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“Iconic Women in Italian Wine” tasting: Who, Where & Why?

May 15, 2022 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) –  This unique event encompassed so much more than the sum of the individual women: two leading international female journalists, the female managing director of Vinitaly International, and seven renowned Italian women wine producers collaborated to create an event that set aside the natural competition between the players and focused instead on personal stories, camaraderie, and the aspiration all these women hold for the future of Italian wine.

Why has this event never happened before? An interesting question answered best by Monica Larner. “When Stevie Kim presented me with this idea, I was excited on many levels; however, most compelling was the opportunity to present beautiful Italian wines with a colleague whose magazine shares market space with my own. (Robert Parker) Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator have never collaborated on anything. With smug certainty I suspect our male colleagues would never pull resources together in this fashion for such a ground-breaking collaboration with important benefits. Post-pandemic we are all burning with a desire for new beginnings and being together. Inclusivity, camaraderie, creating togetherness. All seven of these individualistic and talents producers instantly recognised the importance and immediately agreed to participate.”

Stevie Kim pointed out that this event was the definition of ‘iconic’: “Two women wine critic titans collaborating for the first time, with seven Italian women who are giants in their industry, is a true demonstration of what it means to be iconic: ‘widely recognised and acknowledged for distinctive excellence.’”

Opening the event, Alison Napjus explained the real gravitas that informed the idea for the discussion. “Women are better communicators, using more words and more expressive words, with a better ability to listen and to empathise. These women are all around trailblazers, winery leaders, winery founders, wine makers. We all have to find new ways to connect and communicate after the pandemic pivot we all faced. This event gives us the chance to explore, as women, three particular themes in Italian wine; heritage/family, territory, wine ambassadors.”

The women winery leaders came from 5 different regions and their age gap spanned 40 years. The idea of women in wine is not new, women are everywhere in the industry, but the gathering to share stories and important vintages, to exchange experiences, ideas and ask questions with leading wine writers was ground-breaking. The honesty and open attitude of all the women involved was clearly part of the magic in the room and what will attract young and savvy wine lovers to the unique soulfulness of Italian wine.

Chiara Boschis of E. Pira & Figli in Barolo, commented ““What do I have of iconic in my life? I am not an iconic woman, I work like a donkey all day, but this vineyard, Cannubi, this is an iconic place, and the diversity in the area is incredible. When I first got together with my friends, the Barolo Boys, I was the only girl, but we all wanted to shine a light on all the differences of our area and understand the potential of our terroir.” She shared the 2010 vintage BaroloCannubi, a year that was important because her brother joined her, with his daughters who are all studying enology and will bring a new generation of women to the winery. “Wine makers usually work alone. When we start to work together, recognising everyone’s unique terroir, we start to learn new things and appreciate all the traditions, we find more opportunities.”

Elisabetta Foradori from Trentino expressed her perspective, in a different way. “I actually love making cheese, it’s another kind of fermentation. I’m a farmer. Our country has a beauty and a richness of variety and we have a mission to transfer into a bottle this pure message of the different terroirs. We have a great responsibility to save and improve the genetic variety and express the terroir in the most healthy and connected way possible. Be creative and responsible farmers for the future.” Her pomegranate logo represents 100s of tiny seeds, packed together in one beautiful container, 100’s of ideas, creative thinking, and out of the box innovation.

Arianna Occhipinti, from Sicily, youngest of the group, added her experiences as an explorer with a model for young winemakers. “Frappato is the original grape from Vittoria where I grew up. I needed an important grape to grow up as a wine maker. Thanks to the character of this grape, I learned to make wine. Now I vinify parcel by parcel to get better expression of the soils, the limestone, the tufa, the red sand. Now I have treasure, for me it is important to show what Vittoria really is, the fresh wines we can make even in the deep south of Sicily.”

Marilisa Allegrini spoke of her learning curve after the death of her father and finding her way in the world away from the winery. “Valpolicella was known for inexpensive wines in the 1980’s, and Amarone was a niche wine for high end consumers, so it was a challenge for me to communicate. The first time I went to America, the importer wouldn’t let me go out to promote the wine until I wrote down absolutely everything about the wine. Many people said they didn’t want a Valpolicella on their wine list, so I knew I had to communicate everything to make this area known and understood.”

Elena Fucci from Mt. Vulture in Basilicata felt much the same as she struggled to put her region on the map. “For me it is a dream to be with these special women in wine today. My journey started in 2000, when my family considered selling the vineyard because we weren’t making wines, just selling the grapes to the consortium. I decided to change the course of my study so the house where I was born and lived with my family would not be sold. I went to university to study enology and winemaking. No one knew where Basilicata was. I had 6 hectares and a single grape: my wine, my life, my Titolo. I travel a lot to explain my region and my wine, modern but not modernist wine, I work to respect and understand the territory where we are. The vintage I am sharing is 2012 because ten years ago I had no idea what would happen to me and my wine in these ten years since 2012 and how much communicating it would take.”

Heritage and legacy were addressed by Albiera Antinori with her family’s Tignaello and Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta with her legendary Sassicaia. Antinori said, “For me, looking at the history of the past 50 years since the start of Tignanello, and the diversity and uniqueness of wines that can be made in Italy — the terroir and the story are the future, terroir still to be discovered, every day you get surprised by wonderful areas with local varieties, an elegance, a minerality, they’ve got the sun inside. Even traditional vineyards have been replanted so new things will be coming up, but we must be centered on quality, personality, history and the story we can explain.” Regarding sustainability she added, “It’s a complicated word to use, it can mean different things. For me it is a puzzle made of many things, with the final objective of leaving something better for the next generation. Not only in the winery but also for our workers, our sales force, we need one certification in Italy for sustainable, for economic sustainability as well.”

Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta looked at the idea of safeguarding Italian wine history from outside investors and influences. “It’s not easy, there are real issues for family businesses, you have to have a strong sense of pride, family values and the family project. A responsibility to the next generations, we want to pass on what we got in an even better shape than when we received it. We are guardians. We have to combine financial goals with the family goals. Having a long-term view means we focus less on making short term cash, but we have to involve the family members to keep everyone interested, our estate is not only wine, we have other ventures and interests and my cousins and I have different interests on the estate. Consultancy helps deal with family generation change issues to and now we have the Primum Familiae Vini group which is a good place to share issues, know-how and support others in similar situations.

Summing up, Allegrini said, “We must put the agricultural product into the cultural context of Italy as a place of art, history, architecture, and beautiful landscape.” Larner added, “This is the real way to help Italian wine be more competitive, to communicate differently and better, to tell that story, down to the soil, down to the producer, down to the winery, down to the vineyard, down to the very last rock.” Stevie Kim remarked, “Everybody wants to be like Antinori, this is the problem I face as an agency, everyone wants that beautiful 26 generation story on their home page. Every winery has to find their own original story, not only the romance of generations and terroir, not only bio and organic and so on, but it has to be economically sustainable as well as. Each winery has to find the uniqueness of their story.” Najus concluded that, “You can teach people about wine, but to find the story is much harder.”

Looking back on this momentous event, Stevie Kim commented, “This session was never about men versus women or pigeon-holing anyone on the basis of gender, regionality, or points of view. Rather, Iconic Women in Wine at Vinitaly 2022 took a good long look at how to improve communication, highlight success and exalt the unique power of women to unite in challenging circumstances for a common good. Larner and Napjus absolutely found the story that needs to be told in order to secure the future of Italian wine in the global market.”.
__________________

About Alison Napjus: Alison Napjus divides her time between New York, where Wine Spectator is based, and a second home in Tampa, Fla. She regularly travels abroad, both personally and professionally. After graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Napjus moved to New York to take a position as a manager at Tribeca Grill restaurant. She joined Wine Spectator in 2000 and was promoted to Senior Editor in 2012 and Tasting Director in 2016. She is lead taster for the wines of Spain, France’s Champagne and Alsace regions, South Africa and wines from regions throughout Italy. As Tasting Director, she oversees the scope and content of Wine Spectator’s annual reviews of more than 15,000 wines, working closely with the tasters and tasting coordinators in the New York and Napa offices.

About Monica Larner: Monica Larner is a Los Angeles native, her family moved to Rome when she was 11. After high school in both Italy and California, Monica earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalismfrom Boston University and New York University respectively. She worked for the Italian daily La Repubblica, followed by the Rome bureau of BusinessWeek and two years as a staff writer with Italy Daily of the International Herald Tribune where she penned her first wine column. Monica is an active member of the Ordine dei Giornalisti and a certified sommelier with the Italian Sommelier Association. In 2003, Monica was approached by Wine Enthusiast to be the magazine’s first Italy-based correspondent, where her proudest achievement is the 185-page special collector’s Wine Enthusiast “Wines of Italy” edition that showcases her decade-long body of work. She was awarded the “Best International Journalist” Silver Grape Leaf three by the Comitato Grandi Cru d’Italia. Gambero Rosso recognized her as a “Leader of Italian Excellence,” and the Italian Trade Commission acknowledged her distinguished service to Italian wine. In 2013, she joined The Wine Advocate as the Reviewer for Italy.

About Vinitaly: the grand Vinitaly 2022 was held from April 10th to the 13th. Vinitaly 2022 counted 88,000 visitors of which 25,000 were top international buyers from 139 different countries. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” which was held on the 9th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly, united international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 130 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly travels to several countries thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the 21st edition of its Certification Course. To date, there are 271 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: brand ambassador, cheese, covid, critic, farmer, grape, Italy, robert parker, terroir, valpolicella, variety, vineyard, vinitaly, wine advocate, Wine tasting, wine writer, winemakers

America’s Best Wine Festival Returns to Sonoma with 40+ Garagiste Winemakers April 30th

April 3, 2022 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure, returns to Sonoma on April 30th offering rare access to the region’s best, hard-to-find wines from over 40 micro-production, commercial wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills and Livermore and more. The festival will once again be held at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, walking distance from Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Tickets are on sale here.

Of this year’s 40+ wineries, 17 are brand new to the Garagiste Festival, including Accenti Wines, Amrita Cellars, Boete Winery, Box Wine Company, Brueskok Cellars, Cazadero Winery, Cormorant Cellars, Forgotten Union Wines, Guererro Fernandez Wines, Kobler Estate, Lussier Wine Co., Read Holland Wines, Rondure Wines, Stringer Cellars, Terre et Sang, The Grenachista Wine Co., and Wild Rising Wines.

“We are so excited to bring our Northern Exposure festival back to one of California’s most stunning wine regions, after a two year absence,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “If it is anything like our recent Paso and Solvang festival returns, it will be a joyful reunion of some of the region’s best, most exciting winemakers with one of the most passionate, dedicated and fun-loving audiences the wine industry has to offer.’

