March 13, 2026 (Novato, CA) — Following the release of the Preliminary 2025 California Grape Crush Report, Turrentine Brokerage, the largest California grape and bulk wine brokerage company, has issued a market assessment characterizing the 2025 vintage as one of the most challenging for the wine industry since Prohibition. According to the new state data, the total tons crushed came in at 2.62 million tons, a figure that is above initial projections and well above what was felt by the industry. This statewide volume is 8% below 2024 and 23% below the 5-year average. Total red wine production declined by 9% and white wine production declined by 6%. “The decrease in tons is still very positive news for the industry overall,” said Steve Fredricks, President at Turrentine Brokerage. “The 2025 vintage highlights the industry’s directional shift of declining production and an overall restructure of the industry. 2025 represented continued challenges for grower

Unlock the Full Aromatic Potential of Your Wines Aromatics are at the heart of a wine’s identity, whether you are aiming for fresh, fruity whites, complex, expressive rosés or a fruit-driven red wines. At each stage of the winemaking process, you have the opportunity to shape and elevate your wine’s aromatic profile. Our targeted range of products offers you a complete toolbox to guide and enhance expression, from grape to bottle.  1) Enhance Precursors – Set the Stage for Aroma Development OptiEsters OptiEster® boosts the formation of fruity and floral fermentative esters by providing key precursors for higher alcohol acetates and fatty acid ethyl esters. Dosage: 20–40 g/hL Use: Early fermentation – Enhances fruitiness, lifts aromatics, refreshes overripe grapes, and helps mask smoke taint and vegetal notes. OptiThiols OptiThiols® is a formulation of inactivated yeasts rich in reducing compounds that protects against oxidatio

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

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s preliminary 2023 grape crush figure, published February 9th, totalled 3,668,294 tons, in line with Ciatti’s pre-harvest projections of 3.5-3.7 million tons. The crop was 8% larger than 2022’s 3.39 million tons but the fifth consecutive crop to come in below the 4-million-ton mark. At least part of the shortfall was attributable to uncontracted grapes going unpicked: Many wineries were willing to receive grapes only to the contracted volumes and then held growers to that number.  Chardonnay’s total tonnage was up 24.1% versus 2022 to 651,610 tons, re-taking the crown as the state’s largest variety which it briefly lost in 2022 to Cabernet (itself up, by 14.1% to 646,941 tons). Versus 2022, some 66,000 extra Chardonay tons were harvested in Lodi and Clarksburg combined. Sauvignon Blanc experienced the same percentage growth as Chardonnay, up 24.1% to 162,765 tons, while Pinot Gris tonnage was up 19.1%

Whether we want to admit it or not, how a product is packaged plays a crucial role in a consumer’s buying decision. In a 2018 survey, 72% of consumers in America said that the packaging design influences their purchase decision.  Investing time and resources into your glass wine bottles to appeal to your consumer base is undeniably important. The journey of your wine bottle, from choosing the shape of the bottle, all the way to the label design, makes an impression on consumers.  A beautifully designed wine bottle has great potential to support and amplify your carefully considered brand or label design. Jody Tucker of Tucker Creative, emphasizes that a deliberate process of selecting the right bottle or designing one fit for purpose, has implications for the customer’s ability to relate to and engage with the product across all touchpoints of packaging design. We have identified 7 ways to make your wine bottle appeal to your target market and stand out on the s

Best of Show Awarded to Brecon Estate Albariño    June 6, 2023 (Santa Rosa, Calif.) — Winners have been announced for the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition, which took place in May in Santa Rosa, Calif. Taking the top spot this year is Brecon Estate 2022 Albariño, which judges described as “fresh and bright,” “honeysuckle,” with a “lingering finish.” Ultimately, they concluded, “a very well-made wine.”  Brecon Estate is a boutique estate winery located in the westside hills outside of Paso Robles, Calif. “This particular varietal has been hugely successful for us,” says winemaker Damian Grindley. “It fits so well with alfresco summers in Paso Robles and so many Southern states, as well as the seafood culture of the [San Luis Obispo] Coast. It’s helped put both Brecon Estate and Central Coast Albariño on the map.” He continues, “Its fruit sourcing h

Best of Show Awarded to Brecon Estate Albariño    June 6, 2023 (Santa Rosa, Calif.) — Winners have been announced for the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition, which took place in May in Santa Rosa, Calif. Taking the top spot this year is Brecon Estate 2022 Albariño, which judges described as “fresh and bright,” “honeysuckle,” with a “lingering finish.” Ultimately, they concluded, “a very well-made wine.”  Brecon Estate is a boutique estate winery located in the westside hills outside of Paso Robles, Calif. “This particular varietal has been hugely successful for us,” says winemaker Damian Grindley. “It fits so well with alfresco summers in Paso Robles and so many Southern states, as well as the seafood culture of the [San Luis Obispo] Coast. It’s helped put both Brecon Estate and Central Coast Albariño on the map.” He continues, “Its fruit sourcing h