Winemaking - 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.

Champagne Palmer has sourced from the same Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne for 50 years.

Rare perpetural reserve a hallmark at Champagne Palmer

September 14, 2024 deborahparkerwong Champagne, The Tasting Panel, Winemaking

Beyond the soleras and the enviable Montagne de Reims terroir, the wines of Champagne Palmer’s Vintage Collection reveal a third strength: The cooperative of seven producers has not altered its vineyard sourcing since its founding in 1947, forming what Vervier calls the “DNA of the brand.”

Blind Tasting with Clos de Los Siete’s Michel Rolland

September 11, 2024 deborahparkerwong SOMM Journal, Argentina, Bodeaux blends, Wine Tasting, Winemaking

A group of professional palates recently gathered for dinner at Auro, the one-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley in Calistoga, California, for a tasting hosted by Clos de los Siete founder Michel Rolland and managing director Ramiro Barrios to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the estate, located in Argentina’s Uco 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.

Bottles of Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lower-alcohol Cabernet Sauvignon is back in fashion

July 26, 2024 deborahparkerwong Lower alcohol, Alexander Valley, SOMM Journal, Wine, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Tasting, Winemaking

Interest in lower-acohol wines is growing among consumers putting producers like Jordan back in the limelight. “Our Bordeaux-style Cabernet and Burgundy-style Chardonnay wines . . . range between 12.6% and 13.8% [alcohol], compared to the California average of 14.5%,” says Jordan winemaker Maggie Kruse. “This represents far more than numbers; lower-alcohol wines have a more balanced flavor profile.”

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[…]

Thresholds for Smoke Taint a moving target

August 18, 2023 deborahparkerwong Smoke Exposure, Vineyard, Wine, Winemaking

California State University Fresno’s Dr. Miguel Pedroza talks with Matthew Malcom from California Ag Network about his smoke taint research.[…]

Stem Compounds Help Reduce Alcohol and Boost Freshness

August 4, 2023 deborahparkerwong Wine, France, Research, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Winemaking

There’s more to wine grape stems than tannin. The discovery of new stem compounds has prompted researchers at the Laboratoire Excell biochemistry lab in Bordeaux to re-evaluate the benefits of including stems during this crucial stage of production.

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.

Age drives complexity in sparkling wine

December 17, 2021 deborahparkerwong Champagne, France, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Wine, Winemaking

After tasting the Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série 1971 ($499), a rare, late disgorged Champagne that spent 49 years resting peacefully on its lees, I was inspired to delve deeper into the role yeast autolysis plays in the flavor development of sparkling wine.

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.

A Milestone for Schug Carneros Estate

May 17, 2021 deborahparkerwong Carneros, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Pinot Noir, SOMM Journal, Wine, Wine & Food Pairing, Winemaking

Walter Schug departed this world in 2015 but his passion for Pinot Noir lives on at Schug Carneros Estate which is celebrating 41 years of devotion to the variety. Axel and Claudia Schug, third generation winegrowers, were joined by chef Kristine Schug and winemaker Johannes Scheid as they presented a retrospective tasting that spanned the past, present and future of the Carneros estate winery.

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[…]

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.

Taking Control of Total Package Oxygen

March 2, 2020 deborahparkerwong Oxygen, Packaging, Winemaking, Winemaking

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.