Wine Country Real Estate Wine Industry News

It goes without saying that the vineyard, wine grape and wine industry has an impact on real estate in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and all other wine regions.  Be sure to check back often to read current and past wine country real estate and wine industry news.  Sourced from industry experts to keep you informed.  Also see Vintroux Newsletters and Blogs here.

Wine Country Real Estate and Wine Industry News

January 17, 2024

• A Guide to Managing Personal Property Taxes for Vineyards and Wineries
• The lasting impact of Bordeaux’s Medieval Trade Privileges
• How Santa Rosa-based app Watch Duty became an indispensable tool during Los Angeles’ wildfires
• FTC, States Sue Deere & Company to Protect Farmers from Unfair Corporate Tactics, High Repair Costs
• The organic wine market is increasing year on year, whether you embrace it or not, with younger consumers driving growth.
• A surprising immigration raid in Kern County foreshadows what awaits farmworkers and businesses
• What to Do When ICE Comes to Your Vineyard
• Over-tourism Issues face Napa

January 8, 2024

• California Wineries Look to Grape Diversity
• Science: Moderate Drinking is Good for You
• Water Board Reps Revise “One Size Fits All” Approach to Vineyard Wastewater Order on 65,000 Acres of North Coast Vineyards
• Great 2024 Moments in Sonoma County Wine
• Concerns raised over possible Sebastiani Winery rezoning
• Healdsburg custom winery getting revamped under new owners
• Napa Ready To Move Forward With RiverLine Project
• LeFever Mattson collapse continues to have ripple effects in Sonoma Valley and across wide network of investors
• More water for urban areas, some farms: Biden, Newsom officials announce long-awaited new water delivery rules
• Suisun Valley newcomer shares vision as winemakers pull a cork for AVA anniversary
• Rooted in tradition: Sonoma County winegrowing families celebrate a century of farming

December 19, 2024

• Napa County’s Planning Commission has given the green light to build a new winery in Oakville
• The Federal Reserve lowers interest rates again — but hints at fewer cuts next year
• New Congressionally-Funded Report Maintains Benefits of Moderate Drinking
• Sonoma County’s Century Club
• NASEM report affirms benefits of moderate drinking
• Consumer Survey Yields Reasons for Optimism
• Amid controversy, Napa County supervisors renew $11 million tourism district deal — but not without changes
• Regenerative Buzz Grips the Vineyard
• Former Charles Schwab CEO to Sell California ‘Dream House’ at Auction
• What a century-old grapevine reveals about a disease that plagues wine country
• The Role of Drones in Surveying
• Napa Valley Grapegrowers on Precipice of 50th Anniversary
• Is the US Wine Market Through the Worst?
• Dan Berger’s Wine Chronicles: Aging Reds
• Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• How Napa Valley has become the benchmark for global wine tourism
• Sonoma County-Grown Christmas Trees

 

December 11, 2024

• Sonoma celebrates 65-year link with sister city in France
• Burgundy gets new premier cru sites in the Mâconnais
• Weather and Climate Summary and Forecast
• Can you taste terroir?
• Napa and Sonoma Counties Featured in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2024
• Three winemakers who speak volumes through their wines – Santa Cruz Mountains
• Napa County Approves Treasury Wine Estates’ New Napa. Valley Winery
• Saving Ag Land
• David Kent returns to Concannon ownership
• Gina and Jean-Charles Boisset Acquire Iconic Flora Springs Winery and Tasting Room in St. Helena
• Treasury Wine Estates spends US$18m on winery in China
• Grand Cru Custom Crush Welcomes Jake and Maggie Coin as New Owners
• Full Glass Wine Co. Expands Portfolio with Strategic Acquisitions of Wine Access and Cameron Hughes

December 4, 2024

• Napa County Approves Treasury Wine Estates’ New Napa Valley Winery
• 100 Years of Wine Industry Ups & Downs
• Newly Established ‘Century Club’ Honors 22 Sonoma County Legacy Farm Families
• Pilot Program Brings in Detector Dogs to Hunt For Vine Mealybugs
• A “Fast and Furious” Harvest Leaves Winemakers With Excitement About the 2024 Vintage
• Global wine production falls to lowest level since 1961
• What to Do When ICE Comes to Your Vineyard
• Reasons to be grateful
• North Bay braces for possible changes to labor force, tariffs
• Napa Valley Grapegrowers Hosts Successful 2024 ROOTSTOCK
• Sonoma County airport records highest-ever monthly passenger numbers in October
• Sugarloaf custom winery seeks bankruptcy protection as $13 million loan in default
• Napa Valley Wine Company Sues Copper Cane for $1.5 Million Over Contracted Fruit
• Selling a Californian Winery? Get Ready for a Reality Check

