Blue Morph based out of the East Bay has developed a waterless tank sanitizing system that uses advanced short-wave ultraviolet ray technology. A unit has already been installed at one of the Jackson Family Wine production facilities in Santa Rosa, Ca., where Julien Gervreau senior sustainability managerestimates 250,000 gallons a year could be saved at each JFW facility that uses the technology. Vijay Singh a biochemical engineer has created a new fermentation device that cuts down on water usa...
Oct 09, 2015
Amazon has started selling beer, Champagne, wine and spirits in France. While I'm still not sure it's for real, Burger King looks to be giving away wine to celebrate its four decades of business in Spain. Starbuck's is no longer just a place to get your morning caffeine jolt. Elin McCoy checks our their new evening program of adult beverages and small plates . The trend of fast food joints offering wine to go with your meals continues to expand. Writing for Business Insider Libby Kane asks Jorn ...
Oct 02, 2015
Taco Bell is setting its sights on the urbanites of Chicago and San Francisco. Their first pilot stores Taco Bell Cantina , are slated to open later this month. Specifically targeting the millennial demographic these restaurants will feature a revamped menu, digital menu boards, TV monitors and mobile ordering and pick up apps. The kicker is these new locations will be serving margaritas in Chicago and draft beer and wine in San Francisco. Steve Heimoff offers his take on Taco Bell's new concept...
Sep 25, 2015
It looks to be an excellent vintage for Champagne according to Claude Giraud . If the weather holds there will be lots of smiling wine growers throughout France. The harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon has started in Napa Valley. Growers are seeing lower yields but the quality thus far appears to be excellent. Jessie Duarte fills us in on what's happening in the regions up and down the valley. W. Blake Gray finds an intern working at a Napa Valley winery to explain what one does in a winery at harvest...
Sep 19, 2015
If it seems like the frequency of counterfeiting, embezzlement, data breaches and fraud have been increasing in the world of wine, it's because it has. Fighting crime will be the major focus of the 24th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium to be held Sept. 21-22 in Napa. This Symposium will provide an excellent opportunity for individuals in the business to learn ways to avoid some of the accounting pitfalls of running a small business. Traditionally small wineries haven't used trust and ver...
Sep 10, 2015
After selling his wildly successful Meomi wine brand to Constellation Brand Inc. Joseph Wagner is looking to the Oregon frontier to create his next super brand. At the ripe young age of 33 this entrepreneur is making his presence known on the west coast. Elsewhere in Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards has tendered an offer of preferred stock to wine enthusiasts. They plan to build two small production wineries in the Eola Hills and Walla Walla AVAs. A posting on Jim's Loire blog wonders why Tim...
Aug 27, 2015
Boston startup Kuvee has assembleda group of techie scholars, entrepreneurs and venture capitalist in order to go into the wine preservation business. Their idea "a convenience play - drink what you want, it stays fresh, and reorder easily.", appears to have merit. The product is due to launch this fall sostay tuned. Gargantuan wine, which is rapidly becoming one of our favorite reads, offers us up some well deserved criticism for restaurant owners and chefs. The post Four Mistakes Every Restaur...
Aug 19, 2015
Ron Washam aka The Hosemaster of Wine finally gets someone to threaten to sue him. One of his recent satirical works did not strike the funny bone of Mr. Georg Riedel, as he had his lawyers fire off a firm request for a retraction of said article. Michael Ru Bello's bankruptcy filing for his California construction company is causing a lot of headaches for his creditors and for several high profile wine industry players, that worked with him. David Stoneberg and Sasha Paulsen do a good job of pu...
Aug 13, 2015
California is in the midst of a four year severe drought and the latest visual evidence can be seen in Lake County, where the Rocky wildfire has consumed over 22,000 acres, the largest of about two dozen fires burning around the state. If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas here it is. The VinGardeValise is a 'rolling hard shell suitcase lined with high-density, temperature-regulating foam that protects bottles while in transit'. This year Trinchero Family Estates is celebrating the...
Aug 04, 2015
Two more big wine deals were announced this week, as E & J Gallo and Vintage Wine Estates make a bid to broaden their holdings in Sonoma County. Measure AB-20 , a bill aimed at helping illegal farm workers obtain work permits is making its way through the California legislature. If it reaches Governor Jerry Brown's desk will he sign it? Rock star winemaker Susana Balbo wants to improve the education and healthcare systems in rural Mendoza, Argentina. Instead of just complaining she's running...
Jul 28, 2015
What companies make 80 percent of the wine purchased in the U. S. market? Which two wine companies own half of the wine brands on the top 20 list for off premise sales? Here's a hint; one is publicly traded the other is not. Blockbuster brand Meomi was just purchased by Constellation Brands Inc, the latest in a frenzy of acquisitions being made by some big players in the wine business. Steve Heimoff wonders who got the better end of the deal. Why would anyone want to hack a winery? Rob McMillan ...
