Multisensory wine marketing expands the consumer experience

There’s no question the pandemic has amplified the influence of the experience economy, which gives businesses a potentially lucrative channel for success in an unpredictable market while enhancing their level of direct engagement with consumers.

Read more

Deconstructing Aged Amarone

For Lonardi, the drying process known as appassimento that’s used to make Amarone produces wines that are expressive of terroir. Researchers studying
the compounds found in Corvina—the indigenous grape that is the foundation of the wine’s blend—agree. Typical markers for Corvina include balsamic and tobacco notes that increase during appassimento, and the presence of these markers in aged wines points to specific vintage conditions.

Read more
Monarch e-tractor

Monarch Tractor Powers Next-generation Viticulture

A compact, smart, electric tractor has been on the wish list of sustainably-minded winegrowers the world over. With no significant advances in tractor technology for more than a decade, the arrival of the Monarch tractor represents the missing link needed to fast track the integration of precision agriculture and address the growing labor challenges confronting the wine industry.

Read more
Alentejo's WASP program

Five years of Progress for Alentejo’s Sustainability Program

Producers in the Portuguese winegrowing region of Alentejo— whose vineyards encompass about 18,000 hectares, or almost a third of the country—have made significant gains in sustainability under the guidance of the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program (WASP).

Read more

Brut Sous Bois Q & A with Mathieu Roland-Billecart

No one needs a reason to drink Champagne but ringing out 2020 is certainly a good opportunity to reach for something beyond your sentimental favorite. In an effort to learn more about Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Sous Bois, I asked Mathieu Roland-Billecart for the inside scoop on this particular cuvée.

Read more

Vodcasting for Success

Vodcasting is where podcasting is headed. Superb vodcasting relies on the format you use and the quality and reliability of your recording software and internet connection.

Read more

The evolving styles of Chardonnay

California Chardonnay has had its ups and downs over the last 60 years but it had clearly been a cash cow for many producers whose styles have evolved while remaining a hallmark for others whose style hasn’t changed significantly for decades.

Read more

Taking Control of Total Package Oxygen

The oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of a wine closure is just one of several factors that contribute to the total package oxygen (TPO) in a bottle of wine.

Read more

The Not-So-Great Divide

A recent study conducted at jointly at Penn State University and the University of California Davis illustrates significant differences in what consumers and self-described wine experts find likeable in wine.

The wines in question were six pairs of unoaked Chardonnay that had been doctored with increasing amounts of the compound – methyl anthralinate (MA) – that gives some native American vitis labruscana grape varieties their “grapey-ness.”  

Read more

Emilia-Romagna: The Enticing Italian Flavors and Rich culture of Bologna

Best known by Americans for its iconic food products—namely prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Balsamic vinegar, and its effervescent Lambrusco wines—there’s far more to Emilia-Romagna than these familiar tastes.

Read more

Snapshot of New Mexico

The recuperation of New Mexico’s wine industry began in earnest when Italian, German, and French viticulturists brought their expertise to the state in the 1980s. Winegrowing in New Mexico continues to be influenced by these modern-day founding fathers, their families and a host of young winegrowers who are quickly elevating the quality and style of the region’s wines.

Read more

Are you experienced?

The odor of wet dog isn’t exactly something we want to detect in wine, but
experiencing this scent after a communal hike at Kunde Family Winery in Sonoma Valley could actually prove enjoyable.

Read more

New Mexico winery makes some noise

Young winemakers in New Mexico are leveraging the wisdom of the region’s winegrowing founding fathers and creating some buzz for[…]

Read more

The breath of life

It was an oxygen epiphany. Could oxygen be the key to making wines that shimmer with life? I, for one, have now added it to the long list of factors that may determine whether a wine seems dead or alive.

Read more

Natural cork, a scapegoat for wine defects

When wine professionals encounter a sensory deviation in wine and the offending molecule isn’t obvious, cork often takes the blame by default.

Read more

Shaw Organic: Is This the Next Miracle from Bronco Wine & Trader Joe’s?

The Wine Economist Mike Veseth on Fred Franzia’s latest Trader Joe’s brand Shaw Organic: Is This the Next Miracle from Bronco[…]

Read more

Climate change a double-edged sword for Amarone producers

This year the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella marks its 50th anniversary, a milestone that coincides with the release of the[…]

Read more

Aszú revolution: Modern styles redefine Hungary’s historic elixir

From grapes desiccated by noble rot in the Tokaj wine region of Hungary burst forth a plethora of traditional and[…]

Read more
Amorim's Dr. Paulo Lopes.

The Myth Buster: Dr. Paulo Lopes dispels long-held beliefs about cork

When it comes to wine storage, old habits are hard to break. But Dr. Paulo Lopes, Research and Development Manager[…]

Read more

Twelve months of bubbles

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

Read more

Red blends: Greater than the sum of their parts

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

Read more

Day 1 of the IBWSS

The International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) kicked off in San Francisco on July 26 with a packed exhibition hall and a keynote address from Bobby Koch, President and CEO of the Wine Institute. That led to a full day of presentations, workshops and master classes from some of the top names in the bulk wine and spirits industry.

