Spending a weekend sipping superb wines while savoring the perfect food pairing sounds like heaven. Add in breathtaking scenery and the relaxing ambiance of Sonoma County’s Wine Country, and now you have paradise perfected! This magical wine and food weekend becomes reality on November 1st and 2nd as the Wine Road hosts the 27th annual Wine & Food Affair. A Sneak Peek at the Food Pairings With 50 wineries to select from, there are too many food pairings to list, so here are just a few highlights. If you love Italian-based comfort food, check out: Mushroom and Winter Squash Risotto at Pedroncelli Winery Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Sauce at Pech Merle Winery Tatiana’s Famous Lasagna at Colagrossi Wines If you’d rather pair Mexican, French or Cajun with delicious wines, here are some options: Roger’s Colorado Pork Green Chili at J. Cage Cellars Creamy Mushroom Chicken Facon Grand Mère at GC Lurton Vineyards Alison’s Jambalaya at Mat

Independent Stave Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Glycine Bonneville-Jiang as Oak Research & Development Specialist based in Napa, California. Bonneville-Jiang brings extensive experience in wine research and production, with a specialized focus on wine microbiology, sensory analysis and vineyard-to-cellar innovation. She most recently served as R&D Manager at Lawrence Wine Estates, where she led technical initiatives for Heitz Cellar, Burgess, Ink Grade, Haynes and Stony Hill. Her work has included microbial analysis, smoke taint mitigation, native fermentation development, and soil health trials to enhance wine quality and sustainability. With more than a decade of global wine experience spanning France, Australia and the United States, Bonneville-Jiang has held research and harvest positions at wineries including Vieux Château Certan, Le Pin, Domaine Louis Latour and Château Léoville Barton. She has also consulted on wine microbiology in

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

What is "Visionary Leadership"? Although most winemakers would hope that their entries into the wine world would be more unique than the next, crafting excellence in a wine from "X-AVA", or like Carol Shelton Wines "Monga Zin" from Cucamonga CA, what sets apart visionaries is having a unique approach that produces much more than simply another 'great wine'. The questions we ask ourselves are critical in 'self-evaluation' with a primary one being; "What exactly are we doing as an organization to lead with a Vision?" This is the question Wine Technology, Inc. Founder Kelly Graves posed to himself when he purchased the Vin Wizard technology and company. "I wanted to create a layer of useful technology that could enhance existing technologies in winery automation by being able to go right over the top of other existing technologies & that a winery doesn't have to abandon a good tool for a 'better one. We needed a comp

NAPA, Calif. (Apr. 7, 2025) – Cooperages 1912 is committed to supporting wine barrel clients through the evolving tariff environment with a multi-faceted strategy designed to promote stability, continuity, and long-term partnership. As part of their commitment to build enduring relationships based on trust, transparency, and shared success, they are implementing the following measures: Cooperages 1912 to Offset Tariffs on Imported Barrels In a proactive move to protect clients from added financial pressure, Cooperages 1912 will not pass on the 20% tariff on EU-imported goods for their French-made barrels – Tonnellerie Quintessence, Tonnellerie Tremeaux, Maison Moussié. The company will also absorb the 10% tariff on Australian-imported goods for their Heinrich Cooperage barrels made in Australia. This initiative ensures Cooperages 1912 clients can continue sourcing from their premium global barrel portfolio without disruption and will remain in effect througho

The 2025 Barrel Weekend is all about tasting wines from the past, present and future. This annual weekend event has been reimagined for its 47th anniversary, letting the wineries along the Wine Road focus on more than just tasting wines from the barrel. And, giving tasters new opportunities for exploring and learning about wine. More Tasting Options With wineries pouring wines from past (library wines), present (current release wines) and future (barrel samples), attendees have more choices and can choose what they most enjoy or what they seeking to restock their wine cellars. As you look through the online Barrel Weekend program, you’ll discover wineries pouring wines from one, two or all three of the category options. This information lets you, the ticket holder, design the tasting path that suits your palate preferences. If you love tasting only barrel samples and possibly buying wine futures, you can still do that. But, if you prefer to taste wines that are currently availabl

NAPA, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2025) – Cooperages 1912, a subsidiary of Independent Stave Company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Shelton as Director of Sales and Operations for North America, South America, Australia, and Asia.  In this role, Shelton will oversee the day-to-day management and development of the North American wine barrel market and sales team headquartered in Napa, California. He will also be responsible for overseeing Cooperages 1912’s international subsidiaries in Australia, Chile, and Argentina, which include two wine barrel cooperages and finished barrel warehouses.  In addition, Shelton will supervise and direct the efforts of the R&D personnel and analytical laboratory located at the Cooperages 1912 Napa offices. This aspect of his role will help shape new product development strategy and execution, as well as brand development.  Born and raised in Texas, Shelton brings more than 15 years of experience in the wine i

Afternoon Brief: New US Alcohol Report Tainted by Bias, Conflicts

Broad Group of National Agriculture, Beverage and Hospitality Associations Urges Secretaries of USDA and HHS to Reject Findings...

JUNE 28, 2024 – Winners have been announced in the 17th annual Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWWSC). The competition, which took place June 10-12 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.  “As always, the International Women’s Wine & Spirits Competition shined a spotlight on hundreds of deserving wines,” says Debra Del Fiorentino, owner of Wine Competitions Management & Production, which organizes and presents IWWSC. “And even though entry is open to all winemakers regardless of gender, I found it gratifying that six of this year’s sweepstakes wines were created by women. And our overall wine winner also was named Best Woman Winemaker

Winemaker Carol Shelton Named Honorary Head Judge at the International Women’s Wine & Spirits Competition

June 13, 2023 (Santa Rosa, Calif.) — Esteemed winemaker Carol Shelton has been named Honorary Head Judge for the 2023 Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition, which takes place June […]