In lieu of our normal monthly newsletter, given our home base in Northern California, we at Charles Communications Associates, representing wineries from our own backyard and around the world, dedicate this missive to those affected by the Northern California fires of October 2017
The Napa Valley has recently taken a lot of heat – both literally, due to the serious temperature spike that hit the valley earlier this month, as well as figuratively from those who think the aberrant fluctuation spelled doom for the entire region’s harvest. The media has been eager to report this story, which we can all understand – what’s sexier than a potential climate change story about America’s most recognized wine region? Fortunately for the consumer, cooler heads prevail for those of us on the ground, and I wanted to share the perspective from someone who has been around the vineyard block.
Meet Faith Armstrong, the winemaker behind Onward and Farmstrong wines. As refreshing as the Pétillant Naturel she makes of Malvasia Bianca, many of the words used to describe Faith's wine could be used to describe the winemaker herself. Honest, vibrant, unfiltered, true to her origins, bright, complex.
Notes from Bordeaux En Primeur
Longtime friend and colleague of Charles Communications Associates (CCA), Devon Magee, recently took his annual trip to En Primeur in Bordeaux with his team at Bay Area online wine retailer, JJ Buckley Fine Wines. Literally translated from the French language, “the first to know,” En Primeur is a method of purchasing wines early while a vintage is still in barrel.
For the first several years of marriage, my husband was a frequent business traveler to many Asian countries. Often, he came back loaded with gifts from clients and co-workers. The impeccable and generous hospitality of his hosts dictated that the gifts were picked specifically for the intended recipients.
