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Stephanie Gallo TASTE News Service December 9, 2014 — E. & J. Gallo Winery, the world’s largest family–owned winery, recently commissioned its inaugural Gallo Consumer Wine Trends Survey to capture the current state of Americans’ wine drinking attitudes and behaviors. The survey posed a series of questions to 1,001 frequent wine drinkers in the US, which resulted in a better understanding of exactly where, when and how Americans are enjoying wine. “We are committed to capturing an annual snapshot to help us continue producing wines that meet America’s evolving tastes and reflect today’s growing number of different wine occasions,” said…
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Ripe Zinfandel cluster at Heritage Vineyard in photo by ZAP TASTE News Service December 5, 2014 - For the first time in 24 years, four new Zinfandel selections have been named by authoritative experts from UC Davis and Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) Heritage Vineyard Project. The collaboration between ZAP and UC Davis is marking the culmination of 17 years of research to date. The four named Zinfandel vineyard selections are Lytton, Moore, Teldeschi, and George Zeni. Each represents a unique set of research data sourced from historic old vine plantings that are geographically diverse from the other selections, proven…
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Sun sets over Sierra Vista Cabernet vineyard TASTE News Service – November 26, 2014 – Wineries and grape growers in the El Dorado wine region have wrapped up another successful harvest. Though the 2014 yields appear lower than the last three years, the recent harvest resulted in extremely high-quality grapes. Significant spring rains followed by consistent, slightly above average temperatures during the growing season marked one of the earliest harvests on record. “The quality of this year was outstanding,” said Josh Bendick of Holly’s Hill Vineyards. “2014 was the shortest harvest we have ever had. Although we’ve started picking earlier…
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Croatian winemaking students pose with Mike Grgich: From left: Daniel Božac, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Petra Balažić and Marina Šeparović. Daniel interned at Cakebread Cellars in Napa while Peta and Marina worked at Opolo Vineyards in Paso Robles. Without the knowledge of the selection committee, Petra is also a niece of Ivo Jeramaz, Mike’s nephew and Vice President of Vineyards and Production for Grgich Hills. TASTE News Service November 21, 2014 – Winners of the Miljenko Grgich Scholarship Fund at the University of Zagreb in Croatia finally met their benefactor in the Legacy Room at Grgich Hills Estate on Tuesday. Vintners…
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Amador Zinfandel at harvest by Ray Anderson TASTE News Service November 13, 2014 – The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) pushed to establish National Zinfandel Day in 2010 to recognize Zinfandel's versatility, range of flavors, and many California producers. Renwood Winemaker Joe Shebl couldn't agree more. "There are so many great vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, especially old vine Zinfandel," he says. "I love being able to work with so many of them." This year's National Zinfandel Day falls on Wednesday, November 19. Zinfandel is California's "heritage" grape variety. There were more than 48,000 acres of Zinfandel planted in the…
Gina Gallo TASTE News Service November 10, 2014 - Gina Gallo of the E & J Gallo Winery received the American Wine Society's 2014 Award of Merit at the organization's national conference in Concord, N.C. Nov. 1. Part of the third generation of the family that helped shape the world of wine, Gina Gallo distinguished herself through the Gallo Signature Series, limited production wines made with the best grapes from Gallo's estate vineyards. Granddaughter of company co-founder Julio Gallo, Gina began her life in agriculture at the age of 10, working in the family's vegetable garden. Farm and vineyard became…
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by Dan Clarke Steve Moulds Steve Moulds didn't arrive in the Napa Valley until 1998, but the move was long-planned. He and his wife-to-be Betsy met at San Jose State after returning form duty in the Peace Corps—he in Honduras, she in Brazil. After college Betsy became a school teacher, Steve a Spanish-speaking social worker helping people in the farm labor camps around Gilroy. After several years in the south Bay Area, the couple “moved back up the Peninsula” where Steve went into commercial real estate. He stayed 25 years, eventually becoming a partner in the firm. “It was always…
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TASTE News Service October 10, 2014 - The United States Department of the Treasury has approved the establishment of 11 new viticultural areas (AVAs) within the greater Paso Robles AVA. The announcement concludes a seven-year process by a group of Paso Robles vintners and winegrape growers who created a unified approach to develop a comprehensive master plan for the greater Paso Robles American Viticultural Area . These new AVAs are based on meso-climactic, geological, and historical information which highlight each individual district to be unique as a winegrape growing area. The 11 AVAs are as follows: Adelaida District, Creston District,…
