and I discuss our visit to <a href="https://ledson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ledson Winery</a> in Sonoma Valley and lament the loss of the casual drive up tasting we were able to enjoy before Covid changed our world.Climate change is wreaking havoc everywhere. Recent flooding in Belgium and Germany and in particular the <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2021/07/see-why-germanys-ahr-wine-region-needs-our-help/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ahr Valley wine region</a> has cost hundreds of lives and many businesses and livelihoods have been lost. James Lawrence shares the story of how <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2021/07/see-why-germanys-ahr-wine-region-needs-our-help/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Weingut Paul Schumacher was destroyed by floods</a>.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 68 - Wine Tasting Hospitality Has Changed

A late frost in Europe is wreaking havoc on prized vineyards in France and Italy. Several consecutive nights of frost are causing lots of worry for farmers. In the coming weeks farmers will be accessing the damage, but early estimates pin losses in some areas at 50 to 90 percent of normal. Bill and I talk about wine aerators and decanters in reference to Alder Yarrow’s recent rant on Wine Aerators: $336.9 Million Worth of Bullsh*t. Societé Jacques Bollinger (SJB) has just purchase Ponzi Vineyard in Willamette Valley, Oregon. There are no plans to increase production beyond the current 30,000 cases annually. Additionally the focus will remain with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with no plans to add a sparkling wine.Dominic Foppoli Mayor of the town of Windsor, in the heart of the Russian River Valley and co-owner of Christopher Creek Winery in Healdsburg is facing calls for his resignation following recent allegations of sexual misconduct. The story broke by Alexandria Bordas of the San Francisco Chronicle has caused quite a brouhaha here in Wine Country. The California Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the allegations. Foppoli has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing all the while claiming he too was a victim of sexual harassment. The latest twist has Foppoli and fellow council member Esther Lemus accusing each other of sexual misdeeds. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendation this week is the 2019 Weingut Pfeffingen Dry Scheurebe. This wine hails from Bad Dürkheim a small village in southwest Germany in the Pfalz region. The Pfalz is bordered on the south and west by France.  Pfeffingen in operated by Jan Eymael, his wife Karin, and his mother Doris. The family coat of arms the mythical unicorn is prominently displayed on the front label. The Eymael’s grow 37 acres of Riesling, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and their house specialty Scheurebe (show-ray-beh). Scheurebe is named after grape breeder Georg Scheu. It’s a cross between Riesling and Bukettrebe. If you would like to learn more about Scheurebe and it’s resurgence in popularity read this article DRINK MORE SCHEU! by Christoph Raffelt of Trink Mag. Light to medium gold in color the nose is fruit forward, very floral and the wine’s aromas jump out of the glass as you pour it. On the palate it’s mineral, zippy, lemon lime lip smacking deliciousness. The floral stone fruit, apricot, pear and peaches beckons you to inhale before each sip.  Rich, round and vibrant it is indeed dry at 13% alcohol. This wine would be great with Asian food, curries and spicy Thai cuisine 

A late frost in Europe is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/09/french-winemakers-frost-government-freezing-temperatures-crops-vines" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wreaking havoc on prized vineyards in France and Italy</a>. Several consecutive nights of frost are causing lots of worry for farmers. In the coming weeks farmers will be accessing the damage, but early estimates pin losses in some areas at 50 to 90 percent of normal. Bill and I talk about wine aerators and decanters in reference to Alder Yarrow’s recent rant on <a href="https://www.vinography.com/2021/03/wine-aerators-336-9-million-worth-of-bullsht" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wine Aerators: $336.9 Million Worth of Bullsh*t. </a>Societé Jacques <a href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/bollinger-champagne-owners-buy-oregons-ponzi-vineyards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bollinger (SJB) has just purchase Ponzi Vineyard</a> in Willamette Valley, Oregon. There are no plans to increase production beyond the current 30,000 cases annually. Additionally the focus will remain with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with no plans to add a sparkling wine.Dominic Foppoli Mayor of the town of Windsor, in the heart of the Russian River Valley and co-owner of Christopher Creek Winery in Healdsburg is facing calls for his resignation following recent <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2021/windsor-mayor-dominic-foppoli-sexual-assault-allegations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">allegations of sexual misconduct.</a> The story broke by Alexandria Bordas of the San Francisco Chronicle has caused quite a brouhaha here in Wine Country.<a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/attorney-generals-office-to-investigate-dominic-foppoli-sexual-assault-all/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The California Attorney General’s Office</a> has launched an investigation into the allegations. Foppoli has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing all the while claiming he too was a victim of sexual harassment. The latest twist has<a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/windsor-mayor-dominic-foppoli-council-member-esther-lemus-accuse-each-othe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Foppoli and fellow council member Esther Lemus</a> accusing each other of sexual misdeeds. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendation this week is the 2019 Weingut Pfeffingen Dry Scheurebe. This wine hails from Bad Dürkheim a small village in southwest Germany in the Pfalz region. The Pfalz is bordered on the south and west by France. Pfeffingen in operated by Jan Eymael, his wife Karin, and his mother Doris. The family coat of arms the mythical unicorn is prominently displayed on the front label. The Eymael’s grow 37 acres of Riesling, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and their house specialty Scheurebe (show-ray-beh). Scheurebe is named after grape breeder Georg Scheu. It’s a cross between Riesling and Bukettrebe. If you would like to learn more about Scheurebe and it’s resurgence in popularity read this article <a href="https://trinkmag.com/articles/drink-more-scheu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DRINK MORE SCHEU! by Christoph Raffelt</a> of Trink Mag. Light to medium gold in color the nose is fruit forward, very floral and the wine’s aromas jump out of the glass as you pour it. On the palate it’s mineral, zippy, lemon lime lip smacking deliciousness. The floral stone fruit, apricot, pear and peaches beckons you to inhale before each sip. Rich, round and vibrant it is indeed dry at 13% alcohol. This wine would be great with Asian food, curries and spicy Thai cuisine

VinoWeek - Episode 67 Unwelcomed Politics in Wine Country

 Imported wine prices could be headed lower? Ursula Von der Leyen President of the European Commission and President Biden have agreed to suspend all tariffs with regard to the Airbus-Boeing dispute for four months. President Von der Leyen, the first woman elected to head the European Commission is responsible for setting the Commission’s policy agenda and is just 15 months into a  five year term that started in December of 2019. She’s quickly gaining allies in the food and agriculture sectors of Europe by working with President Biden who himself has been in office less than ten weeks to pause the tariffs as officials work to negotiate a longer lasting agreement that can benefit all parties. European wine imports have dropped substantially since the wine tariffs were put into affect in October of 2019. This brief respite will give importers and retailers welcomed relief from the punishing penalties of the increased taxes amidst a pandemic. We’ll have to wait and see if consumers benefit from the unexpected windfall too.John Fox notorious for running a wine Ponzi  Scheme out of his Berkeley, California retail store has been released from federal custody two years earlier than scheduled. One of the conditions of his release is that he make $45 million in restitution to those he swindled. I’d hate to be an unwilling creditor on that list. One of the unlikely consequences of the pandemic and the wine glut is that the price of wine is going down and the quality of the wine at lower price points is going up. We sight several examples in this podcast. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!Our wine recommendation this week is the 2018 Cantina Kurtatsch Vernatsch Alte Reben. Cantina Kurtatsch is a co-operative that is located in north-eastern Italy, in the region of Alto Adige that borders Austria to the north. The area is more known for its white wines, where 62% of the wine produced is white vs 38% red. The ubiquitous Schiava, Vernatsch in German is the most cultivated red grape in the area followed closely by Pinot Noir and Lagrein. The Kurtatsch co-operative like most co-ops in northern Italy is not well known in the U.S. We are starting to see more whites wines from Alto Adige but I suspect most of the good Schiava from the area never leaves Europe. One can hardly blame importers from looking askance at Schiava based red wines with their low alcohol and light bodied profiles; not unlike a lean unoaked Pinot Noir, Schiava is not what the American consumer is buying in todays markets.So why am I recommending the Sonntaler (sunny valley) Schiava? Often when I’m looking at a bottle of wine I’m unfamiliar with I spin it around and look for the name of the importer on the back label. In this case the importer was North Berkeley Imports, a favorite of mine, so I felt comfortable in making the purchase. Being familiar with Vernatsch/ Schiava wines I wasn’t disappointed. With spring weather coming on I was looking for a less heavy red wine and the Sonntaler (12.5 % abv) fitted the bill. The 100% old vine Schiava grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine then spends six months in 2,376 gallon neutral Slavonian oak casks. The Sonntaler has a light ruby color  that is translucent on the edges. On appearance alone it could easily be mistaken for a Cerasuolo, a  deeply hued rosé wine from central Italy. The Sonntaler is fragrant and approachable. Cranberry and strawberry on the nose are in concert with its lean lightly spiced red fruit profile. Light bodied yet flavorful I enjoyed the tongue tingling minerality on the finish. If you’re in the mood for an change and you want to expand your wine palate I highly recommend you pick up a bottle of Sonntaler. For now this may be the best way for us to take a trip to the Alpine meadows of Northern Italy.   

Imported wine prices could be headed lower? Ursula Von der Leyen President of the European Commission and President Biden have agreed to <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_21_1048" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">suspend all tariffs with regard to the Airbus-Boeing </a>dispute for four months. President Von der Leyen, the first woman elected to head the European Commission is responsible for setting the Commission’s policy agenda and is just 15 months into a five year term that started in December of 2019. She’s quickly gaining allies in the food and agriculture sectors of Europe by working with President Biden who himself has been in office less than ten weeks to pause the tariffs as officials work to negotiate a longer lasting agreement that can benefit all parties. European wine imports have dropped substantially since the wine tariffs were put into affect in October of 2019. This brief respite will give importers and retailers welcomed relief from the punishing penalties of the increased taxes amidst a pandemic. We’ll have to wait and see if consumers benefit from the unexpected windfall too.<a href="https://www.berkeleyside.com/2021/02/22/john-fox-berkeley-ca-wine-ponzi-scheme-gets-out-of-prison" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Fox notorious for running a wine Ponzi Scheme</a> out of his Berkeley, California retail store has been released from federal custody two years earlier than scheduled. One of the conditions of his release is that he make $45 million in restitution to those he swindled. I’d hate to be an <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2021/02/premier-crus-fox-flies-the-coop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unwilling creditor on that list.</a> One of the unlikely consequences of the pandemic and the wine glut is that the price of wine is going down and the quality of the wine at lower price points is going up. We sight several examples in this podcast. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!Our wine recommendation this week is the 2018 Cantina Kurtatsch Vernatsch Alte Reben. Cantina Kurtatsch is a co-operative that is located in north-eastern Italy, in the region of Alto Adige that borders Austria to the north. The area is more known for its white wines, where 62% of the wine produced is white vs 38% red. The ubiquitous Schiava, Vernatsch in German is the most cultivated red grape in the area followed closely by Pinot Noir and Lagrein. The Kurtatsch co-operative like most co-ops in northern Italy is not well known in the U.S. We are starting to see more whites wines from Alto Adige but I suspect most of the good Schiava from the area never leaves Europe. One can hardly blame importers from looking askance at Schiava based red wines with their low alcohol and light bodied profiles; not unlike a lean unoaked Pinot Noir, Schiava is not what the American consumer is buying in todays markets.So why am I recommending the Sonntaler (sunny valley) Schiava? Often when I’m looking at a bottle of wine I’m unfamiliar with I spin it around and look for the name of the importer on the back label. In this case the importer was North Berkeley Imports, a favorite of mine, so I felt comfortable in making the purchase. Being familiar with Vernatsch/ Schiava wines I wasn’t disappointed. With spring weather coming on I was looking for a less heavy red wine and the Sonntaler (12.5 % abv) fitted the bill. The 100% old vine Schiava grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine then spends six months in 2,376 gallon neutral Slavonian oak casks. The Sonntaler has a light ruby color that is translucent on the edges. On appearance alone it could easily be mistaken for a Cerasuolo, a deeply hued rosé wine from central Italy. The Sonntaler is fragrant and approachable. Cranberry and strawberry on the nose are in concert with its lean lightly spiced red fruit profile. Light bodied yet flavorful I enjoyed the tongue tingling minerality on the finish. If you’re in the mood for an change and you want to expand your wine palate I highly recommend you pick up a bottle of Sonntaler. For now this may be the best way for us to take a trip to the Alpine meadows of Northern Italy.

VinoWeek - Episode 66

Constellation Brands executives must be elated to finally complete their sale of over 32 wine brands and five wineries to E. J. Gallo Winery. The $810 million deal was less than half of the $1.7 billion initially proposed in April of 2019, as the Federal Trade Commission insisted Constellations exclude  their sparkling wine, brandy, dessert wine and concentrate business lines as a condition of approval.  Constellation sheds all their $11 and under products in a bid to go upscale and Gallo picks up a bevy of bottom shelf labels and more production capacity. Who comes out on top in this deal? For now primarily the grape growers who no longer have to deal with the uncertainty of who will be buying their grapes. As the details of the mega-deal were being worked out many farmers have been in limbo. What will this deal mean for wine lovers? It’s certainly promising on this front as E. J. Gallo has a history of improving the wine operations they acquire. Look no further than the wonderful work they’ve done at Louis M. Martini, Pahlmeyer Winery, J Vineyards and Winery and MacMurray Estate Vineyards.  Once Gallo integrates the newly acquired brands into their operations the consumer will likely benefit as Gallo is so much better at running a wine business than Constellation. Better quality wine at the $11 and under price point is a win for the consumer. Having not had any of the following brands for years as they have become so banal I’m looking forward to the prospect of Gallo reviving and improving the quality of the future offerings at Ravenswood, Blackstone and Clos du Bois. E. J. Gallo is a private company that now represents almost 30% of all bottles of wine produced in the U.S. Not bad for a couple of brothers that switched from growing grapes to squishing them to make wine in 1933. One could easily make the argument that Gallo is too big and controls too much of the U.S. market. After all it took almost two years for them to get approval from federal regulators. That a lot of sifting through the fine print to ensure consumers don’t get hosed on the deal. Based on current market conditions I’d speculate that we can expect more consolidation in the coming years in the wine industry. A post pandemic euphoria will undoubtedly lift revenues for travel, hospitality, retailers and restaurants, but the relief may not come quickly enough for some winemakers. Gallo will almost certainly be a player in future acquisitions.      Kwame Onwuachi and Alice Waters pen a nice piece for The Washington Post theorizing that once president elect Joe Biden is sworn in he can take immediate steps to save mom and pop American restauranteurs by taking executive action. Oh if it were that easy. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendations this week are Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Franciacorta. The region of Franciacorta is roughly 50 miles east of Milano in northern Italy.A blend of 77% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Nero and 1% Pinot Bianco. Bright and zesty apple and lemon flavors on a full bodied frame. A real crowd pleaser. You can wow your friends with this one as they remark “Hey this is great Champagne”. Then you can gently remind them, it’s not Champagne it’s Franciacorta. $23 Buy it here.Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant D’Alsace Brut Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir this sparkling wine has a beautiful light salmon color. Clean and crisp red fruits on the nose. Strawberries and cranberries with good depth of flavor on the palate. $16 Buy it here.Marcel Cabelier Cremant Du Jura - This wine hails from Jura France a region sandwiched between the Burgundy wine region and the Swiss border. It’s 90% Chardonnay, the remainder Pinot Noir and Poulsard. A light straw yellow color in the glass, the green apple and biscuit aromas and flavors could easily fool you into thinking it’s Champagne. This is our new house bubbly. Why spend all your money on a luxury Champagne brand when you can get this level of quality and complexity for a third of the cost? $20 Buy it here.2018 La Bastide Saint Dominique Cotes du Rhone Villages - 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre 15% Carignan. Fermented and aged in stainless steel the nose is quite shy on first impression. Decant it and leave it alone for an hour and you will be welcomed to a wonderful black and blue fruit nose. It’s full bodied with a good punch and spiciness on the palate. A nice mid length savory finish. La Bastide wines age extremely well so you can lose a few of these in storage and not have to worry. $17 Buy it here.2018 Crous St. Martin Les Espaliers Gigondas - 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. This relatively new label is a collaboration between wine agent Harry Bosmans and wine grower Eric Bonnet of Domaine Bastide Saint Dominique. A deep ruby color in the glass the nose shows deep red fruit and spice. On the palate it’s refreshing, savory and beautifully balanced. A wonderful new discovery. $25 Buy it here.2017 Juan Gil Monastrell Silver Label - Crafted from 100% Monastrell from the region of Jumilla in southeastern Spain. The 40 year old Monastrell vines are dry farmed on limestone soils. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Deep black and purple in the glass, aromas of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, licorice and sweet oak accompany a mineral rich and concentrated palate. It’s full bodied with just enough acidity to ward off a slightly sweet sensation on the finish.  Ages ago I consumed a lot of this wine and it’s exactly as I remembered it. I’m glad I ‘ve rediscovered it again. $15 Buy it here.2015 Blue Gray Priorat - 50% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Carignane), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Another Label from the Gil Family Estates this wine is packed with juicy black fruit and savory spice. It’s rich and concentrated but not jammy. Very approachable, its balance and well integrated tannins have made it our house red. $18 Buy it here.

