Ingredients and allergy information likely are coming to a wine label near you. Much already is mandated in Europe. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is taking comments to fine-tune U.S. mandates. Continue reading “Wine ingredient labels 9-6-2023”
Category: Facts About Wine
Cheap wine troubles 8-23-2023
I hate to break it to you, but the days of good cheap wine are numbered. Very drinkable wine under $10 was a holy grail of wine drinkers and wine writers for years. Alas, those days are fading in the rearview mirror of our lives. Continue reading “Cheap wine troubles 8-23-2023”
Wine and health debate continues 8-16-2023
Is a glass or two of wine good for you or bad for you? Experts: It is good for you, you will live longer. Experts: It is bad for you, it will shorten your life. Continue reading “Wine and health debate continues 8-16-2023”
Big wine 8-9-2023
Most wine is produced by a small number of large wineries. At the same time, most wineries are small producers. Continue reading “Big wine 8-9-2023”
Rise of rosé 8-2-2023
As this gruesome summer of heat domes burns on, incidents of rosé slurping likely have increased in your wine world. Rosé has long been considered a quintessential bellwether of hot weather, so global warming is a boost to the rise of rosé. Continue reading “Rise of rosé 8-2-2023”
America’s first AVA 7-19-2023
American Viticultural Areas attempt to tie wines to places. Ideally, vineyards in a specific AVA share similarities in soil, climate, geology, and elevation. Those various things, along with human interaction, comprise what winemakers call “terroir.” Continue reading “America’s first AVA 7-19-2023”
Wine texture 6-28-2023
Wine descriptions often refer to “texture.” What the heck does that mean? There is a texture difference between silk and sandpaper. There is a texture difference between a crisp apple and creamy mashed potatoes. Wine is a liquid. Liquid is liquid texture, right? Continue reading “Wine texture 6-28-2023”
Back to basics 6-21-2023
Arcane knowledge is the bane of wine writers. While we fulminate over nuance differences between bâtonnage and pump-over, readers roll their eyes over esoteric words with obscure, oddly accented letters. Continue reading “Back to basics 6-21-2023”
Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023
Last week we argued Champagne was a poor choice for a wedding reception. Too many people, too high prices, too much cacophony to appreciate expensive French bubbles. Continue reading “Wedding Champagne 6-14-2023”
Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023
The U.S. wine industry has been on an historic 50-year run. Demand from Baby Boomers drove the effort. Now the wine industry is fearful the run is done and tough choices loom. Continue reading “Wine supply and demand 5-31-2023”