Wine
fromGrub Street
12 hours agoDoes Wine Still Matter?
Wine offers visceral culinary pleasure and food-pairing benefits, but misconceptions, declining consumption, and intimidation deter many from exploring it.
No one likes to hear about a product recall, especially if there's any risk of injury involved. Unfortunately, Costco has issued a notice like this for one of its sparkling wines, and anyone who has bought the item is being advised to dispose of it immediately, rather than returning it to a store. The item in question is the Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene, an in-house private label product popular for its low price point.
Tillingham is essentially a natural biodynamic wine production business working over 70 acres of gently rolling countryside, near Rye and the Romney Marshes in East Sussex. If only their main trouble was making bottles of chardonnay and pinot blanc, or selling pretty Tillingham tea towels at 36 a pop. But no, Tillingham has (quite literally) many other plates to juggle: it has a fancy restaurant and a vast barn from which they serve pizza, too.
Innovative, a risk-taker, and utterly relentless in her will to overcome all obstacles, one woman not only matched but beat her competitors in the male-dominated champagne industry to establish the brand with the inimitable mango-orange label. Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot-Ponsardin (1777-1866), better known to the world by the name of her champagne, Veuve Clicquot ('Widow Clicquot'), was one of the greatest entrepreneurs not just of her own but of any age.
It was all too easy to while away a whole day at Spier Hotel. I started one cool spring morning with a swim in the lap pool, steam rising from the heated water, the moon still high in the sky. I spent a couple of hours in the new spa, with its indulgent bathhouse. And later, I sipped South African Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine at the rooftop bar, overlooking mountains painted pink by the setting sun.
Winery owners face more pressure than ever to sustain growth while keeping operational costs lean. Seasonal sales cycles, shifting alcohol consumption habits, and increasingly fragmented media channels have made it harder for small to midsize wine brands to reach new customers - especially online. Source: eMarketer At the same time, US wine buyers are more price-sensitive and brand-loyal than ever. According to 2024 data from eMarketer, nearly half of US adults say price is a "very important" factor when purchasing wine, while just 20% say the same about brand or ratings.
The two most ideal places to drink wine are on your own couch while wearing fuzzy socks, and at an actual vineyard with the winemaker's border collie named Riesling sitting faithfully by your side. But when you're running low on laundry and realize the dog is actually a figment of your buzzed imagination, you do have other options. That's why we have this guide. It's got our 20 favorite places in SF to drink wine. Some of these spots play
The number of wine producers there - and right across the country - has increased in the last two decades. And it's all down to warming temperatures, which means Wales has become 'more suitable' for growing wine grapes, experts say. According to the Foods Standards Agency Wales, a total of 59 vineyards across the country were registered with them at the end of July. This is a huge increase from 'only six' registered in Wales in 2009, according to the BBC.
The upside-down martini, Child's iconic favorite cocktail, is a true inversion of what most people with strong opinions want from the drink. Martini fans will quibble over just how dry the cocktail should be, some argue that a 5:1 ratio of liquor to vermouth is the best, others claim 10:1 is ideal. The upside-down martini simply says, "let's make this refreshing," and goes with a 5:1 ratio of vermouth to gin (usually preferred over vodka in this drink).
Napa Valley is the iconic gem of California wine, helping put the state on the modern-day wine map. Capstone California reports that there are 475 physical wineries in Napa Valley spread across 17 sub-regions in a relatively small space. Napa Valley is only 30 miles long and 5 miles wide. It offers a diverse terroir for grape growing, particularly cabernet sauvignon. In addition to making exceptional wines, tourism is a significant, profitable business in Napa, with wineries rolling out red carpets for guests.
I do feel older, though. So, as you read this, you can be sure that I am probably quite drunk on sparkling wine. There's scarcely a better excuse than a birthday, but I think we can agree that what you're likely to be drinking at any such event will vary greatly, depending on whether or not the birthday in question is your own.
Owner and fromage expert Liana Ryan announced the news "with a mix of gratitude and sadness" in her email newsletter. "Over the years, it has been our profound pleasure to share our passion for exceptional cheeses, fine wines and memorable moments with you," she wrote. "Your support has meant the world to us, and we are so grateful for the community you helped us build around our humble shop."
It is self-described as the "Oscars of fine wine," with the previous events held in London, Florence, Paris, and Madrid. The award ceremony highlights the best of fine wine and spirits, as judged by more than a thousand wine industry professionals. For attendees, it's a pricey weekend filled with rare wine, dinners from Michelin-starred restaurant chefs, and even a private jet trip to the Bahamas.
According to the county, the proposed amendments are designed to help farmers and ranchers access undeveloped and actively farmed properties in unincorporated rural areas of Santa Clara County. These properties are being advertised for home development, which in turn has inflated land values. The proposal seeks to mitigate this by updating exclusive agriculture, agricultural ranchlands, hillside and rural residential zones.
Sonoma County's wine industry is facing significant challenges, in line with global declines in wine sales, and shifting consumer trends. Local vintners and grape growers are joining forces to explore a possible solution for the wine and ag sector. Industry leaders have formed a steering committee to explore creating a Sonoma County Wine Improvement District, or WID. A handful of California regions already have WIDs in place. Livermore Valley, Santa Barbara County and Temecula.
Bartholomew Estate Vineyards and Winery, which dates back to the planting of California's first private vineyard in 1832, has a storied history that includes the collapse of the world's first corporate wine venture in 1879; conversion to a country estate in 1883; and thenover a half a century later in 1943the purchase of the run-down ranch by Frank Bart Bartholomew as a birthday present for his wife, Antonia.
Since 2008, barrels have traveled all over the world, crossing the equator and stopping at ports in various continents, letting rising tides and salty air mature batches.