March, 14, 2014 St. Helena vineyard manager charged for allegedly stealing grapes

(NVR) - A St. Helena vineyard manager has been charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $65,000 worth of grapes from a client during last fall’s harvest. Jeffry James Hill, the manager of Hill Wine Co. at 1001 Silverado Trail, faces two counts of grand theft and a special al...

March, 13, 2014 Hubert de Bouard brings defamation suit against Vino Business author

(Decanter) - Hubert de Bouard, owner of Chateau Angélus in Saint Emilion, is suing the author of new book Vino Business for defamation. The legal action comes nine days after the publication of Isabelle Saporta’s French-language book Vino Business, which takes a critical look at the c...

March, 13, 2014 Did Europe Waste Billions On Vineyard Reform?

(Wine-Searcher) - 150,000 hectares of vines have been ripped out of the ground in Spain, but oversupply continues, reports Zara Tempest Coleman. The billions of euros poured into the reform of the European wine scene have failed to resolve the oversupply situation in Spain, a report released by Ra...

March, 13, 2014 Getting to the Root of Tastes in Wine

(WSJ) -  WHEN IT COMES TO their produce, winemakers are no different than any other farmers. They are obsessed with the earth. Though plants in reality only need water, sun and air to produce fruit, vignerons wax lyrical about the quality of their soil and how it influences their wines. Wine ...

March, 13, 2014 Are $1,000 Napa Valley Cabs on the way?

(LATimes) - I can remember when $100 for a California Cabernet seemed excessive. This year, though, if you’re on the list for Screaming Eagle, the poster child for cult Cabernet, you'll pay $850 a bottle, including tax and shipping. And Harlan Estate is now released at $800 a bottle. But tha...

March, 13, 2014 Ste. Michelle Buys 298 Acres in Oregon

(Wines&Vines) - Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is the latest buyer to pick up a tranche of vineyards formerly managed by Premier Pacific Vineyards Inc. on behalf of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). CalPERS has steadily divested itself of hundreds of acres in the North...

March, 13, 2014 Loire winemakers win Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru battle

(Decanter) - France's highest court has quashed opposition to the creation of a Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru in the Loire, and producers hope it could prove a blueprint for the region. The Conseil d’Etat, France’s top public administrative court, has rejected Domaine des Baumard's long...

March, 12, 2014 Red Wine & Chocolate: The Conflict of Concept and Reality

(Seattlepi) - Recently, just after our annual pre-Valentine’s orgy of wine and chocolate events/pairing suggestions/tastings, my esteemed colleague, Paul Gregutt, posted a very carefully-worded caution on Facebook. Paul, it should be said, is one of the most polite writers I’ve ever enc...