Vineyards

For those of you living in the fairest Cape, and I mean Cape Town of course, you would have certainly experienced one of the Cape’s wildest storms in 30 years. The devastating storm struck on Tuesday 11th November and raged on until it finally subsided on Thursday. Gale force winds bruised and battered the Mother City, [...]ShareThis

Filed under: Wine The current U.S. President George W. Bush doesn’t drink wine but President-elect Barack Obama does and one winery has already made an overture to him. As our sister blog, Slashfood recently mentioned Kendall-Jackson winery announced that it is sending ‘a few congratulatory cases’ of its Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay to President-elect Barack Obama. In [...]

The January thru September Vineyards real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. The Vineyards is an upscale gated golf community and is considered one of Naples premier developments. The community has numerous amenities and features the Vineyards Country Club, which gives residents a selection of two 18-hole PGA championship golf [...]

It was riding through the vineyards and quiet countryside west of Geneva that first got me passionate about cycling a few years back (long before it ever occurred to me to cycle up an Alp). :)

I guess you can say this is one of the new dangers of being an absentee owner. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal had a photo of a National Guardsman hauling a massive pile of marijuana out of a grape vineyard near...

Varietal : Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon  Category : Red Wine Region : California : Napa Valley : Carneros  Producer : Macrostie Winery & Vineyards Vintage : 2002 Price : $ 26.99 Purchase :FinestWine.com Description : Aromas of ripe black cherry, cocoa powder, and sweet tobacco—like the wrapper of a fine maduro cigar. In the mouth it is simply soft as velvet, showing brambly [...]

Boho Vineyards Wine (USA)Packaged in eco-friendly 3-L bag-in-box wine casks made from unbleached, natural brown, chlorine-free kraft cardboard containing recycled paper.via: Packaging World

Producer: Alexander Valley Vineyards Varietal: Zinfandel Region : Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, California, United States Type : Red Vintage : 2004 Quantity : 750 ml Price : $ 17.00 USD Purchase :FinestWine.com Description :Anyone in search of a big, jammy Zinfandel needs to seek out a little Redemption. A perfect counterpoint to our famous Sin Zin, the 2004 Redemption Zin is all Zinfandel [...

Rating: 92 Producer: Producer: Andrew Murray Vineyards Region: Santa Ynez Valley Price: $30 Purchase: FinestWine.com Blend Report: Report 12: California Syrah II Andrew Murray is recognized as a top producer of California Rhone varieties. This Syrah is sourced from the ‘Roasted Slope’ Vineyard block a low-yielding (1-2 tons per acre) site of Syrah and Viognier. This

Riesling produces aromatic light to medium-bodied wines. They can have exceedingly complex aromas with floral, herbal and spicy aromas combined with honey and fruit. Our vineyards reap the benefits of Lake Effect temperature control from Seneca Lake that creates less severe extremes in winter and summer, and buffers against spring and fall frosts. The vines [...]

Our 2004 Glitterati is a methode champenoise sparkling wine made from Chardonnay grape. The wine is first made still and bright. Then it is fermented again in its heavy bottle. The yeast is the shaken down to the top (a three month process of daily shaking the inverted bottle by hand). The yeast is frozen [...]

Producer: Foris Vineyards Winery Wine: Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley 2005 Vintage: 2005 Country: USA Appellation: Rogue Valley Wine Type: Red Varietal: Pinot Noir Grade: B+ Designation: Excellent Value Price: $15 Purchase: FinestWine.com The Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon doesn’t get the attention that the Willamette Valley garners. But spotlights and hype don’t necessarily help make wine. The Rog

Producer: Snoqualmie Vineyards Wine: “Naked” Riesling Vintage: 2004 Country: USA Appellation: Columbia Valley, Washington Wine Type: White Primary Varietal: 100% White Riesling Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price: $10 Purchase: FinestWine.com Snoqualmie Vineyards is granted its name from mountain pass at the top of the Cascade Range that serves as the gateway to vineyards in the Columbi

