California - deborahparkerwong

Fleur Geffrier, Antoine Chappey and Tomohisa Yamashita in "Drops of God," now streaming on Apple TV.

25 Wines Spied in “Drops of God” Second Season

January 6, 2026 deborahparkerwong Wine Tasting, Blind Tasting, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Burgundy, California, Champagne, France, Gigongas, Italy, Languedoc, multisensory, Pinot Noir, Rhone Valley, sensory, Sommeliers, Veneto, winegrowing, Winemaking

French wines takes center stage in season two.

Sustainability is a priority at Spottswoode. Photo courtesy Spottswoode Winery

Navigating the Sustainability Landscape: Which Certifications Matter?

September 8, 2024 deborahparkerwong Sustainability, California, Slow Wine Guide, Slow Wine Guide USA, Slow Wine USA, winegrowing, Winemaking

As the labyrinth of wine industry certifications continues to expand, consumers often find themselves without a compass.

Five Decades for California’s Class of ’72

October 18, 2022 deborahparkerwong Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, SOMM Journal, Sonoma

Of the California wineries celebrating their 50th birth year in 2022, six gathered to mark the occasion with a retrospective tasting at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Each dazzled us with three wines while reflecting on five decades of harvests and providing a snapshot of their current vintages.

Sustainability: A Shared Message Delivered by a Chorus of Voices

June 1, 2021 deborahparkerwong California, New York, Oregon, Slow Wine Guide USA, Washington

Bringing together like-minded stakeholders for its second global conference addressing sustainability, Sustainable Wine UK will host the Future of Wine Americas Conference, 1 – 3 June. This no-cost, online conference will connect peers for information sharing, debate and best practices aimed at tackling pressing topics such as water conservation, the benefits of organic versus low-intervention wine, sustainable management of pest and disease outbreaks, and the role of social fairness in the green movement.

Taint or Terroir?

October 10, 2020 deborahparkerwong Australia, California, Smoke Exposure, SOMM Journal, Terroir

What can we expect as winegrowers in Australia, Chile, France, and the United
States are increasingly forced to adapt their winemaking practices and styles to account for devastating fire seasons?

Slow Wine Guide 2020 – your free digital edition

February 10, 2020 deborahparkerwong Biodynamic, California, Italy, Organic, Slow Wine Guide, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Wine, winegrowing

Enjoy your free digital edition of the 2020 Slow Wine Guide.

Spring vegetables present unique wine-pairing challenges

April 28, 2019 deborahparkerwong California, Food and wine pairing, sensory science

It seems a Ph.D. in organic chemistry is necessary to fully understand the
issue, but wine science educator Deborah Parker Wong can provide some insight into what happens when certain vegetables meet the palate.

Beyond the Bar: Wine country visits that take you beyond the tasting room

April 3, 2019 deborahparkerwong Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Carneros, Enotourism, Napa Valley, Pinot Noir, Sonoma, Wine, Wine & Food Pairing

Gone are the days when wine tasting was synonymous with standing at a bar. Wineries are now offering tasting experiences that include such activities as hiking with your dog, appreciating a world-class sculpture garden and breathing through a yoga class. If you think a standard wine tasting at a bar sounds more like drudgery than a dream day, these four non-traditional wine tasting experiences are for you.

Your guide to the Slow Wine Guide 2019 (free download)

March 19, 2019 deborahparkerwong California, Italy, Oregon, Vineyard, Wine Bars

The 2019 Slow Wine Guide (free download) arrived in San Francisco on Monday, March 4th, for the Guide’s first stop on a tour of the US that included Portland, Denver, New York and Boston. With more than 100 wineries from Italy and California participating, the tour drew a record number of tasters reflecting the growing interest in wineries whose values and practices are aligned with Slow Wine.

First-ever Slow Wine Guide to Oregon and second California edition coming online…

January 24, 2019 deborahparkerwong Biodynamic, California, Napa Valley, Oregon, Organic, Sonoma, Uncategorized

First-ever Slow Wine Guide to Oregon and second California edition coming online… First-ever Slow Wine Guide to Oregon and second[…]

Exploring North and South American terroirs

December 19, 2018 deborahparkerwong Argentina, California, Chardonnay, Chile, Mendocino, Napa Valley, Pinot Noir, Vineyard

There’s a yin and yang to winegrowing in the Americas. As the vines in North America are stirring to life, the vineyards in South America are ready for harvest.

Vinexpo Explorer shines global spotlight on Sonoma County, Calif.

October 19, 2018 deborahparkerwong Buyers, California, International, Sonoma, Spirited, Uncategorized, Wine

Vinexpo Explorer presented the gathering of wine buyers and press from 27 countries with an opportunity to take a deep dive into the region and its terroir, personality, and the myriad wine styles produced in Sonoma County. Spirited interviewed some of these buyers, most of whom were first-time visitors to the region, to gather their firsthand impressions of Sonoma County wines.

Cabernet with a twist

September 21, 2018 deborahparkerwong Bourbon, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, The Tasting Panel

The practice of finishing whiskey in wine barrels has been around since the 1860s, when scotch producers first utilized Sherry[…]

Micro-lot Cabernet from Napa’s rockiest site

August 15, 2018 deborahparkerwong Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa Valley, SOMM Journal, Vineyard, Wine

Cobbles reminiscent of the kind you find in the Southern Rhône aren’t the first thing you typically encounter in a Napa Valley vineyard. At Game Farm vineyard, owned and managed by Alex Vyborny and son Ben, it’s what differentiates their site from many others in Oakville. That cobbled terroir drew Goosecross Cellars winemaker Bill Nancarrow who sources fruit for the independent C. Elizabeth brand to the site like a bee to honey.

