Good weekend to you. Hope everyone is staying healthy and happy out there. I’ve been quite busy myself, hence lack of original content. But I assure you one of the things that’s keeping me busy are my WSET Diploma Studies, and I will have more D3 content coming soon. Meanwhile, my D2 looms over my head. (The test is in two weeks!)

But enough about me, there’s a lot of other stuff going on in the world. While Napa is taking tolls of damages done from the recent complex of fires, Sonoma is sending out warnings about how to prepare for the rainy season. Although, a bit of insider info: we’re under advisory for power outtages and. more wildfires as we enter another heatwave situation this weekend.

I’ve got an interesting section below entitled “Not Wine.” Find out what’s happening in the beer, spirit and food industries.

Of course, as always, don’t forget to scroll down to the Blogs for some independent insight.

Cheers!

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Hello and happy weekend. Hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy and happy. For my part, as I write this, Sonoma is still overcast with a mixture of ash and fog—that latter bit I’m actually grateful for for once, as I’m *hoping* it will help clear away the pollutants. For those of you near any West Coast fires who thought the world was coming to and end—well, so did I. The Napa Valley Register has a great piece enlightening us to the science behind that apocalyptic orange glow.

More local news: I recently wrote what (I think) is an interesting piece about how scientists can now “fingerprint” a wine’s DNA, which, in effect, can pinpoint the place of origin, thus basically making a scientific case for the idea behind terroir.

There’s quite a few pieces about the wine industry that came out this week, including the latest in wine shipping news, Pouilly-Fusse’s new premier cru status, and a notable NY sommelier announcing his retirement.

As always, there’s some great independent insight from the Blogs. This week I found a few great wine recommendations from around the world—time to stock up on those international varieties methinks.

Read on, have fun, and leave me a note to say hi. Cheers.

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Hello my people and happy weekend. I’ve been a bit silent on the posts lately, studying feverishly for those WSET exams. Not to worry, I’ll have some fresh (educational content) lined up for you this next week.

Good news from the Sonoma home front is that fire containment continues to improve, with the larger Wallbridge Fire currently at 88% containment as of 7 a.m. this morning (Friday), according to SoCo Emergency. For those in the Ag sector, please take a look at CAWG’s list of resources detailing safety and training measures during fire season.

There’s a lot going on locally, nationally, and abroad. So, scroll through, catch up on some news, get some independent insight from the Blogs. And of course, as always, I’ve hidden one or two fun and/or amusing tidbits amongst it all.

Cheers

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Hello and happy weekend. I hope this post finds everyone safe and healthy and hopefully happy. Lots going on here in wine country—fires continue to rage on, but despite the smoke in the air bars, restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms are still attempting to serve people outdoors, per COVID rules. And in the midst of it all, earlier ripening varieties are ready for harvest, while later ripening varieties are being tested for potential smoke taint. Oi. Wine Spectator does a great job rounding up all these issues and more (such as labor shortages and the danger to our fieldworkers in the midst of our smokey-COVID environment).

Over in the blog-o-sphere, Jason Haas of Tablas Creek talks about why wineries and tasting rooms—and their guests—should expect intermittent closures for the foreseeable future. (Just be prepared.) Monty Waldin speaks to the injustices to vineyard farmworkers around the world. And Eater gives us more info on why we won’t be seeing any James Beard awards awarded for at least another year.

Of course, you know me, I always like to share some happy news as well. Like this story from Eater about a Taco Truck feeding undocumented workers. And, I know this isn’t really wine-related, but I can’t help but include news about recent research showcasing the benefits to painting faces on cow’s butts. (Just read the article.)

As always, there’s tons more—so scroll through, catch up on stuff, have some fun. And don’t be shy…drop me a line and let me know how you’re doing and what else you’d like to see on my site. Cheers.

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