Producer: McManis Family Vineyards Wine: Pinot Grigio Vintage: 2004 Country: USA Appellation: San Joaquin Valley, California Wine Type: White Primary Varietal: 100% Pinot Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price: $15 Buy This Wine: FinestWine.com McManis Family Vineyards, founded in 1990, is located near the cool confluence of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers, now known as the River Junctio

Producer: Schramsberg Vineyards Wine: Brut Rosé Vintage: 2001 Country: USA Appellation: Napa Valley, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin Counties Wine Type: Sparkling Varietals: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Just a Touch) Grade: A- Designation: Must Drink Price: $35 Buy This Wine: FinestWine.com “Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Producer: Sterling Vineyards Wine: Vintner’s Collection Pinot Noir Vintage: 2004 Appellation: Central Coast Country: USA Wine Type: Red Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir Grade: B Designation: Good & Cheap Price: $13 Purchase: FinestWine.com Books that make it to the top of your pile hold so much promise. But every now and then the winner starts out real slow, and you find yourself wondering if it’

Producer: Schramsberg Vineyards Wine: Blanc de Blancs Vintage: 2000 Country: USA Appellation: California (Napa County 54%, Sonoma County 22%, Mendocino County 16%, Monterey County 6%, Marin County 2%) Wine Type: Sparkling Varietal: Chardonnay Grade: B+ Price: $25 Purchase: FinestWine.com According to Schramsberg, their Blanc de Blancs is the U.S.’s oldest sparkling wine made from Chardonnay grap

Producer: McManis Family Vineyards Wine: Pinot Grigio Vintage: 2004 Country: USA Appellation: San Joaquin Valley, California Wine Type: White Primary Varietal: 100% Pinot Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price: $15 Buy This Wine: FinestWine.com McManis Family Vineyards, founded in 1990, is located near the cool confluence of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers, now known as the River Junctio

Producer: Snoqualmie Vineyards Wine: “Naked” Riesling Vintage: 2004 Country: USA Appellation: Columbia Valley, Washington Wine Type: White Primary Varietal: 100% White Riesling Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price: $10 Buy This Wine: FinestWine.com Snoqualmie Vineyards is granted its name from mountain pass at the top of the Cascade Range that serves as the gateway to vineyards in the Co

Winery shelton vineyards Appellation Yadkin Valley, North Carolina, United States Vineyard / Cru Vintage 2006 Wine Type Dessert Grapes n/a Retail Price * $ 18.00 USD (375 ml.) * $ 6.00 USD (750 ml.) Buy This Wine FinestWine.com Wine Ratings Total Rating 4.6 / 5.0 Flavor 5.0 / 5.0 Aroma 5.0 / 5.0 Typicity 5.0 / 5.0 Ageability 100% said wine will improve with age

Producer: Brancott Vineyards Wine: South Island Pinor Noir Vintage: 2006 Country: New Zealand Appellation: South Island Wine Type: Red Varietal: Pinot Noir Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price: $10 Purchase: FinestWine.com New Zealand is not the first country that comes to mind when thinking of Pinot Noir. First is France followed closely by California and Oregon. But this finicky and high m

Producer: St. Clement Vineyards Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Bale Lane Vintage: 2005 Country: USA Appellation: Napa Valley Wine Type: White Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Grade: B+ Designation: Excellent Value Price: $20.00 Buy This Wine: FinestWine.com If like me, you have opted out from the Chardonnay crowd and are seeking to go your own white wine way, then a crisp and zingy Sauvignon Blanc could be your

Producer: Shenandoah Vineyards of California Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Amador County 2006 Vintage: 2006 Country: USA Appellation: Amador County Wine Type: White Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Grade: B Designation: Cheap and Good Price:$8 Buy: FinestWine.com I usually pick up a bottle of Shenandoah’s Zinfandel wine when I want a non-bully Zin. The winery along with their sibling winery, Sobon Estate are