November 21, 2024

• Sonoma, Napa counties begin feeling effects of atmospheric river
• What the US wine industry needs from its next agriculture secretary
• Selling a Californian Winery? Get Ready for a Reality Check
• Trump’s deportation threats could devastate farming industry
• Groundwater Pumping Drives Rapid Sinking in California
• Zinfandel’s True Worth

November 14, 2024

• Wine Industry Financial Symposium: Immigration Crackdown Would Come at Huge Cost
• Finding Awe in Sonoma County
• Key Takeaways from the Wine Industry Financial Symposium Day 2 2024
• El Dorado AVA’s Mountain Wines Reach Lofty Heights in Recent Reviews
• Why is the US Government Subsidizing Imported Wine?
• Financial Symposium: Experts Discuss Strategies to Weather Economic Storm
• International Organisation of Vine & Wine unveils benchmark definition of ‘old grapevine’
• Ciatti California Report – November 2024
• The World’s Best Zinfandels of 2024
• A Breakthrough in Smoke Taint Removal
• Economics of Organic Definitely Pencil Out, Say Major Producers at Napa Green Event in Rutherford
• What happens now that most Vintage Wine Estates assets have sold

November 8, 2024

• Sonoma County’s Measure J ban on large animal farms appears headed for defeat
• Investors battle chaos as LeFever Mattson’s $400 million real estate empire unravels
• Talking Biodynamics With Vince Vidrine Of Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden
• Soil Health Builds Wealth
• Suzanne Deal Booth of Napa’s Bella Oaks Acquires Wheeler Farms from Bart and Daphne Araujo
• FIRA USA Expo Features Autonomous, Robotic Tech and Equipment for Farms and Vineyards
• Hotel project near Sonoma County airport breaks ground
• Precision Viticulture’s Recipe: Art + Observation + Technology (But Not Always)
• Sonoma County’s “Smooth” and “Outstanding” 2024 Winegrape Harvest
• 2024: A Classic Vintage for Napa Valley
• Quality and Efficiency Remain Top Drivers of Equipment Purchases
• Grape Postings Decline from Record Levels

October 28, 2024

• Boisset Collection Acquires Le Grand Courtâge French Sparkling Wine
• Napa’s Wineries Battle Local Restrictions
• Good Growing Season Conditions with Few Challenges in Napa has Vintners Excited About the 2024 Vintage
• Mendocino County Named Wine Enthusiast’s American Wine Region of the Year
• Texas Billionaire Jay Adair’s Buying Spree Nets Five VWE Wineries in Napa and Sonoma for $85 Million
• Q&A with North Bay wine accounting leaders
• Sierra Foothills
• Exploring Elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains
• Napa’s Newest AVA Carves a Space

October 16, 2024

• Exploring Service Quality and Customer Loyalty: New Study Highlights Key Factors for Small Family Wineries
• Dan Berger’s Wine Chronicles: The Glut
• Ciatti California Report – October
• North Coast wine grape growers facing extremely tough market at harvest, but is industry really in freefall?
• Large Grower Sues Fairwinds Estate for Allegedly not paying for more than $1.1 million worth of Grapes
• The Most Expensive Wines of 2024
• Native American Terroir: Tribes Reclaim Land with Vines and Wineries
• Rootstock revolution: Enhancing pest resistance and grape quality
• A review of, “Widow Clicquot”
• Where Are California’s Organic Vines? CCOF Stats Shows 4 Percent of State’s Wine Grape Vines are Organic–A Quarter Are in Napa

October 9, 2024

• California Grapegrowers Race to Beat the Heat
• A diamond is forever, just like this bad market isn’t
• Why Collectors Are Clamoring for This Winemaker’s Every Release
• North Coast wine grape growers facing extremely tough market at harvest, but is industry really in freefall?
• Lawmakers Demand Halt to Controversial Alcohol Study in U.S. Dietary Guidelines Review
• California’s “Other” Wine Regions
• CA Insider: California Wineries on the Brink of Losing Everything
• The Duckhorn Portfolio agrees $1.95bn sale
• Owen Roe founders buy back winery in Vintage Wine Estates selloff
• Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits Bids $16 Million for Ray’s Station Winemaking Facility in Hopland
• “We’re Bringing it Back Home:” Winemaker Andrew Murray Acquires Historic Syrah Producer Qupe
• WarRoom Cellars Acquires Historic Parducci Brand
• Jay Adair Buys B.R. Cohn, Kunde and Viansa Wineries in Sonoma County

October 2, 2024

• Harvest & Bulk Update
• Harvest Reality Check with Thomas Rivers Brown
• California Grape Rootstock Commission Notice to California Grapevine Industry
• Saratoga winery plans to wrap up code compliance effort amid neighborhood opposition
• The Most Expensive Napa Wines of 2024
• Burgundy Faces Its Most Challenging Harvest in 50 Years
• Former Google exec launches wine label with celebrated Healdsburg winemaker
• Growing Pains: Grapegrowers React to Industry Changes
• Massal selection vs. clones: What’s the difference?

