AdVINEtures writing about a craft brewery? What?? The craft brewery movement across North America is too big and culturally too important to ignore. The current estimates point to craft beer accounting for 10% of production by volume in the United States. On the West Coast, where the movement finds its stronghold, big craft brew cities like Portland, San Francisco and Seattle are estimated to have 20% market share going to the craft breweries. Elsewhere in the States, Boston and Denver are also seeing big support for the movement. The Brewer’s Association in the US has a goal of 20% market share by 2020 and is trumpeting the mantra “20 by 20”. Stats for Canada are a little harder to come by but by appearances we should be close. Certainly Vancouver has become another stronghold for craft brewing with, at last count, over 60 craft breweries in the metropolitan area.
If you follow the financial markets (my own personal guilty pleasure) you cannot escape having noticed the brutal decline of the Canadian dollar. In less than a year the Loonie has gone from nearly par to its present value of around $0.75 to the US dollar. That means our purchasing power of American goods has eroded substantially in just one year. If a year ago you somehow knew that events in the currency market would unfold as they did, would you have bought a ton of American wines with your highly valued Loonie before it crashed 25%? At Advinetures, we sure would have!
Read More
There’s a reason more than 2 million people flock to the Oregon Coast every year – long stretches of beach, ideal surfing waves, stunning coastal views, fantastic hiking trails through countless National Parks, and a myriad of natural wonders. It’s family-friendly, pet-friendly, fit-friendly, and foodie-friendly. And while we understand why the majority of tourists visit ‘The People’s Coast’ during the summer, we can absolutely attest to the fact that visiting during the winter months is an equally incredible time to be there. We would even argue better, particularly if you’re looking for a romantic getaway.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at Tablas Creek Winery’s tasting room is the directional sign that stands outside the front door. It points to the vineyard itself (9 yds to the left) and then in the opposite direction toward its partner, Domaine de Beaucastel, 9009 km away–a symbolic representation of its partnership with the Perrin Family of the prestigious winery in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And when you decide to partner with such a respected house to establish a winery on US soil, not only are expectations high, but the inevitable comparisons tend to follow. Robert Haas, importer and founder of Vineyard Brands did just that in 1989 with the Perrin family and the result is Tablas Creek, a winery making impressive wines that more than stand on their own merit.
Read More
“We will be relentless in our pursuit of perfection. We won’t ever be perfect – but in the process we will achieve greatness.” – Vince Lombardi. That quote from the great coach could just as easily have been said by Daniel Daou, winemaker and co-proprietor of Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, California. Daniel, and his brother Georges, have set out to make the very best wine that can rival the best of Napa or Bordeaux, and Advinetures got to hear their fascinating story first hand when we visited with Daniel at their gorgeous hilltop winery.
The wine world has always made a point to differentiate its various different terroirs, as the differing conditions of site, soil, temperature, aspect, sunshine, rainfall and a myriad of other factors have a big influence on the wines that different terroirs produce. Across the world it is well known that different sub-regions produce different styles of wine, and, perhaps even more importantly, different quality levels of wine. These sub-regions are generically referred to as Geographical Indications or GIs. Across the world, these GIs have more local names. In France they have the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) system, Italy has Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and two others, and the US has the American Viticultural Area (AVA) designation.
Recent Comments