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TASTE News Service October 9, 2014 - Allison Cellini called the 2014 growing season “a bit of a roller coaster.” The Renteria Vineyard Management viticulturist was one of three panelists who presented comments this morning at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers annual news conference held at Moulds Family Vineyard. Napa Valley Grapegrowers begin harvest press conference in bright October sunshine California's continuing drought, a 6.0 earthquake in August and a freak hailstorm in September were part of that roller coaster ride, but none of these was enough to spoil what is shaping up as a excellent vintage. Cellini said that the…
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Brothers Carlo and Dante Mondavi TASTE News Service October 2, 2014 - Brothers Carlo and Dante Mondavi of Napa Valley, have launched their own brand specializing in Sonoma Coast single vineyard Pinot Noir. Its name, RAEN, stands for Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally, referencing the brothers’ keen appreciation for natural winemaking. Inspired by their family's four generations of winegrowing, The new winery is Carlo and Dante’s personal project, independent of any other, whose goal is to create world-class Pinot Noir from the cool, coastal vineyards of Sonoma County. In speaking of what inspired them to found RAEN, the Mondavi…
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Cork oak bark is removed News USA September 27, 2014 - A growing list of leading wineries, including St. Francis, Bogle and Fetzer, are speaking up about the benefits of using natural cork. They recognize that not only does natural cork allow wines to age perfectly, but using natural cork also provides a potential competitive advantage when it comes to marketing their wine brands. According to Wines & Spirits "25th Annual Survey of Top 50 Restaurant Wine Brands," wines finished primarily with cork accounted for 90 percent of the brands selected in these top restaurants. This represents a 21 percent…
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by Dan Clarke Vina Castellano tasting cave lies behind the doors Teena Wilkins says her late father, Gabe Mendez, was known as “Dr. Dirt.” Forty-five years ago he was operating a successful earth-moving and excavating business in Southern California, but wanted a less congested environment for his family—somewhere with fresh air and room for a few animals. When he bought 60-acres northwest of Auburn there were no wineries in Placer County and few, if any, vineyards. Nevertheless, Mendez thought his Northern California property resembled the homeland of his ancestors and had agricultural potential. Nearly 20 years ago Teena and her…
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Rick Kushman and Paul Wagner compare programming strategies TASTE News Service September 18, 2014 - Joined by some of the top names in the world of wine, award-winning writers Rick Kushman and Paul Wagner have launched a new streaming radio show that aims to break new ground in conversations about wine. Recorded at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, the show includes questions from listeners, interviews, wine recommendations, and an all-out assault on wine snobs everywhere. Kushman and Wagner are both well-known for their friendly and light-hearted communication styles, and they say they understand that every new wine show or blog…
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Adrienne Dennis, Emilia Fernandez, Shannon Wilson, Rhonda Anderson and Kawryne "Tilly" Tillman TASTE News Service September 17, 2014 – American soldiers recently celebrated their friendship at Korbel Champagne Cellars in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. Korbel has been a part of life’s celebrations for more than 132 years and on this occasion they were hosting a celebration for the winners of a Girls Getaway contest. Across the country, women submitted toasts about their friendships and explained why their group of friends should be chosen to win the getaway. Major Shannon Wilson, from Countryside, Ill., shared a toast about the special…
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Foster Road vineyard of Cakebread Cellars TASTE News Service September 1, 2014 - This September, California is celebrating the 10th anniversary of California Wine Month, a month-long celebration of festivals, events and demonstrations showcasing California's wine bounty. While California's wine harvest season occurs every fall, this September marks a decade of statewide collaboration, making this year the year to visit. Kicking off Labor Day weekend and running through September, winegrowers and winemakers are pulling out all the stops, offering visitors even more opportunities to explore California's vast wine country. From personalized wine making and bottling experiences to weekend-long wine-and-dine festivals…
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Looking toward High Sierra from Madroña TASTE News Service August 28, 2014 - As the 2014 harvest begins, El Dorado-grown wine grapes are capturing the attention of both large-scale wineries and small artisan producers outside the area. Thanks to dramatic elevation changes, unique soils, distinct microclimates and its diverse selection of grape varieties, El Dorado is establishing its identity as a world-class growing region, the El Dorado Winery Association announced this week. The county has more than 2,000 acres of grapevines at elevations ranging from about 1,000 to 3,500 feet and is home to nearly 70 wineries. With several vineyards…
