Sparkling wine is one of the most expressive and technically demanding wine styles. Its character begins with the grape variety, the vineyard, and the production method, but the final sensory signature depends heavily on yeast. Yeast acts as the invisible winemaker, shaping aroma, flavor, texture, and bubble structure throughout both primary and secondary fermentations. Different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae behave very differently under the challenging conditions of sparkling wine production. Low pH, increasing alcohol, and high pressure create an environment where only the right strains thrive. Equally important, each strain varies in its ability to create and release the flavor compounds that drive complexity and define style. When secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and is followed by proper riddling, the yeast has an even greater influence on the final profile. To help winemakers better understand the impact of yeast selection, ATPGroup conducted a focused tria

The magic of wine is in every bottle, each a unique blend of colors, aromas, flavors, and stories. I live on Keuka Lake just outside of  Penn Yan, NY. Keuka (CUE-kah) lies in the heart of the 11 Finger Lakes, is shaped like a Y with two northern branches, and is the only lake in the world which flows both north and south into outlets that flow to other waterways. Penn Yan, incorporated in 1833, stands for Pennsylvania Yankee, reflecting the two groups of migrants who settled here and collegially compromised on a shortened version of their combined origins. PY, as we call it, has a bit over 5,000 residents in a county with about 20,000, many of them horse-and-buggy Mennonites who produce wonderful food, quilts, buggies, bikes, buildings, and much else. Keuka Lake is home to about a dozen superb wineries and lots of wine history. When I don’t have time to winery-hop, I go to Hoban’s in town, a small wine and spirits store with an excellent selection of local wines and m

Independent Stave Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Glycine Bonneville-Jiang as Oak Research & Development Specialist based in Napa, California. Bonneville-Jiang brings extensive experience in wine research and production, with a specialized focus on wine microbiology, sensory analysis and vineyard-to-cellar innovation. She most recently served as R&D Manager at Lawrence Wine Estates, where she led technical initiatives for Heitz Cellar, Burgess, Ink Grade, Haynes and Stony Hill. Her work has included microbial analysis, smoke taint mitigation, native fermentation development, and soil health trials to enhance wine quality and sustainability. With more than a decade of global wine experience spanning France, Australia and the United States, Bonneville-Jiang has held research and harvest positions at wineries including Vieux Château Certan, Le Pin, Domaine Louis Latour and Château Léoville Barton. She has also consulted on wine microbiology in

The ninth annual Rich Smith Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the American grape and wine industry was presented today to Emily Hodson, the winemaker at Veritas Vineyards and Winery, a co-owner of Flying Fox Vineyards and Winery, and an active leader in the Virginia wine industry. Members of the Smith family and sponsoring organizations present the Rich Smith award to Emily Hodson (third from left). The prestigious award annually reflects the spirit and accomplishments of the late Richard (Rich) Smith, founder of Valley Farm Management and Smith Family Wines in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands wine region in Monterey County. Rich was first and foremost a family man, but also a successful grape grower and winery owner, and a highly respected colleague known for the combination of passion, commitment and collaboration which helped advance the American grape and wine industry. Ever since Rich passed away in December 2015, three organizations—WineAmerica, N

The Come Over October celebration is roaring ahead, with wineries, wine stores, restaurants, and consumers celebrating wine as the beverage that brings us together. Wineries throughout the country are celebrating COO in different ways. Here in the fabulous Finger Lakes, Fox Run Vineyards is hosting Food & Wine Experiences and Harvest Dinners. The former includes tours of the vineyard and winery, followed by a special luncheon in the barrel room featuring local foods with Fox Run wines. The October Harvest Dinners are five-course feasts featuring local products whenever possible, paired with appropriate wines, and described by the chefs and winemakers who put it all together. The pairings: –Steamed Steelhead Trout Wonton with 2022 Sur Lie Chardonnay –Shellfish Paella with 2023 Semi-Dry Riesling –Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Toasted Coconut Salad with 2021 Doyle Family Unoaked Chardonnay –Bostrom Farms “Bone-In” Pork

Afternoon Brief, June 5th

Feds Grill Ex-Workers from Iconic NYC Wine Shop Sherry-Lehmann as Fraud Probe Heats Up: The feds may be close to putting a cork in their year-long probe of iconic wine shop Sherry-Lehmann — and potentially bringing charges against its former owners for allegedly scamming customers out of their vintage bottles...

When I start feeling optimistic, I imagine one or two people might read these blogs, (although I have a sneaking suspicion that they sit out on the internet equivalent of a doctors waiting room table between the large type Reader’s Digest and June 2004 People magazines). But I wouldn’t be able to legitimately pretend to be an industry expert if I didn’t do the obligatory “predictions” blog. I will stick to my lane: Marketing. Because it’s what I know and also there are many other excellent articles out there with overall market predictions. (But, then again, what do I know? My senior thesis at Boston University was an analysis of radio and TV media consumption patterns with the supposition that cable television would never take off because people wouldn’t pay for it.) So, I’ve been wrong. Like, really wrong. But assuming I get lucky sometimes, here are five things I believe will come to pass. 1) GENERATION X WILL DEMAND ATTENTION. We&rsq

LISTEN IN Sustainable Winegrowing...on the go! The Sustainable Winegrowing podcast brings you the latest science and research for the wine industry from the world's top experts and experienced growers. In the time it takes to drive from one vineyard to another, you can listen to in-depth technical information on topics like integrated pest management, fruit quality, water conservation, and nutrient management. Sharing your Sustainable Story with your visitors is made even easier with our Marketing Tips episodes. Listening is easy: Search for Sustainable Winegrowing on your podcast player. Click subscribe so that you never miss an episode. Use your new knowledge to make smarter, sustainable vineyard management decisions to increase efficiency, conserve resources, and maximize product quality. Here's what Greg Pennyroyal, Vineyard Manager at Wilson Creek Winery and Professor of Viticulture at Mount San Jacinto College has to say: "It is obvious that the Vineyard Team po

FAS Visits FLX This week we were pleased to welcome some 25 representatives of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to Fox Run Vineyards in New York’s Finger Lakes Region—the FAS in FLX! Led by Trade Policy Expert Ben Henderson, the group included Agricultural Policy and Marketing Specialists from many countries in Asia (China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam), Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden), the Middle East and South Asia (Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), and several others. They work at embassies responsible for promoting U.S. agricultural products, and spent this week visiting various agricultural producers in the Northeast, as well as Cornell University. Fox Run, a leading New York winery, was the first stop, and a logical one, given that it has long been part of the FAS-funded Market Access program (MAP) that promotes U.S. exports. In addition, co-owner Scott Osborn is the current Vice Chair of WineAmerica, which i

As consultants and custom crush winemakers, we work with seasoned and novice winemakers alike. When people think about making wine, they are sometimes ready to source grapes and start a wine label. However, making wine is only part of the process. The first thing we often tell aspiring vintners is that one must start with a business plan—because after all, making wine is a business. A common question relating to the business plan relates to winery finances. How do you build a budget? What numbers are important to consider? What data can give a readout of business performance? Mark Pisoni is a co-owner of Gravity Wine House and conducted investment analysis for his Master’s Degree while at Cornell University. We used that as a basis for assembling this blog post to give you some ideas for how to get started. The information was developed for wineries in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, but can apply to anywhere. If you’re ready to jump in with budgeting, sk