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 …

In challenging economic times and a competitive global wine market, Navarro Vineyards prevails by staying true to a particular style of wine and cultivating consumers one by one.
Ted Bennett, his wife Deborah Cahn and their children Sarah and Aaron Cahn Bennett are proprietors of Navarro Vineyards, one of the first wineries in what is now the Anderson Valley wine region in Mendocino County.  From their first vintage in 1975, they have made dry aromatic white wines such as gewürztraminer, pinot gris and riesling which are today among the fastest growing …

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 …

One doesn’t need to drive far up Spring Mountain from Main Street Saint Helena before they reach a hidden property with beautiful formal gardens, majestic redwoods and bluebirds flying above. With its palatial Victorian home, Miravalle, one can imagine that the vast 845-acre estate looks very much like it did in the 19th century. Its earliest vineyards date back to 1873, while the Beringer Brothers planted their first vines there in 1882.
In such a natural setting adjacent to protected Napa Land Trust …

 With a brand that is synonymous with high quality fresh goat cheese in the U.S., Laura Chenel is beginning a new era with the opening of a 30,000 square foot, state-of-the-art creamery in Sonoma that promises new products due to the addition of much-needed space for ageing cheeses.  The building, which was opened to its trade partners yesterday for a preview, is scheduled to be operational on February 21st.  General Manager Marie Lesoudier demurred on the production capacity of the creamery, saying that the goal is not to increase volume, but to introduce new cheeses …

The San Francisco Museum of Art exhibit “How Wine Became Modern” should more accurately be called “How the Global Wine Industry Became Modern” because it tells the story of how the triumph of Napa Valley wines Stags’ Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena at the Judgment of Paris in 1976 inspired legions of U.S. vintners, designers, architects and the media to do what Americans do best – reach out to the consumer – and created a more vibrant global wine market as a result.  The exhibit explores how the U.S. wine industry, and then the rest of the world, appealed directly to the aspirations, …

Domaine Clarence Dillon is the holding company of Premier Grand Cru Classe Chateau Haut-Brion as well as for the branded wine, Clarendelle, launched in 2005.  In the 75th anniversary year of Clarence Dillon’s acquisition of Chateau Haut-Brion, I had the chance to speak to Prince Robert of Luxembourg, President of Domaine Clarence Dillon, about the future the Bordeaux and the role of brands.

Chateau Haut-Brion, one of the five premier cru classes and arguably the first grand cru classe, has always demonstrated it is first-in-class.  The only 1855 grand cru classe …

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 …

King Estate, known nationally for its signature white pinot gris wines, is located in Eugene Oregon, a region known for its environmentally green culture, outdoor lifestyle and world-class food and wine, making the area a great weekend destination. 
According the latest National Geographic ”Green Guide“ and Entrepreneur magazine, Eugene is the greenest city in the U.S. based on factors such as environmental policy, energy use, air and water quality, green design and recycling.  By comparison, The Green Guide ranked Santa Rosa #5, Oakland #6, Berkeley #7 and San Francisco #18.  Eugene is a sophisticated university town with …