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

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: Wine Industry Network Recognizes 5 Companies with 2024 WINnovation Awards

The winners of Wine Industry Networks 12th annual WINnovation Awards for excellence in wine industry innovation are...

Wineries can now offer bubbles from California’s mid-state AVA Manveer Sandhu Rack & Riddle, the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the United States, has expanded their portfolio of wine offerings to include two new sparkling wines from California’s Central Coast region.  Rack & Riddle’s new Central Coast Sparkling Wine Program includes a Méthode Champenoise Brut and a Rosé. Vineyard sourcing is from the Central Coast American Viticultural Area. This region includes Monterey Bay and Santa Lucia Highlands sub-AVA’s, places long prized for growing cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, ideal for crafting premium sparkling wines. “The Central Coast, with its maritime influence, is a region optimal for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir,” said Rack & Riddle Executive Director of Winemaking Manveer Sandhu, “Elegant grapes with bright acidity are grown in this AVA, ideal for making premium sparkling wines f

Afternoon Brief, April 23rd

Wine Industry Makes Sustainability Push with New Packaging Alliance: A new alliance of wine brands is launching a push for sustainable packaging solutions across the US wine industry...

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...

E & J. Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group Announces Acquisition of World-Renowned Rombauer Vineyards

NAPA, CA., Tuesday, August 29, 2023 – E. & J. Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group announced  today that it has reached an agreement with the Rombauer family to purchase Rombauer Vineyards, […]

Afternoon Brief, February 7th

Oregon Uproar Over Underage Liquor Drops: One-third of liquor deliveries in the state don't comply with rules on delivering booze to underage or intoxicated customers...