The Garagiste Festival premiered in 2011 and is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers. It expanded to Sonoma in 2018 to highlight the wines of Sonoma County and surrounding AVAs, as well as other small production wineries from Northern California. Named ‘Best of Fests’ and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the USA,’ the festival showcases under-the-radar, innovative, commercial winemakers who handcraft 1500 cases or less of wine.

“Over 90% of Northern Exposure participants do not have a tasting room, and you will never find these wines in grocery stores or on wine country maps,” continued Minnick. “The festival offers wine lovers a singular chance to discover and meet the next great winemakers, taste their delicious and diverse wines and talk to them directly about their winemaking styles. And it is all offered under one roof in the festival’s signature ‘no snobs allowed’ atmosphere.”

The 4th annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure will be held on Saturday, April 30, at the Sonoma Veterans Building and includes:

  • VIP Rare and Reserve Tasting (1-2pm), featuring library, club only or reserve wines, only being poured during this first hour
  • Grand Tasting (2pm-5pm) featuring over 150 wines and 25 different grape varieties, and includes complimentary cheese and charcuterie, along with delicious food samples from local artisan vendors and a souvenir Stolzle crystal wine glass.
  • Silent Wine Auction with proceeds supporting the Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, to help fund the future of California winemaking.

Among the 40+ winemakers scheduled to pour are:
*Accenti Wiens, *Amrita Cellars, *Boete Winery, *Box Wine Company, *Brueskok Cellars, Burning Bench, Calstar Cellars, *Cazadero Winery, *Cormorant Cellars, Crux Winery, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Dane Cellars, DeWitt Vineyard, Enriquez Wines, *Forgotten Union Wines, Gondak Cellars, *Guerrero Fernandez Wines, Kendric Vineyards, *Kobler Estate, *Lussier Wine Co, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Murder Ridge, Passagio Wines, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Pine Mountain Vineyard, *Read Holland, Ricci Vineyards, Rock & Clay Wines, *Rondure Wines, Sosie Wines, St. Romedius Wines, *Stringer Cellars, T. Berkley Wines, *Terre et Sang, *The Grenachista Wine Co, Topel Winery, Weatherborne Wine Co, *Wild Rising Wines.
*New to the festival

COVID-19 Prevention Measures/Requirements
Please note that we are closely monitoring the current situation to ensure the health and safety of all those attending the Sonoma Garagiste Festival. Because our events are being held indoors, as the event approaches, attendees will receive regular updates regarding current protocols and procedures that may be required to attend The Garagiste Wine Festival, including any changes to policies and procedures from Sonoma County. Updates will be shared on our Sonoma 2022 Event Page, through our social media channels, and direct to ticket holders via email.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-garagiste-wine-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-269198980397

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include
G3 Enterprises, Bank of Marin, ETS, Laffort USA, Digital Dogma, Farm Credit West, mWEBB Communications, Glenn Burdette, Sonoma Valley Sun, WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: artisan, ava, California, garagiste, grape, library wines, livermore, Lodi, mendocino, Napa, non profit, Paso Robles, Reserve, sierra foothill, solvang, Sonoma, sonoma county, variety, wine event, wine fest, wine festival, wine glass, Wine tasting, winemakers

Unwasted – the designer leather bag made from recycled grapes

March 16, 2022 by evebushman

Unwasted is a collaboration overarching the wine and fashion industries to turn two cons into a pro. The result: leftover grape skins are put to use and the next generation leather is born. Out of this, Oddbird and the designer Meng Du have created a collection of grape leather bags launching today.

Photo from the Oddbird Facebook page.

Grape marc is the by-product of the approximately 26 billion litres of wine that is produced globally every year. Today, large amounts of the remaining grape marc are wasted and not used in a valuable way. Oddbird, Scandinavia’s largest producer of craft wines liberated from alcohol, is now making use of the waste from the wine production to create a leather from the recycled grape skins.

“In order to future proof winemaking, we are experimenting with the lifecycle and production to optimise the use of resources. Unwasted was born out of those challenges, and aligns with Oddbird’s goal to inspire a more conscious lifestyle. A challenge going forward now is finding a partner for collecting grape marc at a bigger scale, and putting grape leather into larger production”, says Ylva Nestmark, Brand Director at Oddbird.

The bags are designed in collaboration with Meng Du, a young designer from Parsons School of Design, New York, that has been celebrated in international Vogue among others for her work with virtual concept design. ​​The shape is moulded from empty discarded milk cartons and beverage cans, as Meng was inspired by the squashed and dented shapes, enhancing the value of a second life.

“I see myself more like a designer rather than one concerned only with fashion as a medium. It is there that I can be the most inventive about two issues that interest me the most, namely sustainability and minimal design. Yet, I will never impose my view on the matter at hand. The ideal product is one that the essence of which has been reduced to perfection for its user. The audience interested in this kind of product may be niche, but hopefully we are moving towards making long-term investments in something more meaningful than the casual fast fashion purchase”, says designer Meng Du.

The grape leather is created by the small French leather maker Planet of the Grapes. The process is quite a lengthy one going back to the era of craftsmanship and taking time to create a unique and natural material, free from fossil fuel-based plastics. Grape waste is collected from the vineyards, dried under the Provençal sunlight and then ground into a fine powder. This is blended with totally natural local ingredients, turned into a liquid and finally a type of leather.

