New World Wine News
~ Conversation Starters ~
True Tales from the Frontiers
of New World Winemaking & Wine Culture
When it comes to wine, weird is the new normal — and that’s for the better
"Today’s more inclusive (if not yet inclusive enough) wine world was a question of new aesthetics, and the more nuanced tastes of a new generation.... These changes pushed wine toward the lighter and fresher.... Weird is the new normal: chilled reds, canned wine, orange wine, year-round pink wine. I remember being mocked by wine’s more reactionary corners for all those things. Today? They’re all trending."
By Jon Bonné (Washington Post)
The Winemaker Championing America’s ‘Foxy’ Grapes
Kate MacDonald wants to restore Cincinnati’s place as the birthplace of American wine
"'It’s actually been motivating to me to know there’s a bias against American grapes,' she says confidently.... MacDonald believes one source of the longstanding bias against American wine grapes is unfamiliarity with their flavors.... 'There can be a unique smell to wines produced from these grapes; however, I don’t find them musky or anything negative, for that matter. They are unique in their own right and are aromatic and beautiful, if produced well.'"
By Laima Rastikis (Atlas Obscura)
Creating a Wine World Without Borders
Through his Borderless Wine platform, Peter Weltman hopes to turn wine buying into activism
"While adopting a borderless wine-drinking philosophy was a game-changer for Weltman, as he hopes it will be for others in the wine industry, he sees a value in drinking borderlessly for the general public as well.... 'If you do just one thing to open yourself up, then you are really open to the world.'"
By Courtney Schiessl (SevenFifty Daily)
This California Winery Is Opening a Massive Sculpture Park With Works by Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, and More Blue-Chip Artists
"The art is interspersed with 150-year old olive trees, bee hives, and an organic farm, and of course, the property’s small but prestigious vineyard."
By Eileen Kinsella (artnet news)
THE POUR
In Wine and Critics, Populists Find an Easy Target
Studies keep drawing the conclusion that people like cheap wines best and should not trust experts. But the findings say more about fears than tastes.
"Wine by its nature is mystifying and complicated. These qualities can be embraced and celebrated without suggesting that they require mastering, but that would force us to think and talk about wine in a different sort of way."
By Eric Asimov (New York Times)
Sexism Sparks Token Wine Gestures
A reaction against discrimination in the wine world is leading to some unintended consequences
"'As a winemaker that has had the privilege to work with women winemakers all over the world, I support any opportunity to showcase their talents and efforts.'"
By James Lawrence (wine-searcher)
Pearl Jam Have Released Their Own Record-breaking, Limited Edition Red Wine
"Proceeds from the limited edition wine went to Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation, which offers funds to nonprofits helping community health, the environment and its local arts and culture scenes."
By Samantha Maine (NME)
Natural Wine Faces Legal Definition
A French politician is spearheading a new attempt to define the indefinable
"'Defining natural wine means recognizing its individuality.... it is to allow oneself to be surprised by atypical flavors as well as by the know-how of our winemakers.'"
By Oliver Styles (wine-searcher)
The Wine Makers – Women Owned Wineries
"'By supporting women at the top [in the wine industry], you're actually supporting all women.... there's a deeper entrenched aspect of being a female in charge, and we need more role models for girls and for women who are in charge so that girls and women believe that they should be in charge.'"
By The Wine Makers (Radio Misfits)
Radioactive Particles from Fukushima Detected in Napa Wine
"At first, they weren't able to detect any cesium-137 (a radioactive isotope) without opening the bottle and using a gamma detector. But then they vaporized the wine, reducing it to ashes."
By Alix Martichoux (SFGATE)
How and Why Our Taste in Wine at Restaurants Is Changing
"If diners can embrace the unfamiliar and give themselves up to someone who can guide them, they will find some real values."
By Dave McIntyre (Washington Post)
Singapore Researchers Make Healthy Wine Out of Tofu
It’s the world’s first of its kind, bears sweet, fruity notes and is good for your health
"The name [Sachi], derived from a Japanese term meaning 'blossoming wisdom,' is a tribute to the beverage's sake-like profile and a reflection of its sweet taste accompanied by fruity floral notes without a hint of soy bean."
By Zoey Chong (CNET)
Can This Startup’s Synthetic Wine Compete with Napa’s Best?
Ava Winery founders seek to replicate high-end wines in a lab
"As soon as the wine was uncorked—we were trying a replica of a Moscato d’Asti, a sparkling, white dessert wine—the conference room we were sitting in was flooded with the smell of tropical fruit."
