October, 16, 2014 Drones could become familiar sight over Wine Country

(PD) - As he went around Napa Valley in the past two years, Ken Giles had the unenviable task of notifying nearby residents that UC Davis would be conducting a demonstration project using drones to spray pesticides at its vineyard in Oakville. Giles, a professor in the university’s biologi...

October, 15, 2014 9 things on a wine label you should know

(Clevland) - With the typical grocery store having hundreds of different wine bottles arranged by geographic region or varietal, it's easy to be overwhelmed by choices on the market. If you don't know a few basic terms on a bottle, your confusion probably will grow. And what better time to learn th...

October, 15, 2014 Battle Of The Booze: Is Fine Wine Over Good Beer Really A Healthy Choice?

(MD) - In life, we are told there are two kinds of people: wine drinkers and beer drinkers. America’s thirst for these two popular alcoholic drinks brings back the age-old debate of beer versus wine. The common belief is a glass of fine wine is healthy, but is it healthier than a foamy, cold ...

October, 15, 2014 Introduction to Soil Types and Wine

(WineFolly) - What are the best soils for growing wine grapes? One of the most frequently mentioned traits of a great wine is the soil. The conversation usually sounds something like this: “This estate is certainly well-located, resting on well-drained, gravelly soils with some veins of c...

October, 14, 2014 Rabobank estimates global wine production could drop 2-4 per cent in 2014

(ABC) - Global wine grape production will drop by between 2 and 4 per cent this year, according to agribusiness bank Rabobank. As vintage figures are tallied from southern hemisphere producers and analysts get a better of idea of how the northern harvests are shaping up, it's becoming more likel...

October, 14, 2014 PORTUGAL: DOURO REFLECTS ON ‘THE YEAR OF THE FOX’

(TDB) - Dramatic landslides and heavy rainstorms have brought mixed results from the Douro in a year that Symington Family Estates’ managing director Paul Symington has dubbed “The Year of the Fox”. Conceding that 2014 was “a challenging year in the Douro”, Sy...

October, 14, 2014 AUS: d'Arenberg to build giant 'Rubik's cube' visitor centre

(Decanter) - Australia's d'Arenberg winery is planning to build a AUS$11m, multi-storey tasting room and restaurant complex in the heart of its vineyards, modelled on the design of a Rubik's cube. D'Arenberg winemaker Chester Osborn told Decanter.com this week that he hopes to begin buil...

October, 14, 2014 California: Fine for Volunteer Labor Makes Wineries Wary

(Wines&Vines) - California seems to be paying more attention to laws that restrict volunteer grape pickers and other labor. Owner Bill Smyth of Westover Winery in Castro Valley is closing his winery after the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement assessed him $115,550 in fines, ...