The production of high quality Douro reds is a relatively young endeavor, given impetus when the law requiring Ports to be aged downriver in coastal Vila Nova de Gaia – an expense favoring the larger shippers – was lifted in 1986.  This broke down some of the financial barriers for smaller growers and investors to make their own wine in the Douro Valley, and it favored dry wines over Port.  As Christian Seeley of Quinta da Romaneira explained, the lead time to become a new Port brand is long because …

When I gave winemaker Rui Cunha my card, he laughed and said that I would find the wine muses at Ramos Pinto, the next stop on our trip.  Imagine my delight when Ramos Pinto descendent Joao Almeida told me about the ‘inspirational’ images founder Adriano Ramos Pinto used for marketing wines beginning in the 1890′s to seduce a new generation of buyers in export markets.
The House of Adriano Ramos Pinto was founded on exports to the growing Portuguese colony of Brazil.  So when Adriano devised his marketing strategy, he searched …

My motto is “Discover the world and savor the classics.”  The catchphrase encourages consumers to explore all the wines of the world but to never forget the classics.  One cannot truly appreciate wines without having benchmarks to compare them to.  One of the most classic of these benchmarks is Port, the sweet fortified wine of the Douro (“Golden”) Valley in Portugal.  The region has been making wine since Roman times.  Its wine history is interwoven with Portugal’s illustrious past as New World explorer and global trader.  The Douro Valley’s terrain …

Under the terms of the Australia-European Community Agreement on Trade in Wine, on the first of this month, Australia became the latest in a long line of countries that prohibit outright the use of the name “Champagne” on the label of domestically-made sparkling wine.  Champagne is a venerable protected appellation (or place) of origin in France which produces high quality sparkling wine based on unique location and winemaking techniques.  In the European Community (“EC”) and in other countries which respect appellation of origin through trade agreements, only wines made from …

The wines of Chile may be viewed today as inexpensive, everyday wines but its export history to the U.S. suggests a more distinctive past.  My curiosity was piqued when browsing through an old book I picked up at an estate sale in Downtown Napa.  The book is The Gourmet Cookbook Volume II, published over half a century ago in 1957.
I love picking up these old food or wine books since it reveals what consumers liked back then and retro is back in.  The book contained a Wine Sampler that paired …

Women don’t make better wine, or more feminine wines, they just have a different approach.  As I wrote last year, consortiums of women winemakers like Wine Entre Femme were “borne out of the desire to reach out to other women and do what we do so well – help each other.”
In France, there is an organization called Femmes de Vin (Women of Wine) which consists of regional groups of over 90 women winemakers from Burgundy, Beaujolais, Rhone, Provence and Languedoc, among others.  They forged a unified front at the recent …

It only takes 10 days to get a real sense of the unpredictability of Burgundy weather and why vintages matter so much here.  Unlike Bordeaux, whose climate is relatively moderated by its coastal location, Burgundy is semi-continental with only about 25″ of rain per year – much less than Napa Valley’s average.  But unlike Napa Valley’s predictable rainfall during the winter and spring, Burgundy’s precipitation can also fall during the growing season – and with force.
Until the day I arrived on June 4th, Burgundy had been experiencing a two-month “drought” …

Whether you visit Paris as a long weekend trip or stop over for a day or few before you continue on to French wine regions, Paris holds a special allure in itself.  It’s a beautiful city with tree-lined boulevards, imposing monuments, serene rivers and manicured public parks.  The scent of freshly-baked breads and savory meats follow you down each street where beautiful Parisians sit outdoors at charming cafes to sip their coffee and stare – at your shoes.
Yes, one can feel a little insecure sometimes under a Parisian’s scrutiny, but …

It wasn’t too long ago that Biodynamic® was considered fringe but according to the turnout at a recent joint Demeter® USA and University of California Cooperative Extension Short Course in Biodynamic Winegrowing in Rutherford, it is becoming mainstream.  Demeter USA is the US arm of the international Demeter organization which sets standards for – and certifies - Biodynamic producers and products.  According to Demeter USA Marketing Director Elizabeth Candelario, a few years ago, 20 farmers might show up to a seminar like the one held last week but on that day, there were …

 One of the ways to really appreciate winemakers’ “passion” for wine is to gain some historical perspective, such as how Napa Valley vintners survived during the 13 years of Prohibition between 1920 and 1933.  The best-selling book When the Rivers Ran Red written by Vivienne Sosnowski chronicles this period through individual experiences, adding color to a period that most of us see as black and white.  The book is now in paperback ($16) and makes a great addition to the wine or history lover’s library. 
The story describes in the years leading up …