Constellation Brands executives must be elated to finally complete their sale of over 32 wine brands and five wineries to E. J. Gallo Winery. The $810 million deal was less than half of the $1.7 billion initially proposed in April of 2019, as the Federal Trade Commission insisted Constellations exclude their sparkling wine, brandy, dessert wine and concentrate business lines as a condition of approval. Constellation sheds all their $11 and under products in a bid to go upscale and <a href="https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/industrynews/completion-of-810m-gallo-constellation-wine-portfolio-deal-should-stabiliz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gallo picks up a bevy of bottom shelf labels</a> and more production capacity. Who comes out on top in this deal? For now primarily the grape growers who no longer have to deal with the uncertainty of who will be buying their grapes. As the details of the mega-deal were being worked out many farmers have been in limbo.<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/What-Gallo-s-mega-deal-with-Constellation-15850747.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20%28Premium%29&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=t.co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> What will this deal mean for wine lovers?</a> It’s certainly promising on this front as E. J. Gallo has a history of improving the wine operations they acquire. Look no further than the wonderful work they’ve done at Louis M. Martini, Pahlmeyer Winery, J Vineyards and Winery and MacMurray Estate Vineyards. Once Gallo integrates the newly acquired brands into their operations the consumer will likely benefit as Gallo is so much better at running a wine business than Constellation. Better quality wine at the $11 and under price point is a win for the consumer. Having not had any of the following brands for years as they have become so banal I’m looking forward to the prospect of Gallo reviving and improving the quality of the future offerings at Ravenswood, Blackstone and Clos du Bois. E. J. Gallo is a private company that now represents almost 30% of all bottles of wine produced in the U.S. Not bad for a couple of brothers that switched from growing grapes to squishing them to make wine in 1933. One could easily make the argument that Gallo is too big and controls too much of the U.S. market. After all it took almost two years for them to get approval from federal regulators. That a lot of sifting through the fine print to ensure consumers don’t get hosed on the deal. Based on current market conditions I’d speculate that we can expect more consolidation in the coming years in the wine industry. A post pandemic euphoria will undoubtedly lift revenues for travel, hospitality, retailers and restaurants, but the relief may not come quickly enough for some winemakers. Gallo will almost certainly be a player in future acquisitions. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/onwuachi-waters-biden-resturants-tarrifs/2020/12/30/dba6d34a-4abe-11eb-a9d9-1e3ec4a928b9_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kwame Onwuachi and Alice Waters</a> pen a nice piece for The Washington Post theorizing that once president elect Joe Biden is sworn in he can take immediate steps to save mom and pop American restauranteurs by taking executive action. Oh if it were that easy. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! Our wine recommendations this week are Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Franciacorta. The region of Franciacorta is roughly 50 miles east of Milano in northern Italy.A blend of 77% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Nero and 1% Pinot Bianco. Bright and zesty apple and lemon flavors on a full bodied frame. A real crowd pleaser. You can wow your friends with this one as they remark “Hey this is great Champagne”. Then you can gently remind them, it’s not Champagne it’s Franciacorta. $23 Buy it <a href="https://www.saratogawine.com/Bellavista-Franciacorta-Alma-Cuvee-Brut-NV-750ml.html?utm_campaign=prodfeeds&amp;utm_content=819673&amp;utm_medium=paidprodlisting&amp;utm_source=winesearcher&amp;v=10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant D’Alsace Brut Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir this sparkling wine has a beautiful light salmon color. Clean and crisp red fruits on the nose. Strawberries and cranberries with good depth of flavor on the palate. $16 Buy it <a href="https://bottlebarn.com/products/nv-allimant-laugner-cremant-dalsace-rose" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.Marcel Cabelier Cremant Du Jura - This wine hails from Jura France a region sandwiched between the Burgundy wine region and the Swiss border. It’s 90% Chardonnay, the remainder Pinot Noir and Poulsard. A light straw yellow color in the glass, the green apple and biscuit aromas and flavors could easily fool you into thinking it’s Champagne. This is our new house bubbly. Why spend all your money on a luxury Champagne brand when you can get this level of quality and complexity for a third of the cost? $20 Buy it <a href="https://www.winemineco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.2018 La Bastide Saint Dominique Cotes du Rhone Villages - 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre 15% Carignan. Fermented and aged in stainless steel the nose is quite shy on first impression. Decant it and leave it alone for an hour and you will be welcomed to a wonderful black and blue fruit nose. It’s full bodied with a good punch and spiciness on the palate. A nice mid length savory finish. La Bastide wines age extremely well so you can lose a few of these in storage and not have to worry. $17 Buy it <a href="https://whwc.com/la-bastide-st-dominique-cotes-du-rhone-villages-2018/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.2018 Crous St. Martin Les Espaliers Gigondas - 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. This relatively new label is a collaboration between wine agent Harry Bosmans and wine grower Eric Bonnet of Domaine Bastide Saint Dominique. A deep ruby color in the glass the nose shows deep red fruit and spice. On the palate it’s refreshing, savory and beautifully balanced. A wonderful new discovery. $25 Buy it <a href="https://thewineconnection.com/products/2018-crous-st-martin-gigondas-les-espaliers-rhone-france" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.2017 Juan Gil Monastrell Silver Label - Crafted from 100% Monastrell from the region of Jumilla in southeastern Spain. The 40 year old Monastrell vines are dry farmed on limestone soils. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Deep black and purple in the glass, aromas of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, licorice and sweet oak accompany a mineral rich and concentrated palate. It’s full bodied with just enough acidity to ward off a slightly sweet sensation on the finish. Ages ago I consumed a lot of this wine and it’s exactly as I remembered it. I’m glad I ‘ve rediscovered it again. $15 Buy it <a href="https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1470109" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.2015 Blue Gray Priorat - 50% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Carignane), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Another Label from the Gil Family Estates this wine is packed with juicy black fruit and savory spice. It’s rich and concentrated but not jammy. Very approachable, its balance and well integrated tannins have made it our house red. $18 Buy it <a href="https://www.napacabs.com/orowines-bluegray-priorat-red-2015-spain.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.

The World's Biggest Wine Company Expands

Vino101 an easy no snob way to learn about wine, wine tasting, and food and wine pairing.

What a great idea!  Thank you for sharing.  This is so fab!!!….Anne Vawter

Fabulous!

I&#39;d cut back a bit on the reverb, (JMHO) but the material is tight and crisp.   Well done!!

this is very creative- carefully produced work.

Vino101

Bill and I have been on a brief hiatus. Let’s just say we have been adjusting to a new way of living our lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Walking into a wine retailer or visiting a winery tasting room has not been an option for us so in this podcast we spend some time talking about how and where we are buying our adult beverages. We both are certainly consuming more alcohol since the start of pandemic. Have your drinking habits changed? Are you purchasing more products on line?If you own a winery how do you protect your staff and your customers against coronavirus? Michael Alberty pens a piece for The Oregonian that explains how Willamette Valley Vineyards is planning to tackle the virus.What is corked wine? How do you recognize it and what’s the process to follow if you discover you have a bottle of wine that is corked? Eric Asimov writes a piece for the New York Times surveying how wineries faced with marketing disruptions are seeking new innovative ways to keep the cash flowing.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!We have two wine recommendations this week. The first is a rare white wine from the DOC Colli Tortonesi (the hills of Tortona). Tortona is a commune of south-east Piedmont,  in the Province of Alessandria in north-western Italy. Piedmonte is most noteworthy for it’s noble reds Barolo and Barbaresco. The white wines of  Asti (Asti Spumante) and Gavi have their avid followers too. The 2017 Derthona Timorasso is produced by Boveri Luigi. The Azienda Agricola (farm) is owned by Luigi and Germana Boveri. Originally focused on grain production the family embraced viticulture in the mid nineties and now are solely focused on winemaking. The rare white wine they make from the Timorasso grape has been recently rediscovered. The man responsible for the rediscovery is Walter Massa. After World War II, native varietal wines like Timorasso were overshadowed and forgotten as winemakers rushed to produce simple, uniform, high profit wines. Massa was discovered by the wine cognoscenti in 2000 and received much praise for a barrique- aged Barbera he had made. Wine writers happened upon some of the small lots of Timorasso that Walter was experimenting with and began spreading the word of the quality of those wines too. Neighboring growers took notice of Massa’s success with Timorasso and followed his lead. Even though Timorasso has been redeemed, today the area planted to the thick-skinned variety covers just 175 acres, hence its rarity.  Derthona is the latin name for the city of Tortona. Boveri’s Derthona Timorasso is planted on the hills of Costa Vescovato, composed of  70% clay limestone and 30% marly limestone. The grapes are hand harvested and once they are crushed they are allowed to macerate for 48 to 60 hours on the skins. Luigi does this to add more depth and texture to the wine. The maceration and soft pressing is followed by a native yeast fermentation and the 100% Timorasso wine is held on the lees in stainless steel tanks for  one year. Periodically throughout the year the wine receives battonage. After bottling the wine is held for one year before release. Following 2016, the 2017 grape growing season faced  a difficult start as early frost cut yields throughout the region of Piedmont. Drought conditions were present and a heatwave near the end of the ripening cycle made for a chaotic harvest.  Luigi’s Derthona is bright straw yellow in color with tinges of green. Aromas of white peach, grapefruit, meyer lemon and white flowers greet you on the nose. If I had to use one word for the mouth feel I’d say savory. This wine is full bodied at 14% alcohol so it packs a punch. Intense and focused with white peach, beeswax and mineral notes the wine has good depth and richness. Drink now, but know that Timorasso can age well too so you don’t have to worry about losing one in your wine stash. The 2017 is showing well now, but I’m betting it will improve over the next two to four years and beyond.  $19 buy it here.Our second recommendation is the Darby Winery 2014 Dark Side Syrah. Darby English started making wine in a basement in 2002. A Seattle native he attended Oregon State University on a golf scholarship. Lucky for us he switched from golfing to winemaking. Darby’s first commercial release was in 2005. Today he produces 4,000 cases of Bordeaux Blends, Rhone Varietal and single vineyard wines. These are small production wines, typically 400 or less cases for each bottling. Darby sources his grapes for the Dark Side Syrah from the Columbia Valley. Columbia Valley is Washington’s largest viticultural region with 50,000 acres of planted vineyards. It contains 99% of the grapes grown in the state. Darby buys grapes from Dineen Vineyard in lower Yakima Valley, Discovery Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, and Stone Tree in the Wahluke Slope, all sub-regions of the Columbia Valley. After harvesting the grapes are trucked over the Cascade Mountain Range to the winery in Woodinville. The wine is aged for 18 months in  600 liter neutral French oak puncheons.  The Dark Side Beautifully integrated fruit, enjoy it now or hold it for several more years. In the glass the color is medium ruby. The nose exhibits black and blue fruit, black pepper, licorice and a hint of grilled meat. The wine has an incredible balance of acids and tannins. On the palate loads of black fruit, spice and a velvety finish. 14.7%alc I don’t believe the 2014 Dark Side is available anymore as the new vintage on the website shows the 2017 at $28 a bottle. Buy it here. 