September 27, 2024

• Some Final Thoughts on Napa Valley
• Grapevines and Rootstocks
• Court OKs $140 million in Vintage Wine Estates assets sales
• Positive Trends in Sight for Wine, but Positive Messaging is Needed
• 4th Annual Foothill Wine Festival Competition Results
• Napa County Considers Water Pumping Fee
• As Grape Postings Surge, Prices Plummet
• California Insurance Commissioner says ‘real change’ coming to homeowners insurance crisis
• Estate Planning: Farella Braun + Martel Shares Methods to Minimize Taxes
• Organic Wine Faces Punishing New Rule
• How vineyards closer to the sun are evading climate change
• More Than 3.7 Million Annual Visitors Help Napa Valley Rebound from the Pandemic
• Californians who steal water from rivers will soon be subject to much steeper fines

September 20, 2024

• Napa Valley’s Red Wine Harvest Is Underway
• Auction/Sale Hearing for Vintage Wine Estates’ Assets Set for Sept. 24
• A new study finds that the state should replenish groundwater aquifers to sustain agriculture
• US economy on solid ground as retail sales surprise on the upside
• LVMH Acquires 1.3 Hectares of Vineyards in Côte-d’Or for €15.5 Million
• How to Spot a Boutique Winery – and Why It Matters
• Crushing It: How Winery Financing Can Help You Make Your Next Vintage a Hit!
• French investment in premier US winery ‘shines a bright light on Virginia’
• Travel + Leisure Names Elk in Mendocino ‘America’s Best Small Food and Wine Town’
• Sonoma County airport August passenger count nearly 30% higher; prepares for new service
• Dan Berger’s Wine Chronicles: The Impact of ‘Pop Wine’
• What does California’s grape oversupply mean for the trade?
• North Bay real estate, wealth insiders applaud Fed rate cut
• Eyewatering price revealed for William Fèvre acquisition

September 16, 2024

• Sonoma County report shows favorable weather impacts on winegrapes, other crops
• Harvard Researchers and Leading Statistician Stand Up to the WHO
• Pinot’s New Wave
• Alibaba boss buys Burgundy vineyards
• Industry Roundtable: Vine Certification
• California harvest report 2024: A pleasant surprise

September 11, 2024

• Umpqua Bank bolsters North Bay wine specialty group
• Laurent Ponsot: The Passion and Precision of Burgundy
• French harvest 2024: Volumes to fall as Burgundy, Loire Valley ravaged by mildew
• The 2024 Central Coast Harvest is a Bit Early and a Bit Light
• Hot weather creating challenges for Sonoma Valley grape harvest: ‘It’s a very challenging time’
• Paul Hobbs Winery Earns the First ‘100 Points’ For Cabernet Sauvignon From Napa’s Coombsville AVA
• The Wine Makers – Abby Peterson, Editor-In-Chief, Sonoma Magazine
• Navigating the Sustainability Landscape: Which Certifications Matter?
• California Set for Another Classic Vintage
• Harvest in El Dorado AVA — Always Late to the Party
• Three Fat Guys Wines Celebrates Successful Harvest in Partnership with Sonoma Valley High School’s Viticulture Program
• Dan Berger’s Wine Chronicles: Napa Valley Wine Euro Style
• Napa Valley Winery Can Boost Wine Production and Visitation
• Navigating Winery Succession: Proactive Strategies for a Changing Market
• Three Napa Wineries Sue Napa County in Federal Court

September 5, 2024

• Napa Valley Winery Can Boost Wine Production and Visitation
• Fog Crest Vineyard: Breaking Barriers While Leaving a Legacy
• Five best Sonoma County wine caves where you can chill out
• Grapevine Insurance Coverage for 2025 Expanded and Enhanced
• The Market for Vineyards and Wineries in ‘24/’25 with Tony Correia and Carol Collison
• Petaluma’s historic wine-making collection goes into storage – for now
• ‘No good evidence’ of risk from low-level alcohol consumption
• Robots Are Starting Fires in California — and That’s a Good Thing
• Weather and Climate Summary and Forecast
• Bargain Prices, White Varieties Entice Some Grape Buyers
• Marin, Napa, Sonoma commercial real estate transactions: Aug. 27 report
• Beloved Pinot Noir, McPhail, producer reacquires namesake brand

