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

Afternoon Brief, April 11th

The Sun Also Rises: Solectrac Shifts Business Model to Remain Relevant: Interim CEO Robin Mackie addresses rumors of the company’s demise...

February 9, 2024 – Novato, CA – The California Department of Food and Agriculture Preliminary Grape Crush Report, containing tons crushed and prices of wine grapes sold during the 2023 harvest, has been released. The Crush Report provides growers and wineries insight into the inventory position of the California wine business as a whole and influences market dynamics for the current bulk wine market and grape market.  The 2023 Crush Report, coming in at a total of 3.6 million tons, fails to capture the full story of the 2023 harvest. The crop would have been considerably larger if not for soft demand and disease pressure that caused some acres to go unharvested. Despite the size of the overall crop, most wineries found themselves with an excess supply amid challenging conditions in consumer sales.  For specific details on 2023 harvest, see below: Key Insights by Region   Tons Crushed 2023 Tons Crushed 2022 Net Gain/Loss Equivalent Gallons

Afternoon Brief, December 18th

British Man Accused of Swindling Nearly $100 Million in Wine Fraud Case Pleads Not Guilty : A British man accused of allegedly defrauding investors of nearly $100 million through a Ponzi-like scheme involving nonexistent luxury wines pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court on Saturday...

Wine Industry Champion: Kim Stemler Makes Monterey Wine Shine

Meet Kim Stemler, Executive Director, Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association By Laura Ness   INTRO: Wine Industry Advisor is pleased to debut a new profile series, Wine Industry Champions, […]

Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir Takes Top Honors November 17, 2023 — Winners have been announced in the 2023 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best Red Wine and Best of Anderson Valley AVA (Mendocino County, Calif.). Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “rich, ripe” and for its “Bing cherry,” and “hint of orange peel.”  Lula Cellars is a boutique winery located in California’s Anderson Valley. Its focus is on world-class Pinot Noirs both from its estate and across Anderson Valley, as well as other single-vineyard offerings from the greater Mendocino County. When preparing to plant their own vines, Lula owners discovered some-1,000 old vines “literally lying down, as if waiting to be rescued.” Lots of TLC later, these mystery Pinot Noir grapes have thrived. There’s no in

Afternoon Brief, August 29th

E & J. Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group Announces Acquisition of World-Renowned Rombauer Vineyards: E. & J. Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Rombauer family to purchase Rombauer Vineyards, producer of critically acclaimed wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, the Sierra Foothills, and the Santa Lucia Highlands...

2023 Wine Grape Harvest Begins in Monterey County… Finally! 

Positive Outlook Even with a Later-than-Usual Start to Harvest MONTEREY COUNTY, CA, August 29, 2023 Monterey County Vintners & Growers

Afternoon Brief, August 24th

Fire Watch: Caldor Fire Blazes Through El Dorado Wine Country: The Caldor Fire has torched 114,166 acres of El Dorado County. As of this writing the fire is only 9 percent contained, has destroyed 615 structures and damaged 29. No wineries have reported any damages or immediate threat of damage by fire...