"wineries" news and stories

If you've got millions of dollars, you could probably buy a winery somewhere in the south of France to make wine yourself. But then again, you've got to not only know about wine, but how to make wine. Come to think of it, you're probably going to need to grow some grapes, too.  

If that's a problem for you, then you can buy a $1,999 WinePod from ProVina instead. The WinePod is a complete state-of-the-art winery all rolled up into a tiny four-foot-tall pod that fits inside your home. You don't even have to hide it in your garage because it's not ugly. If you're into the Jetsons, that is.

The San Francisco Chronicle has some details about how the WinePod works, from ordering grapes all the way to bottling. If you want one, you have to act fast. There's already a waiting list.

One of the reasons I miss the Bay Area is the San Francisco Chronicle. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Los Angeles Times and a couple of the writers in the weekly food section are ones I look forward to. However, the San Francisco Chronicle dedicates a whole section to wine on Thursdays (and the fact that there is no need to "register" right away).

As we've already posted, the Chronicle pays homage to the wines of New Zealand this week, but their list of 36 recommendations from the 52 wines that they tasted deserves to be singled out. They're all Sauvignon Blanc, which is what New Zealand is famous for.

• Highest ranked of their list, rated three and a half stars (***½) to 2005 Framingham Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($17), 2005 Matua Valley Paretai Estate Series Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($17), and 2005 Sauvignon Republic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($18). 2005. That was a very good year.
• Three stars (***) out of four awarded to 2005 Forrest Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($16).
• Two and half stars (**½) for just about everyone else.

  Aw, they didn't even mention my favorite Monkey.

   

If you've got 35 million euros (that's $42.6 million), then according to Decanter, you could buy the St. Emilion grand cru classe Chateau Soutard. Dating back to the 1700s, it is one of the oldest wineries in the region.

The family that has owned and run the winery since 1836, des Ligneris, has decided to sell it, but has not given specific reasons as to why. However, decanter does note that director Francois de Ligneris is very traditional in his appraoch to wine-making, is deeply opposed to the St. Emilion syndicat, and the INAO.

[via Luxist]

Today was the first day that three new Viticultural areas, or wine regions, in Washington (Wahluke Slope), Texas (Texoma) and California, can be noted on wine labels. NPR has a nice piece on how this happened in Ramona Valley, near San Diego, Calif. In order to be designated as its own appellation, a region must prove that it has unique topography and climate; that there is some history of the area being called, in this case, "Ramona Valley"; and that wine grapes can, and are, being grown there.

Ramona Valley is distinct thanks to its position about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and about 20 miles from the desert. It cools off quickly during the evening, but the days provide long hours of warmth and good ripening time. Grapes that do well in Ramona Valley, says a winemaker, include Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc.

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