Jul 23, 2015
This week in the world of wine we discuss unauthorized cave building in Napa , The Napa Valley Auction , Ag drones , and much much more. Cheers!
May 09, 2015
Auction Napa Valley is coming to you online. Bidding starts on May 31st and it's a great opportunity for those in the industry and wine lovers that can't make the trek to Napa Valley participate in the auction. Peg Melnik writes a nice article featuring Hoby Wedler, a blind UC Davis graduate student, who is leading blind wine tastings at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. There's a lot at stake as the battle lines are being drawn between Empire Wine and the New York State Liquor Authori...
May 08, 2015
On this week's VinoWeek podcast we discuss Jeff Siegel's article on the premiumization of wine . Are consumers really trading up for more expensive wines? Locally here in wine country we have our legislators making an effort to fix something that doesn't seem to be broken. Derek Moore pens an interesting post on the legal limbo which barbers and beauty salon owners are finding themselves . Lake County , Napa north if you will, has been discovered and is gaining more recognition for its microclim...
Apr 27, 2015
I first became acquainted with the wines of Fausto Albanesi by happenstance. I was purchasing wine from an online provider and I was short three bottles to fill out my order. As I browsed through their offerings his 2010 base bottling of Montepulciano D' Abruzzo caught my eye, so I filled out the order with them. I picked the wine because I was familiar with the soft, full of fruit, mildly tannic wines that could be made from that grape. In fact most Montepulciano D' Abruzzo can always be counte...
Apr 22, 2015
This week's VinoWeek podcast features Popular Restaurant Wines , Prosecco's Growth , Hopkiln's Expansion and much more. As always thanks for listening.
Apr 17, 2015
This week's VinoWeek podcast features Texas wine coming your way , Italian winemaking convicts , more talk about sulfites in wine and a tragic murder/suicide in Napa Valley . Jeremy Parzen pens a good post on building moratoriums and plans to ban new plantings in Tuscany . Have you ever wondered what the real cost of a $10 bottle of imported wine is ? We discuss these topics along with several others and if your are on the left coast for the weekend of March 27th - 28th say hello to us at the Rh...
Mar 20, 2015
In this Vinoweek podcast we discuss Yao Ming's recent foray into the world of crowdsourcing for his Napa winery. Other topics include Premier Napa Valley , the trademark infringement suit CIVC vs Champagne Jayne , Wal-Mart suing the state of Texas for the right to sell spirits, the state of California suing Ernest and Julio Gallo over hazardous dust disposal , and this w eekend's barrel tasting events in Sonoma County . Thanks for listening. Cheers!...
Mar 13, 2015
This week we cover the concept of terroir , the new Fountaingrove AVA , weather technology for grape growers and David Ramey 's opening of a new winery . We also discuss Gary Vaynerchuk showing up at Premiere Napa Valley , Biondi Santi's panning of Brunello for 2014 , the economic impact of craft brewers in Sonoma County and Guy Fieri's plans for a winery in Santa Rosa. Thanks for listening. Cheers!...
Mar 03, 2015
First Episode of VinoWeek. A weekly cast of events, news, and news makers in the World of Wine. In this cast we discuss the Longshoremen Strike, in depth on winery development impact in Napa and Sonoma counties, Tin Capsules, and Shiraz Week.
Feb 25, 2015
There I was in one of my favorite wine stores doing my usual thing, looking at all the different labels and reminding myself to make certain that 25% of my purchases have to be of wines I've never tried before. It's a good way to keep your mind open to new discoveries and expand your knowledge of wine. Lately I've been on a Bordeaux buying binge as there are an astounding number of good quality wines from the 2009 and 2010 vintage on the market. That's when I spied it, stacked on the floor at th...
Jun 27, 2014
One of the best ways to sharpen your palate and to learn and experience new wines is to attend a wine tasting. Having numerous producers at the same venue gives one the opportunity to economically contrast and compare regions and wines. That said here are a few suggestions you may want to follow to help yourself and others more fully enjoy the experience of a large format wine tasting. Tips to Drink Like a Pro Get a good rest the night before. You'll want to be at your sharpest Stay hydrated and...
Apr 27, 2014
When you pour yourself a glass of wine have you ever wondered what's in it. Hey it's just fermented grape juice right. Living in food centric Northern California with its booming culture of sustainability and organic farming, we decided to look a little further into what may or may not be in the wines we buy and share with our families and friends. To gain more insight into this subject we conducted an interview with Kevin Byrne, COO of Beverage Grades. Beverage Grades has a unique business mode...
Feb 14, 2014
