Archive for the 'Vineyards' Category

These days, everything seems to be a little easier thanks in large part to the internet. What used to take days, weeks, even months of digging through dusty papers and fragile microfiche in the library is now at your fingertips via online archives and resource sites. The phone book I had delivered to my house last week?… a good fire starter considering I have a handy app on my smartphone that doesn’t leave my fingers black. And of course it’s almost too easy keeping up with friends and family through the use of email, blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

But one of the best reasons to love social media these days is the opportunity to follow people and events all over the world without leaving the comfort of your living room.

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I recently traveled to Greece and Cyprus on a wine tasting tour and besides being seduced by the beauty, food and culture of the countries, was fascinated by stories of the ancient Greek, Roman and Crusader-era history of the places. Both countries have been making wine for millennia, and many of the wine and food traditions we enjoy today were born in that part of the world.

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In our September issue, we’re running a piece on unusual California tasting rooms. This includes everything from the Persian palace setting of Darioush in Napa to the drag tomfoolery of Paso Robles’ Clautiere Vineyard, where donning wigs and silly hats is intended to break down barriers and allow for easy socializing. Whether it’s incredible, cutting-edge architecture or fun themes, many wineries offer personality and, in some cases, a little kitsch. But is this what you want?

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Growing up in northern Michigan, I was certainly no stranger to the concept of outdoor sports. Fishing, hunting, waterskiing, hiking, skiing—it was all around me. I’ll admit though, I was more of an indoor creature—more likely to have my face stuck in a book than chopping wood or ice fishing. So when I traveled to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York last weekend on a wine tasting trip and was told that we’d also be dropping some lines in Cayuga Lake, I was somewhat wary.

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Everyone in the California wine industry has been buzzing about the severe frosts this spring. Since I first posted on this topic on March 19, we’ve had a series of nights when the temperature dipped below freezing.

When I first wrote, it was merely the threat of damage to the young spring growth on the vines that was the issue. Then about 10 days ago it was no longer a threat but real damage. Growers in many parts of the state, and in fact in many different states, had new spring growth nipped in the bud or frozen in the shoots by unsually cold temperatures.

What does this tell us about global warming?

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What is wine going to be like in a post-climate change world? Well, we don’t have to wait to find out. The future has been creeping up on us for some time:

Late April 1980, St. Helena, Calif.–I woke up in the middle of the night. My heart pounded. A loud, buzzing roar like fighter planes revving on the deck of an aircraft carrier broke the 3 a.m. quiet of my street. It was the first spring that I lived in Napa Valley, and for a few seconds I couldn’t identify the sound.

Then I realized it must be coming from the wind machines, even though I’d never heard them before. A farmer whose vineyard was near my house had ignited the monstrous internal combustion engines that ran the low-tech, high-horsepower frost prevention equipment. Each consisted of an 18-foot tower with an airplane-like propeller mounted on top. A gas-guzzling engine powered it at high speed.

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