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Why?
Because the area's marginal climate can turn cold at anytime, and in the past, that has necessitated picking grapes earlier than would be desired. Grapes that are not fully ripened produce wines that are not as flavorful...
Niagara Wines from 2010 Should Be Excellent |
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New Wine Discoveries in New Mexico |
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Their mission: to settle the fertile valleys of the upper Rio Grande.
With the colonists came Franciscan monks who needed wine for their daily mass. Only a small sip was required - but it had to be wine...
Leaving No Stone Unturned |
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Located in northern Sonoma County, at the northwest corner of Dry Creek Valley, the Rockpile AVA encompasses nearly 15,000 acres, of which fewer than 160 are planted to vineyards. This makes Rockpile one of the smallest AVAs in the United States in terms of acreage planted.
Approximately 2,500 acres of the Rockpile AVA overlap the...
Ventura County Is Growing as a Wine Region |
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The news has been spreading... fast!
The map was designed as a full-service tool for tourists and locals, highlighting some of the best the county has to offer...
New Grape Varieties Arrive in the Carmel Valley |
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Carmel Valley received its designation as an American Viticultural Area in 1983 and encompasses more than 19,000 acres, with about 300 of those acres under cultivation. The vineyards are predominantly within Carmel Valley proper and the Cachagua Valley.
Cachagua Valley's unique mountainous setting sits high above the fog line along the coast, and exposes the grapes...
New Labels to Debut at 'Highlands' Tasting |
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If you're not familiar with the Santa Lucia Highlands area of Monterey County, we should tell you that it's one of the crown jewels of California viticulture, growing and producing some of the state's best cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
The appellation encompasses more than 5,000 acres of prime vineyards, planted on the elevated terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range, all heavily influenced by...
There's Gold in Sierra Foothills Wine Country |
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While the Mission grape variety dominated the early plantings, another variety - quite different - was imported from somewhere in the Adriatic region, and the wine made from this grape became known as Zinfandel.
Ask Sierra Foothills winemakers what gives the area's wines their unusual robust taste...
Willamette Valley: Where Wine & History Converge |
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Nestled between the Coast Range and the Cascade Mountains, the Willamette Valley follows the Willamette River for more than 100 miles from the central Cascades through Eugene and north to Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory.
While Pinot Noir is grown in several areas of the state, it attains star quality primarily in the Willamette Valley...
The Mosel: Riesling Heaven |
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For most of its existence, the German wine region now known simply as the Mosel went by the more geographically inclusive moniker of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.
It's an important region because in a country known for Riesling, the Mosel produces the most noble renditions. To reach its full potential, Riesling needs extra days of sun; ripening is very late, usually not until the latter half of October. And in the Mosel, the climate accommodates its lateness.
In 1996, the vineyard area in Germany planted with Riesling exceeded that of Muller-Thurgau, thus making it Germany's premier...
The Banks of Bordeaux |
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Picture yourself on a boat chugging along the Gironde, heading northwest and then on out to the Atlantic Ocean. Look to your right, and you're spying an area generally referred to as the Right Bank. Look to your left, and you are gazing upon what's known as, yes, the Left Bank.
The Right Bank includes the St.-Emilion and Pomerol districts. The Right Bank encompasses numerous villages...
