How California's pursuit of balance is now producing breakthrough wines

The 21^st century has seen a remarkable upsurge in the plantings of Pinot Noir throughout California, from a crush of 53,050 tons in 2000 to 248,469 in 2012. Concentrated on areas such as Sonoma, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Napa, and Mendocino, the upturn in the grape's fortunes has been matched by quality. The Sideways effect is much cited, but more important has been the discovery of sites, often near the coast, suited to this difficult grape variety and a different approach from the traditional Californian style of fruity, jammy Pinot.

Record breaking auction was only one highlight of Napa's "Premiere Week"

Last week's Premiere Napa Valley barrel tasting and live auction, held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Saint Helena, set the stage for bidding on a unique and highly-selective range of the appellation's finest wines resulting in a new record of $6 million USD in fundraising for local charities.

Napa Valley wine community moves forward despite persisting tremors

The Napa Valley was shaken by three back-to-back aftershocks on Tuesday, as wineries, local businesses, and residents began to rebuild following the larger quake that struck on Saturday.

Napa Valley wine industry rocked by 6.1 earthquake

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Napa Valley early Saturday morning, leaving core restaurant and wine industries in both Napa and Sonoma counties reeling as they assess damages.

Californian wineries look to make use of a trade loophole and build exports to Cuba

From this side of the Atlantic relations between Cuba and the United States would hardly be described as friendly. But, as Katherine Canfield, explains there is far more bridge building going on than you might think. Here she looks at how the Californian wine industry is looking to promote its wines to the Cuban wine trade.

John Williams at Frog's Leap on the changing face of Californian winemaking

Reflecting on the recent period of uncertainty for this year's vintage in Napa Valley as a result of drought conditions in California, Katherine Canfield catches up with Frog's Leap winemaker, John Williams, in Rutherford to discuss how approaches to winemaking in the region are changing.

Sherry gains popularity in the US with younger drinkers

Wiine.me looks to crowdfunding to raise money for new susbcription education site

Crowdfunding could enable Swiss online wine subscription service Wiine.me to incorporate an innovative online wine education platform, The Wine Academy, into its offering.

Linda Reiff and Patsy McGaughy on raising big money for Napa Valley

Digital innovation achieves record breaking $18.7 million at Auction Napa Valley

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association kicked off its 34th annual Auction Napa Valley on the 6th of June, but for the first time permitted bidding for the Barrel Auction via a mobile app.

US craft brewers unite for travelling beer festival

US craft brewer Sierra Nevada is teaming up with 700 brewers to host a series of beer festivals and collaborate on limited edition beers at a roadshow travelling from its California base to its new facility in North Carolina throughout July and August.

Oregon wineries boost profile through direct sales

Oregon's wineries have turned to direct cellar door sales to help boost their brand and develop a following both in the US and internationally.

Katherine Canfield on how California is leading the way in wine tasting experiences

Whist other wine regions still struggle with establishing a successful wine tourism industry, California, which has long gone above and beyond welcoming visitors and offering tastings to create an all-encompassing experience for winery visitors, is now employing this approach in other areas of the industry, such as trade and consumer tasting events.

California shines the spotlight on latest Chardonnay trends and issues

Over 50 Chardonnay producers from Santa Barbara to Napa Valley and Sonoma County came together to discuss the latest trends and issues surrounding this key wine varietal at the 5th Annual Chardonnay Symposium held last weekend in Pismo Beach, California.

Katherine Canfield on why Californian winemakers are ditching "big and bold" for more restrained European style wines

Uproot Wines looks to attract new US wine drinkers through colour only wine labels

US consumers no longer need reading glasses or language dictionaries to decipher wine labels; but they do need a taste for colour.

Menopausal women are the target for new US wine brand - Hot Flash Wines

A new wine business targeting menopausal women has been set up in the United States called Hot Flash Wines.

Katherine Canfield on a new US wine business targeting menoposaul women

The important role women play in the future of wine - and the drinks industry as a whole - is undeniable; however, this critical demographic continues to be elusive for many in the trade. Wine businesses have attempted to fill this gap in their customer base with new marketing strategies, such as the calorie-focused marketing for wines and cocktails employed by US alcohol brand Skinnygirl Cocktails

Katherine Canfield: consumers are listening to those who communicate well

Communication - a topic that is discussed time and time again by those of us in the wine trade, from producers to bloggers and retailers to restaurateurs. Technology continually provides innovative devices to facilitate and increase the reach of communication, yet a common sentiment is that whilst other industries use these tools to engage with their consumers in a profitable way, the wine trade is failing to do so effectively.

Champagne Occasions: Engaging the consumers

The second Harpers Champagne Occasions roadshow asked how on-trade buyers and operators can engage consumers and trade them up by linking Champagne with food.