Bill and I have been on a brief hiatus. Let’s just say we have been adjusting to a new way of living our lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Walking into a wine retailer or visiting a winery tasting room has not been an option for us so in this podcast we spend some time talking about how and where we are buying our adult beverages. We both are certainly consuming more alcohol since the start of pandemic. Have your drinking habits changed? Are you purchasing more products on line?If you own a winery how do you protect your staff and your customers against coronavirus? Michael Alberty pens a piece for The Oregonian that explains how <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/wine/2020/05/oregon-winery-deploys-ultraviolet-light-technology-in-coronavirus-battle.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Willamette Valley Vineyards is planning to tackle the virus</a>.What is corked wine? How do you recognize it and what’s the process to follow if you discover you have a bottle of wine that is corked? Eric Asimov writes a piece for the New York Times surveying how <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/dining/drinks/wine-farmers-coronavirus.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wineries faced with marketing disruptions</a> are seeking new innovative ways to keep the cash flowing.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!We have two wine recommendations this week. The first is a rare white wine from the DOC Colli Tortonesi (the hills of Tortona). Tortona is a commune of south-east Piedmont,  in the Province of Alessandria in north-western Italy. Piedmonte is most noteworthy for it’s noble reds Barolo and Barbaresco. The white wines of Asti (Asti Spumante) and Gavi have their avid followers too. The 2017 Derthona Timorasso is produced by <a href="https://www.boveriluigi.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boveri Luigi.</a> The Azienda Agricola (farm) is owned by Luigi and Germana Boveri. Originally focused on grain production the family embraced viticulture in the mid nineties and now are solely focused on winemaking. The rare white wine they make from the Timorasso grape has been recently rediscovered. The man responsible for the rediscovery is Walter Massa. After World War II, native varietal wines like Timorasso were overshadowed and forgotten as winemakers rushed to produce simple, uniform, high profit wines. Massa was discovered by the wine cognoscenti in 2000 and received much praise for a barrique- aged Barbera he had made. Wine writers happened upon some of the small lots of Timorasso that Walter was experimenting with and began spreading the word of the quality of those wines too. Neighboring growers took notice of Massa’s success with Timorasso and followed his lead. Even though Timorasso has been redeemed, today the area planted to the thick-skinned variety covers just 175 acres, hence its rarity. Derthona is the latin name for the city of Tortona. Boveri’s Derthona Timorasso is planted on the hills of Costa Vescovato, composed of 70% clay limestone and 30% marly limestone. The grapes are hand harvested and once they are crushed they are allowed to macerate for 48 to 60 hours on the skins. Luigi does this to add more depth and texture to the wine. The maceration and soft pressing is followed by a native yeast fermentation and the 100% Timorasso wine is held on the lees in stainless steel tanks for one year. Periodically throughout the year the wine receives<a href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/what-is-batonnage-52755" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> battonage</a>. After bottling the wine is held for one year before release. Following 2016, the 2017 grape growing season faced a difficult start as early frost cut yields throughout the region of Piedmont. Drought conditions were present and a heatwave near the end of the ripening cycle made for a chaotic harvest. Luigi’s Derthona is bright straw yellow in color with tinges of green. Aromas of white peach, grapefruit, meyer lemon and white flowers greet you on the nose. If I had to use one word for the mouth feel I’d say savory. This wine is full bodied at 14% alcohol so it packs a punch. Intense and focused with white peach, beeswax and mineral notes the wine has good depth and richness. Drink now, but know that Timorasso can age well too so you don’t have to worry about losing one in your wine stash. The 2017 is showing well now, but I’m betting it will improve over the next two to four years and beyond. $19 buy it <a href="https://www.enotecavinonostro.com/2016-Luigi-Boveri-Timorasso-Derthona-DOC-p/derth-timo16.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.Our second recommendation is the Darby Winery 2014 Dark Side Syrah. Darby English started making wine in a basement in 2002. A Seattle native he attended Oregon State University on a golf scholarship. Lucky for us he switched from golfing to winemaking. Darby’s first commercial release was in 2005. Today he produces 4,000 cases of Bordeaux Blends, Rhone Varietal and single vineyard wines. These are small production wines, typically 400 or less cases for each bottling. Darby sources his grapes for the Dark Side Syrah from the Columbia Valley. Columbia Valley is Washington’s largest viticultural region with 50,000 acres of planted vineyards. It contains 99% of the grapes grown in the state. Darby buys grapes from Dineen Vineyard in lower Yakima Valley, Discovery Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, and Stone Tree in the Wahluke Slope, all sub-regions of the Columbia Valley. After harvesting the grapes are trucked over the Cascade Mountain Range to the winery in Woodinville. The wine is aged for 18 months in  600 liter neutral French oak puncheons. The Dark Side Beautifully integrated fruit, enjoy it now or hold it for several more years. In the glass the color is medium ruby. The nose exhibits black and blue fruit, black pepper, licorice and a hint of grilled meat. The wine has an incredible balance of acids and tannins. On the palate loads of black fruit, spice and a velvety finish. 14.7%alc I don’t believe the 2014 Dark Side is available anymore as the new vintage on the website shows the 2017 at $28 a bottle. Buy it <a href="http://darbywinery.orderport.net/product-details/0200/2017-Dark-Side-750ml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.

VinoWeek - Episode 58 - How Covid - 19 Affects Us 

Alex Guarachi

Bill and I recently had the opportunity to chat with Alex Guarachi, founder of Guarachi Wine Partners.  Guarachi Wine Partners represents sixteen brands from six countries. During our interview Alex shares how and why he entered the wine business and how he sees the industry changing. Even though he's been in the business over three decades now, his enthusiasm and passion came forth as if he's just started business last week.  We came away energized by his warmth and spirit. We know you'll enjoy his story and a brief look inside the world of wine.Cheers!

Bill and I recently had the opportunity to chat with Alex Guarachi, founder of Guarachi Wine Partners.  Guarachi Wine Partners represents sixteen brands from six countries. During our interview Alex shares how and why he entered the wine business and how he sees the industry changing. Even though he's been in the business over three decades now, his enthusiasm and passion came forth as if he's just started business last week.  We came away energized by his warmth and spirit. We know you'll enjoy his story and a brief look inside the world of wine.Cheers!

Vino101 Episode 36 - A conversation with Alex Guarachi

Two more big wine deals were announced this week, as E &amp; J Gallo and Vintage Wine Estates make a bid to broaden their holdings in Sonoma County.  Measure AB-20,  a bill aimed at helping illegal farm workers obtain work permits is making its way through the California legislature.  If it reaches Governor Jerry Brown's desk will he sign it?  Rock star winemaker Susana Balbo wants to improve the education and healthcare systems in rural Mendoza,  Argentina.  Instead of just complaining she's running for a seat in the Parliament of the Mendoza region.   Have you ever purchase wine online?  Lucy Shaw puts forth some surprising statistics on the wine buying habits of American wine drinkers.  These topic and more on this episode of VinoWeek.  Thanks for listening and tell a friend.  Cheers!       

Two more big wine deals were announced this week, as <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4231859-181/gallo-to-buy-asti-winery?page=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E &amp; J Gallo</a> and <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4251764-181/vintage-wine-estates-outlines-plans?page=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vintage Wine Estates</a> make a bid to broaden their holdings in Sonoma County.  <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/07/vineyard-needs-prompt-action-over-illegal-workers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Measure AB-20</a>,  a bill aimed at helping illegal farm workers obtain work permits is making its way through the California legislature.  If it reaches Governor Jerry Brown's desk will he sign it?  Rock star winemaker <a href="http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/07/balbo-we-need-to-get-our-country-running-again/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susana Balbo</a> wants to improve the education and healthcare systems in rural Mendoza,  Argentina.  Instead of just complaining she's running for a seat in the Parliament of the Mendoza region.   Have you ever purchase <a href="http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/07/us-wine-lovers-yet-to-embrace-online/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wine online</a>?  Lucy Shaw puts forth some surprising statistics on the wine buying habits of American wine drinkers.  These topic and more on this episode of VinoWeek.  Thanks for listening and tell a friend.  Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 10 - More Consolidation in the Wine Business

Rachel Signer has a list of ten things every woman should know about wine, but her list could apply to guys as well. Michelle Locke offers up nine hacks to help you drink better wine by drinking it better. In the podcast Bill and I offer up a few ways to enhance your wine drinking experience as well.Is the age of the Sommelier coming to an end? Some high profile somms are looking for a different experience and are moving into the retail arena. Upscale wine merchant Premier Cru of Berkeley, California has finally folded amidst a plethora of accusations and lawsuits. The FBI is now actively involved and handling former customer and vendor complaints. Napa County officials are flexing their muscles and threatening to shut down a winery in Calistoga that does not have their permits to do business in order.  We talked about this story on a prior podcast.  Look who's saying 'My Bad'. Here's proof that Maureen Downey is smart and one tough cookie. Wine of the week:2014 Tenshen Santa Barbara County White Wine This is the best full bodied aromatic white I've tasted this year. It's a Rhone blend of Viognier, Rousanne, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay. The wine is aged for five months in 80% neutral oak, 20% stainless steel. The aroma offers up orange blossoms, tangerine, kumquat and it's delightfully tropical. On the palate it's full bodied, rich and savory. When you swallow, it taste like more, with flavorful waves of apricot and yellow peaches. It's delicious!  Wines of this quality, at this price point do not remain on the market for long. Run to your favorite retailer and secure some before it's gone. 14.7 % abv $18 - $20 Thanks for listening and please tell a friend about us. Cheers!

Rachel Signer has a list of <a href="http://www.vogue.com/13389570/ten-things-every-woman-should-know-about-wine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ten things every woman should know about wine</a>, but her list could apply to guys as well. Michelle Locke offers up nine hacks to help you <a href="http://www.semissourian.com/story/2270157.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drink better wine by drinking it better</a>. In the podcast Bill and I offer up a few ways to enhance your wine drinking experience as well.Is the <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/why-sommeliers-are-heading-for-retail/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">age of the Sommelier coming to an end?</a> Some high profile somms are looking for a different experience and are moving into the retail arena. Upscale wine merchant <a href="http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29391868/premier-cru-fbi-takes-over-berkeley-wine-shop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Premier Cru of Berkeley</a>, California has finally folded amidst a plethora of accusations and lawsuits. The <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/52637" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FBI is now actively involved</a> and handling former customer and vendor complaints. Napa County officials are flexing their muscles and threatening to <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine-article.lml?Xpage_url=2016%252F01%252Fnapa-county-shows-teeth-over-permits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">shut down a winery</a> in Calistoga that does not have their permits to do business in order.  We talked about this story on a prior podcast.  Look who's saying 'My Bad'. Here's proof that <a href="http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/01/downey-dragon-8-suit-a-meritless-smear/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maureen Downey is smart</a> and one tough cookie. Wine of the week:2014 Tenshen Santa Barbara County White Wine This is the best full bodied aromatic white I've tasted this year. It's a Rhone blend of Viognier, Rousanne, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay. The wine is aged for five months in 80% neutral oak, 20% stainless steel. The aroma offers up orange blossoms, tangerine, kumquat and it's delightfully tropical. On the palate it's full bodied, rich and savory. When you swallow, it taste like more, with flavorful waves of apricot and yellow peaches. It's delicious!  Wines of this quality, at this price point do not remain on the market for long. Run to your favorite retailer and secure some before it's gone. 14.7 % abv $18 - $20 Thanks for listening and please tell a friend about us. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 27 - How to Improve Your Wine Experiences

If it seems like the frequency of counterfeiting, embezzlement, data breaches and fraud have been increasing in the world of wine, it's because it has.  Fighting crime will be the major focus of the 24th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium to be held Sept. 21-22 in Napa.  This Symposium will provide an excellent opportunity for individuals in the business to learn ways to avoid some of the accounting pitfalls of running a small business.  Traditionally small wineries haven't used  trust and verify style management to run the financial side of their businesses.  The Symposium will feature a panel of crime experts that can help  you start a program to better secure your business from criminals.  If you're in the wine business,  you can't afford not to be there. The "Sherlock Holmes of Wine", Maureen Downey has announced the launch of WINEFRAUD.com.  It's being touted as a resource for buyers, producers and vendors of fine wines.  As such winefraud.comoffers several membership levels geared toward consumers of wine and trade professionals.  Maureen's record as a defender for consumers against wine fraud is well documented.  She was a major player in helping solve the case against Rudy Kurniawan, the notorious wine counterfeiter, now serving a ten year prison sentence in Southern California.The incident involving eleven women belonging to the Sistahs of the Reading Edge Book Club being booted off the Napa Valley Wine Train, blew up on social media after wine train principals posted a defense of their actions on facebook.  As it turns out the ladies were more than just bookworms and their use of social media platforms facebook, periscope and twitter - #laughingwhileblack, helped fuel lively public discussions in the bay area and beyond.  Is this a case of a clash of cultures or latent racism cloaked by elitism?  We weren't there so we couldn't possibly identify the cause.   The story is multilayered and while its potential impact on tourism in Napa Valley can't be measured - it doesn't look good.  The Wine Train's CEO Anthony Giaccio, days later issued what appeared to be a genuine mea culpa to the book club members and invited them back for a do over.   He asked them to bring 39 more family members and friends, enough to fill up an entire car as his personal guests.  For now his appeal has fallen on deaf ears.  The Book Club has hired civil rights lawyer Waukeen McCoy to represent them in a five million dollar lawsuit claiming 'Malicious Oppression'.  If you've driven up Highway 29 through Napa Valley you have no doubt seen the signs that say 'no limousines or no tour buses'.  That's certainly one way to avoid the hassle of having to deal with large groups of tourist.  Companies in the hospitality business  in wine country should take notice and review your policies regarding how you deal with larger groups of people visiting your venues. What's the ideal temperature to serve your red wines?  Matthew DeBord pens a good article about how to get the best flavors out of your wine and Bill and I go on a rant about poor wine and food service in the restaurant business.  Vic Poulos offers some advice as well on how to care for your wines before you drink them.  The bottom line heat is the enemy, so treat your wines like your perishable groceries and you'll get the best results.Speaking of heat, its been hot and dry in Washington this summer and wildfires throughout the state have some farmers and vintners wondering if their grapes might be smoke tainted.  Grape samples can be sent to external labs that can check for traces of smoke taint.  Getting that information before you take on the expense of processing the grapes seems like a no brainer, because wines made with smoke tainted grapes can offer some unflattering flavors, that become more pronounced as the wine ages. Have you ever tasted a natural wine?  Perhaps you've had one but didn't know it.  Natural Wine Bars that sport "Hippie Juice" a pejorative, have been gaining  popularity in Europe and now a few entrepreneurs are attempting to carve out a market in the U. S.   Check out this article 'You Make Me FeelLike a Natural Wine' to learn more and find a few examples of some natural wines you might try.Thanks to all for listening and tell a fellow wino about us.  Cheers!   