August 30, 2024

• Legislation Signed to Extend Pierce’s Disease Control Program
• Is alcohol good or bad for you? Yes.
• Allstate gets OK for 34% California insurance rate increase
• Sonoma County halts enforcement of all-electric building code after U.S. District Court ruling
• More Stalking Horse Bids Approved in Vintage Wine Estates Chapter 11 Case
• Return of the International Interns
• Bankruptcy Proves Appeal of California Wine
• Judge strikes down Sonoma County rules governing wells, groundwater use, siding with environmental groups
• Trinchero Closing Amador’s Landmark Terra d’Oro
• Wine Economics 101: the Three Vs of Wine
• Sonoma County wine grape farm tech project grows in exposure with John Deere pilot
• From space to farm: readying NASA satellites to help growers
• California judge issues first-of-its-kind ruling to rein in groundwater pumping
• Smoke Taint Revolution: Carbon Fabric to Become Vineyard-Wide Netting
• Climate concerns inspire innovation in wine vineyards
• Hiring starts at Napa Costco ahead of October opening; first homes near completion
• Sebastopol’s The Barlow Hotel moves closer to becoming a reality
• Winemaker James MacPhail Buys Back MacPhail Family Wines
• Napa Valley warehouses sell for $44 million

August 22, 2024

• New Mount Veeder winery Approved in Napa
• 2023 Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Study Released
• 15th International Terroir Congress Gathers
• Napa, Sonoma, surrounding counties’ hotel sales, development slow midyear as lenders remain risk-averse
• Napa Valley’s most exclusive luxury boutique hotel, Poetry Inn, has been acquired by PA Capital Management
• Duckhorn Expansion Approved In the Napa Valley
• The Wild History of Lytton Springs
• The El Dorado 8 Elevate Their Alpine AVA
• Napa Should Avoid European-style Rules
• Why Napa’s 2024 Vintage Is Showing Promise Despite the Severe Summer Heat

August 19, 2024

• Kelly Fleming Winery Purchased by Winemaker Jayson Woodbridge and Hundred Acre Wines
• No Doom and Gloom in Anderson Valley; Harvest Starting Soon with Positive Outlook Yet Grapes Available in Rare Twist
• Treasury Wine Estates reports 8% rise in profit
• Don’t Believe the Hype – Wine Can be Healthy

August 15, 2024

• Ranking Napa’s Vineyard Areas
• California Vineyard Land Values, Market Trends, Data Resources
• Owners Who Neglect Vineyards in Bordeaux Will Face Fines
• US-based Atlas Wine acquires California production facility

August 9, 2024

• Uncorking the Truth: New book relies on science to dispel alcohol myths
• TTB Establishes Contra Costa AVA and Expands Central Coast and San Francisco Bay AVAs
• In the early morning hours, harvest 2024 kicks off in Sonoma County
• North Coast Harvest Begins in Uncertain Market
• Inn at Occidental Opens Public Wine Bar Featuring Wines of West Sonoma County
• A long overlooked Italian grape – Nebbiolo – has found its place in Lodi hillsides
• 2024 Harvest Report: Chandon California Calls First Pick and Announces Start to Napa Valley Harvest
• 2024 Harvest in Napa Valley Begins for White and Sparkling Wines
• Napa County OKs Vida Valiente Winery, County Board of Supervisors Overrules Planning Commission
• Bulk Wine Buyers Share Insights on Short Term and Long Term Opportunities
• BMO Wine Market Report: Understanding the U.S. Wine Market
• Next-Gen Viticulture: The Future of Intelligent Farming in the Wine Industry
• Avelo to launch flights from Sonoma County to Salt Lake City, plus another California market
• What does a prolonged heat wave mean for the vintage?
• Mourvedre
• Santa Cruz 2024 vintage check-in with local viticulturist Ken Swegles
• The State of Predatory Wholesaling in the American Alcohol Industry

July 31, 2024

• Dry-farming in American viticulture? Irrigation and a changing climate
• How does tillage affect vineyard soil bacteria?
• New Project Uses Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for Leafroll and Red Blotch Virus Scouting
• Farm of the Future Delivering Impressive Results for Sonoma County Winegrowers
• Azur Associates Wine Market, M&A Review Summer 2024
• The Secret Loophole Boosting American Wine Sales in China

July 26, 2024

• A Radical New Vineyard Shape for a Warming Climate
• Burgundy wines lighten their bottles, and their carbon footprint
• French vineyards adapting to climate change with innovative techniques
• Festival Napa Valley Raises Record-Setting $4.5 Million at Arts for All Gala
• Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. Announces Bankruptcy Filing
• Wine at The White House
• G3 Sells Land In South Napa County
• Acquisition Of Graf Brothers By Charlois
• Brion Wise Buys Former Cosentino Winery from Vintage Wine Estates

