Wine Stars

Wine Stories and News for the Young at Heart

How a Football Player Saved a Nearly Extinct Portuguese Wine Grape

Just as a bird or animal species can come close to the brink of extinction, so too can wine grapes. Currently there are over 1300 vine varieties in the world, but most people are only familiar with the commonly produced ones, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there are a few countries in the world, such as the Republic of Georgia, Greece, Italy and Portugal where very rare indigenous wine grapes are found. In fact, Portugal, with a surface area six times smaller than France, has over 250 varieties. This gives Portugal the highest density of indigenous [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-08-11T11:15:07-07:00August 11, 2021|

Meditating with Champagne

NOTE: Portions of this post were originally published in Forbes. Meditating with Champagne Recently I was invited to attend a Zoom webinar where we learned how to meditate with Champagne. It was organized by Champagne Henriot, who developed a partnership with Dr. Elisha Goldstein, the Founder of the Mindful Living Collective. At first I was a little skeptical, but after we completed the 10 minute meditation and debriefed it, I found it was not only an eye-opening experience for me, but for others as well. In fact the process has been so successful, that Champagne Henriot trade-marked the experience as [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-06-24T16:09:01-07:00June 24, 2021|

Celebrate World Cocktail Day with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Cocktail

Contributed by Fiona Fang - May 13th marks World Cocktail Day, the same day in 1806 when “Cocktail” was first defined. Have you ever tried cocktails made with an interesting twist of wine? How about a refreshing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc cocktail perfect for the rising temperatures? Flip Mode by Saeed House (Photo Credit: Saeed House) A Mixologist Crafted Tropical Sauvignon Blanc Seasoned mixologist Saeed “Hawk” House (@cocktailsbyhawk), who has been featured in Food & Wine, Esquire and Forbes for his delicious creations, has partnered with multi award-winning Brancott Estate to create “Flip Mode”, a unique spring/summer inspired cocktail using Brancott [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-05-13T12:52:38-07:00May 10, 2021|

Constellation’s Wine Premiumization Strategy Is Starting To Pay Off

Originally published in Forbes. Constellation’s sell-off of its lower-priced wine brands to E&J Gallo seems to be paying off in terms of promoting their “premiumization” strategy in the wine arena. In an April 2021 earnings call with investors, President and CEO Bill Newlands reported, "Our retained wine and spirits portfolio, excluding divested brands, delivered net sales growth of 5% for the year, driven by double digit volume growth for Meiomi, Kim Crawford and the Prisoner Brand Family." Bottles of Constellation Brands Inc. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc © 2018 BLOOMBERG FINANCE LP Newlands also admitted that these three “wine power brands” [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-04-14T13:31:43-07:00April 14, 2021|

The White and Pink Side of Piedmont Wine

For anyone who has traveled to the tiny wine villages of Piedmont, Italy, with vine covered hills flanked by the snow-covered Italian Alps in the distance, the memory is usually pleasurable. Thoughts of tannic red Barolo and Barbaresco wines paired with black truffle pasta often come to mind, along with sparkling Moscato di Asti with pear gallete for dessert. Piedmont Italy with Wine Villages and Italian Alps. Photo Credit: Stefano Pertusia But rarely does one hear about the still white and pink wines of Piedmont, and except for the Cortese grape from the region of Gavi, many of these are [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-04-14T10:11:29-07:00April 13, 2021|

Peacocks and Torture Chairs Make for a Magical Visit to Castello di Amorosa Winery

(Contributed by Cosimo Lindstadt) My most memorable winery visit was during a week-long vacation to Napa Valley with my girlfriend. Driving west through the lush green valley floor, we caught our first glimpse of the winery: A beautiful 13th century Tuscan castle with complete with turrets – Castello di Amorosa Winery. Driving up the steep drive-way, we passed acres of vineyards on each side, with the tiny pale green leaves of budbreak. Right after parking our car and walking up to the castle, we spotted a bright blue peacock strutting along a rock wall. It was then that we knew [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-03-23T18:20:39-07:00March 23, 2021|

How Adding Wine to Your Coffee Makes You a True Italian

Contributed by Ruby Collins - When coffee first arrived in Italy in the 17th century, it was an elite, expensive drink. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when technological advances and political changes made it accessible and available to the masses. The espresso we know today entered Italian culture with the aim of encouraging higher productivity in labourers in the 1930’s. It was during this time that the Italian government, led by Mussolini, began to face tariffs and sanctions which caused the prices of everyday products, such as coffee, to rise significantly. Italians had become quickly accustomed to their caffeine-boosting [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-03-01T18:28:32-08:00February 24, 2021|