Vintage 2005 Wine Type Dessert Grape Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Retail Price $ 29.00 USD (375 ml.) Buy FinestWine.com Wine Ratings Total Rating 5.0/5.0 Flavor 5.0/5.0 Aroma 5.0/5.0 Typicity 5.0/5.0 Ageability 0% said wine will improve with age 0% said wine is ready to drink now 0% said wine is over the hill Bang for Buck 0% said wine price is a good price 0% said win

Winery shelton vineyards Appellation Yadkin Valley, North Carolina, United States Vineyard / Cru Vintage 2006 Wine Type Dessert Grapes n/a Retail Price $ 6.00 USD (375 ml.) $ 18.00 USD (750 ml.) Purchase FinestWine.com Wine Ratings Total Rating 4.6/5.00 Flavor 5.0/5.00 Aroma 5.0/5.00 Typicity 5.0/5.00 Ageability 100% said wine will improve with age 0% said w

Frequent readers know that I’m not the greatest fan of dessert wines. Most sweet wines just don’t have enough acidity to keep me from feeling like I’m drinking syrup, and many are just too sweet for me to take. Even though I had a huge sweet tooth as a kid, these days it’s pretty easy [...]

The first quarter 2008 The Vineyards real estate market statistics for both homes and condominiums are listed below. Located in southeastern Naples and in a world of its own, this beautiful master planned gated golf community features the Vineyards Country Club which gives residents a selection of two 18-hole PGA championship golf courses. There is [...]

Established in 1876 by Frederick and Jacob Beringer, Beringer Vineyards celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2001 and continues today with a tradition of winemaking excellence in the Napa Valley.  As our flagship California brand, Beringer Vineyards has emerged as a name synonymous with quality and excellence, and is known among connoisseurs for its highly acclaimed [...]

Friday, Friday - my favorite day of the week. Start the weekend off right, here’s an oldie but (non)goldie. Crank it up! …well I just get high on tequila and see visions of vineyards in my dreams … (or maybe just fields of cacti?) I’m a genuine example of a social disease. I’ll take my wrinkles with [...]

Visiting Selland's Market earlier this week, to bring home some of their fabulous carnitas for dinner, I could not resist taking a look at their wines and of course "accidentally" one of them ended up coming home with me...Tonight it was time to try the "errant bottle", a Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Made by Hirsch Vineyards from 97% estate fruit for the cost of $29.99 (at Selland's), compared to the Hirsch Vineyards 2006 Sonoma Coast for $55 (made from the same fruit), I hoped for it to be a high quality wine for a bargain price.It has a clear ruby red color in the glass.The nose displays cherry, raspberry, red currant, tobacco leaves, tea, and vanilla notes.The palate showcasing light plum, cherry, sweet tobacco, and heat from the alcohol (14.6%), backed u

Strolling through Winecask Wine Store in Santa Barbara we saw a bottle of the Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir produced by Talley Vineyards. We have enjoyed several vintages of their Rincon Vineyard and Rosemary Vineyard Pinot Noir, and having heard about the newer Stone Corral Vineyard, but never tasted it, we just had to give it a try. At $55 a bottle we saved it for enjoyment with a Saturday night dinner.This wine has a clear, dark garnet color in the glass.The nose shows floral notes, raspberry, and subtle round oak.The palate displaying raspberry, restrained cherry, spice and notes of green tea. The fruit persistant and showing throughout the whole palate. Relatively high acidity and tight tannins with a “green” finish.We really liked this complex, still refined p

Apple Tree, 6x8, acrylicAsian Pear Tree, 6x8, acrylicApple Trees in Spring, 6x8, acrylicIt seems I've stumbled into a new series of paintings! I love going to the orchard to pick fruit, starting with strawberries in June, blueberries in July, (also raspberries and gooseberries) August is for peaches, September apples and pears, and finally pumpkins in October. I've been doing this for years and years and I've accumulated quite a few photos of the orchard, which is what I'm working from at the moment. But as soon as the weather gets warmer I'll be packing up my paints and heading there for some plein air painting. I think the new series will be called Orchards and Vineyards, as there are some beautiful vineyards I can go to also. We'll see where this goes because I have it in the back of m

I spend a lot of time searching for climbs. But it's worth remembering how much fun relaxed, social rides can be with friends.

