Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
« Back to the grid | Next story »

Sonoma-Napa Rivalry Escalates

Posted Mar 26, 08 2:54 PM CDT in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – The friendly rivalry between California’s two leading wine regions has evolved into an out-and-out marketing duel, reports Reuters. Sonoma winemakers frown upon the more famous—and much pricier—wine made by their neighbors over the hills. Collectors covet Napa Valley’s exclusive vintages, paying from $400-$1,000 a bottle for cult brands, while many Sonoma wines are generally priced under $20, due to larger harvests.

"Wine is for the people," a Sonoma vineyard owner said, opposed to Napa’s wine “for the elite." He makes wine to be drunk with food, not collected. The rivalry is tense, with one Sonoma owner calling Napa wines over-extracted, over-oaked, and over-done, while his are “bottled sunshine." "They're No. 2,” countered a Napa vintner. “They should just face it.”

Source Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • 'Oentrepreneurs' Hit Napa

    Oct 9, 08 1:34 PM CDT
    'Oentrepreneurs' Hit Napa A new breed of winemakers is flowing into Napa Valley, writes Jeffrey O'Brien in a colorful look at the trend in Fortune. Investment bankers, tech entrepreneurs, and other wealthy refugees of the white-collar rat race are buying up vineyards at $400,000 per acre to pursue second careers that let them have a business—and a life. These "oentrepreneurs" aren’t just looking to make a buck; they’d rather generate buzz with sought-after, high-end cult wines.
    More »

  • In Vino, Cash: Amazon to Sell Wine

    Sep 11, 08 12:07 PM CDT
    In Vino, Cash: Amazon to Sell Wine Online shopping got a little more intoxicating today as Amazon announced it will start selling wine in the US starting in October, Reuters reports. The retailer —looking for a chunk of the $30 billion-plus US wine market —has partnered with Napa Valley Vintners, which will supply vino from the 315 wineries it represents. Only 7% of wine sales are currently made online.
    More »

  • Napa Valley Girl Makes Splash in French Wine Marketing

    Aug 17, 08 2:00 PM CDT
    Napa Valley Girl Makes Splash in French Wine Marketing France’s wine business is stuck in the doldrums, as American wines (and their aggressive marketing campaigns) explode onto the scene. But one Napa Valley girl is working to change that, by introducing stodgy French vintners to the modern concept of marketing. “A lot of what I do is psychological,” Jaime Araujo tells Gourmet. “Changing the identity of a wine that’s been in your family for four hundred years is hard, and it takes a lot of hand-holding.” More »

  • Seaver Trades Curve Balls for Cabernets

    Jun 5, 08 8:40 PM CDT
    Seaver Trades Curve Balls for Cabernets You might think baseball Hall of Famers might be content to rest on their laurels, but not so Tom Seaver, Bloomberg reports. The three-time Cy Young winner spent some time as an announcer after his retirement in 1987, but his interest in wine led to the founding GTS Vineyards in California's Napa Valley in 2001. Now, his labor is starting to bear fruit. More »

  • Wine Whiz Mondavi Dead at 94

    May 16, 08 7:54 PM CDT
    Wine Whiz Mondavi Dead at 94 California wine master Robert Mondavi died peacefully today in his Napa Valley home at age 94, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Disciples and critics alike have praised the vintner for elevating West Coast wine from jug juice to world-class vino. "His legacy and his vision for what California could do remains with us as guidepost and a source of aspiration," one winemaker said. More »

The two wine regions north of San Francisco have a long-standing rivalry.   (Getty Images)
Some Napa wines are of such a high order that prices for the best have risen to hundreds of dollars.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
Napa and Sonoma offer some of the world's finest wines from their combined 100,000 acres of prime vineyard land.   (Magnum Photos)
The two wine regions north of San Francisco have a long-standing rivalry.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

California • wine • wine industry • rivalry • Napa Valley • Sonoma


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »