Category: Articles

A new map of the Contrade dell’Etna has just been updated

The process has been long and meticulous.  The map clearly defines and identify the borders and the exact position of the Contradas within the Etna DOC production area. It was prepared by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Etna DOC with contribution by the Agriculture Department of the Department of Agriculture of the Sicilian Region.

The identification of the districts has been previously based on the interpretation of old cadastral maps with no updates to level curves, and continuous eruptive activity of Etna. The new map was created starting from recent topographic surveys which were then superimposed on cartographic layers constructed through multiple surveys with GIS (Geographic Information System) instruments.

“This is a demanding job that has finally come to an end and which represents only the first step in an even more complex project of studying the Etna area” comments Francesco Cambria, President of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Etna DOC. “Never had a study of this type been done.

The goal was to clarify the exact boundaries of the 133 Contrade dell’Etna within the production disciplinary and to identify the new ones that will be officially introduced in the coming months.

The incredible biodiversity that Etna preserves, in fact, is expressed not only within the different slopes of the volcano where our viticulture is present, but also in the many Contradas starting from the different stratifications of the lava flows and the exposure of the vineyards. . All factors that make each Contrada almost unique within the Etna area, capable of giving different nuances to its wines “.

The Production Disciplinary of the Etna Controlled Designation of Origin, the oldest present in Sicily born in 1968, recognizes from 2011 within its area, which extends over the territory of 20 municipalities, the presence of 133 districts, legally equivalent to Additional Geographical Units. In the long work of reconnaissance of the territory, the updating of the borders has led to the identification of 9 new districts, thanks to the collaboration of the producers belonging to the Consortium, which will be officially included in the next update of the production specification. The new Map of the Contrade also takes into consideration the latter, reaching the number of 142 Contradas, divided into the territory of 11 municipalities: 25 in Randazzo, 41 in Castiglione di Sicilia, 10 in Linguaglossa, 13 in Piedimonte Etneo, 8 in Milo, 4 in Santa Venerina, 20 in Zafferana Etnea, 9 in Trecastagni, 6 in Viagrande, 1 in Santa Maria di Licodia, 5 in Biancavilla.

#EtnaDOC #etnawine #winesofsicily #sicilianwines #italianwines #sicilia #sicily #drinksicily #sicilianwine #sicilianwines #winelovers #wineinfluencer #italianwine #italianwinelovers #winenews #winemap #etnacontrada #volcanicwine #etnadocwine #etnanord #etnasud

Californian Vintners Report “High Quality” for the 2022 Harvest

The California Vintners Report came out this week and described this year as “a tale of two harvests”, with the heatwave in the week around Labor Day dividing the season into earlier and later picks. . Besides some of the “curve balls” one winemaker states the quality was “off the charts”

The summer growing season was ideal on the North Coast, the report said, until the late August heatwave accelerated the harvest and reduced yields in many places. Mendocino, however, saw yields up in 2019, because of the cool spring and milder-than-normal temperatures, even though the extended heat wave and limited water resources for irrigation proved challenging during the harvest.

Meanwhile, Lodi and the Sierra Foothills saw some late frost after a mild spring “dramatically” reduced the size of the crop.

There was good news from Napa Valley, which recorded excellent quality. More than 20 inches of rain fell in October and December 2021, bucking the years of drought seen across the region, which was followed by dry conditions from January until March. The Spring was mild and cool, but the Labor Day heatwave sent temperatures soaring into triple digits – up t0 110 -118 degrees in some places – for nearly a week, although cools nights helped to temper this and allows the vines to recharge.

This caused ripening to accelerate throughout the valley, and picking began earlier-than-average for many varieties, although growers had to use multiple techniques to help vines ride out the heat, where unripe grapes had been left to hang. There was some dehydration though, resulting in lower yields but greater concentration and flavor intensity, the report said.

Nate Weis, vice president of winegrowing at Silver Oak and Twomey Cellars in the Napa Valley said 2022 was likely to be “a pretty intense vintage — concentrated and powerful”, with particularly Pinot Noir from the Russian River, Anderson Valley and Santa Lucia Highlands, and good Merlot and Cabernet Franc. “The quality,” he said, “is off the charts.”

Duckhorn Vineyards’s vice president of winemaking Renée Ary noted the estate’s Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot were “some of the best ever and the Chardonnays are bright, balanced and focused”, she said.

“Given the range of ripeness, blending will be important for the 2022 vintage as we balance our early and later picks.”

Meanwhile, in Sonoma County, limited rainfall, early season frost, warm spring and an early summer proved to have no ill effects, although some yields were lighter than average. However, the report noted that “fruit quality thus far is stunning and the overall smaller berry and cluster sizes point to a stellar 2022 vintage… [with] vintners… reporting wonderful concentration and flavor in the wines.”

Lisa Amaroli, director of winemaking at Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County said it was “one for the record books”.

It comes as California’s Wine Institute has begun a new push to increase Californian wine exports – part of its ten-year strategy to grow US wine export sales to more than $2.5 billion by 2030.