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TASTE News Service, July 18, 2014 — Elliott Dolin, proprietor of Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards, joins 51 other Malibu-based wine grape growers who today become classified as part of the official Malibu Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA). In 2011 Dolin helped initiate the AVA application, a three-year process that concluded this week. "This is a historic day because the formation of the Malibu Coast AVA finally allows wines from Malibu to identify a 'sense of place' on their labels," says Dolin. "Malibu is world-famous, yet very few people are aware of our wine grape growing history which dates back two…
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Rob draws a barrel sample by Dan Clarke Robert Morse has been growing good grapes. With a lighter crop load he figures he can produce really extraordinary grapes and elevate his wines to reserve quality. It's the only way he can compete successfully with larger operations at lower elevations, he explains. Fifteen years ago Morse purchased 80 acres of land he believed could produce quality wine. His Il Gioiello property is in Amador County at 2200-feet elevation and very near to the El Dorado County line. There he grows most of the grapes for both the Morse Wines and Il…
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Guinness McFadden pours his sparkler TASTE News Service Sacramento, CA June 25, 2014 - The California State Fair has announced winners of its 2014 Commercial Wine Competition. First held in 1855, the State Fair Wine Competition is the oldest and one of the most prestigious wine events in the country. A total of 2,829 entries were received from 746 participating winery brands this year. Seventy-four judges on 18 panels awarded 2,068 medals, including 52 Double Gold, 217 Gold, 1,085 Silver and 714 Bronze. Chief Judges Mike Dunne and Rick Kushman presented awards to winners at an industry tasting held yesterday…
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Ladies at right poured from the Bella Luna table by Jen and Gary Sleppy We enjoy Barberas and know them to be food-friendly wines. Over the years we've encountered this variety mostly one bottle at a time. At Saturday's fourth annual Barbera Festival in Amador County we had opportunity to taste examples from 74 California wineries, as well as a few from Italian producers. Of course, trying to sample all of these in one afternoon would difficult, if not impossible. The Barbera grape is native to the Piedmont of northwestern Italy, but it's been grown in California since the 1880s.…
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Duck rillettes with several wines by Dan Clarke Barbera is finally getting its due. Though its ancestral home is northern Italy, the grape has been grown in California since the 19th Century. It hasn't enjoyed the prestige and popularity of other red wines produced here, but what's happening in Amador County is beginning to change that. This foothill wine region 40 miles east of Sacramento has long enjoyed a reputation for quality Zinfandel. In more recent years it has also been garnering notice for wines made from grapes native to France's Rhone Valley. And now the focus shifts to another…
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Robert Morse draws a barrel sample of his 2013 ZinfandelTASTE News Service June 9, 2014 – Amador County may be known for its Zinfandel, but it was a Mouvèdre, that took top honors at the Amador County Fair judging on Saturday. When notified that the 2011 Morse Wines Mouvèdre was named Best of Show, winemaker Robert Morse said, “This is wonderful. I was feeling good about (this wine) and have had good comments from others in the industry.” Morse produces wines from a diverse array of grape varietals under both the Morse Wines and Il Gioiello labels. Most of…
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Close inspections before the first sips TASTE News Service May 23, 2014 - Chenin Blanc may be considered the signature grape of Clarksburg. Though trendier varieties account for more vineyard acreage in the Clarksburg region, this area just southwest of Sacramento is believed to be one of the few areas in the world capable of producing great Chenin Blanc. Grown in other parts of the world, too—most notably in France's Loire Valley and in South Africa, where it was first planted in 1655 and is also known as “Steen,” this white wine variety is versatile and can be made into…
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Zinfest arrivees picked up their glasses by the lakeby Dan Clarke Lodi grows about one-third of all the Zinfandel grapes in the U.S. While justly famed for its Zins, the area also produces a diverse array of other varietals. Curiously enough, it was Lodi's just-concluded Zinfest that showcased many of these wines. Zinfest has a ten year history. The cornerstone event is an outdoor tasting held at Lodi Lake. On Saturday over 40 area wineries poured samples of their Zinfandel, of course, but many had other wines to taste, too. The festival actually is more than a one-day affair,…
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