Musings

That’s the question posed by the team at ENObytes.com in their post, “Viticulture at Altitude, Where Elevation Shapes Wine Character.” They argue that terroir can be an unreliable indicator of wine quality—especially when it’s wrapped in layers of romantic mysticism. Strip away the mystique, they suggest, and what remains is simply geology.

There has been much hand-wringing in the wine industry over the past two years about the causes of the current downturn in wine consumption. It probably seems even more abrupt after the numbers spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been downhill ever since.

Yes, there are wine selection approaches for novices when shopping at your local retailer. We all begin our learning journeys, no matter the subject, as novices. Fortunately, there are a few simple strategies that can make the selection process easier.

“Storytelling is an important element in technical writing because it helps establish context, engage the reader, and make more complex information more accessible and memorable.” This sentence is the introduction from a prompt I provided ChatGPT about the importance of storytelling.

What are common wine myths – are they fact or fiction? Common myth examples include: all red wine ages gracefully; cheap wine uses screw caps, and red wine should always be served with red meat, and white wine with white meat. You might unintentionally get caught up in this dynamic. Don’t let wine myths control your thinking, it’s time for you to take control!

How much wildfire smoke does it take to taint grapes and the resulting wine? Locally, this subject became more topical in early July, when several wildfires in western Colorado and eastern Utah, including in our vicinity at the Black Canyon broke out.

Meininger’s International posted a thought-provoking article recommending a new approach to retail wine. Based on a German Wine Producers report, they suggest that retailers can better position themselves with their customers by organizing wine by color and sweetness rather than country or type. I’ll take it one step further.

Nine sommeliers are asked what their biggest restaurant wine service red flags were in a recent VinePair article. Several common-sense red flags include unclean glasses, talking down to customers, incorrect glassware, and wines served too warm. There were also less known red flags, several of which I expand upon.

What temperatures are too cold for grape vines? When I planned my vineyard in the North Fork Valley four years ago, I didn’t hesitate choosing Pinot Noir and Riesling. The climate tends toward a moderately warm growing season with cool nights. The bane of the Valley is the temperature extremes.