International Box Wine Day Is September 9

April 21, 2021 by evebushman

KINGSPORT, Tenn., /PRNewswire/ — What began as a cheap container for wines in the mid- 1960s has become a reason for celebration by wine lovers around the world. Over the last decade, the box wine revolution became a cause célèbre.

Early boxed wines got a bad rap, largely because they deserved it. Wine producers used this inexpensive container to package many cheaply made wines. They found a market niche for these wines, but the poor reputation for boxed wines languished for decades. Ironically, the wine box has many advantages over traditional wine bottles. Finally, with the help of new technologies and rediscovery of the many advantages of the box container, the box wine revolution began.

Box wines stay fresh longer because the wine has little exposure to air and resulting oxidation. An opened box wine can last four to six weeks because the container is self-sealing. It is the most eco-friendly of all wine packaging. The container takes less energy to produce and the box is recyclable. Because of these and other factors, like convenience and lower shipping costs, box wines are better values than bottled wines.

The second stage of the box wine revolution happened as quality wine producers began leveraging this superior packaging for their higher quality wines. Premium box wines are becoming the norm. Consumers have discovered they now have a wider variety of box wines, and that selection is growing every day. Box wine sales were up over 30% in 2020, and that upward trend shows no signs of slowing.

Now that box wines are enjoying the acceptance they deserve, it’s time to celebrate with a special day to Embrace the Box and to share the joys of box wine with an ever-expanding army of fans. It’s time for International Box Wine Day.

What can box wine lovers expect on the inaugural International Box Wine day, September 9? That will likely be determined to some degree by COVID-19, but we hope the pandemic will have subsided to the point that Embrace the Box celebrations can proceed with the fervor they deserve. In the spirit of this new special day, we’re calling on winemakers worldwide to make plans to celebrate – to open your doors to box wine tastings and tours. Show off your box wines and participate in the celebrations. Wine Nook Co-Founder Cindy Saadeh said “Many major box wine producers are already making plans for International Box Wine Day.”

For your own at-home celebration, enjoy a box of your favorite wine. If you haven’t tried box wines yet, give one a shot. Most boxes contain more than 20 servings, so share with friends.

About Wine Nook: Our goal is to elevate the box wine and cocktail experience with our patented dispensers and accessories. Since 2015, we have championed the wine industry’s efforts to produce premium wines in alternative packaging. Wine Nook is partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant a tree for every Nook sold.

Finger Lakes’ Heron Hill Winery announces the appointment of their new award winning Winemaker, Jordan Harris, and free direct to consumer shipping

July 19, 2020 by evebushman

Heron Hill Winery, 43 Years of Excellence 1977-2020. Family-owned in the Finger Lakes since 1977, Heron Hill began as a small family-run Finger Lakes vineyard and winery. Now entering its sixth decade, Heron Hill has grown into one of the most awarded, visited and respected wine producers in the region. Heron Hill remains an independent, family-owned business committed to quality, value, sustainability and community.

“Heron Hill is very excited to announce the addition of Jordan Harris as Winemaker to our team. This appointment will continue our ongoing goal in increasing quality, ensuring our success and Heron Hill’s legacy,” states Eric D. Frarey, Managing Partner of Heron Hill Winery.

Jordan has received many accolades in the wine industry beginning as a student at Niagara College in Ontario, Canada. He went on to be recognized as one of Canada’s top up and coming winemakers and more recently as a passionate leader in Virginia. He was named Top 40 under 40 Tastemakers with Wine Enthusiast and he was awarded Top 100 Most Influential Winemakers in the USA through Intowine.com.

Heron Hill Winery offering free direct shipping to consumers as a permanent policy. For details visit, www.heronhill.com. “With increased consumer demand for ease of access to our wine and recent events, our direct shipping program has shown great success. In response, we will be offering free direct to consumer shipping as a permanent policy, making Heron Hill Winery one of the only wineries in the Finger Lakes and United States offering free shipping as a permanent policy.”

“In exceeding our consumers needs with increased quality, along with easy access, Heron Hill will continue to grow and remain relevant with the addition and talent of Jordan along with instating our free direct shipping policy.”

Heron Hill Vineyards and Winery, 9301 County Route 76, Hammondsport.

Being An Armchair Wine Writer Again, and Focusing on Local Wineries to Support

May 1, 2020 by evebushman

I think it was the book Accidental Tourist where I first I heard the phrase “armchair writer” to describe the main character who was a travel writer that wrote from home. For me the phrase was apropos because when my daughter was under 18 I really didn’t want to leave her with a sitter to go out to a wine event, let alone a weekend or longer. Now with the COVID-19 and zero events to cover and zero travel plans, it’s time to dust off the chair and write about wine like I used to – more about supporting the wine industry itself and not about the events that drive it.