The collection consists of two versions and sizes, Unwasted Merlot and Unwasted Chardonnay. They can be pre-ordered and will be produced on-demand later in 2022.

For more info: oddbird.com

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: grape

Paso Robles Wine Country Events Announced

February 14, 2022 by evebushman

Paso Robles, CA – In-person events are back! The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance announced their calendar for all upcoming public events in 2022. Tickets for three marquee outdoor events are now on sale at pasowine.com. Events include BlendFest on the Coast (February 24 – 27), Spring Release Weekend (March 18 – 20), and Paso Wine Fest (May 19 – 22). Also announced are the dates for the virtual Paso Robles Wine Country Auction (May 9 – 14) and an expansion of Harvest Wine Weekend where the entire month of October has been newly minted as Harvest Wine Month. “New” is the theme for Paso Robles Wine Country events in 2022 with new venues, new names, and refreshed concepts that will create memorable experiences for fans of the wines from Paso Robles Wine Country.

BlendFest on the Coast, February 24 – 27, 2022

The only Paso Wine event dedicated to blends, BlendFest on the Coast celebrates wines of nuance and character derived from the sum of their parts. Experience a taste of Paso Robles Wine Country adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. BlendFest on the Coast will take place February 24 – 27 in San Simeon and Cambria with a selection of exciting events including various excursions that pair wineries with coastal experiences, a blending seminar, as well as winemaker dinners. The marquee event takes place on the Sundance Lawn at the Oceanpoint Ranch in Cambria with more than 40 wineries pouring on Saturday, February 26 from 12 – 4 p.m. Partners include Highway One Discovery Route, Visit Cambria, and Visit San Simeon. Go to pasowine.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Spring Release Weekend, March 18 – 20, 2022
Formerly Vintage Paso: Zinfandel Weekend, Spring Release Weekend is a three-day celebration of the next vintage when wineries release their new wines. Taste the new releases at an outdoor walk-around tasting in the historic Downtown City Park and enjoy wineries’ individual events like barbecues, vineyard tours, winemaker dinners, and more. There are two ticketed events in Spring Release Weekend – The New Release Seminar, which is a seated tasting showcasing six brands’ newly released wines. A winemaker panel discusses the vintage and how it’s reflected in the bottle. Following the seated tasting is a walk-around tasting featuring 40 wineries all sharing tastes of their spring release wines. Both events take place on Friday, March 18. The seminar is 2 – 3:30 p.m. and the walk-around tasting is 7 – 9 p.m. Paso Wine Spring Release Weekend tickets are now on sale at pasowine.com

Paso Robles Wine Country Auction, May 9 – 14, 2022
This virtual auction will feature up to 25 lots of specially curated items from Paso Robles Wine Country. All lots will be one-of-a-kind that will not be available for retail purchase, which will include special verticals from winery libraries, dinners with multiple brands, overnight stays in exclusive accommodations, and exceptional tours created just for this auction. Visit pasowine.com in April 2022 ahead of the auction start to view the lots as they become listed and to register to bid.

Paso Wine Fest, May 19 – 22, 2022
All new for 2022! New location and new name! Paso Wine Fest will be held at the Paso Robles Event Center with built-in amenities such as dedicated parking, concessions, restrooms, shade, and additional outdoor venues for enhanced experiences. The event weekend offers visitors the chance to explore Paso Robles Wine Country with four days of wine tastings, winemaker dinners, live music, and more! There are multiple ticketed events throughout the four days, beginning on Thursday, May 19 with winemaker dinners at popular Paso Robles restaurants, The Hatch and Thomas Hill Organics. Up to five wineries share their wines across the table at these very limited seated events. On Friday, May 20 the Paso Starry Night Dinner pairs Paso’s best locally sourced cuisine with some of Paso’s iconic wines. This inaugural event seats up to 100 and is spread outdoors under a warm Paso night sky. The Saturday, May 21 main event, Paso Wine Fest, showcases up to 100 wineries at a walk-around tasting and seminars that brings the Paso Wine vibe all into the Paso Robles Event Center for one day only. Visit pasowine.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Harvest Wine Month, October 2022
Harvest doesn’t take place over one weekend, so why should a celebration of harvest? The entire month of October is now Harvest Wine Month. Wineries will create individual events throughout the tenth month and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance will have every event listed on pasowine.com. Look for specialty tours, winemaker dinners, grape stomps, music events, and more. This expanded promotion gives wineries the flexibility to host events when its easiest on them during a time when production is at its height. It also takes advantage of October’s exceptional weather when days are warm and nights are cool, a staple for Paso Robles Wine Country.

For all ticket information, please visit pasowine.com.

ABOUT PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY ALLIANCE
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is the official trade and marketing organization that represents wineries, growers, and businesses in the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information, visit pasowine.com. Facebook- @PasoRoblesWine, Instagram and Twitter – @Pasowine, #pasowine.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: blend, bottle, California, cambria, cuisine, grape, harvest, music, Paso Robles, paso robles wine country alliance, restaurants, vineyard, vintage, wine auction, wine dinner, wine education, wine event, wine fest, wine tour, winemaker, Zinfandel

Garagiste Wine Festival Returns to Solvang: February 25th and 26th

February 1, 2022 by evebushman

SOLVANG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival returns to Solvang February 25th and 26th, 2022, offering rare access to the best small-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara County area. Tickets are currently on sale here.

