Yesterday, Williams Selyem announced the acquisition of the 33-acre Saitone Vineyard in Sonoma County, an historic site first planted in 1895 that is home to some of the state’s oldest vines, including 12 acres of 121-year-old Zinfandel, and the source of vineyard-designate bottlings from producers including Bedrock and Carlisle. On the same day, Sea Smoke purchased Rita’s Crown Vineyard in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA: some 61 acres of high-density Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, planted in 2007 and source of single-vineyard bottlings from the producers including Babcock and Sandhi. Less than a week earlier, news broke that Kosta Browne had acquired Cerise Vineyards in Anderson Valley: a 59 acre site which includes the Demuth and Knez vineyards, planted principally with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and source of bottlings from wineries including Littorai, Saintsbury and Anthill Farms. August’s news follows on the heels of another significant transaction in July: Paul Hobbs Winery’s acquisition of the 42-acre Goldrock Ridge Vineyard on the so-called True Sonoma Coast near Annapolis.

As Alex Kanzler, a grape-grower and winemaker based in Sonoma County’s Sebastapol Hills, observes, ‘there definitely seems to be a trend that Pinot Noir-centric wineries with available capital are investing in estate properties’. ‘Inventories of top sites, planted or unplanted, are low and shrinking fast’, explains Paul Hobbs, adding that restrictions on developing new vineyard land in Sonoma County is exacerbating the shortage. Prime vineyards, he tells me, are not only an appreciating asset but also guarantee supply of top quality fruit in an evermore competitive marketplace. What’s more, ownership gives winemakers like Hobbs ultimate control over farming practices in a region where top producers are increasingly fastidious about viticulture. Some are concerned, however, that the consolidation of vineyard in fewer hands may make it difficult for new start-ups—as well as wineries that rely on purchasing fruit—to compete with the established players.

August’s purchases, however, have been met with optimism. Raj Parr, whose Sandhi label has produced a vineyard-designate Chardonnay bottling from Rita’s Crown Vineyard since 2010, hopes to have the chance to continue working with the site.top wine shops in london ‘The folks at Sea Smoke know that part of Santa Rita very well, and I’m sure they will take good care of the vineyard’, he commented.best discount wine online Ted Lemon of Littorai, who has bottled a Cerise Pinot Noir since 2001, was also positive: ‘We’re already working with Kosta Browne for this year’s upcoming harvest at Cerise’, he told me.best cheap white dry wine ‘We have had several good meetings and they have indicated great enthusiasm for continuing on with Littorai.  best wine storage uk

I have known them, and especially founder Dan Kosta, who is a good friend, for many, many years.’ ‘Cerise is a great vineyard site,’ he adds, ‘one of the finest in Anderson Valley, and it will benefit enormously from the resources which Kosta Browne can bring to it.’best wine quotes ever Webster Marquez, whose Anthill Farms label has worked with fruit from the Knez Vineyard at Cerise since 2004, agrees. best beer and wine for wedding‘We’re very excited for the property,’ he tells me: ‘It’s a supremely tricky site to farm—there’s a wide variety of soils and exposures, vertiginous terrain, and sometimes punishingly low yields. the best wine bar in londonEverything we’ve heard from the folks at Kosta Brown gives us confidence that they are ready to embrace the history of the property and also take the farming to a whole new place. name of wine served at olive garden

In short, we couldn’t be happier.’ What seems certain is that if this trend continues, California wine country will soon be a very different place.best affordable wine list nyc The global drinks giant is waving goodbye to California wine The deal includes the Orin Swift Cellars brand, inventory and the company’s tasting room in St Helena, which will continue… E&J Gallo winery has bought more than 100 hectares of vineyard on the fringes of Napa Valley, as part of… 10-year-old wine brand lifts Constellation... Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 2014 Winery Notes: Each year, our goal for Southing is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance. The ever-changing nose of the 2014 Southing exhibits Montmorency cherry, baking spice and dried flowers. The fine tannins and minerality are enhanced by our estate vineyard’s characteristic cool climate acidity.

What makes our vineyard truly special is its shallow clay soils, south facing slopes, and the layer of marine fog (sea “smoke”) that travels up the Santa Ynez River canyon each evening, cooling our vines. This cooling influence makes extended ‘hangtime’ possible prior to harvest – allowing flavors and tannins to fully mature, while still maintaining lovely acidity. This results in wines that are lush, elegant and expressiveWall of apocalyptic-looking 'sea smoke' appears over Lake Superior harbor on December 23, 2016 at 1:30 PM, updated DULUTH, MINNESOTA - An ominous wall of fog that would rival something out of a Hollywood disaster film appeared near a Lake Superior port earlier this week. In a short video captured by Minnesota photographer Levi Drevlow, a freighter can be seen moving through the Great Lakes harbor in Duluth, Minn. on Wednesday, Dec. 21. In the distance, a massive wall of cloud-like matter can be seen. And while it looks like something similar to the end of days, it's actually a naturally-occurring phenomenon known as "sea smoke."