June, 18, 2015 Biodynamic Wine Dives into the Mainstream

(Wine-Searcher) - The sale of the Benziger brand to the makers of Franzia could give impetus to biodynamic wines. Ten years ago I went to one of the first biodynamic wine tastings in San Francisco. The mainstream wine media mocked it as a bunch of loons who bury cow horns filled with manure, and...

June, 18, 2015 Napa relaxes grape-content rule for industrial wineries in city limits

(NVR) - City planners have thrown their weight behind  relaxing the rules on local grape content  at wineries in industrial areas, and on Tuesday, the Napa City Council did the same. The council’s 4-1 vote, with Scott Sedgley dissenting, exempts wineries in industrially zoned lan...

June, 18, 2015 How is wine made? Knowing the basics will open door to deeper discussion

I intended to write today’s column on the use of oak in winemaking. It’s such a broad, complicated topic that I figured some attempt to present the basics might be helpful. It didn’t take me long, though, to realize that even the most rudimentary discussion of oak relies on so man...

June, 17, 2015 Napa Valley wine, food company expands in Mendocino County

(PD) - Long Meadow Ranch in Rutherford has bought a 145-acre parcel in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley as the farm-to-table food business looks to grow its wine operations with high-end pinot noir and chardonnay in a burgeoning wine region. Long Meadow Ranch, operated by longtime vintne...

June, 17, 2015 ORGANIC WINE BOOM STEMS FROM BABY FOOD

(TDB) - Consumer interest in organic wines was kick started by the trend for organic baby food, according to one of Chile’s leading organic producers. Speaking to  the drinks business  at Vinexpo this week, Rafael Guilisasti, director of Emiliana, said: “It all started...

June, 17, 2015 WINE, SEX CAN LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE

(ABC7Chicago) - Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country; more than 600,000 Americans die from the condition each year. But there are ways to lower your risk, including maintaining a healthy body weight. Obesity adds strain to the heart and increases the risk for diabetes...

June, 17, 2015 Pennsylvania bill allowing wine shipments gets Senate panel’s stamp of approval

(PostGazette) - A bill to permit widespread shipment of wine to homes cleared a Senate committee on Tuesday, with the chairman saying the topic needs to be addressed before the state can make broader changes to its system of state-owned wine and liquor sales. “This issue is kind of st...

June, 17, 2015 NY Senate Strikes a Blow for Wine Retailers

(Wine-Searchers) - Empire Wine finds powerful allies in its lone stand against the forces of the New York State Liquor Authority. The New York Legislature slapped down its own State Liquor Authority (SLA) on Tuesday, when both houses barred the agency from using the laws of other states to prose...