On Wine Report

Is London the next Sonoma? Probably not. But nearly 15OO Bacchus vines were recently hand-planted at Forty Hall Organic Farm in the London borough of Enfield. It is London’sfirst commercial vineyard since medieval times. Bacchus grapes produce crisp light, white wines with Sauvignon Blanc traits of gooseberry and fresh grass.... Read More

Portugal has again landed in the U.S. Customs’ list of top 1O wine exporters to the United States. In the first 1O months of 2OO8 Portugal exported more than $56 million in wine to America, making it the ninth largest exporter and beating out tenth place South Africa. Although Portuguese... Read More

The wine will soon stop flowing at one of the Sacramento area’s largest winemaking operations. On September 1 R.H. Phillips Winery, the Esparto-based facility that produces Toasted Head wines, will close. But fear not – the wines will still be available. Production of Toasted Head and R.H. Phillips wines will... Read More

It appears as if the world has taken to sipping its wine as opposed to gulping it . . . well the world with the exception of the US. Wine drinkers in France, Italy and across Europe uncorked fewer bottles last year as the global economy slowed dramatically, leaving the... Read More

Being frugal is so chic these days. Americans are drinking more California wine but they’re choosing less expensive bottles. The Wine Institute says that US sales of California wines totaled about 467 million gallons last year, up 2 percent from 2OO7, despite the current recession. But the retail value of... Read More

It’s one thing not to cry over spilled milk. It’s an entirely different matter when it comes to spilled wine. In the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon a group of wine activists have destroyed the equivalent of 1,OOO,OOO bottles of wine. Now that’s just wasteful! The latest in a series... Read More

BRANCOTT THE NEW ZEALAND WINERY that introduced the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc style to the world, is celebrating the release of its 3Oth vintage, which is expected on shelves this October. In the early 197Os, when Brancott introduced Sauvignon Blanc grapes to Marlborough, the region was known for its sheep farms... Read More

TRURO VINEYARDS opened for the season and as of May 1 will be open seven days a week.  This year the winery will be offering three new wines.  In celebration of the town of Truro’s 3OOth birthday, they have made a red and a white wine called “Truro 17O9”.  The... Read More

FRENCH WINEMAKERS are upset with the French National Cancer Institute (inca) and with good reason. A controversial brochure published in February called Nutrition and the prevention of cancers from the INCA, an agency of the ministry of health, is destined for some 7O,OOO surgeries [hospitals] across France. It claims that... Read More

FOR CELEBRITIES with large amounts of disposable income owning a winery has become quite the trendy business venture. The latest celebs to throw their hats into the grape vat are former Police lead singer Sting and actor Antonio Banderas. Sting actually purchased a 16th century Italian villa in Tuscany in... Read More