‘Southern Exposure,’ which follows on the heels of a sold-out Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles last November, will again be held at Solvang’s historic Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall. The event features a wide diversity of grape varieties vinified into over 150 different wines and unique blends, offering wine lovers one-of-a-kind opportunities to taste a range of the year’s most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines all under one roof.

“We are thrilled to return to Solvang after a three year absence. While the pandemic may have prevented us from gathering, it did not prevent these extraordinary winemakers from crafting their fantastic wines, and we cannot wait to showcase them next month in-person to our very appreciative and enthusiastic attendees,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Douglas Minnick.

The Garagiste Festival, which premiered in Paso Robles in 2011, is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers, and was named “Best of the Fests” by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US by USA Today. It expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California. It has been a consistent sell-out ever since.

This year’s Garagiste Festival ‘Southern Exposure’ includes its Friday night signature “No Repeats, Rare & Reserve” event, and Saturday’s Grand Tasting, which includes a Silent Auction filled with first-rate wine packages that benefit The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“Solvang has always been a very welcoming place for our attendees, and the stunningly beautiful surrounding area is fertile ground for some of the Central Coast’s most exciting winemakers,” continued Minnick. “The atmosphere at Southern Exposure is always lively, fun, and relaxed — true to our no-snobs allowed tradition, and the perfect way to make new wine discoveries, all while taking the time to fully savor and appreciate these fabulous wines.”

Minnick noted that in an effort to promote a more open flow and greater social distancing within the venue, for this year, there will be no VIP Seminar as in the past, with that space used to include as many wineries as possible, while still giving everyone safe and ample space to share their wines.

THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL SOUTHERN EXPOSURE 2022 LINE UP (all events held at Veteran’s Memorial Hall)

No Repeats Rare & Reserve Tasting, Friday February 25th — 6:30-9:00pm

This intimate event with winemakers showcases limited samples of Reserve, Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles, as well as some barrel samples A taco buffet is included from Ibarra Catering & Eatery.

The Main Event – The Grand Tasting – Saturday, February 26th – 2:00 – 5:00pm

The festival’s Grand Tasting showcases 30 local winemakers. Complimentary cheese and charcuterie, as well as food samples from local artisan vendors will be included; but, for bigger appetites, The Ibarra Catering Truck will be on hand to provide bigger bites for purchase.

Early Access tickets are also available, providing one and a half hours of unlimited access prior to the main event from 12:30-2:00pm.

The non-profit Garagiste Festival supports the Garagiste Festival Scholarships at the Wine and Viticulture Department at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo.

The 30+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure include:

Ann Albert Wines, Bolt To Wines, Camins 2 Dreams*, Cavaletti Vineyards, Crazy Woman Cellars*, Dana V. Wines, Demeter Family Cellars, Diablo Paso, DreamCote Wines, Dusty Nabor Wines, El Lugar Wines, Entourage Wines, Familia Hicks, Imagine Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Lions Peak Winery, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, Montemar Winery, Purple Dragon Cellars, Quench & Temper, RF Fine Wines, Seagrape Wine Co,, Seven Oxen Estate Wines, Silver Wines, Steinbeck Vineyards, Sweetzer Cellars, and Sycamore Ranch Winery.
*New to the festival.

Covid Update: The Garagiste Festival has adapted its protocols to foster a safe environment that will not detract from the festival’s signature attendee camaraderie and one-on-one interaction with the winemakers (winemakers, not tasting room personnel, always pour at The Garagiste Festival). This includes using more space and greater table distancing, as well as adherence to the current county mandates. For more information and updates on festival Covid protocols, click here.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include:

Visit SYV, Glenn Burdette, G3, ETS Laboratories, The Hamlet Inn, Farm Credit West, Laffort USA, Bank of Marin, Digital Dogma, The Hamlet Inn, mWEBB Communications, and WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: auction, ava, Barrel, blend, California, charity, festival, food, garagiste, grape, library wines, Reserve, Santa Barbara, solvang, u.s., usa today, variety, wine education, wine fest, wine festival, winemakers

Three Areas to Discover from “Taste the Difference”

January 26, 2022 by evebushman

Alella, a small wine district in the north eastern part of Spain centers around the village of the same name just a few miles from the eastern edge of Barcelona. Alella, one of the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula, dates back to the period of the ancient Romans and occupies an area of about 230 hectares in the Maresme and Valles Oriental counties. Alella’s climate is broadly Mediterranean with noticeable variations between vineyard sites due to the orography of the terrain. The economy in the region has been traditionally based on agriculture and shipping, of particular note, viticulture and floriculture account for more than half the production within these sectors.

Winemaking emerged in the Allela area with the Romans in the 1st century AD and was sufficiently acknowledged by AD 77. However, the Romans brought more than just wine to the area, establishing roads to connect their various provinces. During the middle ages the wines of Allela’s region were favored at the Barcelona Cathedral and later became one of the highest quality wines exported to overseas colonies.

The majority of wines emerging from this region are crisp, dry, floral scented whites made from the local grape varieties including Xarel-lo, referred to as Pansa Blanca locally, Garnacha Blanca, Viura, and French varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Red and rose wines throughout the region are primarily produced with Garnacha Negra as well as Monastrell, Syrah, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. Vines in this region are planted at altitudes anywhere from 195ft (60m) to 800ft (250m) above sea level with older vines growing freely while newer vineyards have been planted on trellises. Alella wines, more than any other, are ingrained in the tradition of the Barcelona table, mainly the reborn and restless Barcelona, that have laid the foundation of today’s great region.