July 17, 2024

• Winery Executives on Financial Health and Continued Success
• Darioush Buys Napa Valley Vineyard
• Local wine grape growers brace for challenging market as harvest approaches
• Recriminations in Bordeaux after En Primeur “Failure”
• Ciatti Grape and Bulk Wine Update July 2024
• Sonoma’s Carlisle Winery Calls it Quits
• ‘Anderson Valley: A Coastal Love Affair with Wine’ documentary premieres at Mendocino Film Festival
• Pernod sells wine portfolio to Accolade

July 11, 2024

• Burgundy’s Influence on West Sonoma Coast Winemaker – Carlo Mondavi
• ‘Steiner’s biodynamic viticulture thrives, despite outrageous statements that have come to light’
• The Truffle Hunters of Sonoma County
• Secrets of the Soil: Can a New Regenerative Viticulture Study Reveal How Cultural Practices Affect Soil Microbial Behavior?
• Grape Listings and Temperatures Hit High
• California Faces the Grape Apocalypse

July 3, 2024

• Sonoma County’s Place in the Paris Tasting
• CDFA Regulatory Alignment Study Proposes to Streamline Reporting/Paperwork for Farmers, Wineries
• From Pulitzers to Pinot
• Transforming yield estimations using real-time bunch weight tool
• 2024 Tasting Room Survey Report: Revenue Steady Amid Rising Stakes for Direct Sales
• Martin Ray Winery Acquires Foppiano Winery and VineyardsJuly 1, 2024

• Napa Wine Made From Old Vine Petite Sirah, The Grape That Once Dominated Napa Valley
• Hundreds Pay Homage to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ Visionary Founder Warren Winiarski and His Multifaceted Life
• Research Old Vines, Win Fabulous Prizes
• Mountain AVA in Napa County Welcomes Visitors

June 27, 2024

• Appeal of Napa County vineyard project settled with size reduction, land donation
• Down to the Roots of the Vineyard
• Are Things Getting Better for the Wine Industry? SVB Says Yes — and No
• ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ heads to Sonoma County to spotlight ‘Bucket List on a Budget’
• Inventories, Market Poised for Return to Normal
• The changing tide of Napa grapes
• The Farm Bill: Why It Matters to the Wine Industry
• From Oakville to Calistoga, Napa Vintners Certified 265+ Acres Organic In the Past Year
• Sonoma County Leads DTC Shipment Volume
• Napa could show ‘as much diversity’ as Burgundy
• Bradford Mountain’s Resilience
• Guest appearance: Stu Smith on the future of the Napa Valley wine industry
• Preparing for a Slower-Growth Environment
• A look at Antinori’s purchase of Washington’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

June 12, 2024

• From Skiing the Streets to the Vineyard
• Keeping It in the Family: Next Generation Successes in Napa Valley
• Drip Drop: California’s Water Supply Is Replenishing — But Unevenly
• Oakville Grape Day Takeaways
• Remembering Warren Winiarski: A Pioneer of Napa Valley Wine
• This Napa Valley winery is owned by Chanel. It produces one of the most elegant Sauvignon Blancs in Wine Country
• The Unlikely New Real-Estate Darling: Restaurants

June 6, 2024

• AI Has Infiltrated the Wine Industry and It’s Affecting What’s in Your Glass
• Grim Reports Have the Wine Industry in Knots. But Should We Just Calm Down?
• Ensuring Resilience: Navigating Wildfire Risks in the Winery Industry (Expert Editorial)
• Sonoma County winery owner’s new biomass venture is rooted in the earth
• Ukrainian vintners in Napa Valley learning to rebuild their wine industry
• 100 Years in Sonoma County
• In 2025, Grapegrowers in 32 California Counties Can Add a Fire Insurance Protection Smoke Index Policy to Existing Individual Grape Policies
• Faiveley Family Purchases Majority Stake in Williams Selyem Winery, Dyson Family Retains a Minority Stake

June 3, 2024

• All in the Family: The Vast Majority of Sonoma County Vineyards and Wineries are Family-Owned
• Wildfire Mitigation is a Year-Round Task for Napa and Sonoma Wineries
• Is wine on the decline? New report and local winemakers counter widespread claims
• California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving

May 29, 2024

• Proposed St. Helena hotel will feature additional workforce housing per revised agreement
• Sangiacomo Vineyards Celebrates 25 Years of Roberts Road Vineyard
• Why are my grapevines stunted? OSU Extension has the answers
• Weed Control in Vineyards
• Wine Hits Back at Negative Headlines
• Sonoma County Vineyards Are First to Achieve Climate Adaptation Certification
• Controversial Sonoma Valley real estate developer Ken Mattson has Piedmont mansion up for sale
• Horse Heaven Wine Company Purchases Ste. Michelle Wine Facility in Prosser, WA

