Testarossa Winery Account Manager, Marie Bourdet, Wine Educator, Bob Zamora, and Winemaker Bill Brousseau enjoy a taste of Chardonnay.
If you’ve ever been inside a cellar, you’ve probably seen ample evidence that winemakers are clean freaks. From workers hosing down tanks to pristine wine thieves, the clean machine is in force at today’s wineries.
California wine conglomerates make between one million and 50 million cases of wine every year, each. Economies of scale are key to meeting their benchmarks and price points. But at the small, family-run wineries we feature, passion is the force behind the wines. They handcraft wines in ways that are just not possible at large wine corporations. It’s a difference you taste in every sip.
Sometimes, there is no difference. These terms are often used interchangeably and can mean the same thing. But, colloquially, they also mean different things. A wine club is the term most often used by wineries. Whereas a wine subscription may not involve an actual winery at all, just wines made-to-order.
Close up of white wine being poured in a cellar with an oak barrel in background.
A glass of chilled white is a great way to start your evening. But it takes at least two hours to chill a bottle in a refrigerator. What if you want a glass of white wine now? Watch this short video on 5 Ways to Quickly Chill White Wine and never be stuck with warm wine again.
How much do you really know about wine? Test your wine knowledge with these 25 facts about 5 of the most popular wine varietals: Cabernet, Pinot, Zin, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, learn a little more about the hard to pronounce but delicious nonetheless Viognier varietal.
Napa Valley’s Anthem Winery uses a beautiful custom capsule on their bottlings.
Here at The California Wine Club, we have been enjoying and learning about wine since 1990. We love sharing the things we’ve learned with our wine club members.
Today we are answering the common question, “What are wine bottle capsules?” Wine capsules are the protective sleeves on the neck of a wine bottle over the cork. Their main purpose is to keep rodents or insects from harming the cork while wine is stored for long periods. They also can serve as a collar to catch drips when pouring, and they decorate the bottle. Some include information such as the winery name or logo or motto. They are not typically used on screw cap wines, but some “twisties” mimic the look of capsules. Continue Reading >
“My wife was the main driver behind it,” says Niels Udsen of Castoro Cellars’ conversion to all organic farming. In 1983, right after Paso Robles became an AVA, Niels and his wife, Bimmer, took a leap of faith when they founded their small winery. Castoro means beaver in Italian and is Niels’ lifelong nickname. “We were the thirteenth winery in Paso Robles,” says Niels. “I never thought there would be over 300 wineries here. We are now the largest grower of organic grapes in Paso Robles. One hundred percent of our vineyards are farmed organically and are SIP certified (Sustainability in Practice, a nationwide sustainability program). We want a healthy environment for our employees, our family, the grapes, and the wines.
Owning a small winery can be compared to a crazy spring day — brilliant sunshine followed by dark clouds, rain … and then a rainbow! It is a mixed bag, to be sure, but those who love it embrace it fully. After 30 years visiting thousands of small artisan wineries, we’ve learned all about their highs and lows.
1. Why is diurnal spread important to fine winemaking?
“Different flavors and aromas are produced at different temperatures. The best tasting wine needs a vineyard with an ideal range of temperatures. With Cabernet, for example, ideal daytime highs are in the low 80s and nighttime lows are in the low 60s. This is a diurnal spread of about 20 degrees. It is the last eight weeks of the growing season that really count.”
— Bill Hill, iconic Vineyard Architect and founder of William Hill Winery, Expressions, and Prime Solum. Bill is pictured below with his daughter, Elana Hill, who is a Winegrower at Prime Solum.