Read more

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

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.

Read more

A Sparkling Continuity: Jordan Cuvée Champagne by AR Lenoble

In more ways than one, Champagne has begun infiltrating wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties. With several unprecedented examples that include Napa cult wine producer Sinegal launching its brand in conjunction with a prestige Champagne house, Sonoma’s Buena Vista Winery–branded Champagne and the unique partnership between Jordan Winery and the grower Champagne house of AR Lenoble, there’s a trend in the making.

Read more

It’s a small world

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

Read more

The good, the bad and the ugly

Many who consider the sensory evaluation of wine to be a purely subjective exercise cite our differences in perception as[…]

Read more

In hot pursuit of terroir

What are your beliefs about terroir? Researchers across multiple disciplines find some common ground at the 2016 Terroir Congress XI.

Read more

Go with the flow

To filter or not to filter? You’ll find winemakers in both camps. But when filtration is called for, cross flow[…]

Read more

Your glass is half full

Minerality — Without question the most controversial and elusive of wine descriptors.   This comes as no surprise given that the[…]

Read more

Customizing for the curated economy

Just a few short years ago, integration was one of the biggest hurdles facing wineries of all sizes as they[…]

Read more

Sparkling Toast to a Still Future

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

Read more

The Dawn of Agtech

Agricultural drones may be creating plenty of buzz, but their terrestrial cousins — the robots — are poised to make[…]

Read more

Bitterness: Examing the chemistry behind the taste sensation

Humans are particularly sensitive to bitterness. Thanks to a small but novel family of 30 genes, we can perceive thousands[…]

Read more

The Minor Components of Wine

Wine is, for the most part, water and ethanol which in turn become vehicles for the minor components that are[…]

Read more

UV Tank Sanitation a Viable Conservation Strategy

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.

Read more

Ozone Sanitation Moves from Winery to Vineyard

In 1997 ozone was approved by the EPA as a safe and effective method of general sanitation for wineries. With[…]

Read more

Flash Heat Treatment Shown to Benefit Vines and Wine

Many advances pioneered by the dairy industry have improved winemaking in the cellar, but when it comes to using flash[…]

Read more

Berry Sensory Analysis: A Common Language for Describing Maturity

If everyone on your winegrowing and winemaking teams shares a common language, there’s less risk involved when it comes to[…]

Read more

Will Magnetized Yeast Revolutionize Riddling?

New technique promises to speed sparkling wine production. There’s no mistaking a gyro­palette at work, its top-heavy robotic arm twirling[…]

Read more

Fanfare for Castello di Nipozzano’s Vecchie Viti

Story and photos by Deborah Parker Wong

Read more

High Marks for Community Colleges

Pursuing a four-year degree in enology or viticulture has been, for many students, the most direct way to gain entry[…]

Read more

For Natural Cork, Form Follows Function

For wine, as with most consumer goods, packaging is an obsession, and rightly so; its role in the commercial success[…]

Read more

Tools of the Trade

Consumer acceptance of wine packaging other than glass is growing, but fine glassware remains the undisputed tool of choice for[…]

Read more

Soil Survey: a crossword puzzle for the terroir obessed

Dirt.  It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the influence of terroir and its contribution[…]

Read more

Long-lived Lake County

Wine quality has been on the rise in Lake County and winegrowers there have their sights set determinedly on the[…]

Read more

Animated labels woo wine shoppers

It’s a common sight in any grocery store, perplexed shoppers surveying a wall of wine labels looking for visual clues[…]

Read more

Smart Labels

Wine labels work overtime on brand protection As the prestige sector of the wine industry scrambles to exercise more control[…]

Read more

The tractor factor: Small vineyard equipment delivers big results for Eastern winegrowers

Winegowers the world over are motivated to plant tightly-spaced vineyards for a variety of reasons but, the driving factors in[…]

Read more

Multi-tasking harvesters boost quality and efficiency

During a research trip to the Languedoc region of southern France, AOC winegrowers there were quick to point out the[…]

Read more

Protecting your solar investment: Low-tech deterrents reduce risk of theft

Napa Valley WinegrowersTheft of solar panels from wineries in Northern California has been on the wane since the height of[…]

Read more

Success with optical grape sorters

For a host of reasons, including the simple truth that sorting is a winemaker’s last opportunity to improve quality, optical[…]

Read more

Winning Wine Labels: Award-winning labels set standards for design and technology

With the steady proliferation of domestic wine brands, label design can be a competitive advantage that helps speed the adoption[…]

Read more

Growers Turned Vintners: CA grapegrowers add value through wine production

California grapegrowers are continuing to take on the role of vintner at what seems to be a steady pace. The[…]

Read more