There is a reason why most indigenous grape varieties will never became international successes. Some of those hyped varieties are niche products and will never reach a wider audience. But there are a few Cinderella varieties, waiting for their grand entrance—and one of them could be Silvaner. Silvaner is one of the most underrated grape varieties in the world; however, it is not a victim—there are reasons why it is…
The mere mention of Lodi may conjure up images of massive wine factories, Woodbridge, Delicato, and 7 Deadly Zins, but there’s a hidden world of viticultural history and old-vine treasure chests out there—and winemakers throughout California have been sniffing around. Turley was one of the first premium “outsider” wineries to bottle a Lodi AVA wine (1996 Spenker Zinfandel), but in recent years others have followed, attracted…
I recently returned from my second trip in the last year to Hong Kong. This time it was combined with a visit to Shanghai, further emphasizing the dichotomy between what we think of as “The China Market" and the established scene in Hong Kong. Lumped together, Asia is the Wild West for wine—and globalization as a whole. Laws, import tariffs, distribution, prices, and quality are inconsistent, but the mindset is rapidly…
Like death and taxes, battling diseases of grapevines can’t be avoided. Managing grapevine diseases is an integral part of tending vineyards; the challenge is due to one simple, modern predicament: many of the diseases are from the New World, and Vitis vinifera is from the Old World, so it didn’t evolve any natural resistance to them. European grapevines and grapevines of European origin have to contend with North…
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Pure Imagination. Take a look and you’ll see into your imagination. – Willy Wonka
Twenty years ago, the Triangle wine scene had everything that I could ever possibly imagine. It’s as if I were Charlie Bucket seeing the candy and chocolate room for the first time and Wine was the great Willy Wonka. All that I started to read about wine—Bordeaux, the Rhône, Napa…
As many of us stare down the barrel of...
We have posted these individually in the forums, but here are our recent documentaries on three regions of Italy. Keep an eye out for a French series around the end of the year.
https://vimeo.com/88372900
https://vimeo.com/87250296
https://vimeo.com/87745403
The power of buying wine and the politics of managing a beverage program make for odd business relationships. Sometimes these relationships can become contentious. Eleven years managing a complex on-premise wine account has caused me to realize that a...