I just recently spent a busy week visiting the vineyards and wineries of Washington, and as I hadn’t been there in more than a decade it almost felt as if I was visiting for the first time.

Over the course of my visit I often found myself talking to growers and winemakers about Syrah.

As it’s getting easier to accurately identify what yeasts are present in fermentation, the information is leading to more questions about yeasts and challenging conventional wisdom.

Winemakers that incorporated native or spontaneous fermentations often say the yeast is coming in from the vineyard. Those who inoculated contend they prefer having control of what yeast was present to achieve certain style goals.

It turns out that both point-of-views may be incorrect or not as definitive as some believe.

 

For years, we’ve reported on the progress of the major cork suppliers to improve quality and reduce the level of cork taint.

As better cork alternatives became available to the industry, cork suppliers had to improve their production processes and quality control to minimize taint and provide a consistent product. Since at least 2012, we’ve also reported on the efforts of a few major suppliers to automate the process for checking individual corks for any contamination.

In the “closures war” there’s also been an arms race among cork suppliers to be the first to deliver high quality corks that are guaranteed to be free of contamination through individual testing. Yet it never really seemed clear when these systems would be ready and in fact for a few years I kept hearing it would “next year.”

Earlier today we posted an article on the home page about the about ShipCompliant's annual report on the direct-to-consumer market. DtC sales grew more than 8% in value and volume and nearly surpassed $2 billion.

It's a pretty safe bet that DtC sales will remain strong, especially in light of distributor consolidation, less and less legal barriers, better technology and consumers getting more comfortable with buying wine online. As the market grows, however, it likely won't ressemble as we know DtC sales today. 

 

Napa, Calif.—Wine-on-tap supplier Free Flow Wines held the second annual Keggy Awards at its offices and kegging facility in south Napa.

Founders Jordan Kivelstadt (pictured to the left) and Dan Donahoe—both decked out in tuxedoes for the ceremony—handed out 1-liter stainless steel growlers adorned with the Free Flow logo that served as this year’s trophies. “You can fill it! It’s a growler!” Kivelstadt exclaimed to the small but boisterous crowd comprised of Free Flow clients, wine distributors and members of the wine trade who had been availing themselves of the many Free Flow products flowing from kegerators set up for the event held Oct. 22.