Wine Articles


The Goosecross Yountville Estate Vineyard

Our Yountville Estate Vineyard
The Selection of Clones and Rootstock Hybrids on Our Estate
The Wappo Indians of Napa Valley

Wine and Food

Wine and Food Pairing
Pairing Wine and Cheese
Restaurant Etiquette and Wine
Pairing Wine with Chocolate
Easter and Passover Entertaining
Mother’s Day Entertaining
Father’s Day Entertaining

Wine Appreciation

Debunking Some Wine Myths
Wine Tasting Basics
Wine Service Basics at Home
Aging and Cellaring at Home
Hosting a Tasting at Home
Wine Essences

Grape Growing

2009 Harvest Recap
2008 Harvest Recap
What is Terroir?
What’s the Story with Biodynamics?
Vineyard Development Q & A
Why do Clones Matter?
Why is Hangtime such an Issue?
A Year in the Vineyard
Phylloxera
Black Goo!
The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter… It’s War!

Wine Making

Winemaking 101
Sparkling Wine 101
Wine Blending Q & A with our Winemaker
Sweet and Fortified Wines
Port
Sherry
Madeira
Botrytised Wines and Ice Wine
To Oak or not to Oak
Zinfandel: California’s Historic Wine
California Wine History
The History of Champagne
The Ancient Craft of Barrel Building
How we make our Estate Chardonnay
How we make our Estate Meritage
Why do we Blend Cabernet Sauvignon?
Sulfites and Wine

Grape Varieties

Vitis Vinifera
White Varieties
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Viognier
Chenin Blanc
Orange Muscat
Muscat Canelli
Red Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon*
Merlot*
Cabernet Franc*
Petit Verdot*
Malbec*
Zinfandel
Syrah
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Tempranillo
*Bordeaux varieties

Wine Regulations and Labeling

What is an AVA?
Napa Valley AVA
Yountville AVA
Oak Knoll AVA
Los Carneros AVA
Howell Mountain AVA
Stags Leap District AVA
Oakville AVA
Rutherford AVA
Some Basic Wine Label Rules
Understanding Wine Names
What is a Meritage Wine?

Wine Packaging

Bottle Shapes and Sizes – Tradition or Utility?
Corks – From the Tree to the Bottle
What About Plastic Corks and Screw caps?

References

Wine Definition Glossary
Napa Valley Vintage Recap
Wine Component Definitions