For my first, in what I hope will be a minimal series of armchair articles, I will focus on local wineries and what we can do to support them at this time. I sent emails to some of the wineries near me (which are also near to local readers) to ask how we can support them at this time, their current varietals available (and how we can get them) and any specials. Also, look for most of these wineries at the upcoming Vine 2 Wine 2 GO benefitting Circle of Hope set for May 30.

Photo from “Romancing The Vine” article in SCV Elite Magazine. Me and Eddie, maybe just short of 10 years ago.

Pulchella Winery

The winery is currently offering bottle sales for pick-up via the tasting room in Newhall, Fridays from 4pm-7pm and Saturdays from 1pm-4pm (call ahead, email orders, or walk ups welcome). Bottles can also be purchased via the website for shipment directly to your home.

They are happy to announce a few “stimulus packages” during this current “stay-at-home” time, which include: 20% off 6+ bottles (30% for members), 30% off 12+ bottles (40% for members), plus cases of 2014 Distinguished red blend are $150+ tax. They are also offering 50% off shipping costs via the website for all orders being shipped within CA.

Email customerservice@pulchellawinery.com for questions or orders, go to the website, or call the tasting room at 661-799-9463 to place an order. Feel free to leave a message with your order if you’re not calling during the limited hours above.

Golden Star Vineyards

Golden Star Vineyards is an Estate Vineyard and Winery in Los Angeles County with Estate bottled Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec; and locally sourced Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah and Purple Haze. They are currently open Sat/Sun 12-5 pm for VINO2GO at the winery in Littlerock, CA with contactless curbside pickup, as well as free delivery within the greater Antelope Valley area (3 bottle minimum). Wine Club members get 20% off all wines and non-Wine Club get 15% off 3 bottle minimum. They are also offering 50% Off shipping in CA with a 3 bottle minimum. Please go to their wine store of current releases at:

https://goldenstarvineyards.orderport.net/wines/CurrentReleases or call 661-713-6660.

Hoi Polloi and Pagter Brothers, of the Double Trouble Wine Room

The Double Trouble Wine Room, featuring the wines of the Pagter Brothers and Hoi Polloi Wineries, is open for bottle sales Thursday and Friday 4 to 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday 2 – 5 pm. They sanitize every bottle before delivering. Guests can pick wines up inside at a socially approved distance or they’ll deliver curbside to your car. They will also deliver to your home (in the SCV area) with the purchase of 6 bottles or more. For case sales they will extend an additional 10% off on top of their usual discount. “If you are in need of a last minute bottle when we’re not usually open just email us and we can zip over and meet you.” They are also working on a Zoom concert and a Zoom tasting, “Not tasting Zoom, but tasting our wines with the winemakers giving tasting notes, more to follow. If you’re not receiving our emails, please send your email to Scott@PagterBros.com or DKMinnick@mac.com”

Parhelion Cellars

Parhelion Cellars is a small family owned winery in Santa Clarita. They have been dedicated to making outstanding wine since 2017, and carry a wide variety of wines: a Cabernet from the Mount Veeder region of Napa, a Zinfandel from Paso Robles, and a single vineyard Sparkling rosé from Clement Hills in northern California. These are just three of the outstanding wines they offer.

Please visit their website at parhelioncellars.com, where they are currently offering a 30% off discount by using coupon code F&F on all our products. They also always offer FREE non-contact delivery to LA County. After you’ve selected the wines that you would like, choose “in person pick up” and make sure you share your phone number. The winery will then contact you and schedule a date and time that is perfect for your delivery. You can also reach them by phone: 661-644-9478.

Entourage Two Papas Wine

Entourage Two Papas Wine is a boutique winery based in Valencia, specializing in Rhône varietals. Each wine is produced with meticulous care while allowing the grapes to fully express their full flavor potential. Their grapes are sourced from the two top Rhône varietal vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Thompson and Saarloos Vineyards.The current inventory includes: 2017 Saarloos Grenache ( $20- 90 pt WS), 2018 Saarloos Grenache ($30), 2017 Thompson Grenache ($35- 90 pt WS), 2018 Thompson Grenache ($37), 2017 Thompson Syrah ($35- 90 pt WS), 2018 Thompson Syrah ($37)
2018 Thompson GSM ($37), 2018 Thompson Grenache Blanc ($27) and 2019 Thompson Stainless Steel Chardonnay.