##

The campaign “Taste the Difference: Quality Wines from the Heart of Europe” makes you discover Custoza, an Italian Controlled Designation of Origin. This program, managed by the Unione Italiana Vini, the Association of the Italian wine market, and Prodeca, the organism that supports the agri-food sector from the region of Catalunya abroad, aims to promote European PDO and PGI wines in China and US.

This premier appellation from the Italian Veneto region offers quality wines produced from world-renowned native grape varieties such as Garganega, Trebbianello, and Malvasia.

As wine consumption in the US trends toward high acid, lower alcohol wines that offer refreshment and the versatility to accompany various cuisines, Custoza DOC is uniquely positioned for success in the US market. The wines of Custoza DOC are ideal for wine consumers who love time-tested classics, and for those who seek to discover wines of unique character.

The winemakers of Custoza DOC are dedicated to producing wines of remarkable quality for tables around the world. Veneto is a region with a centuries-long history of winemaking – a tradition that’s deeply ingrained within its culture and society. Custoza DOC is a shining example of wines from the Veneto, and an emblem of outstanding Italian viticulture. The Consortium of Custoza DOC is a member of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), the oldest commercial association representing the Italian wine market.

##

Cava: The 2021 vintage will be remembered as the first in which wineries can mention on the labels where it is that the grapes are grown, since new zones and sub-zones approved by the Designation of Origin Regulatory Council came into force. These new regulations mark out three defined production areas: Comtats de Barcelona, Valle del Ebro and Viñedos de Almendralejo, along with seven sub-zones: Valls d’Anoia-Foix, Conca del Gaià, Serra de Mar, Serra de Prades, Pla de Ponent, Alto Ebro and Valle del Cierzo. To guarantee traceability, a new software platform has been set up for this campaign, as part of the digital transformation currently taking place within this Protected Designation of Origin.

The terroir-driven attempt aims to shape the perception of Cava as a wine with a multitude of territorial interpretations: a complex sparkling wine that deserves a year-long attention. This happens in a moment when the US market has become more receptive to the category of sparklings as wines suitable for everyday consumption, and not only reserved for special occasions or holidays celebrations.

A series of events run in the US these past months, including Taste The Difference Grand Tasting taking place on December 9th in New York City, have helped convey this message to trade, press and consumers. Additional tastings have focused on the new regulation to convey both grape sourcing information and minimum ageing time. The new rules establish a distinction between Cava de Guarda, which indicates wines aged for minimum 9 months on the lees, and Cava de Guarda Superior, applicable only to wines aged on the lees for at least 18 months and including under its umbrella the Reserva, Gran Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado. The ageing time for the Cava Reserva has also been extended from 15 to 18 months whereas the 30 months ageing requirements for Gran Reserva (30 month)and the 36 months Cava de Paraje Calificado remain unchanged.

The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe. The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory. Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and part of the “Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia”. It supports the agri-food sector and its companies with the knowledge, tools and experience to increase their products in Catalunya and worldwide.

About TASTE THE DIFFERENCE PROGRAM
The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe. The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory. Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and part of the “Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia”. It supports the agri-food sector and its companies with the knowledge, tools and experience to increase their products in Catalunya and worldwide.

 

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: acid, aged, aroma, cabernet sauvignon, cava, Chardonnay, doc, floral, garnacha, grape, Italy, Merlot, Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc, spain, Sparkling wine, Syrah, Tempranillo, u.s., variety, white wine, winemaker, winemaking

Italian PDO’s and PGI’s Embrace Pink Wines To Conquer New Palates

January 24, 2022 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – While many think Rosé is largely a French invention that started in Provence, Italian “Vini Rosa” (Pink Wines) have a long tradition behind them. They are among the most diverse rosé wines in the world in terms of color and grape varieties. One can find wines with a pale pink onion skin color, going through to salmon color, and then onto the darker tones of rosé.

The wines come from a host of indigenous or native grapes and can be made using a few different methods. Some are done only using direct press, others with what is known as the saignee method – the bleeding off of the juice after a shorter maceration than used in red winemaking.

While there is a lot of variation, what they tend to have in common is that these are food friendly wines, like most other Italian wines. They almost always have pronounced acidity and freshness. They are usually paired with local fare but can be enjoyed on their own, and they are perfect year long.

Some areas in Italy that have always been known for their “Vini Rosa” include Puglia and Calabria, where the rosé is called Rosato; Veneto and Lombardy, where the name for the rosé is Chiaretto; and Abruzzo, where Cerasuolo is produced. In Northern Italy, in the Lake Garda Region, the Chiaretto tradition dates back to Roman times, while Rosatos from Southern Italy have ancient Greek traditions. Trentino-Alto Adige and Tuscany also have Rosato traditions on a smaller scale.

In March 2019, Rosautoctono – the Italian Institute for the Indigenous Vini Rosa – was created and it includes: Consorzio di tutela del Chiaretto e del Bardolino, Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Castel del Monte, Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo, Consorzio di Tutela vini DOC Salice Salentino, Consorzio Vini Cirò e Melissa, and Consorzio Valtènesi. Castel del Monte today has the only Italian DOCG dedicated solely to a Rosato, Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG. All the rosé wines of these Italian Consortia and appellations are made with indigeonous grape varietes: Corvina Veronese and Rondinella for Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC, Groppello for Valtènesi Chiaretto DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Bombino Nero for the Castel del Monte DOC and DOCG rosé wines, Negroamaro for Salice Salentino DOC and Gaglioppo for Cirò Rosato DOC.