In 1993 he turned his attentions to a family-owned plot of 30 acres in Nashik, India’s most important table-grape growing region 110 miles northeast of Mumbai (Bombay). Nashik is India’s largest grape-growing region, but traditionally never grew wine grapes. Wondering why, Rajeev Samant, an enterprising, Stanford-trained engineer quit his hi-tech job as one of the youngest finance managers of Oracle to do some investigating.
 read the entire article on =228/Today, Nashik is India’s wine capital, with 30 wineries producing more than 75 percent of India’s wine. Sula has firmly established itself as India’s leading premium wine brand. “I can’t imagine anyone who is happier with his job. Hugh Hefner, perhaps,” says Rajeev Samant, with a twinkle in his eye. Sula’s sun is sho

It seems the name of the game is to either go with people you know, or go to a hostel where it’s easy to meet people, because, like most things, everything that’s awesome about Mendoza is far, far better when you’re doing it with friends. So, the the former, I highly recommend going to [...]

Spending the weekend in Santa Barbara I decided to go to the Alma Rosa wine tasting at East Beach Wine Company last night. Stepping into the shop the place was packed and it took a minute before we reached the counter and could pay for two tastings and get our glasses. To our delight the owners, Thekla and Richard Sanford was there themselves, with their daughter Blakeney, to pour and talk to the customers. Nothing beats the opportunity to talk to either the owners or wine maker as you taste a winery's wine. Both Thekla and Richard where very nice and pleasant, and spent quite a bit of time with us. It was a true pleasure to talk to them, and you could tell how passionate and excited they are about their wines.A short bio: Richard Sanford was the first to plant Pinot Noir in Santa Rita Hil

Last night we opened a bottle with dinner that I had very high expectations of. I have had several vintages of the Pisoni Vineyards and Winery Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir before, and they have always been great. I assumed and hoped that the 2004 wouldn't let me down either.The color in the glass is a vivid deep garnet. The nose exudes black cherry, dark raspberry, notes of blackberry, sweet violet, and a touch of tobacco (?).On the palate big, broad fruit and berries with ripe cherry, dark raspberry, vanilla, an earthy touch, and slight tart fruit at the finish. The acidity is plentiful and the tannins integrated with a young edge to them. This wine has a great backbone and complexity, and I wish I had another bottle to open up in a year or two to see how it develops.As you und

Going to Las Vegas last weekend our flight out of Sacramento was delayed for 4 hours, which gave us plenty of time to kill in the airport's wine bar, Vino Volo. Vino Volo is a chain of airport wine bars with five current locations; Seattle, Sacramento, Washington DC, Baltimore and New York, and with plans to expand and open many more locations in the upcoming year.Having the option to visit Vino Volo made me very excited as airport food and drinks, in general, gives me the shivers... Vino Volo adds a touch of sophistication with good quality wine by flight, glass or bottle. Small plates are also served. We tried the cheese plate, chicken panini and the New York skewers with mashed potatoes and peas. All a step above all other airport food I have ever had. I started of with the Pinot Noir wine flight featuring a California pinot from the Molnar Family 2005 Poseidon's Vineyard, from France the Louis Latour 2002 VOLNAY, and from New Zealand the Nevis Bluff 2003 Pinot Noir. A nice flight

