Spontaneous fermentation

Wild yeast. From: theworldwine.com

Questions regarding the role and reliability of fermentation without inoculation are going to be with us for quite some time.

Today, on PalatePress.com, Erika Szymanski provides a well done layperson’s overview of the issue. I had the pleasure of editing this piece.

I had written about these questions in a three-part series about two years ago. Read More

Consumer interactions as opportunities for brand failure and success

Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative tasting room. From: theuncorkedlife.com

I spent my 40th birthday in Napa with my wife and friends Jeff Miller and his wife Beryl. Besides making the obligate milk route through Napa Valley tasting rooms (if only to stop and shake our heads at the exercises in architectural pompousness that are replica castles and Zoroastrian temples), we made a quick dash into the Suisun Valley AVA where Jeff grows grapes for his wines.

My visit to the Suisun Valley spawned my article published today on PalatePress.com.

In my PalatePress.com article, I touch on what it takes for an AVA to forge its identity. However, I’d like to touch on another ingredient critical to success. Read More

Wineries: Don’t insult your club members

Wine shipment.

A wine club is a way for wine lovers to get current releases from wineries they like and to experience a broad spectrum of wines - regardless where they live. Many look forward to their periodic shipments. They don’t deserve to be disappointed.

Over the course the past six months or so, we’ve received some wine shipments with flawed wines. I suspect that people making these wines knew they were problematic. Yet, they released them and they were sent out to customers. And that is just a bad business decision. Read More

General updates

3-D rendering of the vineyard. November 2009.

As if I had not been posting infrequently enough, I wanted to take a moment to say that until the end of August I will be pretty preoccupied with things at home and work. If possible, I will try to say something of value, when appropriate.

Until then, I wanted to give some general updates about my vineyard.

I have been keeping a pretty diligent video chronicle of transpirings at my vineyard and it is available to view here. There is something gratifying about growing things. It’s not without surprises, frustrations, disappointments and fears. Read More

Things I’ve learned after 11 months of growing grape vines

Bupkis

In August, it will be a year since I started my home vineyard project in Los Angeles. I had always wanted to make my own wine and grow the grapes for it, if possible. Besides being a hobby, the vineyard and subsequent winemaking are intended to be a learning experience for me and my readers.

The past 11 months have not been as full of revelations and new things learned as I had expected. While that might sound arrogant, in one way or another I already knew or had read or heard about the things I have seen and experienced in the past year.

Now, with my Aglianico in its second leaf and growing vigorously and the Montepulciano planted and growing, I can reflect on these lessons and share them with you: Read More

Deep roots

Roots

My recent birthday trip as well as helping edit the article by David Brown currently featured on PalatePress.com, have me thinking about roots.

David argues in his article that a truly unique American (as in the U.S. of A) wine identity hinges on fostering a wine culture based on grape varieties indigenous to the lower 48. In fact, his article concludes with an exhortation to cultivation of more of these varieties and the production of wines from these vines. Read More

Two things you can do about H.R. 5034

Stop H.R. 5034

In the last month, an insidious piece of proposed legislation has been introduced for discussion in the House of Representatives.

H.R. 5034, the “Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act of 2010” (cynically: “CARE”) is being sold as a Public Safety/Health and State’s Rights bill. It is not. It is an economic power grab by the National Beer Wholesalers and the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America.

The reason why this bill is important to all wine lovers (and to those who care about Central Coast wines) is that this bill will absolutely kill the small-production wineries which make up a large part of the Central Coast wine landscape. With that will go jobs and economic stability (or what ever semblance of it the Central Coast wine industry currently has). Read More