Picchetti Winery scores big with 2017 Sauvignon Blanc

August 13, 2018 deborahparkerwong Arroyo Secco AVA, CA State Fair, California, Santa Cruz, Sauvignon Blanc, Vineyard, Wine

At first glance, this ethereal Sauvignon Blanc which is described by Mike Bruzus, associate winemaker at Picchetti Winery, as “almost color less, the palest straw” could be mistaken for water. But from the moment your nose comes within a few inches of the glass, there’s a rush of aromas, a jumble of fragrance that includes pink grapefruit, pineapple, gooseberry, honeydew melon, guava, lychee and mineral notes of wet rocks and saline. A precursor of what’s to come when you taste it and a certain indicator that this isn’t a “simple” wine.

Imagery repeats as CA State Fair California Winery of the Year

August 10, 2018 deborahparkerwong CA State Fair, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Enotourism, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma, Wine Competitions

In a repeat performance, Imagery Estate Winery founded by Joe Benziger in 1985 has been honored for the second year running by the California State Fair as the 2018 Golden State Winery of the Year. Benziger, who was at the helm for the 2017 award, has now retired but serves as guide and mentor for his second daughter Jamie Benziger, 31, who stepped up as winemaker in 2018.

Paraiso Vineyard: The backbone of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

August 9, 2018 deborahparkerwong CA State Fair, California, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sustainability, Terroir, Vineyard, Wine, Wine Competitions, winegrowing

Spanish missionaries at Mission Soledad first planted vineyards in the region now known as the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in the late 18th century. But winegrowing on the windswept terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range began in earnest in 1973 when Rich and Claudia Smith established the Paraiso Vineyard. Parasio is the tenth iconic vineyard to be acknowledged by the California State Fair as Vineyard of the Year.

Twelve months of bubbles

December 27, 2017 deborahparkerwong California, Cava, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Italy, minerality, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, Rosé, Sonoma, Spain, Sparkling wine, Terroir, Veneto, Winemaking

From Asti to Champagne, bubbles were a bright spot in 2017. While sparkling wine is no longer confined to special[…]

Incredible bulk: The changing nature of the international bulk wine market is creating opportunities

December 4, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bulk wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, France, Italy, Spain, Spirited, Spirits, Wine

It’s estimated that roughly 25 percent of the world’s wine production is sold as bulk wine, a segment that’s described[…]

Red blends: Greater than the sum of their parts

October 11, 2017 deborahparkerwong Argentina, Bordeaux, Bulk wine, California, Featured, Italy, Languedoc, Portugal, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, SOMM Journal, Spain, Trends, Winemaking

While researching the current popularity of blended wines in preparation for a talk at the 2017 International Bulk Wine and Spirits[…]

IBWSS Recap: a first for California

August 14, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bulk wine, California, San Francisco, Spirits, Wine

The IBWSS was the first-ever bulk and private label wine and spirits event in California Close to 1500 wineries, distilleries,[…]

Horizons left to chase: Q & A with One Mind Institute’s Brandon Staglin

June 27, 2017 deborahparkerwong California, Napa Valley, Research

Brandon Staglin, recipient of the Mental Health Association’s 2017 Clifford W. Beers Award, has been recognized as the nation’s leading[…]

Q & A with CEO Sid Patel, The International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show

June 26, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bulk wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Carneros, Central Valley, Chardonnay, Languedoc, Lodi, Partnerships, Portugal, Provence, Restaurants, Rosé, San Francisco, Sauvignon Blanc, Sommeliers, Sonoma, Spain, Sparkling wine, Spirits, Trends, Veneto, Wine

San Francisco continues to be one of the world’s most important destinations for leading players in the wine industry, so it’s no surprise that a major conference dedicated to the private label and bulk trade is making its way to the city on July 26-27.

It’s a small world

March 16, 2017 deborahparkerwong California, Nanobioscience, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Spirited, Technology, Terroir

Microbial fingerprints leave their mark on winery and vineyard sites — and on finished wine.

Sparkling Toast to a Still Future

August 23, 2016 deborahparkerwong California, Carneros, The Tasting Panel, The Tasting Panel 2016, Trends, Wine

The Los Carneros was pioneered twenty five years ago by sparkling wine producers who brought cache and joie de vivre[…]

Bronco’s Bright Green Future

June 10, 2016 deborahparkerwong Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Central Valley, drought, Organic, Sustainability, Vineyard & Winery Management, Wine

A focus on sustainability
drives progress as Bronco
Wine Company hits a
1 billion bottle milestone.

Franzia’s Unified Keynote Speaks to Past, Present and Future

January 28, 2016 deborahparkerwong California, Central Valley, Uncategorized, Vineyard & Winery Management, Wine, winegrowing

In a rare and much anticipated public address, Bronco CEO Fred Franzia delivered the January 26 keynote speech and, with[…]

UV Tank Sanitation a Viable Conservation Strategy

September 4, 2015 deborahparkerwong California, drought, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Technology, Vineyard & Winery Management

A new method for sanitizing stainless steel tanks and barrels using ultraviolet light is finding a receptive audience in California. The BlueMorph technology has been in development for four years and is coming to market at an opportune time. According to founding partner Alex Farren, a biochemist and toxicologist, the method known as Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) uses little or no water, no chemicals and only takes 30 seconds to install. Depending upon size, tanks can be sanitized in less than 30 minutes.