Cork:Authentic Name: Meridian Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Type: Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage: 2000 Region: California Country: USA Producer: Meridian Vineyards Price: $12.99? Purchased at: Cheers Liquormart Date: 11/09/07 Served With: Teriyaki Chicken & White Rice Appearance: Deep purple, rich Aroma: Faint berries, very light, not much, if any, oak Taste: A layered wine with smooth cherries on the front with a citrusy finish. Comments: Hmm…I had to think about this one for a while. This wine doesn’t have the characteristics that I typically applaud in a Cabernet Sauvignon. However, as my wine education grows one of the things I’ve learned is not to judge this, or any, wine based on what I like, rather judge or rate it based on the wine itself and what it is telling me. Kinda like “Deep Thoughts”, with Jack Handy! Anyway, there are some layers present here but no tannins to speak of. I had to go back and double-check the label to make sure this w

Agua Dulce Vineyards 6x9 Watercolor on Arches Cold Press paperDuring a plein air painting excursion, I was not prepared for a cold front and clouds, or the wind that came with them. This lead to a discovery that a steering wheel makes a great easel, and my passenger seat holds a palette and a cup of water very nicely.

At GE we're proud to have Shafer Vineyards as a customer of our photovoltaic technology. See how the sun is growing a business.

At Shafer Vineyards, it takes a team to make one of Napa Valley's top Cabs. The team, which balances hard work with fun and learning, includes CEO John Shafer, president Doug Shafer (his son) and winemaker Elias Fernandez.

Knowing I’d be in the mood for a simple meal at the end of a long, slow day at work on Tuesday, I took some ground lamb out of the freezer to thaw in time for dinner. In between other foci throughout the day, I gave some thought to what I’d pull from the cellar to accompany the lamb burgers I planned to make. I kept returning to two wines: one a Napa Valley red blend from Ceja Vineyards, the other a Saint-Joseph Rouge from Yves Cuilleron. During the course of the day, I stumbled upon a recent posting on Tom Wark’s Fermentation. Tom’s piece, "Pointing Us Where We Should Be Looking,” discusses the political significance and importance of migrant, often illegal, laborers in the California wine industry. In the context of the post, Tom happened to mention Amelia Ceja, owner of Ceja Vineyards, who, unbeknownst to me until that point, was the first Mexican-American woman to head a US-based winery. This chance discovery and random chain of occurrences made clear my final choic

I was originally introduced to the wonderful Finger Lakes Rieslings of Hermann J. Wiemer by fellow food addict philadining. I’ve also written about Wiemer’s wines here in the past, citing the estate as producing one of the finest Rieslings of North America. Wiemer studied his art in Germany and brought the sensibilities he learned there to play in crafting all of the wines at his New York estate. So it was with trepidation that I learned recently, through a post at LennDevours, that Wiemer has recently sold his estate to a new owner. Transfers of ownership like this tend to take one of three inevitable directions: good intentions eventually leading to decline, homogenization or brand dilution through insertion into the new owner’s larger portfolio, or – all too rarely – a slow, steady improvement in the hands of a talented and inspired new leader. Here’s hoping for the lattermost scenario.Best wishes to Hermann, who will stay on in an advisory role. And best of luck t

Firestone Vineyards, which brought wine making to Santa Barbara County when it was founded in 1972, has been sold to the Foley Wine Group. The company said the sale will allow the Firestone wine brand to continue to grow.The sale includes the main Santa Ynez Valley production winery and the family brand name. The Firestone family will still run the Curtis Winery and Firestone Walker Brewing Co., which makes some fine British-style ales. The Firestone family owns the Jarhead Red and Rock Hollow wine brands. They also have a new winery in Paso Robles.Foley Wine Group owns the Foley Estate Vineyard and Lincourt Vineyards.

The Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is composed of grapes from seven vineyards, Abbott, Baranoff, Clay, Koos, Leepin, Nunes and Zephyr Vineyards. It spent 20 months in oak barrels, 50% being new French Oak.This was my first time having a wine from this winery and it was thanks to my husband who brought it home after finding it at BevMo and thought it looked like it was worth a try. BevMo's price was $54 for this bottle and the only other place I can find it online to purchase is at the winery's website for $60.On to the actual tasting. A big, dark ruby red color greats me in the glass just before discovering dark cherry, dark raspberry, blueberry and an earthy quality with some grass/herb nuances, on the nose. I am very excited at this point can't wait to take a sip. Again the black cherry is there with some involvement of red cherry as well. Dark berries makes an impact as well with some oak notes at the end. The acidity is definitley there in the right amounts

So many of you have been asking about the beer batter pancakes, so who I am to hold out on a good thing! 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1/4 cup white sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 1 cup beer - we used Rouge American Amber 2 tablespoons butter, melted In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the egg, beer and melted butter; stir with a whisk just until blended - a few lumps are okay. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot surface for each pancake. When bubbles appear on top of the pancakes, flip, and cook until browned on the other side. ____________________________________________ Now, who likes wine? Raise your hand. Ok, good. Now keep your hand up if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area- The Boy has been slaving all year over his wines and has decided that this Sunday will be Bonfire Vine

I thought we would try a, to us, new winery tonight. The 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir from Kenneth Volk Vineyards seemed like a good candidate on the shelf in the grocery store.This wine is a blend from several vineyards from Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. It was aged in 60% new, 20% one year old, and 20% three to four year old French oak using barrels from several different coopers.A clear dark ruby color with a touch of purple reflects in the glass. On the nose, red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, light strawberry and traces of oak. Moving to the palate blackberry and cherry are the main components, with raspberry and oak in the background. This Pinot has good acidity and firm tannins, that together with the pronounced fruit makes for a great balanced wine with very decent complexity and a medium body.I got this at my local "natural food" market for $ 23.99 and I think that was a good price for this very nice wine. Finding it online for only $17.99 at Wine-Searcher.com

This weekend we went wine tasting at our local wine merchant, Capitol Cellars. Frank Family Vineyards was pouring four of their wines, and I thought I put together a little review on those, as we enjoyed the tasting.First out was the 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($34). Medium straw color in the glass with citrus, ripe apple, and a hint of white floral on the nose. On the palate the apple and citrus plays an initial role before the round creamy mouth feel steps in. This is however not an overly oaky chardonnay. It has refreshing acidity that balances the creaminess out and gives it a fresh and somewhat crisp finish. Over all a very nice chardonnay.The 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel ($34) was up next. This zin has a dark red/purple, but relatively clear/thin, color in the glass. On the nose it displays raspberry, strawberry and a spicy note from pepper. On the palate darker fruit with black raspberry and blackberry emerges with mouth watering acidity and high in firm tannins. You are left wit

When up in Napa Valley earlier this spring my friend picked up a bottle of this wine at the Benessere Vineyard, and tonight she shared it with me.This wine has a slightly cloudy, ruby red, appearance in the glass. On the nose I pick up smells of the ocean, dark cherry, tea and a musty earthiness. Once in the mouth muted plum, black cherries and black currant shines through. The berries come with a hint of spice, the tannins are relatively smooth on the mid palate but leaves you with an astringency at the end of the finish. This is a medium bodied wine that shows good quality both in the fruit driven aspect but also shows a lot of terroir. We both enjoyed it along with a good conversation and would have it again if this was not the last bottle.Searching online I can not find it for sale. I think the original price at the winery was about $25-30/750 ml bottle at the winery, but I can not confirm that at this point. FYI: we tasted a 375 ml bottle that's why the glass is bigger then the