May 22, 2024

• North Bay beekeepers abuzz with activity
• Unemployment rates in April decrease across the North Bay, California’s rate holds steady
• Wine sales in North America stronger than expected
• Wine Comes Roaring Back
• GRAPEVINE CAPACITY, BALANCE, & CROP LOAD
• Avelo Airlines to launch ‘wine travels free’ program at Sonoma County airport
• High grape prices help Napa crush crop value record
• From apples to wine: how an apple pie initiated the conversion of a Sebastopol orchard
• Navigating winery insurance w/ Heidi Moore, Country Financial
• New Zealand winegrower sentenced for smuggling Aussie cuttings
• Rams Gate Winery Sold – Sonoma

May 17, 2024

• New Report Calls Into Question U.S. Wine Doom & Gloom — What You Need to Know
• U.S. Wine Industry Surpasses $107 Billion In 2023 Sales, Report Reveals
• Spring Time in Willamette Valley Part 1
• Inaugural BMO Wine Market Report: U.S. Wineries Optimistic about Sustained Sales Growth Over Next 5 Years
• Abruzzo Powerhouse Masciarelli Acquires Valori

May 14, 2024

• The 8 Changes Coming to Wine in the U.S
• US Wine’s Tricky Path to Recovery
• Rex Pickett: ‘wine isn’t a democracy’
• Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Vineyard Site Revived Almost 100 Years After Uprooting Vines
• Dan Berger’s Varietal Views: Homage to Barbera
• What Is the Future of Vino?
• Ackley Brands, Active in Acquiring Washington Wineries, Buys Betz Family Winery

May 8, 2024

• Exclusive: In a Major Pinot Noir Purchase, Constellation Buys Sta. Rita Hills Icon Sea Smoke
• How to own a vineyard without getting your boots dirty
• How bats are helping in the vineyard
• Napa County’s 2023 winegrape crop breaks records
• California wine grape acreage dips in 2023, could plummet in 2024
• Remove old-vine vineyards in Sonoma County? Local grower says ‘No way’
• Wine inarguably displays the strongest geographic signature of all
• Millennials and Gen X want a wine vacation, not an education
• “Stems change the style of wines, provided you use a lot”
• Weather and Climate Summary and Forecast

May 3, 2024

• Zelma Long’s Life in Wine in Sonoma County and Beyond
• Napa Valley’s Boisset sells Lyeth, 4 other wine brands to Bonny Doon owner
• Napa County Planning Commission Denies Vida Valiente’s Application to Construct Winery Near St. Helena
• Winery Wastewater Disposal Technology: Finding Affordable Solutions to California’s New Winery Wastewater Order

May 1, 2024

• Who Owns the Most Vineyard Land in Napa?
• Labor Department sets sweeping new H-2A foreign guestworker rule
• Historic wine legacy honored at Santa Rosa winery
• Best Practices for Water Conservation and Management in the Vineyard
• Spring Frost in France Causes Up to 90% Reduction in Vineyard Yields
• Cal­i­fornia wine industry struggles amid a myriad of issues
• Completion of the acquisition of Courvoisier cognac
• WarRoom Cellars Acquires Iconic Lyeth Estate
• The Duckhorn Portfolio Closes Acquisition of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards

April 26, 2024

• Thompson, Huffman Host Press Conference Addressing California Insurance Crisis
• Global Wine Market Moving Into Equilibrium With Low Production And Consumption
• An Honest Conversation About Making Money in Wine
• Construction starts on 8-acre Healdsburg ‘affordable luxury’ hotel campus
• Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport gears up for new base operations, more flights, bigger planes
• North Coast Viticulture Challenges and Resources for Climate Change Adaptation and Management
• MINIMIZING SOIL EROSION: KEEPING A VALUABLE ASSET IN YOUR VINEYARD
• Where Napa Valley is now

April 22, 2024

• Opportunities and Buyers Sought in Saturated Grape, Wine Market
• In a first, California cracks down on farms guzzling groundwater
• Napa Valley Versus Napa Valley
• Establishment of the Comptche Viticultural Area
• Alexander Valley Winegrowers Celebrates 40th Anniversary as an American Viticultural Area
• Ackley Brands acquires Columbia Winery, Hogue Cellars from Gallo
• Sonoma County is a Treasure Trove of Historic Vines
• Festival Napa Valley Announces 2024 Taste of Napa Lineup

April 16, 2024

• California Cabernet’s Hidden Jewel
• Can a Vineyard Software Startup Take Precision Ag to New Levels of Granularity and Increase Revenue?
• New Study Shows How Wine Is Winning Over The 30-Something Crowd
• Napa’s Meritage Resort completes $25 million renovation
• North Bay wine growers are having a tough year, as cheap bulk imports increase
• Are there wine estates within Napa city limits? Yes, but not many; here’s why.
• Ste. Michelle Sells Conn Creek Wine Brand to Third Leaf Wines
• Iconic Sonoma Hotel Reopening After Renovation. Here’s a Sneak Peek
• Owners of Valley Ford Restaurant Taking Over Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay

April 10, 2024

• Durell Syrah, A Rare and Historic Sonoma County Clone
• Napa-based AI for vineyards closes $3 million in funding
• The “Golden Rule”: Communicating Stories of Old Vines
• Nothing Left To Say, The End Of Wine Writing
• Sonoma County Pinot Noir Attracts Winemakers from Near and Far

April 5, 2024

• Reversion to Norm in DTC
• Sebastopol winemaker ‘floored’ by invitation to state lunch with vice president
• Budbreak 2024: Right on Time
• Wild grape vines of Easter Island identified
• Oak Knoll District Celebrates 20 Years as a Napa Valley AVA
• Best California wines to drink if you have allergies

April 2, 2024

• If you aren’t in the winery compliance world, don’t write about it!
• China lifts heavy tariffs on Australian wine as ties improve
• The World’s Most Wanted Cabernets
• Vineyard management for Wine Quality
• Carneros Is Napa’s Cooler, Quieter Cousin
• Planting Guidelines & Replants
• Before ‘Sideways,’ This Colorful Cast of Winemakers Put Santa Barbara on the Map
• Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Napa Valley Vintners Present Afternoon in the Vineyards
• Global wine glut compounds headaches for struggling California vineyards
• Sonoma County faces heated debate over farm size limitation initiative

March 28, 2024

• Winners Announced for Tenth Annual California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards
• Fun Fact: Dave Matthews Makes Wine. And It’s Wildly Sustainable
• Central Coast Insights Highlights Growth of the Region, Celebrates its Innovative Spirit and Discusses Market and Business Trends
• Mount Eden Vineyard: Man vs. mountain high above Silicon Valley, a grand legacy

March 21, 2024

• Knights Valley, Sonoma County’s Most Elusive AVA
• Pruning and climate adaptation tips for home vineyards in Napa Valley
• Napa Roots See Paso’s Promise
• 12 Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino wineries where you can stay the night
• Founding Winemaker James Hall Buys Back Patz & Hall from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
• Woody Harrelson on the Worst Wine, Biodynamic Burgundy and Holistic Spirits
• Turnaround predicted for wine sales in the US in 2024
• Plant a vine … become entangled in its tendrils
• California’s property insurer of last resort adds record number of policies in February
• North Coast wine industry cautiously optimistic as 2024 grape season starts
• Introducing the Sierra Foothills Wine Collective
• Digging Deeper into Wine’s Vine-Pull Battle

March 8, 2024

• California to stay drought-free through 2025 following 2 winters of epic storms
• Sonoma County winemaker uncovers ancestral link to California wine icon
• At Roberts Road Vineyard, a Sangiacomo Passed the Torch to His Sons
• Continental Wine Collection Announces Acquisition of Wild Horse Winery & Vineyard

March 4, 2024

• Why economists are brightening their outlooks on 2024 and what’s in store for the North Bay
• “Sideways” at 20: The Santa Ynez Valley is No Longer a Secret Thanks in Part to the Influence of Miles and Jack
• Tripadvisor names Castello di Amorosa as a Top Ten Castle in the world
• The CEO of Gérard Bertrand Group on Turning a Family Wine Business into a Global Brand
• El Dorado County Viticulturist Charles Mansfield Passes Away
• Does a Lot of Rain Mean a Lot of Aquifer Replenishment?
• Minimum Flow Laws in California and Chile

February 28, 2024

• What’s in the proposed blueprint for new housing, hotel on Sonoma Developmental Center property?
• Premiere Napa Valley Raises $3 Million for Napa Valley Vintners
• A Turning Point in Vineyard Care: Targeted Irrigation Eliminates Crop Variability
• Sonoma County Pruning Championship 2024
• Why should we talk about sustainable vineyards?
• It’s going to get cold and rainy again in Sonoma County. Here’s when

February 23, 2024

• Sonoma County Winegrowers 2023 Sustainable Producer Award Recipient River Road Family Vineyards and Winery
• Concrete Posts Grow in Demand for More Grape Vineyards
• Napa Powerhouses V. Sattui and Castello di Amorosa Both Go Organic on Their 350 Acres of Estate Vines
• Sebastopol event showcases Black wine pioneers
• Avelo adds new flights from Sonoma County to Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
• Time between storms this winter reduces flood risk on Russian River
• Silverado Resort in Napa Valley finishes $1.5 million renovation
• At Boeger Winery, a close-knit family makes award-winning wines

February 19, 2024

• Rainy weather makes for another wet California winter
• 2024 Sonoma County Grape Day Highlights
• Nine California Counties Make Top-10 List for Ag Sales in the U.S.
• Ciatti California Report – February
• This French wine tradition has inspired California winemakers. But does it work here?
• California Crushed 3.7 Million Tons of Wine Grapes in 2023
• California North Coast wine grape crop value hits record $1.8 billion
• Napa Valley grape prices see continued surge in 2023

