The Napa Agriculture (Ag) Preserve turns 50 years old in 2018 thanks to the farmers, vintners and residents who saw the value of an agrarian future for their valley.
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Category: Sustainability
Mediterranean Bliss: Picpoul-de-Pinet
Picpoul’s naming origin means lip stinger for the acidic bite in the mouth of the drinker — this variety is notably high in acid, particularly for such a hot growing region. This explains what makes the grape unique, responsible for commercial thriving as well as ecological.
Braille on the Label: A Chapoutier Pioneering Moment
The Chapoutier label reveals itself in print and in Braille – the tactile language in which characters are felt by the fingertips rather than seen by the eye.
How the Cork Gets from a Tree to Your Bottle
The cork wine stopper is synonymous with preservation – not only of the wine in the bottle but of a way of life for cork farmers and the natural ecosystem of the forest. The process has been the same for generations because the system is a sustainable network benefiting the local economy, the environment, and the industries that utilize cork – particularly the wine industry.
Get Ready Los Angeles, The RAW WINE Brigade is Rolling In
The RAW WINE experience is meant to showcase talent, and as Clark reveals, there seem to be regional pockets where the overarching dedication to natural, low-touch winemaking is a time-honored inclination.
New Roots Along the Canal du Midi
Ventenac-en-Minervois is a small village in the Languedoc, in the Occitanie department of southern France. The local cave is located on the Canal du Midi, a traveler’s dream of a waterway that was once used to transport wine across the country via barges, such as the Marie-Therese, a restored boat docked outside. Replanting an UNESCO Heritage Site The Canal du Midi…
Merlot: The Busy One
On my kitchen counter, at that very moment, was the collection of Merlot that I planned to feature in this post – all of which hail from either Napa or Sonoma. And I was reminded that while everything is impermanent, wine included, that wine is the essence of moments – the structure of life and vibrancy and nature and work – packaged for us to evoke the actual elements of vitality from any given spot where wine grapes can be grown.
The Grapemakers: People Behind Napa Valley Harvest
During a recent trip to Napa, I heard this phrase frequently: in the industry – Some of us in the industry get together for a tasting. We offer a special price for others in the industry. My husband are I are both in the industry. People in Napa Valley wine country associate with one another on these…
Growth in Oregon Wine: Here’s Why
The Oregon Wine Board recently released its Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census Report, revealing growth in many aspects of winemaking and grape growing in their state. While the numbers illustrate realities, here are a few wines to try (after all, that is what it’s all about) that bring home salient points from the report. Report…
Ancient + Native: Rural Festival Emilia
Isidoro and Giovanni Lamoretti cultivate indigenous Italian grapes on their hillside farm near Parma, Italy, neighboring the Torrechiara Castle. They maintain dedication to a particular varietal, Lambrusco Maestri, known for soft creamy bubbles. Ancient documentation shows that Lambrusco grapes have been cultivated in the region since 160 BC. To call them ancient is, well, obvious –…
Drink Occitanie: Domaines Paul Mas Winemaker Bastien Lalauze
After a recent trip to the Languedoc (known now, departmentally as Occitanie) I’ve noted several themes running through the wine conversation about the area, present both in southern France and abroad. My recent conversation with Bastien Lalauze, winemaker and estate manager sustainably-farmed Château Martinolles in Limoux, a sparkling wine property in the Domaines Paul Mas family brought to life these themes, illustrating where practice and perception are coming together in a very exciting circuit
Lessons from a Biodynamic Winemaker in France
I take a notes like a squirrel on the bird feeder – fast and and full, getting it all down before someone changes the subject. You’ll know me by my notebooks. More often than not, however, the stuff that really sticks with me doesn’t require a scribble. My memory serves in certain moments where everything…
A Sense of Provence: Domaine Dalmeran
On a recent trip to Provence I met with Ana Lopez from Domaine Dalmeran for a tasting of their red, white and rosé wines. The domaine is located in Les Baux-de-Provence AOP, a region that makes organic and in many cases, biodynamic, practices a thumbprint for the appellation. I’ve written widely about the AOP so…
Fresh American Wines for Brunch
When I was a young mom in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood (hands up if you are from Chicago) the place to be seen with your family was John’s Place for brunch on the weekends. It was a right of passage, you were now adult enough to be up before noon, but were young enough that…
The Stunning Blessing of The Senses
In June 2016 the people of Chicago waited -cameras focused- for Persephone, a corpse flower, to bloom in her home at the Garfield Park Conservatory. That same year, two more corpse flowers bloomed in Chicago: Alice and Sprout, both at the Chicago Botanical Garden. Above: Alice the Corpse Flower blooms in time-lapse at the…
