Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Takes Top Prize  November 18, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 2025 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Red Wine and Best of Monterey County AVA. Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “warm and spicy” with “fig and nutmeg.” Other descriptors included “meaty,” “prosciutto,” and “dried rose petal.”  With entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine.  In other competitions, this terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challen

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...

Terlato Wines Hires Michael Coode, Rutherford Hill Winemaker and Chris Wilder, Supply Chain Director

RUTHERFORD, CA (June 14, 2022) – Established in 1938, fourth generation family-owned and operated Terlato Wines today announced the appointment of Michael Coode to the role of Winemaker at Rutherford Hill Winery.  2022 is […]