Wine Culture

Wine Market Council announced on Nov. 5 that it has partnered with Wine Opinions on the first phase of a Luxury Wine Consumer Research Study, examining buyers of wines priced at $50 and above, with the complete Phase 1 findings to be presented in a member webinar on Nov. 11.

The Oakville winery announced on Nov. 5 that its first Friendsgiving Registry lets a host pick one of three chef built menus and lets guests claim the sides, salads and desserts, after its own 2026 trends survey found 65 percent of respondents looking to lower their financial responsibility for the gathering.

Priest Ranch announced on Nov. 4 that Toni Chadwick, founder of Craft & Cru Consulting, will serve as its dedicated national accounts broker, representing its five core estate SKUs across restaurant, retail, airline and cruise channels after a long run of vineyard replanting at the Somerston Estate.

Cliff Lede Vineyards announced on Nov. 3 that Keely Ryan, who joined the Stags Leap District winery as enologist in 2022, has been promoted to associate winemaker. She will work alongside Director of Winemaking Christopher Tynan on everything from harvest planning to the blending table.

Hestan Napa and Women for WineSense announced on Oct. 20 a six-course dinner for Nov. 12 built entirely around women-owned and women-led wineries in Northern California. Six independent producers will pour their own wines and tell their own stories across Chef Mark Dommen's menu, in a dining room capped at 50 guests.

Napa Green said on Oct. 19 that growers in the Napa area can now get a Carbon Farm Plan at no cost, paid for by a $3 million grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts that will send over $2 million directly to local growers for regenerative practices. The plans are limited and offered first come, first served.

The Stags Leap District Winegrowers released the 2024 vintage of their Collaboration Cabernet on Oct. 15: one wine blended from lots contributed by fifteen district wineries, crafted by a five-winemaker blending team, in a run of only 900 bottles.

The 1,682-acre private estate above St. Helena has unveiled a new flagship collection: a $245 red and a $75 white in tiny quantities, each meant to taste like the mountain it came from.

Rombauer Vineyards released a limited-edition cowboy boot with Lane Boots on October 1: Chardonnay-washed leather, vineyard embroidery, Rombauer Blue soles, $395. It is a merchandise drop, but it may also be the most honest brand extension a Napa winery has attempted.

The picking starts hours before dawn, in the cold, by lamplight. Night harvest is skilled labor and temperature management, the unseen work behind the visitor-facing valley.