Tonight I am revisiting a favorite from last year, the Elk Cove Pinot Gris, but this time the new vintage, 2006.Elk Cove Vineyards was founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, and to this day it remains family owned and operated. In 1995 Adam Godlee Campbell joined the team as the winemaker. All the fruit is estate grown, the estate being 350 acres, 120 of the dedicated to vineyards.They use gravity flow and gentle handling to intervene to a minimum, to let the grape express itself in the wine.The 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris was whole cluster pressed, cold fermented in stainless steel tanks, and did not go through malolactic fermentation.It has a clear, very pale, straw color, with perhaps a hint of green, in the glass. On the nose white, sweet floral with citrus and a touch of tropical fruit. The first impression on the palate is that of medium viscosity and sweet, soft creaminess. As that subsides fresh citrus with great acidity kicks through and gives this wine a great refres

We were in Carmel this weekend for Mother's Day. Passing by the Galante Vineyard Tasting Room I just had to stop by to taste their wines. I had not heard about this winery before and I got some good information from the very knowledgeable and friendly tasting room staff. They explained the wineries wine making philosophy and methods. The wine maker strives for the wine to express what in France is called terroir. That means, in short, letting the soil, surroundings, location and weather express itself through the fruit in the wine and intervene as little as possible. The wines are gravity racked and have not gone through fining or filtration.On to the tasting. I tasted around eight wines and I will mention the ones I liked the best.First out was the 2006 Carmel Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($25). It has intense peach aroma and flavor, with a hint of tropical fruit. Good acidity gives this wine a nice freshness.The 2005 Carmel Valley Petit Sirah is much more delicate than most Petit Sirahs

Purple Barn at Agua Dulce Vineyards 5 x 7 Monotype with colored pencil & watercolor washesThe barn really *is* purple (see photo below). The first time I drove out there to paint, I couldn't stop smiling when I found the barn near the back of the vineyard. I imagined it at harvest time, full of purple and violet colored grapes, with grape juice stained hand-prints on all the doors and gates.Pulling the initial drawing off the plate...After wiping and moving ink around....Pulling this monotype, after a trip through the press...

Friday night we had another great Pinot Noir from La Vie Vineyards . I have reviewed the 2004 Rasta Rita Pinot Noir earlier. You can read more about it here.The 2003 Black Mountain Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir has a dark ruby red/purple color in the glass. The black cherry on the nose overpowers everything else but a hint of sea sand. The black cherry gives room for some ripe black berry on the palate, although the black cherry is still the most prominent taste. A hint of oak, and good acidity that mingles with round tannins. This is a beautiful, lush, Pinot Noir with good back bone and long finish. La Vie Vineyards "Rasta Rita" (referred to above) is a little bit more of a powerhouse Pinot, but this is not to far behind. A beautiful Pinot Noir!Hard to get a hold of, I found this bottle for $36.99 at a small grocery store in Los Olivos, Santa Ynez Valley. I have done some research at Internet and I can not find any store or web site that carries it, and the winery is also

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle fans will be in hog heaven with the release of some biker motivated wines from V-Twin Vineyards, based in Sonoma County, Calif.V-Twin 2004 Zin is the first wine from the virtual winery. The company plans to launch the Easy Rider Wine Club to attract collectors and allow members to post photos of their bikes and stories from the road. V-Twin plans future releases to include River Run Chardonnay, Poker Run Cabernet, Redwood Run Zinfandel and Toy Run Rose.

I’ve been immersing myself in precision viticulture (PV) these past two weeks, trying to figure out how to apply it to our 17 acre operation in a way that makes sense. Done well, the tools of PV (GPS, GIS, IR etc) can help you very accurately identify and differentially manage variation within your vineyard. For instance if you outsource or generate a NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) map yourself, you’ll be able to tell where vigor is high and where it is low with a high degree of precision throughout your vineyard. In our case, where we find vigor is excessivly high we will continue to sell those grapes to Gloria Ferrer for their sparkling wine program. Where we find vigor to be moderate we can either manage it differently (leave cover crop in just those zones to reduce vigor, for instance) or keep it in the sparkling program. There are many other cool ways to use geo-referenced data collected throughout the year and most of it can aid in overall management,