If it seems like the frequency of counterfeiting, embezzlement, data breaches and fraud have been increasing in the world of wine, it's because it has.  Fighting crime will be the major focus of the 24th annual <a href="http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&amp;content=157142#.Vecp7eH2g6U.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wine Industry Financial Symposium to be held Sept. 21-22</a> in Napa.  This Symposium will provide an excellent opportunity for individuals in the business to learn ways to avoid some of the accounting pitfalls of running a small business.  Traditionally small wineries haven't used  trust and verify style management to run the financial side of their businesses.  The Symposium will feature a panel of crime experts that can help  you start a program to better secure your business from criminals.  If you're in the wine business,  you can't afford not to be there. The "Sherlock Holmes of Wine", <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/launch-winefraud-com-173200255.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&amp;soc_trk=tw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maureen Downey</a> has announced the launch of <a href="https://www.winefraud.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WINEFRAUD.com.</a>  It's being touted as a resource for buyers, producers and vendors of fine wines.  As such winefraud.comoffers several membership levels geared toward consumers of wine and trade professionals.  Maureen's record as a defender for consumers against wine fraud is well documented.  She was a major player in helping solve the case against Rudy Kurniawan, the notorious wine counterfeiter, now serving a ten year prison sentence in Southern California.The incident involving eleven women belonging to the Sistahs of the Reading Edge Book Club being <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/08/31/book-club-booted-from-napa-valley-wine-train-seeking-5-million-for-malicious-oppression/#.VeTkYiX7nOI.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">booted off the Napa Valley Wine Train</a>, blew up on social media after wine train principals posted a defense of their actions on facebook.  As it turns out the ladies were more than just bookworms and their use of social media platforms facebook, periscope and twitter - #laughingwhileblack, helped fuel lively public discussions in the bay area and beyond.  Is this a case of a clash of cultures or latent racism cloaked by elitism?  We weren't there so we couldn't possibly identify the cause.   The story is multilayered and while its potential impact on tourism in Napa Valley can't be measured - it doesn't look good.  The <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150825006065/en/#.VeynLDZRGUl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wine Train's CEO Anthony Giaccio,</a> days later issued what appeared to be a genuine mea culpa to the book club members and invited them back for a do over.   He asked them to bring 39 more family members and friends, enough to fill up an entire car as his personal guests.  For now his appeal has fallen on deaf ears.  The Book Club has hired civil rights lawyer Waukeen McCoy to represent them in a five million dollar lawsuit claiming 'Malicious Oppression'.  If you've driven up Highway 29 through Napa Valley you have no doubt seen the signs that say 'no limousines or no tour buses'.  That's certainly one way to avoid the hassle of having to deal with large groups of tourist.  Companies in the hospitality business  in wine country should take notice and review your policies regarding how you deal with larger groups of people visiting your venues. What's the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ways-to-chill-red-wine-2015-8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ideal temperature to serve your red wines</a>?  Matthew DeBord pens a good article about how to get the best flavors out of your wine and Bill and I go on a rant about poor wine and food service in the restaurant business.  Vic Poulos offers some advice as well on <a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/lifestyle/ci_28702110/wine-column:-keep-your-favorite-bottles-safe-from-heat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">how to care for your wines</a> before you drink them.  The bottom line <a href="http://vino101.net/blog/2013/11/15/tortured-wine-tips-to-avoid-heat-damage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">heat is the enemy</a>, so treat your wines like your perishable groceries and you'll get the best results.Speaking of heat, its been hot and dry in Washington this summer and wildfires throughout the state have some farmers and vintners wondering if their grapes might be <a href="http://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/grapes/wildfires-raise-fears-of-grape-smoke-taint/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">smoke tainted</a>.  Grape samples can be sent to external labs that can check for traces of smoke taint.  Getting that information before you take on the expense of processing the grapes seems like a no brainer, because wines made with smoke tainted grapes can offer some unflattering flavors, that become more pronounced as the wine ages. Have you ever tasted a natural wine?  Perhaps you've had one but didn't know it.  Natural Wine Bars that sport "Hippie Juice" a pejorative, have been gaining  popularity in Europe and now a few entrepreneurs are attempting to carve out a market in the U. S.   Check out this article <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/you-make-me-feel-like-a-natural-wine/Content?oid=16402055" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'You Make Me FeelLike a Natural Wine'</a> to learn more and find a few examples of some natural wines you might try.Thanks to all for listening and tell a fellow wino about us.  Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 15 - Is Napa Valley in a PR Hot Seat?

Fausto Albanesi

 I first became acquainted with the wines of Fausto Albanesi  by happenstance.  I was purchasing wine from an online provider and I was short three bottles to fill out my order.  As I browsed through their offerings his 2010 base bottling of Montepulciano D' Abruzzo caught my eye, so I filled out the order with them.  I picked the wine because  I was familiar with the soft, full of fruit, mildly tannic wines that could be made from that grape.  In fact most Montepulciano D' Abruzzo can always be counted on for modest pricing and good quality.  Upon trying Torre Dei Beati's Montepulciano, to say that I was surprised with the purity and clean expression the wine showed would be an understatement.  We tried another bottle a few weeks later with a spicy ragout over pappardelle.  This served to confirm that we had found a diamond in the rough, so we anted up and purchased another six pack for the wine stash.    Fast forward to this year's Gambero Rosso, San Francisco and Torre Dei Beati wines were on our list of wines to try.  Fausto's wines have garnered many awards for excellence over the years and his "Cocciapazza" cru Montepulciano is a perennial three glass award winner at Gambero Rosso.   Some producers for various reasons may not attend the tasting and they have the distributor representatives show the wines.  Those producers that choose to make the trip have taken on a substantial financial commitment.  Larger producers with a vast network of distribution in the United States always have a line of people two or three deep.  Sometimes there can be a herd mentality at these tastings, so finding an under the radar winery that makes very fine wines, that others aren't knocking each other out to try can be rewarding.  This strategy is as simple as looking where others don't and seeking out unfamiliar grape varieties.  The line at Fausto's table was short and it worked to our advantage as we got to spend several minutes discussing his business.  Fausto's warmth and generosity with his time was unforgettable.   Fausto and his family live in the hilly town of Loreto Aprutino, a small village of about 4,000 people near the Gran Sasso mountains, about 25 kilometers from the Adriatic coastline.  He first met his wife Adrianna at Vinitaly, the Italian Wine Exposition held every spring in Verona.   Their wine estate is near an area called Coccia Pazza, which in Italian Abruzzo dialect means crazyhead.  His next door neighbors, the mythical estate of Eduardo Valentini , forge wines that command unbelievable sums of cash.  Fortunately for us we don't have to spend eye popping amounts of money to experience Fausto's wines.  Torre Dei Beati wines are imported into the states, but you won't find them at big box stores or chains; look to a small specialty wine retailer to acquire them.  Cerasuolo, Trebbiano D' Abruzzo and Pecorino are wines that you may not be familiar with, but you need to try these wines to experience their purity and sense of place.  These and his entry level Montepulciano all retail in the $15 to $20 dollar range and are well worth the search.  His top tier Mazzamurello and Cocciapazza wines start at $35.                Join us as we find out more about Fausto and the wines of Torre Dei Beati, why he's chosen to farm organically from the outset and what makes his wines so special.  Thanks for listening.  Cheers!

<a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a>I first became acquainted with the wines of Fausto Albanesi  by happenstance.  I was purchasing wine from an online provider and I was short three bottles to fill out my order.  As I browsed through their offerings his 2010 base bottling of Montepulciano D' Abruzzo caught my eye, so I filled out the order with them.  I picked the wine because  I was familiar with the soft, full of fruit, mildly tannic wines that could be made from that grape.  In fact most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montepulciano_d%27Abruzzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montepulciano D' Abruzzo</a> can always be counted on for modest pricing and good quality.  Upon trying <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Torre Dei Beati's</a> Montepulciano, to say that I was surprised with the purity and clean expression the wine showed would be an understatement.  We tried another bottle a few weeks later with a spicy ragout over pappardelle.  This served to confirm that we had found a diamond in the rough, so we anted up and purchased another six pack for the wine stash.  Fast forward to this year's Gambero Rosso, San Francisco and Torre Dei Beati wines were on our list of wines to try.  Fausto's wines have garnered many awards for excellence over the years and his <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Cocciapazza</a>" cru Montepulciano is a perennial three glass award winner at Gambero Rosso.   Some producers for various reasons may not attend the tasting and they have the distributor representatives show the wines.  Those producers that choose to make the trip have taken on a substantial financial commitment.  Larger producers with a vast network of distribution in the United States always have a line of people two or three deep.  Sometimes there can be a herd mentality at these tastings, so finding an under the radar winery that makes very fine wines, that others aren't knocking each other out to try can be rewarding.  This strategy is as simple as looking where others don't and seeking out unfamiliar grape varieties.  The line at Fausto's table was short and it worked to our advantage as we got to spend several minutes discussing his business.  Fausto's warmth and generosity with his time was unforgettable. <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> Fausto and his family live in the hilly town of Loreto Aprutino, a small village of about 4,000 people near the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Sasso_d%27Italia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gran Sasso mountains</a>, about 25 kilometers from the Adriatic coastline.  He first met his wife Adrianna at <a href="http://www.vinitaly.com/PressArea/History/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinitaly</a>, the Italian Wine Exposition held every spring in Verona.   Their wine estate is near an area called Coccia Pazza, which in Italian Abruzzo dialect means crazyhead.  His next door neighbors, the mythical estate of Eduardo Valentini , forge wines that command unbelievable sums of cash.  Fortunately for us we don't have to spend eye popping amounts of money to experience Fausto's wines.  Torre Dei Beati wines are imported into the states, but you won't find them at big box stores or chains; look to a small specialty wine retailer to acquire them.  <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cerasuolo</a><a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">, Trebbiano D' Abruzzo</a> and <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pecorino</a> are wines that you may not be familiar with, but you need to try these wines to experience their purity and sense of place.  These and his entry level <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montepulciano</a> all retail in the $15 to $20 dollar range and are well worth the search.  His top tier <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mazzamurello</a> and Cocciapazza wines start at $35.    <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.torredeibeati.it/en/i-prodotti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> Join us as we find out more about Fausto and the wines of Torre Dei Beati, why he's chosen to farm organically from the outset and what makes his wines so special.  Thanks for listening.  Cheers!

Fausto Albanesi and the wines of Torre Dei Beati

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Californians. Bill and I can add evacuee to our resumes as residents of Sebastopol and many other areas of Sonoma County were evacuated due to the Kincade wildfire. Firefighters made their stand at the edge of the foothills as the fires moved downhill towards the densely populated town of Windsor. Many lessons have been learned since the Tubbs fire in the fall of 2017 and in the end the town was saved. Restaurateurs in Sonoma County are struggling with business interruptions from planned power shutoffs and the recent fires. Many are absorbing the losses while other restaurant owners have elected to close. Heather Irwin of Sonoma Magazine writes a piece that explores how business owner are facing the realities of the  PG&amp; E public safety power shutdowns.  E.J. Gallo has just purchased Pahlmeyer, a high end Napa Valley Wine Brand. W. Blake Gray gives us some details about the buyout. West coast grape growers are in the middle of a grape glut. The glut is putting a lot of pressure on wineries and growers and is forcing many to make some tough decisions. The pain that those businesses are experiencing is translating into some very good bargains for wine consumers. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!   photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano We have four holiday wine recommendations this week.  First up is a 2016 Chianti Classico from Tenuta di Bibbiano from the commune of Castellina in Chianti. Bibbiano is managed by Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, the fifth generation of a family that has owned the property since 1865. 100% Sangiovese the organically farmed grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel for about two weeks. After the wine is racked and pressed it spends one year in traditional concrete vats. This is a wonderfully enjoyable, fruity Chianti. The nose show loads of  rich red cherry, earth, spice and garrique. On the palate more of that very distinctive savory-sweet, red fruit with delightful balance and it’s strikingly drinkable. I tasted the bottle over four nights using no nitrogen to preserve it. All I did was pour a glass each night cork the bottle and put it back in the fridge. It wasn’t until the third night that it started showing signs of getting a bit tired. This Chianti would easily compliment a variety of dishes on your holiday dinner table. 5,800 cs, 14.5 abv $18  Buy it here. photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano Trentadue’s Old Patch Red is a perennial favorite of mine. Trentadue is the Italian word for thiry-two. Leo Trentadue moved his family from a Santa Clara ranch where they farmed cherries and apricots in 1959, to Geyserville in the heart of Alexander Valley. He bought a 208 acre ranch that was planted mostly with plum trees, but there were also 60 acres of grape vines. Leo never pulled those vines up, he just planted more grapes. A decade later Leo sold 20 acres of his ranch to Pillsbury, a food company looking to get into the wine business. Through many boom and bust cycles that Pillsbury winery (formerly Chateau Souverain) is now in the capable of hands of Francis Ford Coppola. A wide variety of wines are made at Trentadue and the Old Patch Red (OPR) as the newly redesigned label signifies is their entry level red.  The 2016 version of OPR wine has a newer fresher style to it. It doesn’t have the same grit and rough around the edges profile of past years. The winemaker Miro Tcholakov loves working with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah and the OPR shows he knows what he’s doing. 67% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, 3% Syrah the wine spends 9 months in 15% new oak. It has a deep ruby color, with a  black cherry-cola nose, with loads of vanilla, oak and spice. On the palate it exhibits juicy black and red fruit. It’s sappy and slightly sweet and polished and finishes long with some nice spice as well. It’s sealed with a screw cap so it’s meant to drink now, but you don’t need to worry if you lose a few bottle in your wine stash because this one has some staying power. 5,972 cs, 14.5 abv $14  Buy it here.  Cellar Cal Pla 2016 Black Slate is a wine from the village of Porrera in the winemaking area of Priorat  and is situated roughly an hour and 45 minutes southwest of Barcelona in north-eastern Spain. The importer is Eric Solomon who imports wine predominantly from France and the Iberian Peninsula. If you’ve listened to any of our podcasts you’ve probably heard me talking about the importance of finding an importer whose wines align with your taste and trying other wines that they import. I’ve learned that Eric Solomon Selections is an importer you can count on to bring in uncommon wines from unique places.   Bush vines in MAs-d’en -compte Priorat - photo courtesy of Eric Soloman Selections Priorat is a wine region that was rediscovered in the early 1990s and one could make an argument that Eric helped bring the region its new acclaim. The regions stony soils are covered with black slate, called llicorella locally. Its steep terraced hillsides make it nearly impossible to farm mechanically. So here’s the formula. Organic farming, old vines 15 to 80 years of age, meager yields, steeply terraced vineyards that are hand farmed and harvested. Add to that a wine that is comprised of 50% Garnacha (Grenache), 40% Carinena (Carignan) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in steel and concrete using natural yeast and matured for a year in 3 to 7 year old French and Hungarian oak barrels and you have a stunning example of a wine that exemplifies place over technique. The nose shows beautiful black and blue fruit, crushed rocks, spice and tar. On the palate black fruit, smoke and an earthy minerality. It’s full bodied and the acids and tannins are in perfect focus. The finish is deep and savory. It drinks really well as soon as you pop the cork but do yourself a favor and set aside a glass when you open a bottle and come back to it a few hours later. You’ll be glad you did. A remarkable value at $18 a bottle. 2916cs, 15% abv  Buy it here.  photo courtesy of Eric soloman selections wines to please you guests for the holidays The 2015 By Clinet Pomerol is a special bottling by the Clinet Wine Group. This wine was created for near term drinking while you’re waiting for your $125 bottles of Chateau Clinet to mature. I try not to recommend wines that are difficult to find. By Clinet Pomerol will be hard to find in the U. S. although it can be found in European markets. About 10 to 30 percent of the Gran Vin Chateau Clinet goes into this wine and the rest of the blend is sourced from neighboring Pomerol properties.  The average age of the vines is 42 years and the blend is 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherries, plums and licorice on the nose, in the mouth silky lush red fruit. The tannins are refined and the acidity gives the wine a nice lift all the while the fruit is ripe and sweet. Once I tried this wine I was immediately disappointed that I had only purchased four bottles. An incredible value at $45 almost a third of the price of Chateau Clinet.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Californians. Bill and I can add evacuee to our resumes as residents of Sebastopol and many other areas of Sonoma County were evacuated due to the <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/striking-terrifying-photos-Kincade-Fire-Sonoma-14803250.php#item-85307-tbla-35" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kincade wildfire</a>. Firefighters made their stand at the edge of the foothills as the fires moved downhill towards the densely populated <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10278596-181/inside-the-fight-to-save" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">town of Windsor</a>. Many lessons have been learned since the Tubbs fire in the fall of 2017 and in the end the town was saved. Restaurateurs in Sonoma County are struggling with business interruptions from planned power shutoffs and the recent fires. Many are absorbing the losses while other restaurant owners have elected to close. Heather Irwin of Sonoma Magazine writes a piece that explores how business owner are facing the realities of the <a href="https://www.sonomamag.com/pge-can-make-or-break-us-say-struggling-sonoma-county-restaurateurs/?gSlide=6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> PG&amp; E public safety power shutdowns. </a><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/11/gallo-swoops-for-napas-pahlmeyer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E.J. Gallo has just purchased Pahlmeyer</a>, a high end Napa Valley Wine Brand. W. Blake Gray gives us some details about the buyout. West coast grape growers are in <a href="https://www.goodfruit.com/growers-switch-gears-after-grape-glut/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the middle of a grape glut</a>. The glut is putting a lot of pressure on wineries and growers and is forcing many to make some tough decisions. The pain that those businesses are experiencing is translating into some very good bargains for wine consumers. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano We have four holiday wine recommendations this week. First up is a 2016 Chianti Classico from Tenuta di Bibbiano from the commune of Castellina in Chianti. Bibbiano is managed by Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, the fifth generation of a family that has owned the property since 1865. 100% Sangiovese the organically farmed grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel for about two weeks. After the wine is racked and pressed it spends one year in traditional concrete vats. This is a wonderfully enjoyable, fruity Chianti. The nose show loads of rich red cherry, earth, spice and garrique. On the palate more of that very distinctive savory-sweet, red fruit with delightful balance and it’s strikingly drinkable. I tasted the bottle over four nights using no nitrogen to preserve it. All I did was pour a glass each night cork the bottle and put it back in the fridge. It wasn’t until the third night that it started showing signs of getting a bit tired. This Chianti would easily compliment a variety of dishes on your holiday dinner table. 5,800 cs, 14.5 abv $18 <a href="https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1427679" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>. photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano Trentadue’s Old Patch Red is a perennial favorite of mine. Trentadue is the Italian word for thiry-two. <a href="https://trentadue.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leo Trentadue</a> moved his family from a Santa Clara ranch where they farmed cherries and apricots in 1959, to Geyserville in the heart of Alexander Valley. He bought a 208 acre ranch that was planted mostly with plum trees, but there were also 60 acres of grape vines. Leo never pulled those vines up, he just planted more grapes. A decade later Leo sold 20 acres of his ranch to Pillsbury, a food company looking to get into the wine business. Through many boom and bust cycles that Pillsbury winery (formerly Chateau Souverain) is now in the capable of hands of Francis Ford Coppola. A wide variety of wines are made at Trentadue and the Old Patch Red (OPR) as the newly redesigned label signifies is their entry level red. The 2016 version of OPR wine has a newer fresher style to it. It doesn’t have the same grit and rough around the edges profile of past years. The winemaker Miro Tcholakov loves working with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah and the OPR shows he knows what he’s doing. 67% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, 3% Syrah the wine spends 9 months in 15% new oak. It has a deep ruby color, with a black cherry-cola nose, with loads of vanilla, oak and spice. On the palate it exhibits juicy black and red fruit. It’s sappy and slightly sweet and polished and finishes long with some nice spice as well. It’s sealed with a screw cap so it’s meant to drink now, but you don’t need to worry if you lose a few bottle in your wine stash because this one has some staying power. 5,972 cs, 14.5 abv $14 <a href="https://bottlebarn.com/products/trentadue-old-patch-red" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>. Cellar Cal Pla 2016 Black Slate is a wine from the village of Porrera in the winemaking area of Priorat and is situated roughly an hour and 45 minutes southwest of Barcelona in north-eastern Spain. The importer is Eric Solomon who imports wine predominantly from France and the Iberian Peninsula. If you’ve listened to any of our podcasts you’ve probably heard me talking about the importance of finding an importer whose wines align with your taste and trying other wines that they import. I’ve learned that Eric Solomon Selections is an importer you can count on to bring in uncommon wines from unique places. Bush vines in MAs-d’en -compte Priorat - photo courtesy of Eric Soloman Selections Priorat is a wine region that was rediscovered in the early 1990s and one could make an argument that Eric helped bring the region its new acclaim. The regions stony soils are covered with black slate, called llicorella locally. Its steep terraced hillsides make it nearly impossible to farm mechanically. So here’s the formula. Organic farming, old vines 15 to 80 years of age, meager yields, steeply terraced vineyards that are hand farmed and harvested. Add to that a wine that is comprised of 50% Garnacha (Grenache), 40% Carinena (Carignan) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in steel and concrete using natural yeast and matured for a year in 3 to 7 year old French and Hungarian oak barrels and you have a stunning example of a wine that exemplifies place over technique. The nose shows beautiful black and blue fruit, crushed rocks, spice and tar. On the palate black fruit, smoke and an earthy minerality. It’s full bodied and the acids and tannins are in perfect focus. The finish is deep and savory. It drinks really well as soon as you pop the cork but do yourself a favor and set aside a glass when you open a bottle and come back to it a few hours later. You’ll be glad you did. A remarkable value at $18 a bottle. 2916cs, 15% abv <a href="https://klwines.com/p/i?i=1433783" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>. photo courtesy of Eric soloman selections wines to please you guests for the holidays The 2015 By Clinet Pomerol is a special bottling by the Clinet Wine Group. This wine was created for near term drinking while you’re waiting for your $125 bottles of Chateau Clinet to mature. I try not to recommend wines that are difficult to find. By Clinet Pomerol will be hard to find in the U. S. although it can be found in European markets. About 10 to 30 percent of the Gran Vin Chateau Clinet goes into this wine and the rest of the blend is sourced from neighboring Pomerol properties. The average age of the vines is 42 years and the blend is 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherries, plums and licorice on the nose, in the mouth silky lush red fruit. The tannins are refined and the acidity gives the wine a nice lift all the while the fruit is ripe and sweet. Once I tried this wine I was immediately disappointed that I had only purchased four bottles. An incredible value at $45 almost a third of the price of Chateau Clinet.

