Hey all. Short week, short list. And I’m going to be out and about celebrating my wedding anniversary.
Peace. ✌️🥂
Virginia Is Finally for Wine Lovers
As a young man in the 1970s, Jim Law studied agriculture and worked in Zaire in the Peace Corps. On his return, he decided he wanted to make wine. So, he headed for the East Coast, arriving in Virginia in 1981.
It was an unconventional choice. In California, wine was gaining momentum and ready to soar. Virginia had barely gotten started. But one of its pioneers, Gabriele Rausse, had arrived a few years earlier from the Veneto region of Italy, and that got Mr. Law’s attention. READ MORE…
Except when…
My Visit to the Trump Winery, Where Patriotism Is Sold by the Bottle
The pastoral countryside south of Charlottesville, Va., is quietly presidential.
Visitors from around the world travel through the green rolling hills to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Though it’s been named as a UNESCO world heritage site, its presence is indicated only by a decorous sign.
From there, the Thomas Jefferson Parkway leads to the James Monroe Parkway, where a more discreet sign points toward Highland, Monroe’s home.
The restraint ends a few miles down the road, where the American flags begin. Hundreds of them line the top rungs of split-rail fences facing Route 627, snapping in the wind and stretching for a mile or more. Like a big brass band, they shout out your arrival at Trump Winery. READ MORE…
Sonoma developer to remain jailed as details of alleged massive Ponzi scheme emerge
Kenneth Mattson stood impassive Friday as prosecutors urged a federal judge to keep the real estate developer behind bars at least through the Memorial Day weekend.
He was on the 15th floor of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, but he’d fallen far. Mattson, 63, spent years running a seemingly prosperous real estate investment business centered in his Wine Country town of Sonoma, where he snapped up dozens of properties. Along the way, he purchased a multimillion-dollar mansion in Piedmont and a luxury car business.
Now, prosecutors were arguing that Mattson had funded a lavish lifestyle by orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme involving scores of people who entrusted him with their life savings. He pleaded not guilty to nine counts of wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. READ MORE…
Some how THIS 👆 and THAT 👇 feel…parallel…
‘Confusing and hurtful’: Investment firm takeover sparks fear at Press Democrat
Staffers at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a 168-year-old newspaper in Sonoma County, say they have deep concerns about local journalism and the future of their newsroom after a controversial investment firm purchased the outlet earlier this month. READ MORE…
Legendary Sonoma County vintner Ted Seghesio didn’t know if he’d ever make wine again. Now he’s back with his own label
When Ted Seghesio made the gut-wrenching decision to leave Seghesio Family Vineyards in 2018, he didn’t know whether he’d ever make wine again.
A fourth-generation member of Sonoma County’s second oldest winemaking family, Seghesio had spent the last 39 years transforming the family business.
What was initially a major bulk wine supplier was now one of California’s top Zinfandel producers.
Edward (Ed) Seghesio, Ted’s father, had been the company’s winemaker for 30 years before passing the torch to his son. When Ted decided it was time to move on, Ed approached Ted’s wife, Dana. READ MORE…
Scientists find ‘forever chemicals’ in American beers
The discovery was made by the ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology team which recently conducted a study to find out how polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” get into beers and how much they contain.
The researchers outlined that PFAS are human-made chemicals produced for their water-, oil- and stain-repellent properties. Notably, they have most recently been found in surface water, groundwater and municipal water supplies across the US and the world, according to the team which has set out to highlight how even though breweries typically have water filtration and treatment systems, they are not designed to remove PFAS. READ MORE…
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Saicho sparkling tea: giving fine wine pairings a run for their money
If you thought that wine was the only worthy pairing for a Michelin-star meal, think again.
Saicho, a sparkling tea brand based in both Hong Kong and the UK, is changing the narrative around what to drink in fine dining restaurants, securing listings for its non-alcoholic range in some of the most iconic venues in the world.
Saicho sparkling teas are available in 15 countries and served in more than 70 Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide.
The list of venues spans from Hong Kong and the UK, its home markets, to the UAE, Canada, China, Singapore and the Netherlands. London’s Core by Clare Smyth and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Hong Kong’s 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo – Bombana and Librije in the Netherlands are just some of the three-Michelin-starred venues which stock Saicho’s teas. READ MORE…
Now THIS 👆is something my -ish self can get into…
Blogs Worth a Read
Taken from the list of Blogs and other media outlets I follow regularly, here are just a few posts from this past week I think are worth a read. Shoot me a note if you have suggestions of independent media to follow or want your outlet included on that list.
WineGourd: What countries are best represented in Sweden’s wine retailer monopoly?
I have recently produced a couple of posts about wine availability in Sweden, pointing out that it is not actually restricted, as is sometimes claimed (The availability of older wine vintages in a wine monopoly; The broad availability of United States wine in Sweden’s wine retailer). This is in spite of the fact that the government owns the alcohol retail chain.
The point here is that government regulation of alcohol consumption is widely practiced around the world, including ownership of the alcohol-retail chain. For example, the history of Prohibition in the U.S.A. is intimately concerned with this topic. In that case, after ceasing the ban on alcohol retail of any sort, there were several subsequent suggestions of government control of alcohol sales, leading to the adoption of the current Three-tier System (A brief history of the three-tier system in America), in which distribution and retail must be carried out by separate companies. READ MORE…
Press Releases
These are some press releases I received this week that I actually thought were interesting…enjoy!
Wine With Jimmy and Commonwealth Wine School Announce Partnership
Wine With Jimmy, the premier, independent e-learning revision and resource platform for WSET wine qualifications, and Commonwealth Wine School, a leading wine education center in the United States, are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership aimed at enriching the educational journey of aspiring wine professionals and enthusiasts. READ MORE…
A Japanese delegation visits the Wineries and vineyards of Rioja Alavesa in the Basque Country
A Japanese delegation, made up of 16 sales representatives, importers, chefs, specialized journalists, and influencers, is currently traveling through different parts of the Basque Country, in the southwest Atlantic of the European Union, visiting producers of txakoli, cider, and Rioja Alavesa wines. Mariko Ichikawa and Yosuke Sato, Tokyo Wine School, are showing particular interest in Basque restaurants. Mrs Amaia Barredo, Minister of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries of the Basque Government, highlighted this morning in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, “the Quality of the Basque Country in the food and gastronomy sector” and “the commercial, gastronomic, and cultural ties that Japan and the Basque Country are fostering.” READ MORE…
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