Just Vineyards is a comprehensive vineyard and wineries’ website containing a database with nearly 5,000 US-based vineyards and wineries along with general information on wine, upcoming events, a wine search engine and links to individual vineyards throughout the country. If you're like me and choose wine by the label and price - along with those cut out reviews that liquor store owners tape on to the shelves - Just Vineyards is for you. The goal of Just Vineyards is to inform, entertain and enlighten consumers interested in wine but not terribly knowledgeable about it. Through Just Vineyards it is possible to get information - the 411 - on local vineyards. I loved that you could use their vineyard search feature to find all the wineries in your state. Here are the ones for Colorado.This is a sponsored post from LoudLaunch. However, I think Just Vineyards is a real cool site, so you should check it out. I'll be consulting it often. LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their

We went down to Santa Barbara for relaxation and wine tasting last weekend with friends. Saturday, we visited four wineries, one of them being Sanford Winery.Sanford Winery and Vineyard was founded in 1971 when the first Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County was planted at Sanford and Benedict vineyard, Santa Rita Hills. In 1976 the first wine was released to the public and received great reviews.A lot of things have changed over the years, and the winery now makes Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and produces over 40,000 cases per year. The current winery facility is a huge handmade adobe construction, located at La Rinconada Vineyard, containing state of the art wine making equipment. Since 2005 the Terlato Family has the majority of ownership interest (they also own, among other wineries, Alderbrook, Chimney Rock and Rutherford Hill + other wineries around the world). Winemaker Steve Ferrell joined Sanford in 2006 after working at Trefethen Vineyards and Voss V

The head of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, an Australian Government authority that helps promote wine from the nation, says that competition responsible for driving down prices is hurting vineyards.Michael De Palma, director of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, said that 90 percent of the industry is not turning a profit, with smaller vineyards hurting the most. Australia's recent growth in production has been partially blamed for a glut on the international market and depressed prices. Now imports from Italy and Spain of mid-priced premium wines is taking domestic share away from Australian winemakers.De Palma noted that a drought and lower production during the most recent grape harvest have some vineyards considering options to exit the business.

The philosophy of Robert Sinskey Vineyards is "Farm conscientiously and make wine with minimal manipulation...". The tail starts in 1982, and it's to long of a story to tell here... Read more about it here!The 2005 Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir was a recent gift from friends. I knew I should keep my hands off of it but I could not resist it and tonight it got popped open. Intense ruby red color in the glass with great clarity. At first, earth and spice on the nose with the yeast smell of rising bread at the end. Letting it sit for a little bit, soft red cherries and berries emerges with herbaceous notes. Tart red cherries and raspberry on the palate with pencil lead on the finish. Good acidity and medium firm tannins. A really good bottle at this point, and letting it age for a couple of years I would expect it to improve...Find it at Wine-Searcher.com or Winezap.com from $31.98.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog TopI am now in top 15!

Late last week I alluded to an upcoming local winehiking event organized by somebody other than myself. When I learned about it, and seeing that it was billed as a “Wine Hike”, I knew I... {{ The above is just a summary of the entire post. Please visit californiawinehikes.com/winehiker for full links, other content, and more! }}

A solution to the oversupply of grapes across Europe will not include the destruction of 988,000 acres of vineyards as the European Commission had recommended. In a vote last week the European Union Parliament rejected the reform proposal.In 2005, the EU paid $666 million to turn surplus wine into industrial alcohol and disinfectant. Estimates are that about a year's worth of wine is held in bulk storage across Europe.The EU voted 484 to 129 against the proposal. The European Commission had said the vineyard destruction was necessary because of declining consumption in the EU and increased competition from the United States, South America, South Africa and Australia. Those voting against the proposal said it would devastate the economies of rural areas in many European countries.Europe makes and consumes about 60 percent of the world supply of wine.