Alexander Valley, CA — April 2026 — This April, Alexander Valley Winegrowers invite wine lovers—both new and experienced—to slow down, sip freely, and reconnect with the heart of wine country during TASTE Alexander Valley: Back to Our Roots, a month-long celebration of wine, hospitality, and genuine connection.  Running throughout the entire month of April, TASTE Alexander Valley offers a rare opportunity to experience the region without the usual barriers of tasting fees. Participating wineries will provide complimentary tastings, welcoming guests to explore at their own pace while engaging directly with the growers, winemakers, and owners who define Alexander Valley.  “TASTE Alexander Valley is about removing the barriers that often keep people from exploring wine,” said Jessie Vallery, Executive Director of Alexander Valley Winegrowers. “Whether you’re just starting to learn about wine, or you love tasting but are tired

The 2025 Barrel Weekend is all about tasting wines from the past, present and future. This annual weekend event has been reimagined for its 47th anniversary, letting the wineries along the Wine Road focus on more than just tasting wines from the barrel. And, giving tasters new opportunities for exploring and learning about wine. More Tasting Options With wineries pouring wines from past (library wines), present (current release wines) and future (barrel samples), attendees have more choices and can choose what they most enjoy or what they seeking to restock their wine cellars. As you look through the online Barrel Weekend program, you’ll discover wineries pouring wines from one, two or all three of the category options. This information lets you, the ticket holder, design the tasting path that suits your palate preferences. If you love tasting only barrel samples and possibly buying wine futures, you can still do that. But, if you prefer to taste wines that are currently availabl

Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling Takes Top Honors November 15, 2024 — Winners have been announced in the 2024 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging,Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Sparkling Wine. Coming in at 97 points, judges praised the wine for its “Mouth watering citrus and honeysuckle”; “Lingering tropical finish”; and “Perfect bubbles.” They also called it “Well balanced.” With a record number of entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine. In other competitions, terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines alongside other wines of the same appellation. W

Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir Takes Top Honors November 17, 2023 — Winners have been announced in the 2023 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best Red Wine and Best of Anderson Valley AVA (Mendocino County, Calif.). Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “rich, ripe” and for its “Bing cherry,” and “hint of orange peel.”  Lula Cellars is a boutique winery located in California’s Anderson Valley. Its focus is on world-class Pinot Noirs both from its estate and across Anderson Valley, as well as other single-vineyard offerings from the greater Mendocino County. When preparing to plant their own vines, Lula owners discovered some-1,000 old vines “literally lying down, as if waiting to be rescued.” Lots of TLC later, these mystery Pinot Noir grapes have thrived. There’s no in

Healdsburg, Calif. (November 12, 2020) — For the fifth consecutive year, North Bay Business Journal (NBBJ) honored 13 of the region’s most influential Latino Leaders in Business on October 30, 2020. Rack & Riddle is proud to announce that its Director of Operations, Agustin Ponce, is one of this year’s well-deserved honorees Ponce has worked for Rack & Riddle for a decade, leading production operations since 2016, managing a crew of 24 cellar and production employees. A longtime fixture in the wine industry, Ponce worked his way up through the ranks of several large-scale winery cellars prior to working for Rack & Riddle. Over the last decade, he has been a steward of our custom crush winery’s significant expansion of operations — from its beginnings in Hopland, Calif. — to its most recent expansion as the region’s largest fully automated custom crush winery and bottling facility based out of Healdsburg and Alexander Valley. A ma

Wine's COVID Winners and Losers: As the world learns to live with coronavirus, what impact has it had on wine prices?... The post Afternoon Brief, October 9 appeared first on Wine Industry Advisor. Url:https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/10/09/afternoon-brief-1714?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=afternoon-brief-1714 Published Date:Fri, 09 Oct 2020 20:26:49 +0000 

An Estimated 80% of Napa Cabernet May Be Lost to Fire and Smoke: On the evening of Sept. 27, when winemaker Chris Howell saw flames on a ridge a mile away from Cain Vineyard and Winery, he and his wife Katie Lazar knew they had to leave... The post Afternoon Brief, October 6 appeared first on Wine Industry Advisor. Url:https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/10/06/afternoon-brief-1711?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=afternoon-brief-1711 Published Date:Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:45:18 +0000 

WINDSOR, CA – October 6, 2020 – Alexander Valley Cellars is proud to announce it will be purchasing Wine Country Cellars and Wine Country Shipping. The deal is scheduled to close October 16, 2020. While AVC has been in business since 1985, this is their first acquisition. “We are so excited to be expanding our […] The post Alexander Valley Cellars to Purchase Wine Country Cellars and Wine Country Shipping appeared first on Wine Industry Advisor. Url:https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/10/06/alexander-valley-cellars-purchase-wine-country-cellars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alexander-valley-cellars-purchase-wine-country-cellars Published Date:Tue, 06 Oct 2020 18:59:31 +0000 

By Charlotte Seligman 10 years owning and working the vineyards of Limerick Lane Cellars, Jake Bilbro, decided it was time to recast the winery’s brand to be more reflective of the estate’s unique 110-year history. He wanted to convey the rich story of the land and the people who worked it. But how to weave a visual and verbal narrative that succinctly speaks of the land’s magic and the world-class wines it produces? These questions haunted Jake Bilbro for weeks, until one day he found his inspiration. In his own words, Bilbro describes the experience: “Often, I find the answers to many questions associated with Limerick Lane in the property itself: the hills, the vines, the rocks, the trees, and of course, my family. This would be no different. At home, where my family sleeps, and the original founders of the vineyard slept, covered with grass and flowers at the end of our driveway lies a section of a tree stump. I have passed by the stump hundreds of