No discussion would be complete without mentioning the world of bubbles in Italy and the new Prosecco DOC Rose style that entered the market last year. What’s old is new because Pinot Noir has grown on the hills of the province of Treviso for decades. Sparkling rosé can also be found in Franciacorta DOCGs, Oltrepò Pavese DOCG, and Trento DOC, three areas renowned for their sparkling wines.

Delightful wines made from indigenous grapes throughout Italy are ready for discovery.

The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe.

The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory. Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and part of the “Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia”. It supports the agri-food sector and its companies with the knowledge, tools and experience to increase their products in Catalunya and worldwide.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: acidity, bubbles, color, doc, docg, food, food pairing, France, grape, Italy, pink, Pinot Noir, pressing, prosecco, provence, Rose, Sparkling wine, variety, wine pairing, winemaking

D.O. Rías Baixas Reports Record U.S. Sales by Value and Volume, Led by 13% Surge in Growth of Albariño Wines

January 19, 2022 by evebushman

PONTEVEDRA, SPAIN (PRWEB) – The Spanish wine region of D.O. Rías Baixas has reported record annualized sales of their renowned Albariño white wines in the U.S. market. Exports to the U.S. grew 13% by volume to reach 2.6 million liters, and 16.8% by value to $17.3 million in total sales. The U.S. continues to be the leading global export market for the Albariño wines of Rías Baixas, representing 27.5% of total share by volume. Just released by the Consejo Regulador of D.O. Rías Baixas, the region’s official governing body, this all-time high in U.S. sales was accomplished from August 31, 2020 to September 1, 2021.

The growth in U.S. exports reflects continued consumer appreciation of the Albariño white wines of D.O. Rías Baixas. The results are particularly noteworthy given the lasting impact of U.S. tariffs over the past year, as well as challenges in the hospitality sector related to COVID and supply chain delays.

Analysts in the D.O. Rías Baixas region credit U.S. sales growth to consistent quality recognition and demand for Albariño wines. Consumers are willing to spend more for the ever-popular Albariño, a native grape variety which traces its origins to the Galician region on the Atlantic Coast of northwest Spain. Crisp and refreshing to taste with pronounced citrus, stone fruit and floral aromas, the Albariño wines of Rías Baixas are favorite selections with sommeliers and retail wine buyers. For the past ten years, D.O. Rías Baixas has consistently outperformed the Spanish wine category (as measured by volume and value growth), supported by a successful U.S. marketing and trade education campaign to position Rías Baixas as world-class white wines in the same league as France, New Zealand and other regions.

The U.S. results reflect an overall positive global trend for D.O. Rías Baixas. 107 of the region’s 179 wineries export wine to over 70 countries worldwide. Many of the wineries are small, family-owned ventures and exports represent a dynamic contribution to economic impact throughout Galicia. Over the period 8/31/20 to 9/1/21, worldwide exports of Rías Baixas grew 12% in volume to 9.3 million liters (or 12.4 million/750-ml bottles) and 14% in value to reach $59 million, an outstanding global sales result for the region. Perceptions of quality (as measured by increased value) are also very favorable as wineries reported an increase of 3% in the average price per liter as compared to the previous year of reporting (2019/20).

About D.O. Rías Baixas
Denomination of Origin (D.O.) Rías Baixas is renowned for the Albariño grape, an indigenous variety that produces some of the world’s foremost white wines. Located in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, the D.O. was formally established in 1988. Albariño has always been the flagship of this coastal region. In Rías Baixas’ unique climate, Albariño shares the same mineral-rich soils and cool climate as the world’s leading white wine regions, including Loire Valley, New Zealand and the Rhine. The USA is Rias Baixas’ most important export market and demand continues to grow. Click here for more information about Albariño wines from Rías Baixas. @RiasBaixasWines

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Albarino, aroma, climate, fruit, grape, mineral, soil, spain, taste, u.s., variety, white wine, wineries

Oregon Welcomes its 22nd American Viticultural Area (AVA): Lower Long Tom

January 16, 2022 by evebushman

PORTLAND, ORE. (PRWEB) – Lower Long Tom, the newest appellation in Oregon and the southernmost in the Willamette Valley, has received federal recognition as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). Drawn to reflect distinct soil, topography, and climate attributes, Lower Long Tom becomes the 22nd federally recognized winegrowing region in Oregon, the tenth nested AVA within the Willamette Valley, and the first in the Southern Willamette Valley. The new AVA was granted approval by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on November 10 and took effect on December 10, 2021.

Located in Lane and Benton counties, Lower Long Tom is characterized by a chain of rolling hills separated by east-to-west valleys, cut by the tributaries of the region’s namesake, the Long Tom River. The AVA sits within the Lower Long Tom watershed and the Long Tom River, a tributary of the Willamette River, serves as the AVA’s eastern boundary.

Vineyards in the appellation are located on stream-cut ridge lines, with Bellpine as the predominate soil type. These shallow, clay-loam soils are formed from up-lifted ancient marine sediments, primarily sandstone.

To the west, the region is flanked by a stretch of significant peaks within the Coast Range, which serve as a weather shield. The rain shadow contributes to consistent grape maturity in the region.

