California Wines had invited to a master class on the theme of “Going Sideways for Santa Barbara” under the leadership of Gavin Chanin, who represented both his own company Chavin Wine Company and several other producers in Santa Barbara. The subject is close to my heart as I am fascinated by the efforts to make […]
How to best prepare for climate change is a major topic of discussion at vineyards around the world. Some people talk about changing grape varieties, to ones that can better withstand heat and drought. But some are very attached to their grapes. The University of California has therefore started an interesting research project. The idea […]
Seghesio is a wine producer in northern California, in Healdsburg. The vineyard was established in 1895 by Italian immigrants. The first grapes they planted were zinfandel. It is this grape that has become Seghesio’s signature. In the beginning they did not make wine themselves but sold grapes to other winemakers in California. This was changed […]
The California Wine Tasting in March 2019 was a big event with no less than 135 wine producers present. The title chosen for the event, Dream Big, promised a lot. One had better set priorities and my priority was to focus on pinot noir from as many interesting producers as possible. Why then pinot noir? […]
The French Coopers’ Association (Fédération des Tonneliers de France) recently held its annual meeting in Napa Valley, California. It was the first time they gathered outside France. That the meeting took place in Napa is not a coincidence. It was the Californian wine industry that gave new life to the French cooperage (barrel making) industry […]
Grenache is one of the world’s most planted grapes. Most of these vines are in France and Spain. In 1982, Rhône Valley enthusiast Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyards in California made his first Grenache wines. The term Rhone Rangers was coined to describe producers with a penchant for Rhône grapes. Grenache was on its […]
We have received a harvest report from California that says that 2017 will be a very good vintage. The fires in October have not affected the quality of the wines. Napa Valley, Sonoma and Mendocino were worst affected by the fires. These three regions grow only 12% of California grapes and 85-90% of the grapes […]
Around 40 people died in very extensive fires north of San Francisco in mid-October. Wine regions like Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino were affected and the fires caused damage to a large number of wine estates. It was mainly buildings that were either completely destroyed or damaged. Estimates say that around 85% of the grapes had […]
Does Champagne have the world’s most expensive grapes? We thought so but now it seems that you have to pay as much for cabernet sauvignon grapes in Napa Valley, California. For one kilo of Napa cabernet sauvignon you pay 7 USD, compared to between 5.20 and 6.20 euros for one kilogram of Champagne grapes. Other […]
It’s nice to be quoted. Must mean that some people read what you write and even appreciate it! “Civil Eats is a daily news source for critical thought about the American food system. We publish stories that shift the conversation around sustainable agriculture in an effort to build economically and socially just communities”, it says […]
When one brings up the concept of terroir—a French wine term used to describe a wine’s “sense of place”—you realize the importance that extraordinary vineyard soils have on producing truly exceptional wines. This text is an opinion piece written by Igor Sill who is a winegrower in the region discussed in the text. Mountain wineries flourished […]
Lauren Ackerman attributes some of the success of Ackerman Family Vineyards in Napa on a Bill Harlan quote. When asked why he bought cult winery Screaming Eagle at a time when most people considered retiring, he answered, ”If I don’t do this now, when will I?” Ackerman, an equestrian-turned-vineyard owner, wine maker, and civic leader, […]
When “the Judgement of Paris” crowned Cabernet king in Napa in the late 1970’s, it proved a back-handed boon for Walter Schug, though he didn’t know it at the time. Schug would emerge a leader in the Valley’s wine community, and instrumental in helping form Carneros AVA, Sonoma’s first official wine growing region geared towards […]
These Wrath Wine tasting notes developed from samples derived from my recent interview with wine maker Sabrine Rodems at their state-of-the-art tasting room tucked into the foothills of Monterey AVA. Read the entire interview with Sabrine Rodems på Wrath Wines here. Wrath Wines boasts a prodigious assortment of wines, wines borne of an epic knack […]
What happens when world-renowned archaeologist Michael Thomas and phenom winemaker Sabrine Rodems join forces in the foothills of Monterey AVA in California? Artisan, bespoke Wrath Wines is what happens. BKWine Magazine guest writer LM Archer sits down for a talk with the winemaker. Named in part for the wrath of the gods that set Aeneas […]