VinoWeek - Episode 52 - A Grape Glut = Bargains for Consumers

Are you a points chaser and you only drink wines that have scored 90 or more points? If you hurry you might be able to find some of the wines that made The Wine Spectator's Top 100 for 2015. Close to a third of them fall into the $30 and under category, so if you want you can satisfy your curiosity and find out what all the hoopla is about without breaking your budget.  Guy Fieri is going into the wine business. As far as celebrity wines go he claims he's trying to keep a low profile, so you won't see his likeness or name on the front label. He elected to call the wines Hunt &amp; Ryde in honor of his two sons Hunter and Ryder. The wines all reds for now will be available around Thanksgiving.   The staff at Punch came up with a nice list of wines you might consider for your Thanksgiving dinner table.Jon McDaniel offers some great suggestions on what type of wines to bring to the office, in-laws and neighborhood holiday parties.Hard to believe but we have another winemaker accused of tax fraud and embezzlement. Christian Garvin is facing up to 52 years in prison if convicted.  The court sees him as a flight risk so if he makes bail they plan to hold onto his passport.Stephanie Baker gives us the scoop on a secret underground wine vault that holds a cache worth $1.5 billion.Thanks for listening and tell a friend about us. Cheers!

Are you a points chaser and you only drink wines that have scored 90 or more points? If you hurry you might be able to find some of the wines that made <a href="http://2015.top100.winespectator.com/lists/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wine Spectator's Top 100 for 2015</a>. Close to a third of them fall into the $30 and under category, so if you want you can satisfy your curiosity and find out what all the hoopla is about without breaking your budget.  <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/guy-fieri-wine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guy Fieri is going into the wine business</a>. As far as celebrity wines go he claims he's trying to keep a low profile, so you won't see his likeness or name on the front label. He elected to call the wines Hunt &amp; Ryde in honor of his two sons Hunter and Ryder. The wines all reds for now will be available around Thanksgiving.   The staff at Punch came up with a nice list of wines you might consider for your <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/house-wine-thanksgiving-wines-2015-under-25/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thanksgiving dinner</a> table.Jon McDaniel offers some great suggestions on what type of <a href="http://www.eater.com/2015/11/11/9711820/wine-holiday-party-christmas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wines to bring to the office</a>, in-laws and neighborhood holiday parties.Hard to believe but we have another <a href="http://www.independent.com/news/2015/nov/10/new-details-winemaker-embezzlement-case/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">winemaker accused of tax fraud and embezzlement</a>. Christian Garvin is facing up to 52 years in prison if convicted.  The court sees him as a flight risk so if he makes bail they plan to hold onto his passport.Stephanie Baker gives us the scoop on a <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-10/collectors-stash-1-5-billion-of-wine-in-old-british-ammo-dump" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">secret underground wine vault</a> that holds a cache worth $1.5 billion.Thanks for listening and tell a friend about us. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 24 - Wine Spectator Top 10

Sonoma County wine world recently lost another former winery owner. Chris Smith of the Press Democrat pens an obituary about Robert Rue, who was farming old Zinfandel/ field blend vineyards as a side hustle before the term was popular.We’ve suspected that litigation of this sort was on the horizon and now we have two sizable California vintners suing several insurance companies. The vintners claim that the insurers have failed to reimburse them for smoke taint damages as a result of the wildfires in October 2017 in Northern California.  Lewis Perdue of Wine Industry Insight scooped this story that we will be following closely. Mel Christopher, a top PG&amp;E gas executive is no longer with the company. J. D. Morris of the Press Democrat provides the details.PG&amp;E wants to use a portion of Terry Gard’s vineyard property in Calistoga for a liquid natural gas plant claiming eminent domain and Mr. Gard is having no part of it.  They are both headed to court. I guess you could say PG&amp;E has made him and offer he can refuse, at least for now.  Cynthia Sweeney of The Weekly Calistogan penned the story.The Trump administration is adding more fuel to the tariff wars, this time targeting France, Germany and Spain. We’ll have to wait to see if those countries retaliate with their own tariffs on American goods. Meanwhile, get ready for wine and food products from the European Union to climb upward. W. Blake Gray explores a possible way for Bordeaux winemakers to bypass the additional tax. It’s clever but will it change the way Bordeaux wine are perceived?Eric Asimov of the New York Times writes his first of a four part series exploring the impact climate change is having on modern viticulture.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Sonoma County wine world recently lost another former winery owner. Chris Smith of the Press Democrat pens an obituary about <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10204629-181/winery-founder-robert-rue-dies?sba=AAS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Rue</a>, who was farming old Zinfandel/ field blend vineyards as a side hustle before the term was popular.We’ve suspected that litigation of this sort was on the horizon and now we have two sizable <a href="http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=104031" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California vintners suing several insurance companies.</a> The vintners claim that the insurers have failed to reimburse them for smoke taint damages as a result of the wildfires in October 2017 in Northern California. Lewis Perdue of Wine Industry Insight scooped this story that we will be following closely. Mel Christopher, a top PG&amp;E gas executive is no longer with the company. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/PG-E-gas-executive-involved-in-ill-timed-winery-14537189.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">J. D. Morris of the Press Democrat </a>provides the details.PG&amp;E wants to use a portion of Terry Gard’s vineyard property in <a href="https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/pg-e-wants-to-seize-private-vineyard-property-for-liquid/article_d62a2591-f1c1-573a-82c1-7705a5c9f7ec.html?utm_campaign=user-share&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Calistoga for a liquid natural gas plant </a>claiming eminent domain and Mr. Gard is having no part of it. They are both headed to court. I guess you could say PG&amp;E has made him and offer he can refuse, at least for now. Cynthia Sweeney of The Weekly Calistogan penned the story.The Trump administration is adding more fuel to the tariff wars, this time targeting France, Germany and Spain. We’ll have to wait to see if those countries retaliate with their own tariffs on American goods. Meanwhile, get ready for wine and food products from the European Union to climb upward. W. Blake Gray explores a possible way for <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/10/tariffs-could-see-alcohol-rise-in-bordeaux" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bordeaux winemakers to bypass the additional tax</a>. It’s clever but will it change the way Bordeaux wine are perceived?<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/14/dining/drinks/climate-change-wine.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Asimov of the New York Times</a> writes his first of a four part series exploring the impact climate change is having on modern viticulture.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 51 -  PG&E Facing More Scrutiny

What goes up must come down. It holds true in the stock market and real estate, but are Napa winemakers immune to prevailing market conditions? Stephen Eliot of the Connoisseurs Guide wonders if Napa Wines are too pricey? While W. Blake Gray goes straight to the source and asks wine oracle, Rob McMillan, Executive Vice President of Silicon Valley Bank, his prediction on where Napa wine prices are headed in the future. I had the good fortune of attending the 12th annual Wine &amp; Spirits top 100 tasting in San Francisco on Tuesday October 20, 2015. I'm not sure why I haven't made time to attend this event in the past, but it's already on my calendar for 2016 and I've already invited some friends. Held at City View Metreon in downtown San Francisco, the event featured fabulous wines with the winemakers at your disposal and top local chefs trying to outdo each other,  offering some incredible food. Freshly shucked Hog Island Oysters and 2002 Bollinger Champagne R. D. Extra Brut to start and it got better from there. Certainly one of the most well curated wine tastings I have attended.  French fashion house Chanel has entered the wine business in the U. S. with its purchase of St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley. Diageo is cutting its holdings in the wine industry and Treasury Wine Estates is looking to bulk up its wine portfolio. Who will end up with Chalone Vineyard?We end this podcast with a few stories about dumb criminals. These guys must be the only people in the world that don't realize that cameras are everywhere.As always thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

What goes up must come down. It holds true in the stock market and real estate, but are Napa winemakers immune to prevailing market conditions? Stephen Eliot of the Connoisseurs Guide wonders if <a href="http://www.cgcw.com/databaseshowitem.aspx?id=80733" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Napa Wines are too pricey</a>? While W. Blake Gray goes straight to the source and asks wine oracle, Rob McMillan, Executive Vice President of Silicon Valley Bank, his prediction on <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine-article.lml?Xpage_url=2015%252F10%252Fnapa-wine-prices-likely-to-continue-rising" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">where Napa wine prices are headed</a> in the future. I had the good fortune of attending the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-mitchell/top-100-global-tasting-in_b_8315300.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">12th annual Wine &amp; Spirits top 100 tasting in San Francisco</a> on Tuesday October 20, 2015. I'm not sure why I haven't made time to attend this event in the past, but it's already on my calendar for 2016 and I've already invited some friends. Held at City View Metreon in downtown San Francisco, the event featured fabulous wines with the winemakers at your disposal and top local chefs trying to outdo each other,  offering some incredible food. Freshly shucked Hog Island Oysters and 2002 Bollinger Champagne R. D. Extra Brut to start and it got better from there. Certainly one of the most well curated wine tastings I have attended.  French fashion house <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4641238-181/chanel-buys-rutherfords-st-supery#.Vid_Dx0ufbE.twitter?page=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chanel has entered the wine business in the U. S.</a> with its purchase of St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley. Diageo is cutting its holdings in the wine industry and Treasury Wine Estates is looking to bulk up its wine portfolio. Who will end up with <a href="http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/10/diageo-to-further-offload-wine-business-chalone-vineyard/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chalone Vineyard</a>?We end this podcast with a few stories about <a href="http://www.eater.com/2015/10/23/9603686/wine-thief-new-york-connecticut-expensive-bottles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dumb criminals</a>. These guys must be the only people in the world that don't realize that <a href="http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/2015/10/20/wine-barrels-stolen-portland-winery-repeat-thefts/74271146/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cameras are everywhere</a>.As always thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 22 - Rising Prices in Napa

