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

This past summer, three wine industry colleagues came up with the idea of Come Over October to encourage people to get together once again to celebrate life’s special moments and friendships over a glass of wine. Why Now? Although we were all excited to be able to gather again after the pandemic shutdown, life demands derailed many of us from continuing to reach out to those we enjoy and carving out time to spend with them. Come Over October’s mission is straightforward and simple: “… to encourage people to invite family and friends, new and old, to come together during the month of October to share some wine and friendship. We believe that through the simple act of sharing wine, we share other things that matter — generosity, caring, and a belief that being together is an essential part of human happiness.” Getting together with friends for a glass of wine after work, on a Saturday afternoon with appetizers, or over a meal has been the social

With so many wineries, lodgings, and wines along the Wine Road, the WineStopper Program highlights a different winery, lodging, and wine every week. It’s a great way to learn a little bit more about what’s happening along the Wine Road.  Recently, Spicy Vines in Healdsburg was the featured winery: Click Here to Learn More About the WineStopper Program...

Afternoon Brief, June 17th

Winery Owners, Guests Flee as Point Fire Erupts in Sonoma County Wine Region: Guests enjoying an afternoon of wine tasting at Capo Creek Winery on West Dry Creek Road were forced to flee after the wind-driven Point Fire broke out Sunday afternoon in the heart of one of Sonoma County’s most iconic wine regions...

DaVero Farms & Winery Hosts Summer Art Installation Celebrating Farming and Nature

Healdsburg, CA – June 17, 2024 – DaVero Farms & Winery, a regenerative biodynamic farm winery, is delighted to announce an exclusive summer art installation and two engaging events. From […]

Sales Trends and Predictions, Consumer Motivation, Wine Club Retention, Navigating Wholesale Distribution, Wine Marketing Winners, and MORE! Join us Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Santa Rosa, CA, for this one-day event focused on delivering insights, advice, and predictions from industry leaders and winery executives from thriving brands sharing their strategies for succeeding in this competitive landscape. The Symposium program will open with a keynote address by Ben Dollard, President of Treasury Americas, and continue with topics that cover insights into customer demographics, industry sales trends and predictions, luxury wine consumer motivations & behaviors, converting website traffic into revenue, wholesale channels success, wine club retention, and more! Session panels will host speakers from notable brands that include Clif Family Winery & Farm, Customer Vineyard, DaVero Farms & Winery, Distinguished Vineyards, Far Niente Family of Wines, Knights Bridge Winery, L

Afternoon Brief, April 17th

Ackley Brands Acquires Washington Wineries Columbia Winery and Hogue Cellars: Ackley Brands, a family-owned company based in Seattle that owns and operates premium beverage brands in the Pacific Northwest, has announced its acquisition of Columbia Winery and Hogue Cellars from Gallo...