US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Secretary Rita Lau signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to facilitate sales of US wines in the booming Hong Kong market through promotion of wines and wine-related tourism, wine appreciation, investment in infrastructure and customs cooperation against counterfeits and smuggling.
2009 global imports of wine into the Hong Kong market increased 44% by value to $491 million and 20% by volume to 32.4 million liters over 2008, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).  US gross exports grew to a record $40 million, …

Dining at Osteria Fontanina in Verona

Dining in new cities is always an exciting adventure, but its particularly exciting when you’re in the midst of several great wine appellations.  The Veneto is home to classic dry whites made of garganega such as Soave and Custoza, sparkling Prosecco made of, well, prosecco, and classic red blends based on cherry-licious corvina such as Valpolicella and Bardolino.  These wines pair perfectly with the diversity of foods you will find in the Veneto.

Classic dishes in the Veneto include risotto made with Amarone wine, chewy bigoli pasta, horsemeat (stewed, smoked, even tartare), pasta e fagioli …

Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery is located on the original homestead of German immigrant George Schonewald who settled there in 1882 and built the Victorian home that Mary Novak, current owner of the estate winery, calls home today. When she and her physician husband Jack Novak arrived in 1972 to start a new life in the Napa Valley with their five young children, daughter and current President Beth Novak Milliken recalls that her dad just wanted to drive a tractor and mom wanted to be a gardener. They acquired the …

In 1981, Robert Mondavi spearheaded the first Auction Napa Valley for community charities, raising $140,000. In 2009, the auction sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners Association (Napa Vintners) raised $5.6 million, bringing the total raised to date to approximately $90 million.
The proceeds of the auction serve the community in the areas of healthcare, child and youth development and affordable housing.  One of the largest beneficiaries of the auction is Clinic Ole, the only source of primary and preventative care for the low-income and under/un-insured in the Napa Valley.  Nearly half of the approximate …

Since the Napa Valley is about food and wine, a great complement to wine-tasting is food-tasting, and there is no better, authoritative place to receive food education than at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.  As the CIA is situated in the heart of the Napa Valley, visiting this National Register Historic Landmark is a great way to pace your wine tasting experiences.
With the lastest Flavor Bar, the CIA fills a spectrum of educational experiences for food enthusiasts at all price points that range from the 15-20 minute Flavor Bar to one-hour cooking demos to two-hour, six-hour and multi-day …