Wine journalist Jamie Goode recently posted a short blog about three of the world's largest wineries. Fred Swan felt that much of the criticism of the blog on social media was negative so he wrote a piece in defense of E.J. Gallo. Having visited several Gallo facilities in the past he offers some great insight into their operations.W. Blake Gray asks, "What's the point in fining a multi-billionaire winery owner when he ignores the rules"? Bill and  I have a good discussion about Gray's premise, that maybe the best way to thwart eco-vandals is to not give them publicity by reviewing their wines.One of Amazon's faux liquor stores in Southern California has been receiving more publicity than the founder Jeff Bezos probably wanted. W. Blake Gray stirs up quite a controversy with some good investigative journalism. Amazons' cleaned up their act but will it be enough to avoid punishment by the California ABC that has recently launched an investigation into their operations. Blue wine? Turns out it may be fake after all. Corsican official have launched an investigation into the company responsible for this oddity. Grab some bottles of blue wine now, as I'm predicting they will be collector's items in the near future.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Wine journalist Jamie Goode recently posted a short blog about <a href="http://www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/california/the-worlds-three-largest-wineries-all-owned-by-the-same-company" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">three of the world's largest wineries.</a> Fred Swan felt that much of the criticism of the blog on social media was negative so he wrote a piece in <a href="http://www.fredswan.wine/2019/08/28/big-doesnt-always-mean-bad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">defense of E.J. Gallo</a>. Having visited several Gallo facilities in the past he offers some great insight into their operations.W. Blake Gray asks, "What's the point in fining a multi-billionaire winery owner when he ignores the rules"? Bill and  I have a good discussion about Gray's premise, that maybe <a href="the best way to thwart eco-vandals" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the best way to thwart eco-vandals</a> is to not give them publicity by reviewing their wines.One of Amazon's faux liquor stores in Southern California has been receiving more publicity than the founder Jeff Bezos probably wanted. W. Blake Gray stirs up quite a controversy with some <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/08/amazon-does-bare-minimum-to-meet-california-law" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">good investigative journalism</a>. Amazons' cleaned up their act but will it be enough to avoid punishment by the California ABC that has recently launched an investigation into their operations. <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/08/investigation-launched-into-blue-wine-producer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blue wine</a>? Turns out it may be fake after all. Corsican official have launched an investigation into the company responsible for this oddity. Grab some bottles of blue wine now, as I'm predicting they will be collector's items in the near future.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 49 - Large Wineries Drive the Market

Peter Mondavi

Last week one of Napa Valley's legendary winemakers passed. Peter Mondavi Sr. was an innovator and was most proud of not having to sell out to corporate interest, he steadfastly worked to keep Charles Krug Winery in family hands. We send out our thoughts and prayers to the family.Open that bottle night has come and gone. Held on the last Saturday of every February and started by wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher,  it's celebrated as a reason to open up that bottle that you've been saving for a special occasion. If you participated in the event share with us what you had.New research presented by the Wine Market Council shows that millennials have overtaken baby boomers and Gen Xers with regards to wine drinking rates.  Talia Jane sent off a blog post to her boss, Jeremy Stoppleman CEO of Yelp, detailing how difficult it was to work for his company due to the inadequate compensation package she was receiving. Now she's wondering why she's unemployed and is asking for handouts. Stephanie Williams a millennial herself offers her take on Talia's dilemma. Four Seasons Vineyard Management and Ridge Vineyards have been fined $42,300 for housing violations related to a migrant farm worker facility in Healdsburg, Ca.  Here's a link for some quick updates on the Premier Cru bankruptcy and scandal. Zachary Sussman pens an excellent post on the subject of wine futures, detailing how they work and sometimes why they don't.  Do we need another law aimed at dealing with drunk drivers? Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego believes we do and has introduced a bill that would require more training for restaurant and bar workers to recognize patrons that have had too much to drink. Kerin O'Keefe tells a story about one of the most exciting white wines coming out of northern Italy.Wine of the week: 2011 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva  Volpaia is a hilltop walled village north of Radda in central Tuscany. Raffaelo Stianti purchased the estate in 1966 and when his daughter Giovanella married in 1972, the estate became the young couples wedding present. All of the estate owned vineyards are organically farmed and certified, 114 acres in total, situated with southern hillside exposures at 1,300 to 2,130 ft. The nose shows black plums and cherries, floral aromas of lavender, with trailing hints of sage and cedar. Elegant with crisp acidity and good structure it's full bodied at 14.5 % alc. On the palate it has beautiful juicy black fruit, with silky tannins and a persistent finish.  $25 Thanks for listening and please tell a friend. Cheers!

Last week one of Napa Valley's legendary winemakers passed. <a href="http://napavalleyregister.com/calistogan/news/local/charles-krug-winery-s-peter-mondavi-sr-passes-away-at/article_a9dd23c6-6996-565e-9b04-16e6d078cfa7.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Mondavi Sr.</a> was an innovator and was most proud of not having to sell out to corporate interest, he steadfastly worked to keep Charles Krug Winery in family hands. We send out our thoughts and prayers to the family.<a href="https://grapecollective.com/articles/heres-what-were-opening-for-otbn-tough-choices-from-other-cellars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Open that bottle night</a> has come and gone. Held on the last Saturday of every February and started by wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher,  it's celebrated as a reason to open up that bottle that you've been saving for a special occasion. If you participated in the event share with us what you had.New research presented by the <a href="http://www.pymnts.com/consumer-insights/2016/millennials-make-2015-a-vintage-year-for-wine-sales/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wine Market Council</a> shows that millennials have overtaken baby boomers and Gen Xers with regards to wine drinking rates.  Talia Jane sent off a blog post to her boss, Jeremy Stoppleman CEO of Yelp, detailing how difficult it was to work for his company due to the inadequate compensation package she was receiving. Now she's wondering why she's unemployed and is asking for handouts. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stefanie-williams-response-to-yelp-employee-talia-jane-2016-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephanie Williams a millennial</a> herself offers her take on Talia's dilemma. <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/5295196-181/ridge-vineyards-four-seasons-vineyard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Four Seasons Vineyard Management and Ridge Vineyards</a> have been fined $42,300 for housing violations related to a migrant farm worker facility in Healdsburg, Ca.  Here's a link for some quick <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29557352/premier-cru-scandal-sparks-fly-wine-customers-confront?source=rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">updates on the Premier Cru bankruptcy</a> and scandal. Zachary Sussman pens an excellent post on the subject of <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/pre-arrival-wine-and-how-we-got-to-premier-cru/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wine futures</a>, detailing how they work and sometimes why they don't.  Do we need another law aimed at dealing with drunk drivers? Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego believes we do and has introduced a <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5276557-181/california-lawmaker-seeks-mandatory-training?artslide=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bill that would require more training for restaurant and bar workers</a> to recognize patrons that have had too much to drink. Kerin O'Keefe tells a story about one of <a href="http://www.winemag.com/2016/02/18/why-you-should-be-drinking-timorasso/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the most exciting white wines coming out of northern Italy</a>.Wine of the week: 2011 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva  <a href="http://www.volpaia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Volpaia is a hilltop walled village</a> north of <a href="https://www.chianti.com/radda-in-chianti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radda in central Tuscany</a>. Raffaelo Stianti purchased the estate in 1966 and when his daughter Giovanella married in 1972, the estate became the young couples wedding present. All of the estate owned vineyards are organically farmed and certified, 114 acres in total, situated with southern hillside exposures at 1,300 to 2,130 ft. The nose shows black plums and cherries, floral aromas of lavender, with trailing hints of sage and cedar. Elegant with crisp acidity and good structure it's full bodied at 14.5 % alc. On the palate it has beautiful juicy black fruit, with silky tannins and a persistent finish.  $25 Thanks for listening and please tell a friend. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 29 - The Legacy of Peter Mondavi Senior

                                                         Supermarket Champagne DealsHow low can supermarket Champagne prices go in the UK and what will be the net aftereffect? Joyce Lin puts together a guide to help understand Champagne labels.Can you train your palate to get more out of the wines you drink? Rachel Signer asks some industry professionals that very question.  Bill and I have a few suggestions as well on how to sharpen your palate and taste wine like a pro.What's the big deal about ageing wine? When is the best time to drink that special bottle you've been saving? Nova McCune Cadamatre offers up thoughts on the subject; To Age Or Not To Age? That Is The Question.Here's our feel good story of the week. Ashley Trout a winemaker in Washington has started a non-profit winery, Vital Wines. Aimed at helping vineyard workers that do not have health coverage, it's a good step in a positive direction.The press rollout has started for the latest hi-fi wine gadget. It's called the Kuvee. Ever wonder how wine gets to the states at sometimes staggeringly low prices? Bruce Schneider and Charles Bieler are working to clean up the tarnished image of bulk wine through their new wine company, Gotham Project.Wine of the week:  2013 the Pundit Syrah Columbia Valley The winemaker triad of Chateau Ste. Michelle's Bob Berteau, and Rhone Valley's Phillipe Cambie and Michel Gassier are the team behind Tenet Wines. The Pundit is 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache, 2% Mourvedre, and 1% Viognier ( cofermented with the syrah). The wine spends twelve months in oak barrels, 61% neutral French oak, 23% new French oak and 16% new American oak. The color in the glass is an opaque black-purple, going ruby towards the edges. The nose offers up black cherry, cocoa, vanilla and spice. In the mouth it's rich and sappy with no rough edges, black plum jam, vanilla spice and a long satisfying finish. An excellent buy at $20. 14.3% abv This wine was #34 on the Wine Spectator'stop 100 of 2015, so if you want some you should source it out immediately. 

Supermarket Champagne DealsHow low can <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/03/supermarket-champagne-deals-suicidal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">supermarket Champagne</a> prices go in the UK and what will be the net aftereffect? Joyce Lin puts together a guide to help <a href="https://grapecollective.com/articles/understanding-champagne-labels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">understand Champagne labels</a>.Can you train your palate to get more out of the wines you drink? Rachel Signer asks some industry professionals that very question.  Bill and I have a few suggestions as well on how to sharpen your palate and <a href="http://www.vogue.com/13419159/wine-tasting-how-to-train-your-palate/?mbid=social_onsite_twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">taste wine like a pro.</a>What's the big deal about ageing wine? When is the best time to drink that special bottle you've been saving? Nova McCune Cadamatre offers up thoughts on the subject; <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/to-age-or-not-to-age-that-is-the-question/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To Age Or Not To Age? That Is The Question.</a>Here's our feel good story of the week. Ashley Trout a winemaker in Washington has started a non-profit winery, <a href="http://www.vitalwinery.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vital Wines</a>. Aimed at <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2016/03/non-profit-winery-to-fund-workers-healthcare" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">helping vineyard workers that do not have health coverage</a>, it's a good step in a positive direction.The press rollout has started for the latest <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/28/11317518/kuvee-bottle-keep-wine-fresh-smart-wi-fi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hi-fi wine gadget</a>. It's called the Kuvee. Ever wonder how wine gets to the states at sometimes staggeringly low prices? Bruce Schneider and Charles Bieler are working to clean up the tarnished image of <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/rose-wine-season-has-arrived-wine-on-tap-and-gotham-project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bulk wine</a> through their new wine company, <a href="http://gothamproject.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gotham Project</a>.Wine of the week:  2013 the Pundit Syrah Columbia Valley The winemaker triad of Chateau Ste. Michelle's Bob Berteau, and Rhone Valley's Phillipe Cambie and Michel Gassier are the team behind Tenet Wines. The Pundit is 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache, 2% Mourvedre, and 1% Viognier ( cofermented with the syrah). The wine spends twelve months in oak barrels, 61% neutral French oak, 23% new French oak and 16% new American oak. The color in the glass is an opaque black-purple, going ruby towards the edges. The nose offers up black cherry, cocoa, vanilla and spice. In the mouth it's rich and sappy with no rough edges, black plum jam, vanilla spice and a long satisfying finish. An excellent buy at $20. 14.3% abv This wine was #34 on the Wine Spectator'stop 100 of 2015, so if you want some you should source it out immediately.

VinoWeek Episode 31 -  Supermarket Champagne

Happy New Year! Thirty-one cases of the world's most expensive wine have disappeared from a northern port in France while awaiting shipment to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in Canada. Lettie Teague pens a piece titled 'An Insider's Guide to Weird Wine Words'. It's a good primer for explaining some of the jargon used by people in the wine business to describe wine characteristics and flaws.If you ever wondered why some food and wine pairing work and others don't, this article by Bill St. John will help you understand the key elements of pairing wine with food.The Culinary Academy is closing all sixteen of its schools in the U. S. Steve Heimoff comes up with a few reasons for the closure and we come up with a few of our own. Guy Fieri is attempting to dissolve his popular chain of Johnny Garlic's restaurants. The problem is his partner doesn't want dissolution; he wants to purchase Guy's shares of the chain. We'll watch as this one plays out in the court system.Bill Swindell reports for the Press Democrat on the upward trend of tap rooms opening in Sonoma County. Levi Dalton provides a detailed accounting of why sommeliers may be facing a difficult year in 2016. Wines of the Week:  Bele Casel Asolo Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut   Imported by Chambers &amp; Chambers of San Francisco this is not your average supermarket brand Prosecco. To start with it has pedigree. Coming from the Asolo Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, one of the two areas in the Prosecco growing region that has the D.O.C.G. designation. The difference between a D.O.C. and a D.O.C.G. Prosecco is that the latter comes from the hillier regions of the growing zone and is subject to stricter quality controls and because of the terrain is more likely to be farmed by hand. Bele Casel is a small family owned farm and use no chemicals at their 100% organically farmed twelve hectare site in the Asolo region, in the province of Treviso, north of Venice. In the glass the wine shows a light straw color with aromas of white peach and green apples. On the palate green apple and lemon, bright acidity with a clean refreshingly dry finish - elegance personified. This is our house bubbly for the month of January.  Serve with oysters on the half shell, ceviche, salads, fried calamari and light seafood dishes.   11.5 % abv $12 - $14 2012 Kaiken Ultra Malbec/ Mendoza Hand harvested 100% Malbec, raised in one, two and three year old French oak barrels for one year - In the glass a deep violet color, the nose shows black fruits, cocoa and vanilla. On the palate blackberries, chocolate and vanilla, full bodied with firm but round tannins. Rich, showy and superbly balanced with good length on the finish. Enjoy this one with fondues, strongly flavored cheeses and grilled steaks. A ridiculously great value at $14 - $16. Readily available at the moment, be forewarned wines of this quality, at this price point get snatched up quickly.  Shone Farms 2012 Estate Pinot Noir Made by Santa Rosa Junior College Students under supervision of winemaker Chris Wills this Pinot delivers cherry cranberry and earthy mushroom flavors.  Smooth and satiny on the pallet.   From the Winemaker: Pinot Noir was hand harvested in the middle of the night to ensure cool fruit and then placed into small bins and transported by forklift to the cellar door before dawn. The morning fruit was hand sorted by SRJC Wine Studies students then destemmed and gently placed into an open top fermenter. The must cold soaked for three days and was then inoculated and allowed to ferment to dryness. The fermentation cap of grape skins was hand punched down three times per day to extract color, flavor, and body components. The must was pressed to dryness, settled and racked to medium-toast French barrels where it aged for 16 months.As always thanks for listening and tell a friend about us. Cheers!

