Nestled within and just beyond the stunning beauty of the Columbia
River Gorge National Scenic Area sits a wine region like no other.
Located 60 miles east of Portland and Vancouver, the region is
defined by the Columbia River Gorge, a narrow passage that marks the
dramatic transition from eastern desert to cool maritime climate as the
Columbia River cuts through the Cascade Mountain range on its way to
the Pacific Ocean.
The region encompasses the corridor flanking the river in both Washington and Oregon, and includes the Columbia Gorge and...
San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties make up the southernmost district of California's Central Coast viticultural area.
There are 27,600 acres of winegrapes planted in SLO County and 16,600 in Santa Barbara, totaling more than 44,000. Together, they make up 7.4 percent of the total state winegrape crush.
The No. 1 grape variety in SLO is Cabernet Sauvignon with...
Washington state growers recently spoke in favor of stricter rules
governing the content of wines billed as Washington products.
Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers Chair Brenton Roy of
Oasis Farms (Prosser) and WAWGG Director Todd Newhouse of Upland
Vineyards (Outlook) testified on behalf of the association at the
meeting.
WAWGG and the Washington Wine Institute are backing the bill,
which received first reading by state lawmakers on January 29. The bill
seeks to require that Washington wines be made 95% from...
|
 |
Washington state's wine industry continues to grow, scoring its
second American Viticultural Area of the year with designation of the
Lake Chelan AVA,
Wines & Vines reports.
"We've always known that we were growing world-class grapes up
here, but now the whole world's going to know about us," said Steve
Kludt of Lake Chelan Winery, who opened the AVA's first winery in 2000
and co-founded the Lake Chelan Wine Valley Association.
"We still have to produce good wines and grow world-class grapes,
but at least now we're going to start getting recognized and...
|
 |
London's first commercial vineyard since Medieval times has been planted, according to
Decanter.
Nearly 1,500 Bacchus vines were hand-planted at Forty Hall Organic Farm in the London Borough of Enfield.
"Bacchus is ideally suited to cool-climate wine production and
produces a crisp, light white wine with Sauvignon characteristics of
gooseberry and fresh grass. It's a perfect wine for summer picnics,"
said Sarah Vaughan-Roberts, the vineyard manager.
Vaughan-Roberts hopes that the free-draining, gravelly...
|
 |
The Wine Artisans of the Santa Lucia Highlands, an alliance of the
appellation's winegrowers and the wineries that rely on the district's
world-class fruit, have announced the final pouring line-up for their
3rd annual gala tasting, taking place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May
16 at Hahn Estates.
This "Highlands' Fling" celebration will be a strolling wine
tasting on the grounds of the scenic Hahn property. The event will
feature the most prized vintages and special reserves of the S.L.H.'s
artisan...
|
 |
There's no better way to appreciate Portugal's Douro Valley
winegrowing region than by taking a day cruise on the Douro River.
The Douro Valley is a magnificent sight, and the farther inland
one floats, away from the cities, the more "wild" the countryside
becomes. At seemingly every curve, a new vineyard terrace or olive
grove comes into view. Almond trees also are abundant.
Of course, the river also serves an important purpose in terms of
commerce: With so many quintas along its banks, it provides...
South Africa's wine harvest will drop 8 percent after a heat wave
shortened the picking season by a month,
Business Day reports, citing
Distell Group Ltd.
Distell, which buys grapes from various winegrowing regions across the Western Cape province, paid about 10...
Roughly half-way between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento, surrounding
California's historic Highway 50, lies a virtually undiscovered wine
region known as El Dorado.
Here, the towns have welcoming names such as Pleasant Valley,
Fairplay and Somerset, and several of the winery names borrow from the
area's topography and history: Gold Hill Vineyard, Perry Creek, Granite
Springs, Oakstone and Sierra Vista.
What sets El Dorado apart from other California wine regions is...
|
 |
The Clarksburg American Viticultural Area (AVA) covers 57,000
acres in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, with 17,000 acres of vineyards
planted between levees that line the rivers and sloughs of this
California Delta region.
With warm days and cool nights, the Delta's cooling influence
enables production of varieties not typically grown in California's
inland regions. The area grows 25 varieties, and plantings of Pinot
Noir and Pinot Grigio have increased significantly since 2006.
Production is nearly 70% white varieties, led by Chardonnay, then
Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. The percentage of...