Napa, California – White Rocket Wine Company is launching Geode, a new-generation, super-premium Chardonnay fusing timeless quality and contemporary style in a strikingly sophisticated package targeted to savvy young wine consumers. Geode is crafted from vineyards in Santa Barbara County, a classic growing region whose stellar Chardonnays are universally recognized for superior quality. With its warm, inviting label, aura of earthy energy and promise of rich, pure flavor, Geode beckons wine lovers to “discover the treasure within.”
Continue reading ‘White Rocket Wine Company “unearths a treasure in Geode for millennial generation Chardonnay drinkers”’
Archive for the 'California' Category
Don Sebastiani & Sons International Wine Negociant recently announced the release of a new luxury Napa Valley label, Pennywise. This year, the winery will release a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a Napa Valley Petite Sirah; production on both wines is extremely limited. Pennywise will be marketed by the company’s The Other Guys division.
Continue reading ‘Don Sebastiani & Sons releases new luxury Napa Valley label’
Robert Gerald Mondavi was born in Hibbing, Minn., on June 18, 1913. His father, Cesare, and his mother, Rosa Grasso Mondavi, were natives of Sassoferrato, in the Marches region of Italy. Cesare first worked in iron mines, then opened a grocery store and saloon in Virginia, Minn., and finally became a grape buyer, traveling to California to buy fruit for his winemaking neighbors in Minnesota.
Continue reading ‘Robert Mondavi, dies at 94′
U.S. wine exports, 95 percent from California, reached a record high $951 million in 2007, an 8.6 percent jump from the previous year. Volume shipments in 2007 increased 12 percent to 453 million liters, compared to 2006.
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Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ, ASX: CBR), a leading international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol, today completed the previously announced sale of the Almaden and Inglenook wine brands, and the Paul Masson winery located in Madera, Calif., to The Wine Group LLC for $134 million in cash. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to reduce Constellation’s borrowings.
California vintners crushed 3.24 million tons of winegrapes in 2007, up 3 percent from 2006’s crush of 3.14 million winegrape tons, according to the Preliminary Grape Crush Report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The total was as predicted from last fall’s forecasts. The final report will be issued March 10, 2008.
Continue reading ‘2007 California Crush of wine type grapes up three percent’
Jamie Davies, “was one of the great pioneers in the Napa Valley and probably in all of American wine,” said Mary Novak, owner of Spottswoode Winery and a longtime friend. “She and her husband, Jack, accomplished a lot and she kept going until the end.”
Continue reading ‘Jamie Davies dies - Schramsberg owner’
New report finds 50% of family-owned wineries to change hands by 2017.
Continue reading ‘U.S. wine industry to experience ownership shake-up’
The California Travel and Tourism Commission and the California Wine Institute launched The Land of Wine and Food, a campaign to promote the state’s abundant wine and food offerings. The national advertising component of the program features California wine and culinary celebrities, including Pat Kuleto of Kuleto Estate and Pat Kuleto Restaurants
Continue reading ‘California Travel & Tourism Commission and Wine Institute launch National ‘Land of Wine and Food’ campaign’
California winegrape growers are finding a mixed picture in the just-released 2007 California Winegrape Crush Report. While the report shows a slight increase to 3.239 million tons, up 5 percent from the 2006 harvest, overall winegrape prices fell from an average of $583 in 2006 to $563 in 2007, a decrease of 3 percent.
Continue reading ‘California’s Winegrape Growers gain valuable insight from 2008 Grape Crush Report’
Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Rosenblum Cellars. The acquisition represents a unique opportunity to own a highly rated Zinfandel brand and therefore it further enhances Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines’ brand range in the fastest growing segment of US wines, the premium segment. The consideration $105 million and it is anticipated that the acquisition will be economic profit positive during the fourth full year of ownership.
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The Hess Collection Winery from Mount Veeder in the Napa Valley was awarded the prestigious title USA Producer of the Year at Tuesday’s IWSC Awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate in the City. This followed a first Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine for the Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.
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New Zealand Winegrowers has launched its new brand which celebrates the success story of New Zealand’s world-class wines and captures their distinctive flavour. The new Pure Discovery brand, launched yesterday at the New Zealand Wine Exporters’ Forum in Wellington, is the result of in-depth research in Australia, Britain and the United States to find out how our wines are perceived in those key markets which account for 80 per cent of New Zealand’s export sales.
Continue reading ‘New Zealand wine set to take key overseas markets on a journey of discovery’
On the evening of Friday, September 7th, 2007, Aulden Cellars-Sotheby’s will feature a single-owner sale, The Cellar of Thomas O. Ryder. The sale is comprised of 487 lots, which includes 5,477 bottles — with a focus on Bordeaux, Rhône and California, featuring the best wines from the best years. Once publisher of Food & Wine magazine where he founded the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen — which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year — Ryder’s passion for both food and wine extends to his ownership interest in a number of esteemed restaurants, including Danny Meyer’s Tabla and Eleven Madison Park in New York. Ryder, who has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the publishing industry, was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. A Louisiana native, Ryder plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale, which is expected to bring $1/1.5 million*, to Louisiana-based charitable organizations and schools.
The efforts of California winegrape growers and vintners to build on their environmental successes gained a major boost late last month, when the United States Department of Agriculture awarded a $607,500 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. The grant recognizes the uniquely cooperative approach California wineries and winegrape growers are taking to conserve vital air, water, soil and energy resources, and will allow the Alliance, with the assistance of the California Winegrape Growers Association (CAWG) and Wine Institute, to help growers and vintners learn about, access and benefit from market-based conservation opportunities.
Continue reading ‘USDA Awards $607,500 conservation grant to California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’
To enable continuing research efforts aimed at controlling the spread of Pierce’s disease (PD) and the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), the PD/GWSS Board at their June 28 meeting has recommended to California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura that the winegrape grower assessment be lowered to $1.50 per thousand dollars of value for the 2007 harvest.
Continue reading ‘PD/GWSS Board votes to lower the 2007/2008 PD Assessment’