Happy New Year! Thirty-one cases of the world's most expensive wine have disappeared from a northern port in France while awaiting shipment to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in Canada. Lettie Teague pens a piece titled 'An Insider's Guide to Weird Wine Words'. It's a good primer for explaining some of the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/an-insiders-guide-to-weird-wine-words-1451315159" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jargon used by people in the wine business</a> to describe wine characteristics and flaws.If you ever wondered why some <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/4949121-181/the-why-behind-wine-pairing#.VoLoVf41jXg.twitter?artslide=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">food and wine pairing</a> work and others don't, this article by Bill St. John will help you understand the key elements of pairing wine with food.The <a href="http://enobytes.com/2015/12/23/culinary-schools-under-scrutiny-for-fraudulent-accusations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Culinary Academy is closing</a> all sixteen of its schools in the U. S. <a href="http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2015/12/23/too-my-chefs-a-culinary-academy-closure-suggests-yes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Heimoff</a> comes up with a few reasons for the closure and we come up with a few of our own. Guy Fieri is attempting to <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4976124-181/guy-fieri-seeks-to-dissolve#.VoAxVAc8QME.twitter?artslide=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dissolve his popular chain of Johnny Garlic's restaurants</a>. The problem is his partner doesn't want dissolution; he wants to purchase Guy's shares of the chain. We'll watch as this one plays out in the court system.Bill Swindell reports for the Press Democrat on the upward trend of <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/5001300-181/bottle-shops-taprooms-springing-up?artslide=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tap rooms opening in Sonoma</a> County. Levi Dalton provides a detailed accounting of why <a href="http://ny.eater.com/2015/12/29/10670732/end-of-the-sommelier-2016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sommeliers may be facing a difficult year in 2016</a>. Wines of the Week:  <a href="http://www.belecasel.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bele Casel Asolo Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut </a> Imported by Chambers &amp; Chambers of San Francisco this is not your average supermarket brand Prosecco. To start with it has pedigree. Coming from the Asolo Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, one of the two areas in the Prosecco growing region that has the D.O.C.G. designation. The difference between a D.O.C. and a D.O.C.G. Prosecco is that the latter comes from the hillier regions of the growing zone and is subject to stricter quality controls and because of the terrain is more likely to be farmed by hand. Bele Casel is a small family owned farm and use no chemicals at their 100% organically farmed twelve hectare site in the Asolo region, in the province of Treviso, north of Venice. In the glass the wine shows a light straw color with aromas of white peach and green apples. On the palate green apple and lemon, bright acidity with a clean refreshingly dry finish - elegance personified. This is our house bubbly for the month of January.  Serve with oysters on the half shell, ceviche, salads, fried calamari and light seafood dishes.   11.5 % abv $12 - $14 <a href="http://www.kaikenwines.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2012 Kaiken Ultra Malbec/ Mendoza</a> Hand harvested 100% Malbec, raised in one, two and three year old French oak barrels for one year - In the glass a deep violet color, the nose shows black fruits, cocoa and vanilla. On the palate blackberries, chocolate and vanilla, full bodied with firm but round tannins. Rich, showy and superbly balanced with good length on the finish. Enjoy this one with fondues, strongly flavored cheeses and grilled steaks. A ridiculously great value at $14 - $16. Readily available at the moment, be forewarned wines of this quality, at this price point get snatched up quickly.  <a href="http://store.nexternal.com/sfw/2012--pinot-noir-estate-p11.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shone Farms 2012 Estate Pinot Noir</a> Made by <a href="http://ag.santarosa.edu/viticulture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Santa Rosa Junior College</a> Students under supervision of winemaker Chris Wills this Pinot delivers cherry cranberry and earthy mushroom flavors.  Smooth and satiny on the pallet.   From the Winemaker: Pinot Noir was hand harvested in the middle of the night to ensure cool fruit and then placed into small bins and transported by forklift to the cellar door before dawn. The morning fruit was hand sorted by SRJC Wine Studies students then destemmed and gently placed into an open top fermenter. The must cold soaked for three days and was then inoculated and allowed to ferment to dryness. The fermentation cap of grape skins was hand punched down three times per day to extract color, flavor, and body components. The must was pressed to dryness, settled and racked to medium-toast French barrels where it aged for 16 months.As always thanks for listening and tell a friend about us. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 26 - Culinary Schools, Wine Parings and More

Harvesthas concluded in Sonoma County and vintners are happy with what they have tasted thus far. Bill Swindell gives us a quick look at what winemakers and farmers have to say about the 2015 vintage, one of the earliest on record.German agri-chemical giant Bayer has acknowledged that one of its products sold throughout Europe has caused stunted development of the berries for certain wine growers. Although the cause has yet to be determined Bayer is already taking steps to compensate growers that have suffered losses.  Danny Meyer wants to change the way employees are compensated at his thirteen full service restaurants. The most controversial part of his plan is the elimination of tipping.  Aimed at equalizing the pay differences in restaurants, between the front and the back of the house and addressing pending mandatory minimum wage price increases being proposed in the legislature, his move to emulate the European modelfor fine dining sans tipping, will have lots of restaurant owners and workers watching closely. In a very detailed piece for New York Eater, Ryan Sutton examines the pros and cons of Mr. Meyer's altruism.  Joey Casco posted a blog titled 'The Harsh, Drunken Truth on Wine Trade Tastings'. He includes a personal story that is well, let's just say very sobering. Bill and I use his blog as a springboard to offer some additional tips on how to survive a wine tasting.  The wine of the week is Luciano Saetti's 2014 Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco Salamino. Luciano farms organically and crafts his wines without the addition of sulphites. The color is medium garnet and shows a beautiful pink froth when poured. Aromas of black cherry, plum and a hint of cola are evident on the palate as well. Perfect acidity and balance its bone dry. 12% abv - Pair this lovely Lambrusco with charcuterie, your favorite cheeses, lasagna, pizza and Italian sausages.  $19 - $20Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

Harvesthas concluded in <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4620517-181/harvest-draws-to-an-early#.ViFgGPl49OY.twitter?page=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sonoma County</a> and vintners are happy with what they have tasted thus far. Bill Swindell gives us a quick look at what winemakers and farmers have to say about the 2015 vintage, one of the earliest on record.German agri-chemical giant Bayer has acknowledged that one of its products sold throughout Europe has caused stunted development of the berries for certain wine growers. Although the cause has yet to be determined <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/10/chemical-giant-stumps-up-for-poisoned-vines" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bayer is already taking steps to compensate growers</a> that have suffered losses.  Danny Meyer wants to change the way employees are compensated at his thirteen full service restaurants. The most controversial part of his plan is the elimination of tipping.  Aimed at equalizing the pay differences in restaurants, between the front and the back of the house and addressing pending mandatory minimum wage price increases being proposed in the legislature, his move to emulate the European modelfor fine dining sans tipping, will have lots of restaurant owners and workers watching closely. In a very detailed piece for <a href="http://ny.eater.com/2015/10/14/9517747/danny-meyer-no-tipping-restaurants" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York Eater, Ryan Sutton</a> examines the pros and cons of Mr. Meyer's altruism.  Joey Casco posted a blog titled <a href="http://www.thewinestalker.net/2015/10/tasting.html#.Vh7ZwJ-rU1Q.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'The Harsh, Drunken Truth on Wine Trade Tastings'</a>. He includes a personal story that is well, let's just say very sobering. Bill and I use his blog as a springboard to offer some additional tips on how to survive a wine tasting.  The wine of the week is Luciano Saetti's <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Saetti/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2014 Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco Salamino</a>. Luciano farms organically and crafts his wines without the addition of sulphites. The color is medium garnet and shows a beautiful pink froth when poured. Aromas of black cherry, plum and a hint of cola are evident on the palate as well. Perfect acidity and balance its bone dry. 12% abv - Pair this lovely Lambrusco with charcuterie, your favorite cheeses, lasagna, pizza and Italian sausages.  $19 - $20Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 21 - Wine Tasting Survival

Roughly ten percent of the bottles in convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurnaiwan's wine cellar were deemed fakes and were sent to Creedmore, Texas to be destroyed. There's a video of the process, but allegations of fake wine being sold at high end auctions continues to persist. Wine sleuth Maureen Downey and wine expert Gil Lempert-Schwarz are headed to court as Schwarz has asked the court to order Downey to stop defaming him. Unfortunately, there appears to be more than enough fake wine to go around. Caveat emptor!New York wine retailer Empire Wine's ongoing lawsuit against the New York State Liquor Authority has taken a turn in favor of the NYSLA, after Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have limited the state's power.  Bill Swindell reports for the Press Democrat on the legal problems facing Truett-Hurst. As shares for the company hover at low penny stock levels, it's a sobering reminder of how difficult the wine business can be.E J Gallo increases its footprint in Napa Valley with the purchase of The Ranch Winery in St. Helena. John Fox, owner of Premier Cru, a wine retailer in Berkeley, California, amid numerous lawsuits and claims of running a Ponzi scheme, has closed his retail shops' doors and elected to continue business through online sales only. All of the bad press of late must have made it very uncomfortable for him and his staff to conduct business face to face with the public. If you have made purchases and would like to pick your wine up, you can still do so by making an appointment. This video may be as close as you can get to Champagne without visiting in person.You left your saber at home, but you still want to show off to your friends. The guys at VinePair show that there's more than one way to open a bottle of bubbly.  Wine of the Week:2012 Clos de los Siete    2012 Clos de los Siete  57% Malbec, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot -  Opaque in the glass, aromas of black fruit, cocoa and spice, good concentration, smooth tannins and a long finish. Made by rock star winemaker Michel Rolland who collaborates with seven French partners at five different wineries in Argentina. An excellent value at $14 to $16. Break out the roasted meats and steaks.     Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

Roughly ten percent of the bottles in convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurnaiwan's wine cellar were deemed fakes and were sent to <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/52489" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creedmore, Texas to be destroyed</a>. There's a video of the process, but allegations of fake wine being sold at high end auctions continues to persist. Wine sleuth <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/12/counterfeit-claims-spark-defamation-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maureen Downey and wine expert Gil Lempert-Schwarz are</a> headed to court as Schwarz has asked the court to order Downey to stop defaming him. Unfortunately, there appears to be more than enough fake wine to go around. Caveat emptor!New York wine retailer <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/12/empire-wine-s-moment-of-truth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Empire Wine's</a> ongoing lawsuit against the New York State Liquor Authority has taken a turn in favor of the NYSLA, after <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/magazine-article.lml?Xpage_url=2015%252F12%252Fcuomo-vetos-bill-to-rein-in-liquor-authority" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill</a> that would have limited the state's power.  Bill Swindell reports for the Press Democrat on the <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4829606-181/legal-saga-puts-truett-hurst-winery#.VmV_UCi_Kks.twitter?artslide=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">legal problems facing Truett-Hurst</a>. As shares for the company hover at low penny stock levels, it's a sobering reminder of how difficult the wine business can be.E J Gallo increases its footprint in Napa Valley with the purchase of <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4937370-181/gallo-buys-another-winery-in#.VnKrNeXWimg.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ranch Winery in St. Helena</a>. John Fox, owner of <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/18/pyramid-scheme-for-wine-collectors-cry-foul.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Premier Cru, a wine retailer in Berkeley, California</a>, amid numerous lawsuits and <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_29262919/berkeley-embattled-premier-cru-wine-store-becoming-online" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">claims of running a Ponzi scheme</a>, has closed his retail shops' doors and elected to continue business through online sales only. All of the bad press of late must have made it very uncomfortable for him and his staff to conduct business face to face with the public. If you have made purchases and would like to pick your wine up, you can still do so by making an appointment. This video may be as close as you can get to <a href="http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/new-champagne-film-offers-360-degree-views-of-vineyards-cellars-285282/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Champagne without visiting</a> in person.You left your saber at home, but you still want to show off to your friends. The guys at VinePair show that <a href="http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/how-to-saber-a-bottle-of-wine-with-everyday-household-items-including-an-ipad-video/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=float" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">there's more than one way to open a bottle of bubbly</a>.  Wine of the Week:<a href="http://www.closdelossiete.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2012 Clos de los Siete </a> <a href="http://www.closdelossiete.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CDL7_2012_en.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> 2012 Clos de los Siete  57% Malbec, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot -  Opaque in the glass, aromas of black fruit, cocoa and spice, good concentration, smooth tannins and a long finish. Made by rock star winemaker Michel Rolland who collaborates with seven French partners at five different wineries in Argentina. An excellent value at $14 to $16. Break out the roasted meats and steaks. Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 25 - Lawsuits, Fake Wine and Saber Fun!

