Oregon Wine Month Starts Now…. with “Pour It Forward”

Commencing May 1, 2021 Oregon wine lovers are set to celebrate Oregon Wine Month.  This month-long celebration showcases the best in Oregon’s rapidly growing wine industry.

This is the 9th year for Oregon Wine Month – it gives wine lovers different ways to celebrate including in-person and virtual events.

It kicks off with a social media campaign hosted on their Instagram and Facebook channels “Pour It Forward” (#pouritfORward), which serves as a chain of appreciation between Oregon winemakers across the state and globally.

Thirty-one Oregon winemakers are featured in this campaign and are featured daily by video. To see the campaign, go to the Wine Board’s Instagram and Facebook channels during the month of May. Videos will also be posted on the Oregon Wine Month site.

(May 1), features winemaker John Grochau of Grochau Cellars in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA tasting and sharing his thoughts on a Vermentino from winemaker Nate Wall of Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley AVA.  On May 2nd Nate Wall discusses a Mencia from Analemma Wines in the Columbia Gorge AVA – videos are featured here clicking here.

The month-long campaign will also feature wineries from all corners of Oregon’s rich and varied winemaking landscape – from The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater to the Chehalem Mountains in the Willamette Valley.

These short videos provide a window into the collaborative Oregon wine industry and give a platform for winemakers to praise wines made by their talented peers. As well as on social media platforms, the videos will also be housed on the Oregon Wine Month site.

Other episodes in the “Pour It Forward” series include winemakers like Master of Wine Billo Naravane from Rasa in The Rocks District and Walla Walla Valley, fellow Willamette Valley alums Doug Tunnell of Brick House, Grant Coulter and Renée St. Amour from Hundred Sons Wine.

The Oregon Wine Month sweepstakes returns for 2021, with an even bigger prize package for those eager to visit Oregon wine country. This year the stakes feature two spectacular prizes with two grand prizes – one trip to the Rogue Valley in partnership with Rogue Valley Vintners and one trip to the Willamette Valley in partnership with the Willamette Valley Wineries Association – Oregon Wine Month sweepstakes

Oregon Wine Month also includes a series of free educational seminars led by Master of Wine Bree Stock. Stock is a leading authority on the Oregon wine industry.

#OregonWineMonth #Oregonwine #wineevent #uswine #pouritfORward @oregonwineboard #oregonwineboard #oregonwines #oregonwinecountry #winemaking #winelover #winelovers #winetime #winecommunity #winestagram #winestory #winereview #winetasting #orwine #instawine

Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year Announced

Oscar Oliveras has won the prestigious “Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year” award for “Grape View” which is a stunning image of Semillon grapes being gathered in Saussignac, France. The Spanish photographer captured this image on the first day of the harvest at Château des Ganfard.

Some other winners include:

The winner of the Errázuriz Wine Photographer of the Year” is Victor Pugatschew with “People Pressing the Pinot Noir.”

The winner of the “Errázuriz Wine Photographer of the Year Places” is Lana Svitankova with “The Vanishing Craft.”

Judges include Vitalie Taittinger, Errazuriz’s Magui Chadwick, and other well-known photographers and wine trade insiders.

Further details on winners https://www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com/

#pinkladyawards #winephotoawards #winephotography #winetrade #winelovers #wineart #LanaSvitankova #errazurizwines #oliverasoscar #vicpug #TheExpertsChoice #ViñaErrazuriz #ErrazurizWines #ErrazurizPhotographer #PinkLady #FoodPhotoAward #wine #winephotography #vine #redwine #whitewine #wineforcelebration #sommelier #vinyard@taittinger_uk @oliverasoscar @vicpug @errazurizwines @pinkladyeurope @pinkladyapplesnz @worldfoodprogramme @pinkladychile @foodphotoaward @foodphotoaward

Vinexpo America and Drinks America Plan a Joint Debut in New York – March 9/10 2022

Vinexposium announced that two co-located events—Vinexpo America and Drinks America—that will reunite the beverage alcohol industry (in person) under one roof, in 2022.  The trade-only expos will be held March 9-10, 2022, in the new Hall 3 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Together, they promise to attract top buyers and decision-makers from across North America, the largest and fast-growing beverage-alcohol-consuming market in the world.

Vinexpo America is a repositioning of the former Vinexpo New York, which for three years served as the premier international exhibition for wine and spirits professionals in North America before a 2021 pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its new form, Vinexpo America will focus exclusively on wines, with representation from all of the world’s top-producing regions.

Drinks America is a brand-new expo created in response to a forecasted continuing rise in consumption of spirits and ready-to-drink beverages. It will feature a wide array of spirits, beer and sake from producers across the globe as well as beverage alcohol accessories and services.

Both events will provide U.S. and Canadian buyers access to new and established brands that are looking to expand distribution, network and meet with existing customers in North America. From conferences to master classes, two full days of educational programming will address issues relevant to both the wine and spirits worlds.

For attendees, Vinexpo America | Drinks America offers the advantage of one registration for full access to both shows’ exhibits, programming and events—a great value that also optimizes efficiency as they can meet with producers from around the world in one location over two days.

Exhibitors will benefit from visibility to all buyers, decision-makers and influencers from both events, plus unlimited free guest invitations. A new business matchmaking service will facilitate one-to-one meetings during the two-day exhibition.

