SAN FRANCISCO — Wine Institute concludes its California Wine Country Back Roads series this month with highlights from Southern California wine country, extending south from Ventura County to San Diego County. California is home to some of the world’s most famous wine destinations. Yet, even the high-profile appellations have less traveled wine roads, featuring gorgeous scenery, acclaimed wines and fewer visitors. Before …

Picking decisions and pre-fermentation adjustments rely on accurate analysis of grape maturity indices such as Brix, TA, pH and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN). But, no matter how precise and careful the analysis is, the information provided may be misleading if a representative sample has not been collected. When taking a vineyard sample, sampling should be based on a standardized protocol …

A vineyard floor is designed to manage water, soil character, erosion, and compaction.. It is comprised of any bare ground and plant material other than grapevines, whether native vegetation or planted ground cover. The best floor for vine rows and row middles is determined by a combination of factors including – the vigor potential of the site, vigor potential of …

The Italian Wine School based in Miami, Florida is pleased to announce that it will offer the first course certified by Vinitaly International Academy (VIA): Maestro Italian Wine Course certification study program.  Designed for wine industry professionals and aficionados, the eight session course will distinguish itself from other wine certifications in that it not only provides a comprehensive look at …

Recently, local members of the wine industry in the Napa County area of Northern California have been actively engaged with county government in discussions regarding ways to streamline the winery use permit process. Frustrated with the cost and lengthy time frames associated with the current process, California vintners have been searching for ways to make the permitting process more user-friendly, …

Ficklin Vineyards, America’s oldest Port winery established in 1946, recently received a request from the US Embassy in London for their award-winning Port to serve at upcoming Embassy dinners. From Ficklin Vineyards remote location in Madera County, Winemaker and President, Peter Ficklin, was happy to hear his Ports are drawing interest from across the pond. “The UK has a long …

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wine Institute issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement that it would be placing new tariffs on imported wines from the European Union due to a trade dispute related to aircraft subsidies. A 25% tariff will be applied to bottled table wine from France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. “Wine …