Wine Club

Bigger and Bigger… large-format wine bottles continue to attract attention.     Hi – Big wine bottles are fetching some good dollars at auctions, there are other advantages to the larger format(s). Even though they can be unwieldy to handle, slow to mature and have to be consumed (for the most) in a single sitting, their appeal lies partly in their impressive size, and the fact that they promise a longer and some...

    Biodynamic winegrowers… Hi – The Biodynamic movement abstains from the use of chemicals and encourages holistic agricultural practices, such a planting according to the phases of the moon (an old farmers approach). And it has gathered momentum and respect from the wine world. Winemakers focus on the earthen soil for the quality of their vines. Biodynamic winegrowers, like organic vintners, avoid chemical...

Phylloxera, a wine vine killer… Not to long ago the Phylloxera epidemic was a major problem, it basically wiped-out a substantial amount of vineyards on the west coast. Yet, it has become evident that the mistakes made over those several (past) decades have largely been corrected, ironically because of Phylloxera itself. Introduced by vineyards in France, Phylloxera was (is) a form of root rotting of the vines. And, did it ever...

Where are all the Wineries? Where in the U.S. do Vineyards reside besides; California, Oregon and Washington? More than 8,000 wineries now produce wine in North America according to Wines & Vines, which released the latest data at their 2014 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. The number of wineries in the U.S. has continued to grow each year, even during the recession, although the pace had slowed from 2010 through 2012. A large...

          History of Port (part 2) Which grape varieties are used to make Port? There are a bunch of grape varieties used in true Port (from Portugal’s Douro Valley), most of which are little known outside of Portugal. Several other countries — including Australia, South Africa and the United States — make fortified sweet red wines and even whites that are labeled as “port,”...

            History of Port (part 1) Port wine traditionally comes from the Douro Valley in beautiful Northern Portugal. The wineries are called Quintas and they line the terraced hills rising up from the mighty Douro, east of Oporto nearly reaching the border of Spain. The name Port Wine is protected by the Appellation system (Denomination of Origin), just as Champagne can only be placed on a bottle if...