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.
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.
This week on All the Swirl, Hillary Lyons interviews Rodrigo Soto, Chilean winemaker and trailblazer in sustainable winemaking in the Southern Hemisphere. As summer comes to a close, bringing high temperatures and more early harvests, Rodrigo Soto reflects on Chile's distinct terroirs, his winemaking philosophy, and the impacts of climate change on the world of wine.
Wine is like music. It can seduce or assault your senses, its notes play across your palate while its timbre lingers on your tongue, and when in harmony, there is perhaps nothing more satisfying. This week on All the Swirl we interview Jeff Smith, proprietor of Hourglass Vineyards in Napa and former guitarist of Noonday Underground to get the skinny on the musician's love affair with winemaking.
