November 13, 2025 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Soper Reese Theater 275 S. Main St., Lakeport Join us for an engaging afternoon that brings together growers, winemakers, and industry professionals to explore what makes Lake County winegrapes truly distinctive. Through guided tastings, insightful discussions, and expert-led panels, this event will highlight the character, variety, and innovation that define our region. Register now to secure your seat for this special half-day tasting and learning experience. Program highlights: Aromatic Whites – Explore how Lake County’s high elevations and varied microclimates shape these fragrant, expressive wines. Sauvignon Blanc Comparison – Side-by-side tastings that reveal how Lake County terroir and grower–winemaker collaboration define the region’s signature variety. Alternative Reds – Discover lesser-known reds that thrive in Lake County’s volcanic soils and diverse vineyard sites. Cabernet Sauvignon Co

As summer unfolds across Napa Valley, vineyards are entering veraison, shifting their focus from growth to sugar accumulation and flavor development. For winegrowers, this period marks a delicate balancing act: providing just enough water to support berry development while inducing the mild stress that concentrates flavors and enhances wine quality. Historically, irrigation decisions during veraison have relied on experience, visual cues, and sometimes educated guesswork. But with water becoming an increasingly precious resource and quality standards higher than ever, Napa growers are turning to precision irrigation tools that offer deeper insights and control. Why Veraison Demands Precision During veraison, the vine’s water needs become more nuanced. Over-irrigation can dilute berry flavors and increase canopy growth, leading to shading and higher disease pressure. Under-irrigation, on the other hand, risks stalling berry development and causing uneven ripening. This fine line r

Wakefield Taylors Wines and 1800 Milenio Take Top Honors July 14, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 18th annual Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWWSC). The competition, which took place recently 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.  This year, Wakefield Taylor Wines 2024 Estate Riesling and 1800 Milenio Extra-Aged Añejo took top honors. Wakefield Taylor, a heritage winery in Australia’s Clare Valley (a region known for quality Reislings), wowed judges with its “mouthwatering citrus blooms” and “gentle salinity.”  A representative from 1800 Mileno remarked, “1800 Milenio is backed by 11 generations of tequila-making e

At Peregrine Mobile Bottling, we believe that the final stage of winemaking - the bottling line - shouldn't be a compromise. Instead, it should be an opportunity to elevate your product, preserving all the hard work, nuance, and care that went into every vintage. Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand how integrating advanced Gas Management using a KH Tec Membrane Technology into the bottling process makes an undeniable difference in wine cost savings, quality, shelf stability, and consumer experience. This is our story - and the story of the wineries who trust us to help them tell theirs.  Where Technology Meets Terroir When we started offering gas management services alongside our mobile bottling, we weren’t just adding a feature. We were responding to a real need in the industry. Too often, wineries saw excellent wines lose their luster after bottling. Subtle aromatics would flatten. Effervescence would fade. Shelf life suffered. The common culprit? CO₂ and Oxyge

Introduction Coopers have long recognized the importance of forest origin in shaping the sensory qualities of wine, yet relatively little research has been conducted to understand the underlying factors driving these effects. With access to oak sourced directly from several prestigious and historically significant French forests through our company-owned stave mill in northeastern France, we saw a unique opportunity to investigate how forest terroir contributes to wine expression. This study was conducted for our TW Boswell brand of French oak barrels and aimed to evaluate whether specific forest origins impart distinct chemical and sensory characteristics to wine. We selected three single-origin forests – Allier, Tronçais, and Nièvre and a blend composed of Bertranges, Bercé, and Russy – to compare the influence of each on wine aged in barrels crafted with TW Boswell’s proprietary toasting profiles. Our goal was to better understand the role of f

If you’re a winemaker, winery owner or executive, you know that crafting wine is anything but a straightforward manufacturing process. And small decisions can make and break profits. Winemaking isn’t a simple recipe; it’s an evolving blend of art, science, and constant hands-on adjustments. Every harvest, blend, and barrel is unique, meaning there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to production. That’s where traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems fall short. While they’re great for tracking your general ledger, automating order management, and tracking case goods inventory, they don’t understand the nuances of wine production. In this article, we’ll get into why ERPs just aren’t a good fit for the cellar—and why integrating purpose-built winery solutions can make all the difference. Where ERPs Miss the Mark for Wineries No Vineyard Tracking or Insights Winemaking starts in the vineyard, but most ERP

Listen to this article! By acting environmentally and socially responsible today, we give future generations a healthy place to call home. The actions that you as an individual take have an impact. The summer months bring more staff and guests into tasting rooms across the country. Invite your whole team to join in your brand’s sustainability efforts when you practice these 5 Sustainable Tasting Room Habits. 5 Sustainable Tasting Room Habits   Tip #1: Conserve Simple actions like completely shutting off water faucets after use and notifying management of leaks help to conserve this limited resource. Turning lights and appliances off when not in use reduces electricity use. Although the commercial end-use energy sector uses the smallest amount of energy of the four sectors (transportation [36%], industrial [35%], residential [16%], commercial [13%]), the majority of the energy used comes from fossil fuels (EIA.gov, 2022). Small efforts in the workplace reduc

Across six generations, the Hill-Smith Family has evolved from pioneering grape growers and winemakers to a global wine company integrated through vine cultivation, wine growing, wine making, and international distribution, with a diverse portfolio of world-renowned wine brands and vineyard sites across esteemed wine regions, including Barossa, Limestone Coast, Riverland, Tasmania, and Marlborough. In an intentional shift, they've upscaled their production strategy by implementing InnoVint as their winery operating system. This transition was part of a pivotal change to embrace purpose-built, modern technology to advance operations across their wine business from dirt to shelf. The Challenge Legacy Systems and the Need for Modernization Facing the reality of their legacy wine production software nearing end of life, Hill-Smith Family Estates (HSFE) recognized they needed technology to meet their current and future needs. Brent Jones, COO and Executive Director of Operations at HSFE

Afternoon Brief, September 28th

Is a Robotic Arm in Calistoga Pouring the Future?: An early-stage piece of technology at Maria Concetto's tasting room in Calistoga is turning heads. Known as RobinoVino, this robotic wine-pouring arm is not merely a novelty but a functional prototype with potentially significant implications for the sector...

Stop by the InnoVint booth to talk with the team about bringing your winery into InnoVint’s modern lens of winemaking management. The InnoVint team is excited to promote: 3D tank maps, wineries can create a digital replica of their tank maps. NEW Commerce7 integration enables wineries to create a grape-to-bottle-to-DTC-sales solution. The COGS tracking module provides granular, real-time visibility into actual winery production costs by lot, broken down by cost category. With full traceability, combat stringent label regulations and catch oversights that could lead to audits. TTB Reporting with just a few clicks! While at the booth, remember to grab a sticker of InnoVint’s new company mascot, Cooper, the winery dog! InnoVint has been revolutionizing vineyard and winery operations since 2013 with the leading winery production software. The company was founded and built by winemakers, so they understand the wine industry’s unique challenges. And with over 5,000 winery