“Until July 1st we are offering discounts of 10% off our normal prices while ordering 3 or more bottles. Order a mixed case and the discount will go to 15%. Current and new members will receive a discount of 20%. As always, all orders within 30 miles will be delivered to your front porch, much like the milkman of the 60’s. Check us out at Entourage Two Papas Wine or call me (winemaker Rick Pratt) direct at (323) 974-7021.”

Coruce Vineyards and Winery Tasting Room

Located at 1055 West Columbia Way (Avenue M) in Lancaster, Coruce proudly features award winning wines of the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles County. They offer a variety of white and red blends as well as several vintages of single varietals like Zins, Viogniers, Chardonnays and “some lip smackin’ Syrahs.” They currently have a “screaming deal on some delicious clearance wines.” For the immediate future all purchases at their website (www.corucevineyardsandwinery.com) will be shipped for a flat $10 fee. They are open for purchases through pick up or delivery of bottles or cases. Hours are 1 PM to 7PM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and 1PM to 6PM on Sunday. Call ahead at 661-494-8877 and “we’ll have everything ready for you to minimize contact time and number of people present at any one time.”

Byron Blatty

Byron Blatty Wines, which features locally grown, Los Angeles wines, is currently offering free, contactless delivery on all orders in the Los Angeles area, and are running several “Stay at Home Specials” which include 3 bottle packs of select wines for $99 + tax. (30% off). “We are also holding weekly tastings on Zoom every Friday, which are free to attend.” https://purchase.byronblatty.com/stay-at-home

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

ACME Fine Wines Launches By-Appointment-Only Virtual Tastings

April 11, 2020 by evebushman

ST. HELENA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — St. Helena’s ACME Fine Wines today announced they are launching by-appointment-only virtual wine tastings for any wines purchased online or by phone, as well as tastings for their monthly wine club shipments. These new tastings can be held via Zoom or phone, and appointments can be made by calling 707.963.0440 or emailing acme@acmefinewines.com. Additionally, ACME offers direct wine shipping around the country, as well as door-to-door delivery within the Napa Valley.

Since 2003, Proprietor Karen Williams has established ACME as the source to procure highly allocated, iconic wines from both cult and classic producers, as well as under-the-radar debut projects, with an emphasis on wines from Napa and Sonoma. Karen and her team’s longtime relationships within the wine community make ACME the go-to source for what’s new and what’s next.

ACME’s dynamic team of sommeliers carefully cultivates authentic relationships with each of their clients to offer concierge level-service and handpicked wines. ACME’s new virtual tastings are a natural extension of how the team already engages with their clients, but now, Karen and her team will be able to “taste” along with their clients’ new purchases. Virtual tastings for each of ACME’s four wine clubs are also planned.

ABOUT ACME FINE WINES

Founded in 2003 by Proprietor Karen Williams, ACME Fine Wines has long been regarded as one of the country’s premiere sources for both hard-to-find, highly allocated wines as well as debut offerings from new brands and rising star winemakers. ACME is located in St. Helena, California in the heart of the Napa Valley. For more information, please visit www.acmefinewines.com or call 707.963.0440.

Perlis Picks: Family Winemakers of California Part One (How it Works)

April 11, 2015 by evebushman

Several years ago, long before I ever began writing about wine, I received in the mail [that was real mail back then] a letter from a winery inviting me and two guests to the annual Family Winemakers Tasting at the LAX Hilton. I did a little research and determined that this was a huge wine tasting event but it was limited to members of the trade only. Thinking I had gotten the invite in error, I contacted Family Winemakers of California [FWC] and was told that if I received the notice then it was like the Willy Wonka golden ticket and I was good to go.

So I invited my wife Karen and an important client of my consulting business, whose office was coincidentally just a block from the event, and counted the days. But then, about a week before the event, the unthinkable happened. The winery that had sent me the invitation called to tell me that they had made a mistake and that we couldn’t go after all. You can imagine my disappointment. So I called back to that person at the FWC and laid out the entire situation, asking if there was any way for a better outcome? You know what I meant, right? “Well,” he said, “I told you that you were in, so you’re in.”

So we attended the event and were amazed. Dozens of wineries were in attendance pouring their samples for eager attendees, all of whom, except for us, were in the business in some fashion. It was a magical, special afternoon. And, it really helped to solidify my feelings about the wine industry, thanks to that person who approved my “golden ticket.”

That person was FWC President Paul Kronenberg, and I expect this decision was one of the easier tasks he’s had to deal with over the last 25 years. I had the opportunity to talk with him recently…

Family Winemakers of California was formed in 1990 to advocate for smaller wineries in the public policy arena. Paul Kronenberg joined the organization in 1998 as its President. According to Paul, the wine industry is very highly regulated, with the rules spelling out what is allowed. If something isn’t specified as allowed, then by definition it is not allowed. A huge part of what was not allowed had to do with direct-to-consumer shipping, especially on an interstate basis. The three-tier system greatly favors larger wineries as smaller ones do not have the products nor the resources to promote their wines effectively. The efforts of FWC over a decade of work, with Paul at the helm, resulted in these family owned wineries to ship directly to consumers in 43 states.

