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

Following an incredible weekend at the CRUSH Wine & Culinary Showcase, I’m proud to share that Legacy Barrel Services is now an official Silver Affiliate Member of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. We’re thrilled to be part of this growing community of winemakers, growers, and partners who are shaping Temecula’s next chapter in California wine. The region’s energy, quality, and sense of collaboration are truly inspiring. Legacy looks forward to spending more time in Temecula, meeting producers, visiting cellars, and supporting the amazing wines being crafted here. A sincere thank you to Bianca Castillo, Leah Ponte, and the entire TVWA team for the warm welcome. Excited for what’s ahead.

With the U.S. wine industry under pressure from declining sales, shifting consumer trends, and economic headwinds, Sonoma County’s vintners and grape growers are coming together in an unprecedented way to confront these challenges – and chart a positive path forward for the local industry. A steering committee of regional leaders has been formed to explore establishing the Sonoma County Wine Improvement District (WID) to provide stable, strategic funding for the long-term strength and sustainability of Sonoma County’s wine and agricultural economy.  The stakes are high. The marketplace is changing rapidly and maintaining the status quo is not an option. The wine industry is facing challenges like never before which must be addressed to reverse the decline and grow the overall wine category.  This effort is significant and grounded in a fundamental truth: grape growers and vintners are inextricably connected, and the success of one depends on the strength o

Founded in 1974 as the first winery in Southern California’s Temecula Valley, Callaway Vineyard & Winery has long stood as a symbol of innovation and heritage in the region. Originally launched by Eli Callaway—who famously went on to start Callaway Golf—the winery has passed through corporate ownership and scaled to a peak of 750,000 cases. Today, the future is rooted in the past. Now family-owned by the Lin family, Callaway is embracing a premium, estate-only approach under the leadership of acclaimed winemaker Giovanni Verdejo. A native of Mexico City, Gio spent over two decades in Napa Valley crafting 90+ point wines for Foley Family Wines. Now, at Callaway, he leads a 10,000-case DTC-focused production that reflects both craft and character, with wines sold exclusively through their wine club and tasting room (named Newsweek Readers' Choice Best in the Nation, 2024). To match this elevated vision, Gio and the Callaway team knew

When I start feeling optimistic, I imagine one or two people might read these blogs, (although I have a sneaking suspicion that they sit out on the internet equivalent of a doctors waiting room table between the large type Reader’s Digest and June 2004 People magazines). But I wouldn’t be able to legitimately pretend to be an industry expert if I didn’t do the obligatory “predictions” blog. I will stick to my lane: Marketing. Because it’s what I know and also there are many other excellent articles out there with overall market predictions. (But, then again, what do I know? My senior thesis at Boston University was an analysis of radio and TV media consumption patterns with the supposition that cable television would never take off because people wouldn’t pay for it.) So, I’ve been wrong. Like, really wrong. But assuming I get lucky sometimes, here are five things I believe will come to pass. 1) GENERATION X WILL DEMAND ATTENTION. We&rsq

Afternoon Brief, April 25th

Vintage Point LLC Files Lawsuit Against Bacchus Capital Management Over Bill: A wine broker has filed a lawsuit against a wine company over a bill exceeding $157,000, according to court records...

Afternoon Brief, April 13th

Washington Wine Industry Helps Stall Bill to Lower DUI to .05%: Senate Bill 5002 didn’t make it across the finish line this year, but responsible wine consumers should keep in their rearview mirror the idea that a sizeable group of Washington state lawmakers wants to lower the legal limit of blood alcohol content to 0.05%...

California is one of the world’s largest wine regions, representing more than 80 percent of the wine grown in the United States. The state’s massive wine industry is also engaged in efforts to lower its environmental impact and improve sustainability amid a prolonged drought, wildfires and rising energy costs. Few regions better understand the importance of water conservation and renewable energy than Southern California. In Temecula Valley, where the sun shines an average of 276 days of the year, wineries are increasingly focused on harnessing solar energy and using water more efficiently. Robert Renzoni Vineyards is one of the region’s leaders on sustainability. Robert is always searching for ways to operate the business more efficiently, whether that’s using water conservation techniques or employing an environmentally friendly method of growing grapes that draws on the power of the sun. “We are about to be labeled the very first and only 100 percent s

Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country’s Doffo Winery Reaches Next Milestone in Unique High School Viticulture Program

First vintage from student-managed Orange Vista High School vineyard soon to be bottled Temecula Valley, CA, May 2, 2022 – Doffo Winery, the Temecula Valley Southern California Winery known for their premium […]