Bill and I start this weeks podcast talking about British Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s article Why You Shouldn’t Care Much About Wine. Exploring various topics Tim’s tongue-in-cheek writing style will bring a smile to your face. Jillian Kramer writes a post about What Happens To Your Body When You Quit Drinking. We have a good discussion about all the good things that happen when one abstains from alcohol. Even bartenders in the bay area are getting in the act via the Pin Project. Adding a little air to your wine helps the wine show itself in its best light. Aromas and flavors are enhanced when a wine gets the proper amount of air. Marshall Tilden lll asks, Aerator vs Decanter: Which is Better?Another Napa Winery finds itself wrangling with their insurance company. The key issue being the insurance companies denial of the wineries claim for smoke taint damage to 1,075 gallons of Merlot. According to the lawsuit, the insurance company claim denials are about to cause financial ruin to the winery. The Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association’s tight grip on alcohol commerce has recently been relaxed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The two retailers in the case, Kimbrough Fine Wine and Spirits and Total Wine &amp; More can now begin serving customers in the Tennessee marketplace. Good news on one front, however the Supreme Court’s decision opens the door to many new court battles in the future. Emma Balter goes into the details of the Court’s ruling.The fifth largest brewing company in the world, Molson Coors Brewing, is giving its UK staff an additional two weeks of paid leave. It’s called ‘Life Leave’ and the 2000 people that Molson Coors employs in the UK just got a bit more excited about going to work.Julia Moskin reports on the recent store closings of the luxury food chain Dean and DeLuca. The companies debt problems are also causing financial problems for many of the small purveyors that supply the stores with their fancy food items, some whom report they haven’t been paid for months. One supplier successfully sued Dean and DeLuca for 86,000, but had to settle for 50 cents on the dollar.Bill and I discuss these topics and many more in this weeks addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! The wine of the week is the 2015 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico. Just like last weeks wine Alanera by Zenato I discovered the wines of Tenuta Di Arceno at the Gambero Rosso tasting last spring. I was blown away by the quality of the three wines they presented that day. Two of the wines Arcanum and Valadorna IGT Super Tuscans were especially noteworthy, approachable now, full of energy, rich in structure and built for extended ageing too. Bordeaux styled blends the  Arcanum is predominately  Cabernet Franc while the Valadorna leads with Merlot. Both of these wines are in the high roller $80 and up club, so these are really only splurge wines for us regular folks. Despite their high price point they represent very good value in the Super Tuscan arena. The bread and butter wines of Tenuta Di Arceno are the three Chianti Classico wine they produce. Those are a base Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Riserva and single vineyard Chianti Classico they call Stada al Sasso. Tenuta Di Arceno has been owned by Jackson Family Wines since 1994. Located in the southeast region of the Chianti Classico region, within the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the estate consist of 2500 acres. of which less than 10% are devoted to vines. Lawrence Cronin the winemaker has been crafting the wines of Arceno since 2002. He worked at  Edmeades Winery in Anderson, Valley California another Jackson Family owned property prior to coming on board at  Arceno. Cronin works in concert with Master Winemaker Pierre Seillan who also oversees the winemaking at properties in Bordeaux and California. The wine is composed of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot and after fermentation spends 10 months in French oak. In the glass it shows a medium ruby color. The nose offers aromas of black cherries, violets and forest floor. On the palate it’s medium bodied, with crisp  juicy red fruit, supple tannins and a medium length finish. The only distraction from the lip smacking red fruit flavors are the slightly drying tannins on the finish. The wine shows its best after a 30 minute decant. 14.5 abv  $14 - $17

Bill and I start this weeks podcast talking about British Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s article <a href="https://timatkin.com/why-you-shouldnt-care-much-about-wine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why You Shouldn’t Care Much About Wine.</a> Exploring various topics Tim’s tongue-in-cheek writing style will bring a smile to your face. Jillian Kramer writes a post about <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/article/291290/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-quit-drinking/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What Happens To Your Body When You Quit Drinking.</a> We have a good discussion about all the good things that happen when one abstains from alcohol. Even bartenders in the bay area are getting in the act via the<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/If-you-see-your-bartender-wearing-this-pin-it-14083100.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Pin Project.</a> Adding a little air to your wine helps the wine show itself in its best light. Aromas and flavors are enhanced when a wine gets the proper amount of air. Marshall Tilden lll asks, <a href="https://www.winemag.com/2019/07/02/aerator-vs-decanter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aerator vs Decanter: Which is Better?</a>Another <a href="https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&amp;dataId=216392#.XSUwp3uJ4jU.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Napa Winery finds itself wrangling with their insurance company</a>. The key issue being the insurance companies denial of the wineries claim for smoke taint damage to 1,075 gallons of Merlot. According to the lawsuit, the insurance company claim denials are about to cause financial ruin to the winery. The Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association’s tight grip on alcohol commerce has recently been relaxed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The two retailers in the case, Kimbrough Fine Wine and Spirits and Total Wine &amp; More can now begin serving customers in the Tennessee marketplace. Good news on one front, however the Supreme Court’s decision opens the door to many new court battles in the future. Emma Balter goes into the <a href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/will-the-supreme-court-wine-decision-reshape-the-u-s-wine-market" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">details of the Court’s ruling.</a>The fifth largest brewing company in the world, Molson Coors Brewing, is giving its UK staff an additional two weeks of paid leave. It’s called<a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/07/molson-coors-gives-uk-staff-two-extra-weeks-paid-life-leave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> ‘Life Leave’ </a>and the 2000 people that Molson Coors employs in the UK just got a bit more excited about going to work.Julia Moskin reports on the recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/dining/dean-and-deluca-closes-stores.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">store closings of the luxury food chain Dean and DeLuca</a>. The companies debt problems are also causing financial problems for many of the small purveyors that supply the stores with their fancy food items, some whom report they haven’t been paid for months. One supplier successfully sued Dean and DeLuca for 86,000, but had to settle for 50 cents on the dollar.Bill and I discuss these topics and many more in this weeks addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! The wine of the week is the 2015 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico. Just like last weeks wine Alanera by Zenato I discovered the wines of Tenuta Di Arceno at the Gambero Rosso tasting last spring. I was blown away by the quality of the three wines they presented that day. Two of the wines Arcanum and Valadorna IGT Super Tuscans were especially noteworthy, approachable now, full of energy, rich in structure and built for extended ageing too. Bordeaux styled blends the Arcanum is predominately Cabernet Franc while the Valadorna leads with Merlot. Both of these wines are in the high roller $80 and up club, so these are really only splurge wines for us regular folks. Despite their high price point they represent very good value in the Super Tuscan arena. The bread and butter wines of Tenuta Di Arceno are the three Chianti Classico wine they produce. Those are a base Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Riserva and single vineyard Chianti Classico they call Stada al Sasso. Tenuta Di Arceno has been owned by Jackson Family Wines since 1994. Located in the southeast region of the Chianti Classico region, within the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the estate consist of 2500 acres. of which less than 10% are devoted to vines. Lawrence Cronin the winemaker has been crafting the wines of Arceno since 2002. He worked at Edmeades Winery in Anderson, Valley California another Jackson Family owned property prior to coming on board at Arceno. Cronin works in concert with Master Winemaker Pierre Seillan who also oversees the winemaking at properties in Bordeaux and California. The wine is composed of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot and after fermentation spends 10 months in French oak. In the glass it shows a medium ruby color. The nose offers aromas of black cherries, violets and forest floor. On the palate it’s medium bodied, with crisp juicy red fruit, supple tannins and a medium length finish. The only distraction from the lip smacking red fruit flavors are the slightly drying tannins on the finish. The wine shows its best after a 30 minute decant. 14.5 abv $14 - $17

Should You Quit Drinking?

Winery Buyouts

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates makes another investment in Northern California, while Jackson Family Wines adds to its portfolio of Oregon wine properties. It looks like the Robert Rue label has been retired as Venge Vineyards has purchased the property  in Russian River Valley.We're number one or are we? Check out this graphic by Decanter Magazine highlighting the top 10 wine consuming countries.Want to brush up on your Chianti Classico knowledge and get a heads up of what's available in the marketplace? Don'tmiss Richard Jennings' awesome post.Is that the world's most interesting man. No, it's Vijay Mallya, India's most wanted man.  It's easy to steal rare wine but much harder to fence it, or so it seems for two Northern California men who have been charged with trafficking in stolen goods.Bill and I discuss these stories and a few other on this week's podcast. Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

<a href="http://www.newschannel10.com/story/31763614/ste-michelle-wine-estates-acquires-renowned-sonoma-winery-patz-hall#.VxaEJzJz_yk.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ste. Michelle Wine Estates</a> makes another investment in Northern California, while <a href="http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2016/04/19/jackson-buys-penner-ash/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jackson Family Wines</a> adds to its portfolio of Oregon wine properties. It looks like the Robert Rue label has been retired as <a href="http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/5524336-181/venge-vineyards-russian-river-valley-winery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Venge Vineyards</a> has purchased the property  in Russian River Valley.We're number one or are we? Check out this graphic by Decanter Magazine highlighting the <a href="http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/top-wine-consuming-countries-2015-oiv-300080/?platform=hootsuite" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">top 10 wine consuming countries.</a>Want to brush up on your <a href="http://www.rjonwine.com/tuscany/chianti-classico/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chianti Classico</a> knowledge and get a heads up of what's available in the marketplace? Don'tmiss Richard Jennings' awesome post.Is that the world's most interesting man. No, it's <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/04/mallya-convicted-of-cheque-bouncing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vijay Mallya, India's</a> most <a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/04/mallya-convicted-of-cheque-bouncing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wanted man</a>.  It's easy to steal rare wine but much harder to fence it, or so it seems for two Northern California men who have been charged with <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-charged-in-thefts-of-thousands-in-high-end-wine-7382780.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">trafficking in stolen goods</a>.Bill and I discuss these stories and a few other on this week's podcast. Thanks for listening and tell a friend. Cheers!

VinoWeek Episode 32 - Winery Buyouts

Chalone Vineyards has changed hands again. The new owner Bill Foley plans to put new emphasis on promoting the brand.Dorthy Gaiter interviews Michael Mondavi about the Mondavi clan, then and now. The way things have turned out may not be as patriarch Robert Mondavi had envisioned, but if he were here he'd probably be pleased. Tim Carl writes about the evolving taste in California wine country. Could this be a glimpse into the near future?Batya Ungar-Sargon wonders 'Why aren't there more Black Americans making wine?'. From the files of people behaving badly, Italian police have discovered a counterfeit Champagne operation in the province of Padua.Wine of the week: 2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling - Ovid Line North This riesling hails from the Finger Lakes Region of New York on the east side of Seneca Lake. It's composed of two riesling clones Geisenheim 110 and 239 and was harvested at 21 brix. Fermented and aged in stainless steel for six months, it's finished with residual sugar of 3.2 % and 11.6 % abv. It has a shy nose with a pleasant leesy aroma. Leesy is a term for the aroma you get from wine that is held in a container on its lees (dead yeast cells) for an extended period.  Where this wine really struts its stuff is on the palate. You'll find juicy white peach and pear flavors. It's off dry with that characteristic lemon, lime, tongue tingling acidity on the finish. A real crowd pleaser for sure.   575 cases $20

<a href="http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/52727" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chalone Vineyards</a> has changed hands again. The new owner Bill Foley plans to put new emphasis on promoting the brand.Dorthy Gaiter interviews <a href="https://grapecollective.com/articles/michael-mondavi-on-painful-lessons-from-his-famous-father" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Mondavi</a> about the Mondavi clan, then and now. The way things have turned out may not be as patriarch Robert Mondavi had envisioned, but if he were here he'd probably be pleased. Tim Carl writes about the <a href="http://www.northbaybiz.com/Columnists/Vine_Wise/Evolving_Tastes.php#.VrnblnXY8Kl.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">evolving taste in California wine country</a>. Could this be a glimpse into the near future?Batya Ungar-Sargon wonders <a href="http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/black-americans-winemaking/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'Why aren't there more Black Americans making wine?'</a>. From the files of people behaving badly, Italian police have discovered a <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/52684#.VrF0x339zc4.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">counterfeit Champagne operation</a> in the province of Padua.Wine of the week: 2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling - Ovid Line North This riesling hails from the Finger Lakes Region of New York on the east side of Seneca Lake. It's composed of two riesling clones Geisenheim 110 and 239 and was harvested at 21 brix. Fermented and aged in stainless steel for six months, it's finished with residual sugar of 3.2 % and 11.6 % abv. It has a shy nose with a pleasant leesy aroma. Leesy is a term for the aroma you get from wine that is held in a container on its lees (dead yeast cells) for an extended period.  Where this wine really struts its stuff is on the palate. You'll find juicy white peach and pear flavors. It's off dry with that characteristic lemon, lime, tongue tingling acidity on the finish. A real crowd pleaser for sure.   575 cases $20

VinoWeek Episode 28 - Diageo's Exodus Continues

  Taco Bell is setting its sights on the urbanites of Chicago and San Francisco. Their first pilot stores Taco Bell Cantina, are slated to open later this month.  Specifically targeting the millennial demographic these restaurants will feature a revamped menu, digital menu boards, TV monitors and mobile ordering and pick up apps.  The kicker is these new locations will be serving margaritas in Chicago and draft beer and wine in San Francisco. Steve Heimoff offers his take on Taco Bell's new concept. The San Francisco location is near the AT&amp;T ballpark area and with that location it looks like it will be a home run.Costco heir David Sinegal acknowledges that he loves,  "the art and act of making things that are unique and special".  Elin McCoy shares what he's doing with his new venture Sinegal Estate in Napa Valley.Have you tried wine from a keg yet? Adam Teeter writes an article about the recent phenomenon of wine on tap. It a good jumping off point for Bill and I as we discuss the pros and cons of restaurants serving wine on tap.Do you buy wine online? How do you know its been handled properly during transport? In Entrepreneur Magazine Tracy Byrnes offers some tips on precautions you should take when shipping wine.Sarika Chawla writes a post about the newest way to tour wine country in SoCal. If you're a tech savvy traveler this is right up your alley.We had a terrible wildfire in Lake County, California which is just north of Napa Valley. If you would like to help those in need here are some links.Is there more consolidation in the future for breweries? It seems almost certain. We also have a quick update on the Napa Wine Train fiasco.Thanks for listening and tell a fellow wino about us. Cheers!

Taco Bell is setting its sights on the urbanites of Chicago and San Francisco. Their first pilot stores<a href="http://www.tacobell.com/Company/newsreleases/New-Urban-Restaurant-Concept" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Taco Bell Cantina</a>, are slated to open later this month.  Specifically targeting the millennial demographic these restaurants will feature a revamped menu, digital menu boards, TV monitors and mobile ordering and pick up apps.  The kicker is these new locations will be serving margaritas in Chicago and draft beer and wine in San Francisco. Steve Heimoff offers his take on <a href="http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2015/09/17/on-taco-bell-selling-wine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taco Bell's new concept</a>. The San Francisco location is near the AT&amp;T ballpark area and with that location it looks like it will be a home run.Costco heir David Sinegal acknowledges that he loves,  "the art and act of making things that are unique and special".  Elin McCoy shares what he's doing with his new venture <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-14/costco-heir-aims-to-create-new-napa-cult-wines-in-1-403-steps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sinegal Estate</a> in Napa Valley.Have you tried wine from a keg yet? Adam Teeter writes an article about the recent phenomenon of wine on tap. It a good jumping off point for Bill and I as we discuss the pros and cons of restaurants serving <a href="http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/wine-on-tap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wine on tap</a>.Do you buy wine online? How do you know its been handled properly during transport? In Entrepreneur Magazine Tracy Byrnes offers some tips on <a href="http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/wine-on-tap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">precautions you should take when shipping wine</a>.Sarika Chawla writes a post about the newest way to <a href="http://munchies.vice.com/articles/how-uber-is-changing-the-way-drunk-people-take-wine-tours" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tour wine country in SoCal</a>. If you're a tech savvy traveler this is right up your alley.We had a terrible <a href="http://www.weather.com/news/news/before-after-images-valley-fire-california" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wildfire in Lake County</a>, California which is just north of Napa Valley. If you would like to help those in need here are some <a href="http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2015/09/14/valleyfire-how-to-help/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links.</a>Is there more <a href="http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/09/millercoors-cuts-520-jobs-with-brewery-closure/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">consolidation</a> in the future for <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4488459-181/anheuser-busch-inbev-tries-to-swallow#.VfqsGewCQyw.twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">breweries</a>? It seems almost certain. We also have a quick update on the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Family-sells-Napa-Valley-Wine-Train-to-partnership-6507409.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Napa Wine Train</a> fiasco.Thanks for listening and tell a fellow wino about us. Cheers!

Vinoweek Episode 17 -  Changing Times in Beer and Wine

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