Sonoma-Napa Rivalry Escalates

Dapper vintner proved California grapes could rival Europe's

(NEWSER) - 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»

Climate change could take the 'wine' out of wine country in next 30 years

(NEWSER) - A new report warns that climate change could drastically shake up California’s wine country in the next 30 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that Napa Valley will eventually see 10 more days with grape-scorching temperatures of at least 95 degrees, the Los Angeles Times reports. If the weather pattern holds, that means trouble for Napa's Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals, which don't do well in the heat. More»

Rich execs ditch fast-paced careers, look to winemaking

(NEWSER) - 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»

Firms has partnered with nonprofit association of vintners

(NEWSER) - 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»

(NEWSER) - 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»