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.
For too long rosé has been relegated to the summer season. Broadly portrayed as a quaffable, almost girlish wine, rosé has been historically under-appreciated and its exceptional versatility under-sung. With the profusion of pink we see this time of year, February is the month of la vie en rosé, which is why we asked Devon Magee, Wine Specialist at JJ Buckley Fine Wines, to share why he thinks rosé is righteousness year round.
As we dive into the New Year, the Charles Communications team recommits ourselves to sustainability. It is thanks to the many eco-conscious producers and green businesses here in San Francisco that we are fortunate enough to eat in good conscience and do our part to save the earth. This week on All the Swirl, CCA intern Jules Lydon profiles the sustainable “wine pub” in our own Bay Area backyard: Jamber.
There are not many places in the Northern hemisphere that exude such gastronomic excitement this time of year as Piedmont, Italy. Bordered on three sides by the Italian Alps, Piedmont is true to the meaning of its name (“at the foot of the mountains”). And while some would spend their winters skiing these slopes, we here at CCA would rather taste our way toward the New Year…after all its not long before those 2017 resolutions go into motion. This week on All the Swirl join us for an insider’s tour of Piedmont, Italy’s food and wine mecca.
Each vintage has its own story, its own qualities and sometimes, its own flaws. Even so, the 2016 vintage for the region of Beaujolais (especially the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations which we’ve been tasting since they were first pressed) are simply incredible. Read on for more insight on what to expect from this exceptional vintage.
The technology surrounding wine fermentation has evolved tremendously over the 8000 years that humans have been making this prized libation, and yet last year's fall fad was all about amphorae. While the amphorae conjures romantic images of rustic Italian villages and Rome's vinous past, does the vessel really make the difference? Brian Terrizzi of Broadside Wines speaks to his experience of earthenware winemaking and his spirit of experimentation.