Ten Tips to Choose the Best Wine for A Perfect Dinner Date

Contributed by Andrew Christian - For the ideal date, wine and a little romance go together. It warms the heart and slackens the tongue. If you're going on a hot date, you need to pick a cool wine. So how can you pick a wine that will give you the most value for your money, while at the same time, please your date? Following are 10 tips that will assist you in creating the perfect wine dinner date at a restaurant, or for a relaxing wine dinner at home. Romantic Wine Dinner. Photo Credit: Pixabay Do You Know About Your [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-02-20T12:25:47-08:00February 20, 2021|

Overview of 2020 US Wine Market Stats and 10 Hot Wine Trends for 2021

Though the US wine market endured a very bumpy ride in 2020, with many dire predictions of loss and doom due to the pandemic and wildfires, now that the numbers are in, the results are not that dismal. Yes, of course, on-premise wine sales plummeted, but off-premise and online sales came to the rescue. This caused the year to end with a surprising increase of 4.98% in still wine volume at 372 million 9-liter cases in 2020, compared to 357 million cases in 2019, according to BW166. Of this total, 84.7 million cases of still wine were imported in 2020. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-26T08:53:29-08:00February 11, 2021|

Wine that Connects Cultures, from Asia to America and Beyond

Making a great wine is an orchestration of art and science, passion and hard work. ShunYi Cellars caught my attention recently, which started with the Founder’s personal story of wine discovery that inspired his mission to craft quality wines showcasing premium Californian terroir to bridge cultures and share values. ShunYi's inaugural wines in their vineyards. Meaning of Shun Yi Emperor Shun, highly regarded for his wisdom and integrity, is said to come from the city of Jinan in Shandong Provence, where Founder George Zhang was born. Residents of Jinan are known as “Shun Yi” – descendants of Shun. Interestingly, Shandong [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:29:30-08:00November 13, 2020|

Celebrate Champagne Day This Friday with These Ideas!

This Friday (Oct 23) marks the 11th annual global Champagne Day. Besides sharing a bottle with family and friends, learning about the art of Champagne (see resources below), you can also try some delicious Champagne food pairings while playing a special Champagne playlist. Although it comes in a great variety, Champagne in general is surprisingly versatile to pair with different types of cuisines and tastes. Credit: Comite Champagne Know Your Dryness/Sweetness First, pay attention to the sweetness/dry scale of your Champagne. If you are serving more than one bottle, start with the driest, working up to the sweetest.The designations for [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:29:53-08:00October 21, 2020|

Exquisite Wine and Dine Open-Air at the Breathtaking Ram’s Gate Winery

Known for their small lot premium wines, innovative culinary experiences and beautiful farmhouse-meets-modern design, Ram’s Gate is a modern winery nestled between Sonoma and Napa at the heart of Carneros Valley. This fall, Ram’s Gate will open new Veranda and Arbor venues for private outdoor tasting experiences. The very first Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs by Director of Winemaking Joe Nielsen, who joined Ram’s Gate team in 2018, will also be released. These wines will be featured throughout the tastings and available for purchase at the winery. Ram's Gate Winery Veranda By the Fire The new Veranda Experience offers guests a [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:30:19-08:00October 17, 2020|

New Rosé Wine Revolution in Puglia, Italy

Many regions of the world produce lovely “pink” rosé wine, but an area getting more attention now is the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Nestled along the Adriatic Ocean in the “boot heel” of Italy, Puglia – also called Apulia – and pronounced “pulia,” is producing rosé wines from their native grapes. However, in Italy, the term for rosé wine is "rosato." Rosé wine from Puglia in Southern Italy. Photo Credit; Association Instagram What Types of Grapes Go Into Puglia Rosé Wine? Rosé wines are usually made by pressing red grapes early and letting the juice sit on the skin [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:30:51-08:00October 16, 2020|

How You Can Help Our Community Recover

Our wine community is fighting multiple challenges yet again, affected by the Glass Fire shortly after LNU fires were contained in an already difficult year. However, there are some ways you could make a difference while connecting with the community.How? Here is a short list of resources for you to check out. Offer a helping hand: Volunteer! You can volunteer both in-person or even from home by preparing and delivering food, helping at animal rescue shelters, promote social media, translate, etc. For area-specific volunteer opportunities, visit:Napa area: Napa Disaster Relief Volunteering Sonoma area:Sonoma Disaster Relief Volunteering Many ways you can [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:31:30-08:00October 5, 2020|

A Silver Lining for Chianti Classico

Needless to say, 2020 has been challenging for most of us. Fortunately, some vintners in Italy are trying to make the most of the situation despite an overall decline in wine sales. Chianti Classico Consortium, one of the oldest Italian wine consortiums with 515 Chianti producer members, remarks how vineyards have “never looked so good” as a result of winemakers having extraordinary time to dedicate greater care on the 2020 vintage. Beautiful vineyard slopes of Chianti. New opportunities for Chianti wineries To provide extra support for Chianti producers and boost local economy, the organization launched several initiatives, such as financing [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:31:58-08:00September 27, 2020|

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