In Napa Valley they like Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape accounts for 40% of the Napa grape surface and 60% of the value of its wines. Now, says Chris Carpenter, cabernet specialist and winemaker, this dependence on Cabernet Sauvignon can be dangerous. Napa would be hit hard if a disease or a virus that affects that […]
Paul and Kathryn Sloan craft exquisite, small lot, grand-cru inspired artisan wines sourced from their sustainably-farmed estate vineyard in Sebastopol, as well as from a few select Sonoma Coast producers. The label on their bottles – a rendering of their vine’s roots and shoots, which mirror one another in height and depth – symbolize Small […]
Small Vines Wines is a fairly recent winery in Sonoma, California. A few years back Paul Sloan stood at a cross-roads in his career, should he move to Burgundy to make wine or not? He decided instead to stay in California and make wines inspired by the wines of Burgundy. That was the beginning of […]
No other wine region on the planet draws as much attention or visitors as Napa Valley. It is visited by some five million people every year, making it the second most visited tourist destination in California (Disneyland is number 1). Perfect for a day or weekend trip from San Francisco, Napa Valley awards one with […]
David Hirsch was one of the first to plant wine in the coastal area of Sonoma County in the wine region known today as the Sonoma Coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The farm has nearly 30 hectares (68 acres) of cultivated land with pinot noir and chardonnay. It is a rolling landscape and although it […]
Domaine Wines is a leading Swedish wine importer. They recently presented their range to the specialised press. BKWine Magazine’s reporter Tobias Karlsson reports on the best finds. If you have not been tasting and drinking wine in for quite a while then a tasting of a wine importer’s range is maybe something that does not […]
Two years ago, my overall impression from Handpicked’s range tasting was very positive. It focused on smaller producers who had “something extra” that can make the difference in a large wine selection. (Handpicked Wines is a Swedish importer specialising in wines from small-ish producers.) It was therefore with great expectations that I looked forward to […]
Once again I get an opportunity to explore more interesting Californian wines, a that state I think is getting more and more interesting. At least from a wine perspective. I am about to taste some wines from the Black Stallion Estate Winery, together with the winemaker Ralf Holdenried, a relatively new brand on the US […]
When Rodney Strong was a ballet dancer at the Lido in Paris his interest in wine took off seriously. He decided to start a second career as a winemaker in the relatively unknown Sonoma County in 1959. It was the thirteenth winery in Sonoma at the time, with much pioneering work to do. Most neighbours […]
American Wine Day 2015. The slimmed down version of the catalogue still extends over seven pages and lists more than 80 importers and far more producers and vineyards. It feels as if the West Coast just gets more and more interesting from a vinous perspective! How to attack such a trade show? I choose to […]
Roberson Wine, an English wine company that also has an online store that even sells to Sweden, presented the challenge: France against California. Inspired by the legendary tasting in Paris in 1976, or perhaps taking it mainly as a pretext, they presented a number of top wines from these two wine countries, both red and […]
Three nearly identical wines from Robert Mondavi show large differences How is it that the prices of different wines can vary considerably although the wines are produced with grapes from virtually the same vineyard? What creates the quality differences within the same vineyard? When Dana Andrus from the Robert Mondavi Winery came to Stockholm recently, […]
The best-selling sparkling wine in the United States, excluding champagne, is nevertheless a champagne. The brand André, owned by the giant E & J Gallo, is a California Champagne which also is clearly stated on the label. Since a few years ago, it is forbidden for wine producers in the United States to call their […]
Being Relentless – Shafer Vineyards’ Doug Shafer Shares his Views on Wine, Sideways, Hydrogen Sulphide, and How to Steal 300 Gallons of Excellent Cab to Make a Port #5 of 5. John Shafer started Shafer Vineyards in 1974. In 1984 he was joined by his son Doug Shafer, who now runs the winery. BKWine’s Ulf […]
Being Relentless – Shafer Vineyards’ Doug Shafer Shares his Views on Wine, Sideways, Hydrogen Sulphide, and How to Steal 300 Gallons of Excellent Cab to Make a Port #4 of 5. John Shafer started Shafer Vineyards in 1974. In 1984 he was joined by his son Doug Shafer, who now runs the winery. BKWine’s Ulf […]
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