To toast or not to toast, that is the question. No, we aren’t talking barrels in general (those always taste better toasted, trust us), but we are talking barrel heads! There are a lot of ways to customize wine barrels to your exact preference: toast type, toast level, oak species, oak seasoning, and today’s topic – head toasting. Let’s explore the history and chemistry of barrel head toasting. Traditionally, in the times of ships and casks, wine barrel heads were left untoasted. Why? Well, logistically it is extremely difficult to evenly toast a flat piece of wood. French and Eastern European oak were the primary wood species used in premium wine production for a long time and they tasted quite nicely with untoasted heads. No need to change what isn’t broken, right? BARREL HEAD TOASTING ON AN INFRARED EMITTER AT MISSOURI COOPERAGE As winemaking and coopering techniques evolved, toasting the heads became an exploratory question worth pursuing. The qu

Ted Henry Joins Groth as Director of Winegrowing 

OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (July 6, 2021) — Ted Henry has been named Director of  Winegrowing at Groth Vineyards & Winery in Oakville, Napa Valley. Henry comes to Groth from Clos  du Val, where he served for over five years, most recently as Director of Winemaking. Prior to that he  was Winemaker at Jarvis Estate, […]

Suzanne Groth of Groth Vineyards & Winery Elected Wine Institute Chairman 2021-2022

June 9th – SAN FRANCISCO — Suzanne Groth, President and CEO of Groth Vineyards & Winery, headquartered in Oakville, CA, was elected Wine Institute Board Chairman for the 2021-2022 fiscal year at the organization’s 87th Annual Meeting of Members. Other officers elected were Rick Tigner of Jackson Family Wines in Santa Rosa, First Vice Chairman; […]

Groth Announces Oakville Neighbors Series

New wines honor distinguished Oakville grower-partners OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (June 7, 2021) — Groth Vineyards & Winery has released the Oakville Neighbors Series, a new portfolio of limited-production, single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons sourced from distinguished grower-partners who have helped make the Oakville AVA one of the most highly regarded appellations in Napa Valley. Coinciding with […]

Brian Baker is well known in the wine industry as a Sales and Profitability specialist and has given many talks and workshops on the subject. He is also a managing partner of Cultivar Marketing, which provides wine sales and marketing consulting. We recently reached out to Brian to discuss the future of the tasting room, especially in the face of COVID-19 quarantine.   Milton Cornwell: Thank you for agreeing to the interview, Brian! There is a lot I want to discuss with you, especially with all the changes we’re seeing with coronavirus [COVID-19] and how wineries are embracing technology. I can’t help but compare this to Y2K—that event fundamentally changed how companies embraced technology. Are we in a similar kind of moment now?   Brian Baker: It is a pivotal moment, if that’s what you mean. Disruptive events like these have disruptive consequences. They also create opportunities. Coming out of this crisis, winery-owned tasting rooms have a c