by Danny Klein
Many times, I have poured a glass of wine for someone in the wine industry… After a sip, their face lights up and they ask me where the wine is from. I reply, “New Jersey” and their lit-up face goes into puzzlement. “New Jersey? Yes, really New Jersey.” I’ve had this experience with many wine “rock stars” such as Peter Mondavi Jr, Chuck Wagner and Joel Peterson and many others deep in the wine industry. Once the puzzled look leaves their face, they turn to a “well how about that” expression as if they thought about it and it makes sense. Dave Wolin was first struck by the wine bug during the early 2000’s when he started visiting famous wine regions such as Rioja, Spain, Margaret River, Australia and Mendoza, Argentina. The NYC financial lawyer had visions of retiring...
by Marla Durben Hirsch
There’s been press about how some public health authorities and others have issued anti-alcohol warnings and recommended that people cut back on their alcohol consumption or stop drinking altogether. Wine is an alcoholic beverage. But arguably wine holds a special role in history and culture and has a unique ability to draw people together. A new campaign, called “Come Over October” strives to remind people of wine’s positive role and that sharing wine counteracts the epidemic level of loneliness, isolation, and division we’re currently experiencing. The campaign is the first of a new program called Come Together: A Community for Wine, created in May 2024 by three wine industry professionals, wine writer Karen MacNeil, author of the Wine Bible, Gino Colangelo, president of...
by Sakuto Knives
In the culinary arts world, knives are not mere implements, they are as much a part of a chef as his or her talent or finesse or even imagination. To anyone who takes cooking seriously, it’s important to understand the specifics of different knives, often used by chefs. No two knives are the same; each one has a particular shape to suit specific jobs and can be used effectively and safely in the kitchen. Starting with the standard chef’s knife and going through such specific utensils as boning knife and santoku, studying these tools reveals opportunities to delve deeper into understanding global cooking practices. Chef's Knife French knife also known as the chef’s knife is one of the most essential knives in a kitchen because of its effectiveness. Usually measuring from 6 to 12 ...
by Marla Durben Hirsch
New York’s Finger Lakes wine region is North America’s cool-climate region, with a history of winemaking dating back to 1829. Located in the Northwest part of the state roughly between Ithaca and Rochester, it comprises a group of deep, narrow lakes running North to South carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. The lakes create a “lake effect” that influences the grape growing and the wine. “The temperature changes from 85 degrees to 45 degrees at night because of the lakes, so the vines shut down at night, which preserves the acidity of the wine,” explained Josh Wig, vice president of winery operations at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, on Seneca Lake. The resulting wines, similar to those in Germany and Alsace-Loraine, are known for their crisp, refreshing style wi...
by Stephanie Kalina-metzger
If you would have approached John and Noemi Halbrendt a decade ago and asked about their plans for retirement, it’s unlikely either would have predicted winemaking. The couple spent years in academia before launching Halbrendt Vineyard & Winery in Orrtanna, a five-acre, boutique winery located just seven miles west of Gettysburg in the scenic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. On the surface, it seems as if the stars aligned to take them where they are today, but as their story unfolds, it becomes obvious that much more than luck was at play as they embarked on their ‘second act.’ A Symbiotic Relationship John and Noemi’s lives intersected on the job as they pursued their respective careers. Noemi earned her Ph.D. in plant pathology in Japan, before embarking on post-do...
by Marla Durben Hirsch
Would you pay more – or less – for wine depending on the gender of the winemaker? One study reveals that female winemakers may be at a disadvantage when pricing their wine, especially if they are associated with other female winemakers. Two researchers from the Kedge Business School in France studied whether the gender of a winemaker might influence how much a consumer would be willing to pay for the wine. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this had not been previously studied. They recruited male and female French-speaking consumers from France and Belgium because French is a gendered language, and only surveyed people who were relatively familiar with wine. They provided the respondents with sets of five identical wines. All of the wine labels were the same excep...
by Marla Durben Hirsch
There has been plenty of research that has studied how people’s drinking habits can affect their health and how long they live. It’s also well established that couples’ drinking habits can affect their relationships. Those with discordant drinking behaviors – say one drinks and one doesn’t, or one drinks to excess – often report greater conflict and are more likely to get divorced. In contrast, those with “concordant” – i.e., similar – drinking habits tend to be happier and stay married longer. This isn’t necessarily surprising; they’re sharing similar activities, appear to have similar views towards alcohol, and likely are socializing with each other while drinking. But what about putting the two concepts together? Can a couple’s drinking also affect ...
by Penny Sadler
Note: this article orginally appeared on my site, Adventures of a Carry-on From its early beginnings in the vineyards of Los Angeles to recognition as American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, San Antonio Winery has always been committed to leaving a legacy for generations to come. Owned and operated by the Riboli family for over 100 years, today, under the Riboli Estates Group, the family owns vineyards in Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and Monterey County. The business evolved from its founding as a winery buying fruit from other growers, to owning over 1200 acres of premium vineyard land. Through the Riboli Estate Group, they produce wine using 100% estate grown fruit. With an eye to the future, the family took steps to control more of the winemaking process, fr...
by Marla Durben Hirsch
As you may know, wine sold in the European Union that was packaged or labeled after December 8, 2023 is now required to provide nutritional data, calorie counts, certain additives, and other information. Some of it needs to be on the label itself; the rest can be provided on a website, accessed, perhaps, by using a QR code. The United States is now considering whether it should require wine to provide more information. On January 31, 2024, The Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced that it will be holding listening sessions and accepting comments on the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages. This announcement stems from a 2022 report recommending that TTB consider new rules. The law currently does not require alco...
by Eric V. Orange, CEO/Founder LocalWineEvents.com
Planning the Trip: Send in the cavalry (or better yet, send in Many More Travels) I’ve been in the wine business for 40-plus years, so when my wife announced we were going to the V. Sattui Harvest Ball, to celebrate a dear friend's birthday, I was assigned the task of planning an unforgettable week around the Napa winery’s annual party. With my experience and industry relationships I thought, "I got this." To begin my mission, I sent an exploratory email to numerous Napa contacts to see what unique adventures might be had. Their responses were both generous and overwhelming—50 emails with one great recommendation after the next. That’s when it hit me; planning this trip is not going to be as easy as ...