February 2, 2024

• Experts Agree: Direct to Consumer Sales Will Be One of Wine’s Few Bright Spots in 2024
• Navigating wine oversupply — from vineyard to consumer and back
• OpEd: What Dylan Has to Do with Mondavi, the History of California Wine and Other Mysteries of Life
• Sustainability is Sonoma County’s Calling Card
• Alexander Valley Winegrowers Holds their 24th Annual Pruning Contest
• Big Name Wineries on the Block
• Changing the Rules: Hoopes Trial Could Upset Decades of Zoning & Winery Permits in Napa Valley
• Job gains predicted in Sonoma County economic forecast
• Unboxing Owl Boxes
• Winter pruning, the crucial time of the year for vineyards, old vine plantings and wine quality
• Bluewhite rakes in $39M for robots-as-a-service that can be retrofitted to drive any tractor

January 26, 2024

• M&A Review | 2023 Summary + 2024 Outlook
• Allied Grape Growers President Urges California Industry to Remove 30,000 Acres of Vineyards
• What It Means To Be a Bonded Winery in the U.S.
• Sonoma County airport ascends to another record year
• Sonoma, Napa hotels make Condé Nast best in the world list
• Proposal for large new housing project in northwest Santa Rosa lands in front of city board Thursday
• Wine is a gift from God, Pope Francis tells Italian producers

January 22, 2024

• Bin to Bottle Announces Majority Acquisition by Hayden Creek Capital
• Japanese scientists capture plants communicating with each other on video
• California Wine Players See More Consolidation Ahead
• CDFA Holds Hearing on Petition to Change CA Grape Crush District Boundaries, Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association
• The 2024 SVB State of the Industry Report
• A Harsh Pill to Swallow: 2024 SVB Report Predicts Tough Times for Wine

January 16, 2024

• Meet the Man Behind Napa’s Buzziest New Cabernet
• Tom Klein — A 35-Year Legacy of Excellence – Sonoma County
• Marimar Estate’s general manager on challenges, surprises after taking over from mother
• SMART receives federal funds to study eastward expansion through Sonoma Valley
• Go “Behind the Cellar Door” with One of Amador Wine Country’s Most Popular Events
• Napa County supervisors approve minor boundary adjustment with Sonoma County
• 3,844 housing units to come online in Napa County, according to plans. Here’s where
• Napa County bites back in winery legal case
• Why Napa Valley Is for White-Wine Lovers, Too

January 8, 2024

• Lake Sonoma, Mendocino reservoirs ‘healthy’ at start of 2024
• California Is Solving Its Water Problems by Flooding Its Best Farmland
• Napa County supervisors poised to OK move of iconic Napa Valley welcome sign
• “The Good Stuff” – Episode 16: Gail Dutton And Mel Sanchietti
• Pierce’s Disease Devastates Vines. Are These New Hybrids the Answer?
• France Buys Back Bordeaux
• Post Harvest Update – Turrentine

January 4, 2024

• Q&A:  Peter Mondavi Jr. on managing his family’s multigenerational wine business
• What, Precisely, Does ‘Old Vine’ Mean In Wine?
• Wine Business News 2023 Timeline

December 22, 2023

• Ridley Scott:  Hollywood and wine industry are fundamentally the same
• Randall Grahm:  Peter Pan Preserving at Popelochum
• California State Controller weighs in on a Napa winery dispute
• Not Much Cheer For Sales This Holiday Season
• 2023 Year In Review – Top M&A Deals
• Paul Hobbs unveils the fresher side of Napa
• In Memoriam, Miljenko Grgich
• Advice from ‘pruning guru’ could transform the world’s vines
• Does Wine have Terroir?  Artificial Intelligence Proves it
• Umpqua Bank beefs up North Coast wine specialty group
• Sonoma County supervisors tap funds to buy Springs property and expand future public plaza

December 10, 2023

• Napa Valley Grape Growers Cut Roundup Use in Half
• Why Napa Green’s Glyphosate Ban is Such a Big Deal
• Can Lowering Mile High Tasting Room Fees Lure The Next Generation of Wine Drinkers?
• Santa Rosa is trying to bring people back down town.  Here’s some of what it is doing
• New Winery Wastewater Order:  Regulatory Overkill or Ecosystem Essential?
• California Vintage a Bumper Crop

November 15, 2023

• A Turning Point in Vineyard Care:  Targeted Irrigation Eliminates Crop Variability
• Avelo Airlines resumes nonstop flights between Palm Springs and Santa Rosa
• Napa Valley produces 4% of the state’s wine and has 27.5%  of the winery permits