When the four acres of hobby zinfandel vineyards at the Smith’s family residence just north of the town of Saint Helena needed to be replanted in the early 1990′s, Jeff Smith sought the advice of leading viticultural expert Dr. Mark Kliewer of UC Davis to evaluate the site.  Dr. Kliewer told Smith that the rocky vineyards were situated at a very unique part of the valley and that it was one of the premier sites for growing cabernet sauvignon.  The vines were thus replanted to cabernet sauvignon in 1992, beginning the legacy of Hourglass wines on both sides of …

The Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission calls itself “America’s greenest wine region” with good reason.  28% of its 20,000 acres of vineyard are certified organic or biodynamic, 400% more than any other US wine region.  Mendocino’s green culture did not emerge in response to recent consumer demand, it began that way organically and when you visit Mendocino you will understand why.  
One of the many reasons why I love Mendocino is that it seems to be locked in time in the 1960′s and 70′s, where guys still wear long hair and beards and the radio always plays …

Frequent visitors to Napa Valley could drive by the cheery sign “Sunny Acres” on the west side of Highway 29 in Saint Helena several times and never drive in.  It has a “by appointment” sign after all, and one can’t really see anything from the road.  It’s one of those smaller wineries that are overshadowed by the bigger properties so visible right off the highway.  But the long driveway and stand of mature trees is a clue that down the road is an historic estate.  Sunny Acres is the name of the original homestead of Dr. …

Saint Helena is the cradle of winemaking in the Napa Valley. The first commercial winery in the Napa Valley was founded in Saint Helena by Charles Krug, a German immigrant, in 1861. By 1877, Saint Helena was making the majority of the 1,500,000 gallons of wine produced in the Napa Valley.  In fact, it was such an important industry for Saint Helena back then that there were about five times more acres of vineyards planted to grapevines in 1887 than there are today.  After all, the soil was “admirably adapted for …

Saint Helena is in the center of the traditional winegrowing areas in the Napa Valley so it is a good base to discover wine country. Saint Helena is also an attractive place to stay because it is relatively compact, with most shops and restaurants within a four-block area on and around Main Street. It is a small, family-oriented town of about 5,000 residents where one gets the sense that the community spirit has never really changed over the years.
Dining options abound in Saint Helena, from small, local cafes such as …

 
There should be more Napa Valley rosé.  We live in a Mediterranean climate and eat Mediterranean cuisine.  Most of us live outdoors on our decks and patios in the summer and nothing is more appealing on a hot summer day than a chilled glass of rosé.  Even better?  A dry, ethereal rosé made in the Provencal style of southern France.  France is the world’s largest producer of  rosé with 28% of global production and Provence represents 40% of that.  Americans love these wines apparently, with retail sales of Provence wines rising 28% for the year ending …

Israel’s emergence on the international stage began in the 1980′s in large part due to the early efforts of Golan Heights Winery in developing the vineyards of the Galilee region and by importing modern winemaking techniques and talent from the New World.  Golan Heights Winery continues to be one of Israel’s largest and most technologically advanced wineries, with its Yarden label widely regarded for quality in international markets.  In 2008,  the 2004 vintage Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon became the first Israeli wine to make Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. 
Precision viticulture and winemaking at Golan Heights Winery comes from imported talent, with …

At first glance, Israel may not seem to play an important role in today’s modern wine industry.  The country is about the size of the state of New Jersey with only about 10,000 acres of vineyards and 30 commercial wineries in the entire country.   But where Israel has played a leading role with global consequences, and the reason why it will continue to be a serious producer of quality wines, is in the area of technology.  Israel has the distinction of developing the modern form of drip irrigation in the 1960′s that is used in agriculture …

Wine ratings by the likes of Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast have been useful guides in the past for a generation of consumers in the US who really didn’t know too much about wine.  According to Michel Bettane, famed French wine critic speaking last November in Hong Kong, wine evaluation traditionally served the interests of the trade, maintaining good prices for producers and therefore merchants.  In the US, ratings helped consumers buy wine because they were easy to understand and easily duplicatable. 
At the 13th annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival last Friday, Daniel Sogg, former editor of the …

There are many diseases and pests that threaten the vine including bacteria such as xylella fastidiosa which kills vines, or viruses such as leafroll or fanleaf which lower yields, delay ripening and reduce longevity of vines.  Viruses are usually avoided by using plant materials which have been ‘sanitized’ or by eliminating the vectors which spread them, but the fact is, many winegrowers live with virused vines.  Grapevine pests are a great economic threat because they damage the crop itself.  Pests include deer, boar, birds and insects like moths.  They not only eat the …