FWC has helped changed regulations that governed how wineries create brand awareness in small markets, how tasting events are held and whether sales can actually occur at events. In addition, the organization has worked on defining how winery branch offices can be set up and even how and when a winery tasting room can sell you a glass of wine for you to leisurely enjoy.

The work is ongoing. As Paul put it, the legislative process is much like growing grapes. Every Spring new bills bud out and they have to be worked through to the Fall. Currently, and not surprisingly, groundwater regulations are a hot topic.

Paul said that since the FWC started, the number of wineries in California has grown from around 800 to more than 4,000 and he feels that FWC has really helped create and sustain the niche and ability for small producers to come in to the industry. While only some of these wineries are members of FWC, all small wineries in California reap the benefits. As Paul put it: “The broader vision is if you grow the pie, everyone gets a piece.”

As I said earlier, my opportunity to attend the FWC tasting so many years ago was fairly life-changing with regard to my attitude about wine. When I began writing for Eve’s Wine 101, I told Eve: “Be on the lookout for the Family Winemakers events. They’re the best.” And, over the last several years, they have been awesome.

Initially, in Southern California, there would be a two day event down in Del Mar, California [with the first day trade-only and the second day being open to the public] followed by a one-day trade only event in Pasadena. Then one year, it was Del Mar only [yes, we schlepped on down for a great two-day tasting event]. Then, last year, they made the local event in Pasadena open to the public for the first time that I could remember. All these events featured wines poured by about 200 wineries.

This year, it was held at the Pomona Fairplex, home of the annual Los Angeles International Wine Competition. The number of wineries was reduced to about 100, which made the event less daunting for tasters and reduced the possibility of a winery getting lost in the shuffle. The tasting was primarily for the trade, but a limited number of tickets were sold to the public. With a full four hours to taste and a layout that enabled ease of movement between the tables, it was still impossible to make much more than a dent in the hundreds of wines being available for tasting. The event also gave a great opportunity to discover unfamiliar wineries as well as the chance to taste wines from all over California, not just the most familiar reasons.

Next week, you can read about the wines I enjoyed most.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Eve’s Wine 101: Don’t Leave Wine in Your Car or Delivery Truck

September 12, 2014 by evebushman

Most wineries where I live in California take a shipping break during the hottest months of the summer. Wine club members are warned that our shipments will be delayed, for the betterment of our wine, they will be sent when the weather permits it.

With that said I still have wines being sent for review from distributors further out, that will continue to use non-temperature controlled services via snail mail, UPS or FedEx. While others, that also want a review during the summer, will insure the safety of their wine by employing a courier service.

Why am I explaining all this to you? Well, I had one very hot bottle delivered a few weeks ago, so hot that it may have been what caused the cork to pop up and push away the foil. Other times bottles I received were just hot to the touch. In either scenario the wine may be fine, but it is not good to cook your wine, unless you are cooking with wine.

These are the main reasons you may have some cooked wine on your hands:

1. You left wine in your car, with other “nonperishable” groceries, to make a few more stops before going home.

2. You went wine tasting in the summer without an ice chest.

3. You leave your air conditioner turned off while you are at work or on vacation, and your wine is not in a temperature-controlled cellar.

4. You bought a cute bottle of wine that was sitting in a store window.

5. You kept your wine in a rack that gets direct sun.

So, though it is possible that your cooked wine may be okay, why take a chance? Please see this Wine 101 article about heat exposure as a reminder that wine needs to be kept in a temperature controlled cellar or the coolest room of your house. And here’s what my Facebook friends said about my own cooked-wine delivery:

Not a good sign. Pour it and see.

It’s cooked.

Yikes!!!!!

Why are they sending wine without letting you know delivery time? You can request UPS updates on delivery.

Corked. But may still retain some flavor.

Happens often. People buy wine, leave in the car, go to 3-4 other wineries and pop! Chill and drink it now.

You won’t know until you taste it. Cool it down gently. However, since if is for review, you really do not know whether it will be valid. Inform the shipper and request a new bottle.

Smell it first….

I would open it after a few days of rest, then you’ll know if it’s corked.

Too much heat, no air. Heck, try it to confirm its mulled wine at this point.

Just say no.

Great investigative work for research in case others go through this same unusual issue.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com