September, 25, 2016 Burgundy 2016 harvest: ‘Every grape counts’

(Decanter) - Burgundy growers are fighting to salvage as many grapes as possible from a year that has seen several areas blighted by extreme weather, according to the region's official wine body. ‘Every grape counts,’ said the local BIVB wine bureau in its  Burgun...

September, 25, 2016 Winesong Auction Grosses More Than $700,000

(Wines&Vines) - Winesong, one of the longest running charity wine auctions on the West Coast, grossed more than $700,000 in its 32nd installment this year and included one spectacular auction lot that brought in $210,000 all by itself. Beyond the free-flowing wine, gourmet bites from local c...

September, 25, 2016 California Goes Gaga for Grower Champagne

(Wine-Searcher) - French connections are giving a new twist to the idea of California "Champagne". Small-production grower Champagne is so hot in the US that California wineries are getting into it. And we don't mean "California Champagne", but the real stuff from France. Three Califo...

September, 25, 2016 How does a wine's color affect what we think of its flavor?

(PRI) - Wine aficionados say that drinking wine involves far more than a simple evaluation of taste. Aroma, temperature and a lovely bottle can all factor into our experience of, say, a Bordeaux. But, what if outside factors like a wine’s color, or even the lighting in the room we drink it in...

September, 25, 2016 A master sommelier told us how much you really need to spend to get a good bottle of wine — and it's less than you'd think

(BI) - There's no reason to pay $100 — or even $35 — for a bottle of wine. In fact, unless you're looking out for one specific, pricey bottle of wine, you probably shouldn't be shelling out more than $25. "There is a value curve that is at its peak between $15 and $25 a bottle," s...

September, 25, 2016 Evacuations ordered as Sawmill Fire in Sonoma County grows

(SFGate) - A 1,500-acre wildfire fueled by hot temperatures and blustery winds grew quickly Sunday in rural Sonoma County, firefighters said. The Sawmill Fire started around 11 a.m. about 10 miles east of Cloverdale near The Geysers geothermal field between Highway 101 and Highway 175. By 6...

September, 25, 2016 NJ wine industry boosting agritourism

You may be surprised to learn that two New Jerseyans started our state’s wine industry almost two decades before the American Revolution. At the time, Great Britain was thirsting for good wine in the colonies, and London’s Royal Society of Arts offered a reward to any colonist who co...

September, 25, 2016 Harvest Awards Gala names coveted sweepstakes winners

(PD) - Family-owned wineries — both large and small — won the coveted sweepstakes awards Sunday at the Sonoma County Harvest Awards Gala. Boutique wineries J. Rickards Winery of Cloverdale and Russian River Vineyards of Forestville won top honors for the white and the red respec...