“We’re excited to renew our partnership with Vinexposium and come back to New York in 2022 with a brand-new, greatly enhanced offering,” said Mary Larkin, president of Diversified Communications USA. “Bringing together Vinexpo America and Drinks America in a single meeting place will enable us to serve the entire U.S. wine and spirits communities—an especially welcome opportunity after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the industry’s major exhibitions in 2021.”

“The launch of our events in the United States in 2022 is designed to coincide with the resumption of trade between Europe and the USA. Under a new name, Vinexpo America aims to embrace the entire North American market, alongside Drinks America. It has become crucial to offer our customers a comprehensive business platform that matches the scale of the American continent and includes spirits, craft drinks and beers alongside wine,” stresses Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium.

More information regarding the 2022 event will be announced in the coming months.

#GlobalWineevent #inperson #VinexpoAmerica #DrinksAmerica #vinexpo #winenews #tradeevent #wine #winelovers #Vinexposium #wineevent #instawine #wineevent2022

The Top 10 Countries That Drank The Most Wine In 2020

Paris-based International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) has just revealed stats of the top ten countries that drank the most wine in 2020.

Global Consumption has fallen to its lowest point since 2002. OIV reports that that overall wine consumption had fallen three percent to 234 million hectolitres in 2020 – around 6.2 billion gallons. In terms of market value, OIV puts the total exports of wine-producing countries at an estimated 29.6 billion euros ($35.6 billion), a figure that would represent a fall of nearly seven percent.

OIV maintains that these numbers are an estimate.

“With the exception of Prosecco, sparkling wine is the category of wines that suffered the most in 2020,” the organization states.

So, which countries drank the most wine in 2020?

Here are the top 10 by consumption according to OIV.

  1. 1.US – 33mhl
  2. France– 24.7mhl
  3. Italy– 24.5mhl
  4. Germany– 19.8mhl
  5. UK– 13.3mhl
  6. China– 12.4mhl
  7. Russia– 10.3mhl
  8. Spain– 9.6mhl
  9. Argentina– 9.4mhl
  10. Australia– 5.7mhl

#wine #winelovers #winetasting #instawine #redwine #whitewine #sparklingwine #oiv #winenews #wineconsumption #winemarketing

Great Italian Wines [Master Class] Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties – Montepulciano & Aglianico

I attended the online Masterclass Series “Great Italian Wines – Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties” –  Montepulciano & Aglianico on Thursday, April 15th,  Part 3 in the series, and here is what I found out.

Montepulciano
Vines in Montepulciano have been cultivated since the late 1700s. Currently, Montepulciano is the second most widely planted varietal in Italy, just after Sangiovese, and is planted mainly in central Italy, predominantly in Abruzzo, as well as the regions of Marche, Molise. and Puglia.

The most famous Montepulciano wines come from Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC. It is a high-yielding grape that thrives in the area of Abruzzo. Winemaking traditions in Abruzzo date back to the 6th century BC. Montepulciano is produced in each of Abruzzo’s provinces – L’Aquila (Capital), Chieti, Pescara, and Teramo – and over half of the 32,000 hectares of vines are planted to this varietal. This variety has a blue-purple skin colour; is late-ripening and thick-skinned yet produces wines with softer tannins and lower acidity.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was designated a DOC in 1968 and requires at least 85% of the wine to be made with Montepulciano varietal and no more than 15% of Sangiovese.

Important to note – This is Montepulciano “The Indigenous Variety” NOT Vino Nobile di Montepulciano MONTEPULCIANO

Aglianico
Aglianico is considered to be the “Barolo of the South”, with the finest examples found in Basilicata and Campania. Basilicata is a region located in the instep of the “boot of Italy” which borders Campania, Puglia, and Calabria between the Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts.

Aglianico del Vulture DOC was established in 1971; 2,400 hectares are cultivated on volcanic soils from Mount Vulture.  Aglianico is the only permitted grape within this DOC. The best examples of Aglianico del Vulture DOC wines are grown between 350 to 500 metres above sea level.

The Aglianico varietal has a dark blue-black colour and is thick-skinned; is a late-ripening variety that can be harvested into November and is also low-yielding. This varietal also requires abundant sunshine and dry weather; thrives on steep slopes, high altitudes, and volcanic soils. These wines tend to be full-bodied, have good structure, firm tannins, and are age-worthy.

Wines Tasted

Torre Dei Beati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2018
Varietal: 100% Montepulciano (organic)

Deep, violet-ruby red in colour; elegant nose with complex blackberry fruit, hints of spice and mint; on the palate ripe red berries and earthy notes; well-structured with refined tannins through to a long finish. This is an elegant interpretation of Montepulciano.
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Score: 90 points

Grifalco Aglianico Del Vulture 2018
Varietal: 100% Aglianico

Ruby red in colour; the nose is generous and elegant; fresh and preserved red berries, enriched with balsamic note and mineral notes; the palate is bold and full-bodied with lovely red and black cherry and earthy flavours; structured tannins; good acidity lengthens the deep defined finish.
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Score: 91 points

@italchambers @trueitaliantaste @cavinonawine #trueitaliantaste #extraordinaryitaliantaste #iffoodcouldtalk #indigenousgrapevarieties #greatitalianwines #aglianico #BarolooftheSouth #Montepulciano #winetasting #instawine #winelovers #Italianwinelovers