Long Tom is a regional name associated with the Kalapuyan people who have lived in the area for more than 10,000 years. The name is used in recognition of the ongoing contributions of the Kalapuyan people in the local community and across Oregon.

Four years ago, Dieter Boehm of High Pass Winery petitioned the TTB for the addition of the AVA to the wine country map. 12 wineries and 24 vineyards join the new Lower Long Tom AVA. A full list of wineries and vineyards can be found below.

“This neighborhood is warm, genuine, authentic, and down-to-earth, with passionate owners and farmers connected to the land,” said Matt Shown, second-generation winemaker at Brigadoon Wine Co. “That love for this place goes beyond wine and permeates our daily lives.”

“Oregon’s newest viticultural area acknowledges the increasing appreciation our grape growers and winemakers are developing for site-specific growing conditions and flavor complexity,” said Oregon Wine Board Executive Director Tom Danowski. “In the shadow of Prairie Mountain and the Coast Range, Lower Long Tom will add a unique dimension to the Willamette Valley’s esteemed reputation for extraordinarily elegant and expressive fruit.”

Both the industry and consumers who look to Oregon for its one-of-a-kind appellations and the sense of place in Oregon’s wines can celebrate the addition of Lower Long Tom as a nested AVA of the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir is the predominant grape of the region, with wines leaning toward blue and black fruits and plush tannins for graceful aging. Around a dozen white grape varieties are grown as well, most notably Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot gris, and Sauvignon blanc.

“Pinot noir is still the kingpin variety in the Willamette Valley,” said Morgen McLaughlin, executive director of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. “Winemakers love Pinot noir because it’s such an expressive grape: it insists on telling you where it’s from. We’re so excited to see Pinot noir and other wines from Lower Long Tom AVA recognized in the larger story of the Willamette Valley.”

Lower Long Tom AVA:

Details:
Official date of recognition: December 10, 2021
Total acreage: 25,000
Planted acreage: 575
Number of wineries: 12
Number of vineyards: 24
Varieties: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot gris, and Sauvignon blanc
Soil: Bellpine

Wineries:
Antiquum Farm
Bennett Vineyards and Wine Company
Bradshaw Vineyard
Brigadoon Wine Co.
Benton Lane Winery
Five Fourteen Vineyard
High Pass Winery
Pfeiffer Vineyards and Winery
Poco Collina
Rainsong Winery
Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company
Walnut Ridge Vineyard

Vineyards*:
Bellpine Vineyard
Chardonnay Way
Davis Reid Vineyard
Evans Vineyard
Fitzpatrick Vineyard
Gelardi Vineyard
Grace Hill Vineyard
Hildebrand Ranch
Kliewers Weinberg
Kokkeler Vineyard
Moriah Vineyard
Priddy Vineyard
Stroda Vineyard
Sunny Mountain
Union School
*Many of the wineries above are located on an estate vineyard.

###

ABOUT THE OREGON WINE BOARD
Oregon is home to 995 wineries and 1,370 vineyards planted, generating annual economic impact of $7.2 billion for the state. The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research, communications, and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. The Board works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state’s diverse winegrowing regions. Visit oregonwine.org for more info.

ABOUT THE WVWA
The WVWA is a nonprofit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premium Pinot noir-producing region. The WVWA has more than 230 members representing wineries, tasting rooms and vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. The organization also hosts Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction, Oregon Pinot Camp, Pinot in the City, May in Wine Country, The Giving Season and the Cellar Season. Visit willamettewines.com for more info.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aging, appellation, ava, Chardonnay, clay, climate, flavor, fruit, grape, Oregon, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, sediment, soil, tannins, ttb, vineyards, viticulture, white wine, willamette valley, winegrower, winemaker, wineries

Ever heard of the red grape Trepat? Get to know Conca de Barberà through the “European quality Wines: taste the difference” project

January 3, 2022 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Conca de Barberà, set north of the Tarragona, is a small, almost unknown wine region in north-eastern Spain.
https://www.parkviewortho.com/wp-content/languages/new/levitra.html

Bound by the Francoli river and its headwater Anguera, it was formed by vigorous water erosion. Situated at elevations ranging from 350 to 900 meters above sea level and benefiting from a Mediterranean climate, elevation, slope and exposure differences throughout the region contribute in creating a wide range of microclimates. Conca de Barberà was officially recognized as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 1985.

Photo from: Do Conca de Barberà

Its most important varieties are Trepat, along with Macabeu and Parellada, but what really defines Conca de Barberà is the Trepat, a native grape variety that can be found only in this area. Given its voluminous berries, Trepat was traditionally used to make the region’s flagship rosé wine, and it coexists in the Conca de Barberà region with other indigenous and imported varieties. Nowadays, local producers are devoted to showing Trepat at its best, both as rosé and red expressions. The rosés feature a clean raspberry color and fruity notes, whereas reds exhibit ruby hues with fresh red fruit aromas. While the production of rosés using Trepat is traditional to the area, the production of red wines only began in the 21st century, with the first launch of a single-variety wine in 2004. Now, Trepat is broadly used by wineries within the region.

About TASTE THE DIFFERENCE PROGRAM
The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe. The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory. Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and part of the “Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia”. It supports the agri-food sector and its companies with the knowledge, tools and experience to increase their products in Catalunya and worldwide.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: barbera, climate, color, fruity, grape, microclimate, red wine, Rose, spain, variety

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