View the full 2022 California Harvest Report, including regional reports from Amador County, Calaveras County, El Dorado County, Lake County, Livermore Valley, Lodi, Mendocino County, Monterey County, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma County: https://wineinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Wine_Institute_2022_Harvest_Report.pdf

#CalifornianVintnersReport #californiawine #wine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #napavalley #sonoma #harvestreport #californiawinecountry #winenews #CaliforniaWineInstitute #californiawine #california

Neal Family Vineyard [Napa] are officially “Regenerative Organic Certified®”

Napa Valley’s biodynamic winegrowing pioneer Mark Neal has recently announced that his Howell Mountain estate winery, Neal Family Vineyards, has achieved Regenerative Organic Certified® as recognized by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA). The ROA was established in 2018 and is today considered the highest level of certification. There are only five vineyard estates worldwide that hold Regenerative Organic Certified® status and Neal Family Vineyards now represents the first Napa Valley vineyard to receive this certification.

“I first achieved organic certification in 1984 but being the first in Napa Valley to achieve the Regenerative Organic Certified® stamp of approval is still an exciting accomplishment for us because of what it stands for,” said Neal, vintner, founder, and owner of Neal Family Vineyards. “ROA was founded to address climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming and fractured rural communities globally.  Regenerative organic agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. This new certification goes farther than any other organic certification – including CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) – by requiring specific farming practices that build soil health, ensure fairness to farmers and farm workers, and improve animal welfare. We have always exclusively used organic and biodynamic practices in our vineyards, and this certification further cements that commitment to the land and our community.”

Mark Neal is considered one of Napa Valley’s earliest organic and biodynamic pioneers and the valley would not be where it is today without his early advocacy for organic farming. He and his father started Jack Neal & Son (JNS) in 1968 and his vineyards have been certified organic starting in 1984 – long before there was any marketing cachet around sustainability. Today, under Mark’s leadership, Jack Neal & Son manages the most CCOF Certified acres in Napa Valley and can claim the largest biodynamic farming operation in the United States, effectively making Mark Neal one of Napa Valley’s most influential grape growers when it comes to ethical farming.

For more information visit  www.NealVineyards.com/

#NealFamilyVineyards #HowellMountain #RegenerativeOrganicCertification #NapaValley #vineyards #clilmatechange #biodiversity #organicfarming #biodynamic #winelovers #wine #winenews

 

Eastbound Westbound “A winemaker’s story from Bordeaux and California”

Eastbound Westbound “A winemaker’s story from Bordeaux and California” is an engaging present-day historical movie… 🎬 🎥 🎞️

…it transports you to another time period and location..

….you become engrossed in the plot…

… you also find yourself inside iconic wineries, and historic chateaus like Château Haut-Brion (Premier Cru Classé en 1855, Pessac-Léognan), and Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Cru Classé de Graves, Pessac-Léognan)

Check out the official trailer and see for yourself ….https://lnkd.in/g-uEY8Ag

#film #documentary #behindthescenes #filmproduction #setdesign #filmcrew #filmlocation #filmset #movielocation #instagood #filmtourism #filmtourist #wine #winelover #thomasjefferson #bordeauxwine #finewine #crusclassés1855 #bordeauxwinelovers #winehistory #filmlover #wineinfluencers #sommlife #sommelier #winenews #wineindustry #winetrade #eastboundwestboundfilm

Wine Unify Appoints Alicia Towns Franken Executive Director

Wine Unify, a nonprofit organization, founded to champion and promote diversity within the wine business, has announced Alicia Towns Franken as Executive Director.

Alicia has served as the Head of Mentorship and as a member of the Board of Directors since Wine Unify was officially founded in 2020. Described by her colleagues and mentees as “the heart” of Wine Unify, she brings with her firsthand experience of how the non-profit serves the wine community.

“We have all worked as volunteers at Wine Unify since the beginning, knowing that the most important priority for our donations was to go back to the awards and community-building goals we set for ourselves. We are thrilled to have reached a point in our growth where an Executive Director is both necessary for our growth and a natural part of our evolution,” says Wine Unify Co-Founder Mary Margaret McCamic, Master of Wine. “There is no one I would rather see steer this ship than my friend and colleague, Alicia Towns Franken.”

Board of Directors member Priyanka French stated, “Alicia has brought compassion, raw conversations, a sense of community and genuine relationship building into our Wine Unify program since its inception. We are so excited to see her step into this role.”

Alicia brings with her nearly 30 years in the wine industry. She began her career as the Wine Director for Boston’s famed Grill 23 & Bar, where she worked for over a decade to build one of the city’s most respected wine programs. She later worked as a sought-after wine consultant and event planner under her own business, Towns Franken Consulting. Most recently, she was the Vice President of the Wine Portfolio for Archer Roose, a canned wine company seeking to democratize the wine business. Ultimately, though, her passion for building community, working to champion a more diverse wine industry, and innate talent for mentoring young wine professionals led her to take on the role of Executive Director for Wine Unify.

“I could not be more proud of the work we have done at Wine Unify, and I cannot wait to lead this organization as we continue to grow. Giving back, being a part of change, and working to diversify the wine industry is what feeds my soul,” Alicia says of her new role.

To date, Wine Unify has given 95 awards to BIPOC wine professionals and enthusiasts. These awards include fully-funded courses through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), sponsorship from Coravin, glassware from Stölzle and Gabriel Glas, as well as subscriptions from Jancis Robinson and more. These awards are one piece of the organization’s core mission to welcome, elevate, and amplify the voices of underrepresented minorities in the wine business.

#wineunify #womeninwine #womeninwinebusiness #bipoc #wineindustry #winetrade #winenews #wine #winelovers #winelovers #AliciaTownsFranken