Best Press Releases for 10.11.24

Tom Wark’s wine blog inspired me to action in 2005, and I’ve been at it ever since. I’m now reviewing wine blogs and sometimes wine samples from all over world, ever since. Lately I’ve had so many new releases, without a sample, so I have to take it as information. I can also give you some guidelines, but not my own flavor impressions, like only the usual varietal characteristics, since their wine has not been on my palate, right?

Barolo and Spain, Synonyms?

Spain’s signature red wine is Barolo, and has inspired a press release about it. This is Spain’s signature red wine, just like Napa is synonymous is Cabernet Sauvignon, or Sonoma County is with Pinot Noir. Since this is Spain and Barolo’s signature red wine, many people word association Barolo and Spain. Tenuta Carretta boasts a centuries-old history, with intricately woven traditions. Sound delicious? It certainly does in my book. I’d love to take their story and put it to the test, so to speak, How about you?

Tenuta Carretta is located in the south of Piedmont, in Piobesi d’Alba, in Roero.

NEXT WEEK: Port Wine Fest Heads to New York!

Port Wine Fest is making its New York City debut next week (Wednesday, October 16th)!

Be still my heart, having already enjoyed two educational trips to Exploring Portuguese History and Portugal’s Alentejo’s White Wines – Part 2, each one being significantly amazing. In the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.”

I was invited: “We would love for you to join us for an unforgettable day, celebrating Portuguese culture through 100+ wines. Mentioned: reds, whites, sparkling, port, from over 40 producers. These will be coupled with delectable Portuguese cuisine, which Chef Nuno Sousa, of Leitao NYC, will cook LIVE on-site.

While it’s breaking my heart to not be in New York City to see some friends, maybe some of you in the business of wine will be in NYC, and able to make it. Contact me, and I’ll help you to RSVP, if you didn’t get an invite!

Event Details

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 16 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Ideal Glass Studios
Address: 9 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011

Cheers,
Port Wine Fest Team

Portugal in New York City

Wine Exporting: France And Italy Lead The Parade

Karl Storchmann works in the Economics Department at New York University, sent a provocative email to me. This also includes some great credentials; Editor, Journal of Wine Economics, and Executive Director, American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), just for a point of reference.

What I found most enlightening and intriguing in his newsletter is who is shipping what to the United States, particularly as wine imports. This chart is worth 1,000 words. So, enjoy.

Main Wine Exporters in 2023, by Value

Enolytics: A Tremendous Resource And Friend

Cathy Huyghe, wine writer. entrepreneur. and mediator. a colleague, and friend; accordingly, I love sharing her work with wine companies. She starts her weekly report: “I grew up playing a lot of sports, and used to love hearing this advice. Runners all around me did their thing – rabbiting out to a quick start, say, or teammates sticking together shoulder-to-shoulder. They were on a narrow trail, so no competitor could pass them. But, my focus was on the strategy coach and I had determined ahead of time.

“Running your own race works. Which is why I love the metaphor as a theme of the latest DTC report from WineDirect in partnership with Enolytics. Download the Enolytics Report now. Here are two ways businesses who work with Enolytics are running their own race regardless of the competitors around them. You’ll find their stories in the report.”

Cathy Huyghe’s work is extremely valuable, and I emphatically recommend her as a valuable resource. See for yourself!

Enolytics – Direct to Consumer Impact Report

The Race Is On To Get Grapes Into The Winery

While this one is a stretch for a press release, I found this excellent story on WineBusiness.com, by W. Blake Gray. We’ve let our grapes go this year. Wine Business is my daily read, first thing each morning

W. Blake Gray has written “California Grapegrowers Race to Beat the Heat.” He is an extremely talented writer, basically one of the brightest stars who is wrapping up my five favorite stories in my in-box. While our grapes in Geyserville are being released to Birdie Ballet Mumuration and not being picked this year, others are still scrambling, in Blake’s story on Wine Searcher.

“Trucks full of wine grapes clogged roads all over northern California wine country this week as wineries raced to get their precious cargo into tanks before a brutal heatwave shriveled them to raisins.

“This heat spell has been longer without any mercy period than any other I’ve seen during crush period,” said Jon Dodge, who owns a vineyard on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley and was vineyard manager at Burgess Cellars for 20 years. “A lot of people have been hurt by it.

…”Everything that’s out at this stage of the game is Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the later varietals,” said Caleb Mosley, executive director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers. But Mosley thinks most grapes will be picked by the end of the week because the sugars are already very high. “If you have strong vines and you have strong leaf protection, you can still ride this in really great shape so you’re not seeing as much damage from dehydration. But there’s not much benefit to hanging out longer.”