winegrowing - deborahparkerwong

Old Vines Have New Meaning

May 1, 2026 deborahparkerwong winegrowing, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Spain, Wine Tasting, Winemaking

Wines made from old vines have a more powerful phenolic structure, greater aromatic complexity, and more intensity with respect to expressing the characteristics of the vineyards they were sourced from.

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.

North Adriatic, a guide to the region by Paul Balke

North Adriatic Producer Guide

March 5, 2025 deborahparkerwong North Adriatic, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Wine, Wine Tasting, winegrowing, Winemaking

A guide to the producers of the North Adriatic region.

Pelletti Vineyard, Laguna Ridge, Sonoma.

Russian River Valley’s Laguna Ridge Neighborhood

February 16, 2025 deborahparkerwong Russian River AVA, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, SOMM Journal, Sonoma, Terroir, Wine, Wine Tasting, winegrowing, Winemaking

Fog over the Pelletti Vineyard in Laguna Hills, Russian River Valley.

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.

Gigondas’ First White Wines Shine

September 4, 2024 deborahparkerwong Gigongas, France, Rhone Valley, SOMM Journal, Wine, winegrowing

Gigondas joins Languedoc’s oldest white-wine AOP, Clairette du Languedoc, established in 1948, and Clairette de Bellegarde, a tiny Southern Rhône AOP in the Costières de Nîmes, in showcasing
Clairette, which often serves as the base in Southern Rhône and Languedoc blends.

Sarah Vandendriessche on Guiding Environmental Stewardship in Napa Valley

July 25, 2024 deborahparkerwong Napa Valley, Environmental stewardship, Lake County, Mendocino, SOMM Journal, Sonoma, The Tasting Panel, Wine Tasting, winegrowing

Elizabeth Spencer’s Sarah Vandendriessche guides the Napa Valley Vintners’ environmental stewardship committee.

Translating the language of the planet at Fondazione SOStain

February 27, 2024 deborahparkerwong Wine, biodiversity, SOMM Journal, winegrowing

Biodiversity equals stability was the key message at Siclia’s second international SOStain symposium.

Slow Wine debuts 2024 Guide at Grgich Hills Estate

February 11, 2024 deborahparkerwong Slow Wine Guide USA, SOMM Journal, winegrowing, Winemaking

Last December, a like-minded group of winemakers and winegrowers gathered to share the fruits of the labor and celebrate being part of the Slow Wine USA community to mark the release of the seventh edition of the Slow Wine Guide USA.

Ingredients for Action: Napa Valley Vintners tackle sustainability at SOMMCon 2023

December 28, 2023 deborahparkerwong Napa Valley, SOMM Journal, Sustainability, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

Sustainability is a catch-all term that’s tossed around casually to refer to just about anything even remotely related to climate action, resource conservation, and land stewardship. But for Martin Reyes, MW, and the panel of winemakers that joined him for the “Napa Valley’s Green Scene” session at SommCon in San Diego in September, achieving sustainability requires taking concrete steps with the intention of ensuring the viability of the planet, the broader community, and the wines that are grown and produced in Napa Valley well into the future.

Interview with Champagne Piper Heidsieck’s Émilien Boutillat

October 27, 2023 deborahparkerwong winegrowing, Champagne, Sustainability, Winemaking

I spoke with Émilien Boutillat, chef de cave at Champagne Piper Heidsieck, this week from New York for an update[…]

Carpe vinum vitrum

July 10, 2023 deborahparkerwong Champagne, Priorat, SOMM Journal, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

No matter one’s knowledge of wine, there is simply no substitute for tasting. For those of us who keep an eye on the world’s ever-evolving wine regions, that means seizing an opportunity to taste as well as to meet the makers.

Around the World with Alberto Antonini

March 12, 2023 deborahparkerwong Argentina, Australia, Italy, Napa Valley, winegrowing, Winemaking

Markham looks to the future

November 17, 2022 deborahparkerwong merlot, The Tasting Panel, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

In her role as head winemaker at Markham, Kimberlee Nicholls directs an all-female team that includes assistant winemaker Abigail Horstman, enologist Patricia Sciacca and viticulturist Taylor Abudi. The collaborative culture that thrives at Markham is a direct result of how she prioritizes the professional growth of her team.

