April, 07, 2015 Berger: Weaning vines off water

(PD) - John Williams, the visionary Frog’s Leap winery owner from Rutherford in the Napa Valley, was the most logical go-to person when an idle comment from a shop owner suggested that the wine industry could face water-shortage problems very soon. Williams, ever his contentious self on th...

April, 06, 2015 California used 70 million gallons of water in fracking in 2014

(PowerSource) - California oil producers used 214 acre-feet of water, equivalent to nearly 70 million gallons, in the process of fracking for oil and gas in the state last year, less than previously projected, state officials told Reuters. Fracking occurs when water and some chemicals are injected...

April, 06, 2015 Can Sonoma County Dry-Farm Grapes?

(SCG) - Dry farming of grapes is tried and true, with a thousand year old record of sustainability. So why are so many grape growers not doing dry-farming anymore? Because in the 1970s drip irrigation was introduced. Since grapes are sold by weight, growers knew they could increase tonnage per acre...

April, 06, 2015 Planners balk at Bell Wine visitation increase request

(NVR) - Bell Wine Cellars south of Yountville will likely be able to entertain more visitors, though not as many as it would like. Winery visitation growth is a hot-button issue in Napa County. The county Planning Commission has balked at granting the visitor cap increase that Bell Wine Cellars wa...

April, 06, 2015 Sonoma County wineries raise $3.4M for 84 nonprofits

(NBBJ) - A record-breaking total of $3.39 million in contributions to 84 Sonoma County nonprofit organizations was distributed Thursday afternoon from the hugely successful 2014 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. More than 150 guests representing Sonoma County’s wine industry leadership, non-profi...

April, 06, 2015 Australia's Barossa Is the New Napa Valley You Haven't Heard of Yet

(YahooTravel) - If you love wine, Napa Valley may be the first place you think of for full-bodied reds. You can fly halfway around the world, though, and find a still largely undiscovered wine region. Just get ready to trade Cabernet Sauvignon for Shiraz. Barossa Valley, home to Australia’s ...

April, 05, 2015 Walla Walla has new wine AVA in Oregon: Rocks District of Milton-Freewater

(OregonLive) - Oregon got its 18th wine AVA in February when the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau establish the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater as the newest American Viticulture Area. Approval came Feb. 9, according to information provided by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Allianc...

April, 05, 2015 Sour grapes? California’s drought has delivered tastier wine – but it may not last

(RT) - While California continues to struggle with conserving water during a historically bad drought, winemakers have actually been producing tastier wine. With the drought well into its fourth year, though, the industry may be reaching the end of the vine. This week, California Gov. Jerry Brow...