By Marisa Kendall and Mary Orlin (The Mercury News)
"Today’s more inclusive (if not yet inclusive enough) wine world was a question of new aesthetics, and the more nuanced tastes of a new generation.... These changes pushed wine toward the lighter and fresher.... Weird is the new normal: chilled reds, canned wine, orange wine, year-round pink wine. I remember being mocked by wine’s more reactionary corners for all those things. Today? They’re all trending."
By Jon Bonné (Washington Post)
The Winemaker Championing America’s ‘Foxy’ Grapes
Kate MacDonald wants to restore Cincinnati’s place as the birthplace of American wine
"'It’s actually been motivating to me to know there’s a bias against American grapes,' she says confidently.... MacDonald believes one source of the longstanding bias against American wine grapes is unfamiliarity with their flavors.... 'There can be a unique smell to wines produced from these grapes; however, I don’t find them musky or anything negative, for that matter. They are unique in their own right and are aromatic and beautiful, if produced well.'"
By Laima Rastikis (Atlas Obscura)
Creating a Wine World Without Borders
Through his Borderless Wine platform, Peter Weltman hopes to turn wine buying into activism
"While adopting a borderless wine-drinking philosophy was a game-changer for Weltman, as he hopes it will be for others in the wine industry, he sees a value in drinking borderlessly for the general public as well.... 'If you do just one thing to open yourself up, then you are really open to the world.'"
By Courtney Schiessl (SevenFifty Daily)
This California Winery Is Opening a Massive Sculpture Park With Works by Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, and More Blue-Chip Artists
"The art is interspersed with 150-year old olive trees, bee hives, and an organic farm, and of course, the property’s small but prestigious vineyard."
By Eileen Kinsella (artnet news)
THE POUR
In Wine and Critics, Populists Find an Easy Target
Studies keep drawing the conclusion that people like cheap wines best and should not trust experts. But the findings say more about fears than tastes.
"Wine by its nature is mystifying and complicated. These qualities can be embraced and celebrated without suggesting that they require mastering, but that would force us to think and talk about wine in a different sort of way."
By Eric Asimov (New York Times)
Sexism Sparks Token Wine Gestures
A reaction against discrimination in the wine world is leading to some unintended consequences
"'As a winemaker that has had the privilege to work with women winemakers all over the world, I support any opportunity to showcase their talents and efforts.'"
By James Lawrence (wine-searcher)
Pearl Jam Have Released Their Own Record-breaking, Limited Edition Red Wine
"Proceeds from the limited edition wine went to Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation, which offers funds to nonprofits helping community health, the environment and its local arts and culture scenes."
By Samantha Maine (NME)
Natural Wine Faces Legal Definition
A French politician is spearheading a new attempt to define the indefinable
"'Defining natural wine means recognizing its individuality.... it is to allow oneself to be surprised by atypical flavors as well as by the know-how of our winemakers.'"
By Oliver Styles (wine-searcher)
The Wine Makers – Women Owned Wineries
"'By supporting women at the top [in the wine industry], you're actually supporting all women.... there's a deeper entrenched aspect of being a female in charge, and we need more role models for girls and for women who are in charge so that girls and women believe that they should be in charge.'"
By The Wine Makers (Radio Misfits)
Radioactive Particles from Fukushima Detected in Napa Wine
"At first, they weren't able to detect any cesium-137 (a radioactive isotope) without opening the bottle and using a gamma detector. But then they vaporized the wine, reducing it to ashes."
By Alix Martichoux (SFGATE)
How and Why Our Taste in Wine at Restaurants Is Changing
"If diners can embrace the unfamiliar and give themselves up to someone who can guide them, they will find some real values."
By Dave McIntyre (Washington Post)
Singapore Researchers Make Healthy Wine Out of Tofu
It’s the world’s first of its kind, bears sweet, fruity notes and is good for your health
"The name [Sachi], derived from a Japanese term meaning 'blossoming wisdom,' is a tribute to the beverage's sake-like profile and a reflection of its sweet taste accompanied by fruity floral notes without a hint of soy bean."
By Zoey Chong (CNET)
Can This Startup’s Synthetic Wine Compete with Napa’s Best?
Ava Winery founders seek to replicate high-end wines in a lab
"As soon as the wine was uncorked—we were trying a replica of a Moscato d’Asti, a sparkling, white dessert wine—the conference room we were sitting in was flooded with the smell of tropical fruit."
By Marisa Kendall and Mary Orlin (The Mercury News)