We’re losing Syrah’s peppery notes

August 20, 2021 deborahparkerwong Wine, Aroma, France, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, winegrowing, Winemaking

Now the days of comparing a
glass of Northern Rhône Syrah to
a strip of peppered bacon appear
to be coming to an end.

Alvarinho’s Authentic Terroir

July 18, 2021 deborahparkerwong Portugal, Terroir, The Tasting Panel, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

Alvarinho produced in its native terroir is incomparable to expressions of the variety grown elsewhere. But it may ultimately prove to be on a trajectory similar to that of Pinot Gris, which is renowned for producing light, delicately floral wines in Italy’s Collio region and wines of great mineral intensity and fruit purity in Alsace. Time will tell.

France protects sensory heritage

March 12, 2021 deborahparkerwong France, SOMM Journal, Sustainability, Terroir, Wine, winegrowing

An infamous rooster named Maurice and a gaggle of contented geese have helped ensure biodiversity in France. In the face of complaints about the noises and smells typical of the countryside, the French Parliament passed a law on January 21, 2021, protecting what it calls the “sensory heritage” of its rural areas.

Monarch Tractor Powers Next-generation Viticulture

December 15, 2020 deborahparkerwong Sustainability, Technology, Trends, Viticulture, Wine Business Monthly, winegrowing

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.

Bobal: Past, Present and Future (Chinese translation)

December 7, 2020 deborahparkerwong Bobal, Chinese, SOMM Journal, Spain, Wine, Wine Reviews, winegrowing, Winemaking

Chinese translation by Rex Ting-chia Ting, DipWSET Rex Ting-chia Ting, DipWSET has translated Bobal: Past, Present and Future for those[…]

Taking a Closer Look at Modern Hybrids

August 10, 2020 deborahparkerwong Wine, Austria, Education, SOMM Journal, winegrowing

In the search for alternative ways to control grape vine diseases while reducing the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, a cadre of modern hybrids—second- and third-generation interspecific varieties— are demonstrating considerable promise in both the vineyard and the glass.

Valentina Cubi’s Decade of Organic Winegrowing in Valpolicella

July 29, 2020 deborahparkerwong Amarone, Italy, Organic, Valpolicella, Veneto, Wine, winegrowing

When I first tasted the Valpolicella wines produced by Valentina Cubi in January of 2011, I was captivated. After visiting the organic estate a few times over the last decade and tasting the wines during the annual Amarone Anteprima events that are held every February in Verona, my appreciation has only deepened. This year the winery which is located in the Valpolicella Classico region of Fumane marks a key milestone celebrating a decade of organic certification.

Alpine Sauvignon Blancs of Styria

July 26, 2020 deborahparkerwong Austria, Sauvignon Blanc, Südsteiermark, SOMM Journal, Vulkandland Steiermark, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

It’s Sauvignon Blanc—not Grüner Veltliner—that’s the star of the show in Austria’s Südsteiermark DAC, a historic winegrowing region in the country’s southern state of Styria that has evolved rapidly over the last thirty years. The variety is grown at high elevation in all five of Südsteiermark’s sub regions and on steep slopes that rival those of the Mosel.

Bobal: Past, Present and Future

April 12, 2020 deborahparkerwong Bobal, SOMM Journal, Spain, Unique Varieties, Utiel-Requena, Wine, winegrowing, Winemaking

Iron Age wineries tamed the ancestor of the indigenous Bobal vines of Utiel-Requena.

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.

Wine 123: Causation and Detection of Wine Defects Offered at Santa Rosa JC

October 1, 2019 deborahparkerwong Botrytis cinerea, Brettanomyces, cork, Santa Rosa JC, sensory science, Volatile Acidity, Wine, wine faults, winegrowing

I’ll be teaching Wine 123: Causation and Detection of Wine Defects at Santa Rosa JC next semester (Spring 2020). Check out our video courtesy of the Distance Learning department’s Emily Hansen –

Snapshot of New Mexico

February 9, 2019 deborahparkerwong New Mexico, Pinot Noir, SOMM Journal, Trends, Viticulture, Wine, winegrowing

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.

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.