Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Takes Top Prize  November 18, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 2025 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Red Wine and Best of Monterey County AVA. Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “warm and spicy” with “fig and nutmeg.” Other descriptors included “meaty,” “prosciutto,” and “dried rose petal.”  With 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, this terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challen

Hear me out Up and down the California Coast, we got some rain last week. Up North, places got around 1.3” with up to 2” closer to the ocean. Down south in Paso Robles, we’re looking similar numbers of between 1.5” and 2”. So, one would naturally think that if we were irrigating post-harvest (as we highly recommend), we can stop now. As you may have suspected by the title of this article, that may or may not be the case. Profile Picture Here at AV, we love looking at soil moisture charts. However, in the case of rainfall, it can be misleading. Looking at the graph below, you can see that irrigations produce a clear spike indicating how deeply water percolated and how long it took to be completely depleted by plant roots. Rain doesn’t deliver the same concentrated volume you’re used to getting with a drip emitter. Therefore it doesn’t infiltrate the soil in the same way. You may see shallower percolation from the inch plus of rain we got

Let’s be honest: There’s a certain magic to pouring wine in your own tasting room—the clink of glasses, the sunlight through the vines, the laughter echoing off the barrel room walls. But what if you could bottle that magic and uncork it anywhere in the world? Today’s top-performing wineries aren’t just waiting for guests to walk through their doors. They’re packing their corkscrews and passports, finding their biggest fans where they live, work, and play—from the next city over to the far side of the globe. Welcome to the golden age of wine roadshows—and, now, globetrotting wine adventures! Why Travel? Because Wine Is About Connection Wine is the ultimate connector. It brings people together and creates memories, whether it’s a backyard BBQ in Austin or a sunset dinner on the Amalfi Coast. Your most devoted club members and best customers crave those connections—and they’re hungry (and thirsty) for experiences that go b

A photoshoot isn’t just about pretty pictures—it’s about crafting a visual story that stops people in their tracks and says, This is who we are. For wineries, this is even more important. Your brand isn’t just about your wine; it’s about the experience, the values, the magic of your vineyard, and the people behind every bottle. But how do you translate something as intangible as a feeling into photos that sell? It starts with understanding your brand—truly understanding it—and building visuals that capture its essence. Let’s walk through how to plan a winery photo shoot that doesn’t just look good but feels true to your story. Start with Your Brand, Not Your Bottles It’s tempting to jump straight into logistics—what shots you need, when the lighting is best—but resist that urge. Your shoot starts with your brand. Without clarity on what makes your winery special, your photos will look generic, and generic doesn&rs

Planning a year’s worth of winery marketing campaigns might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! This guide offers 60 winery marketing campaigns—a mix of traditional ideas, trending concepts, and fresh ways to tie into wine holidays and cultural moments. Whether you tackle five campaigns or all 60, you’ll find plenty of ways to connect with your audience, build loyalty, and sell more wine. January – Fresh Starts and Cozy Comfort Start the year by replenishing wine racks, embracing wellness trends, and celebrating comfort. Restock the Wine Rack: Give customers a reason to restock their post-holiday shelves with irresistible case discounts. January Blues Buster: Warm up dreary winter days with a winery marketing campaign focused on bold reds and bubbly wines paired with hearty recipes. Dry January Wellness Kits: Stay on-trend with non-alcoholic bundles featuring sparkling water, herbal teas, and a voucher for tastings next month. Super Bowl Prep: Fo

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

Can you believe it’s March? Soon rain will abate, buds will break, and Q2 will be here before we know it along with, hopefully, tourists. This blog starts by summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some trends we think you can build upon this year. Will the political climate once again hijack all of America’s attention and make people wary of venturing out? Or will it be more likely to scare us to other countries for a respite abroad? If tasting room traffic is down this year as it was last year, it is even more important to know what consumers are looking for in the hopes of developing programs consumers want. The smart winery will be continually testing different experiences this year to try and attract the right customer to their brand. This blog starts summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some of the trends we think you can build upon this year

At the edge of the coastal redwoods lies a ranch where two young doctors from upstate New York, Marguerite (known as Beba) and Paul Frey, settled on 95 acres to raise their family. Their home is nestled between the Mendocino and Coastal mountain ranges in a narrow valley that opens into Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley. The headwaters of the Russian River lie just 5 miles north, past a Buddhist monastery, and upward into the mountains. The Frey family grew to twelve children amid the valley’s natural beauty and abundant native plants and wildlife while its vineyards and gardens thrived in the fertile soil.  “My mom and dad bought the ranch in 1962, the year I was born,” says Frey Winery winemaker Paul Frey (the younger). “Then they got all of us kids out there to plant the vineyards in 1967. We started making wine in 1978 and became an official bonded winery in 1980. Our wineries were organic from the beginning ― before the term organic was defined

Sunridge Nurseries is excited to announce our most recent partnership with the Karniel and Giumarra families to offer the globally renowned ARRA™ Varieties! Together, we are dedicated to bringing you a diverse selection of innovative and delicious table grape varieties. The ARRA™ Program The ARRA™ Varieties are successfully grown and licensed globally, in over 30 countries across 6 continents, under various weather conditions. In light of worldwide recognition and demand, the ARRA™ Varieties are constantly spreading to new regions. The ARRA™ program boasts many unique advantages, notably featuring the earliest white, red, and black trio in the world. Additionally, the varieties demonstrate an impressive tolerance to rain, and an ability to thrive in diverse climates, including extreme heat. Early Sweet™, the very first variety released and the earliest commercial, seedless, white variety available worldwide, is well known for its very high fertility,

JUNE 28, 2024 – Winners have been announced in the 17th annual Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWWSC). The competition, which took place June 10-12 in Santa Rosa, Calif., was founded on the premise that the majority of wine purchased for home consumption is bought by women. The IWWSC judging panels consist entirely of professional women in the wine and spirits industries — winemakers, distillers, marketers, buyers, sommeliers, educators and journalists.  “As always, the International Women’s Wine & Spirits Competition shined a spotlight on hundreds of deserving wines,” says Debra Del Fiorentino, owner of Wine Competitions Management & Production, which organizes and presents IWWSC. “And even though entry is open to all winemakers regardless of gender, I found it gratifying that six of this year’s sweepstakes wines were created by women. And our overall wine winner also was named Best Woman Winemaker