Latest news with #CaliforniaChardonnay
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
A new California winery will change your mind about Chardonnay
It's become fashionable in recent years to praise lean, laser-focused California Chardonnay — some would say 'Chablis-style' Chardonnay — as a rebuke to the overblown butter-and-oak bombs that proliferated beginning in the 1990s. But that line of thinking neglects to account for the full-bodied California Chardonnays that are made well — expertly, even. When a winemaker gets it right, there's nothing like it. A rich Chardonnay can be as luscious as uni melting on the tongue, as decadent as a smear of soft-ripened cheese, as satisfying as biting into a juicy, runny peach. A new Sonoma County winery, Sphaerics, makes a convincing argument for this style. It produces Chardonnay exclusively, and all three of its single-vineyard wines are rich and complex, with a tense line of acidity that keeps them in balance. Now, three years in, Sphaerics will expand its small production thanks to the purchase of its own Sonoma Coast vineyard. Since meeting as students at U.C. Davis, Laura Jones and Brian Ball had always wanted to start their own winery, said Ball, 'but only if we can make something really unbelievable.' The couple have each had varied careers in the wine industry and now both work at Skipstone Ranch in Alexander Valley; he's the general manager, she's the winemaker. They set their sights on Chardonnay, not only because it's what they love to drink but also because Jones loves making it. Jones spent five years as the assistant winemaker at Aubert Wines in Calistoga, arguably the benchmark producer of rich, creamy, indulgent California Chardonnay. (Conveniently, Skipstone's only white wine is a Viognier, so there's no competition with their employer.) Their opportunity arrived in 2022, when the Jackson family offered to sell them Chardonnay grapes from the Upper Barn Vineyard, one of Skipstone's neighbors in Alexander Valley. Upper Barn has a notable legacy with some of the most prestigious names of the rich-Chardonnay camp: Helen Turley made Upper Barn Chardonnay when she was the winemaker for Peter Michael Winery, where it became a bottling known as Mon Plaisir, 'my pleasure.' She also used Upper Barn grapes for her own label, Marcassin. Turley's protégé Mark Aubert later made the Upper Barn Chardonnay when he worked for Peter Michael. Now Aubert's protégé, Jones, would be the next steward of these grapes. 'It was like this mentor-to-protégé winemaker family tree,' Ball said. They call the Upper Barn Chardonnay 'If and Only If,' a reference to their condition for starting the winery in the first place. The 2023 vintage is very expressive, reminding me of marzipan, ginger and apricot. As creamy and full as it is, it has a persistent, refreshing brightness. 'I love really long fermentations,' said Jones. She ferments her Chardonnays in barrels using indigenous yeast, and they typically don't complete their secondary malolactic fermentations until the following spring. (Most wineries would have this wrapped up within a matter of weeks following harvest.) She doesn't filter or fine the wines, nor does she practice battonage — the stirring of lees while a wine is aging in barrel, which can add oomph and body — meaning the wine gets its richness primarily from its raw materials. 'I pick on the riper side,' said Jones. 'The grapes should taste delicious. They should taste good. Like candy.' This sounds like an almost direct refutation of winemaker Raj Parr 's anti-ripeness maxim, now famous in industry circles: 'If you pick a grape off the vine and it tastes yummy, you've already missed it.' The Upper Barn Chardonnay is Sphaerics' flagship, and its most expensive at $140. The rest of the lineup consists of Overline ($65), a lighter expression from Carneros that's reminiscent of tangy yogurt, yellow peach and basil; and On Days and Nights ($80), from the Russian River Valley, which has flavors of fennel, toasted hazelnut and Meyer lemon. These are bold prices for Chardonnay, in line with high-end producers like Aubert, Peter Michael and Kistler. This year, Ball and Jones will add red wine to the mix after acquiring their estate vineyard. Located near the town of Occidental, the site has 13 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When the couple began scouting for properties, Ball pulled up Google Maps and asked Jones: 'Where in your dream would you want our vineyard to be?' She pointed to this particular area of the Sonoma Coast, where the fluffy Goldridge soils are known to be ideal for Burgundian grape varieties. Many of the wines that Jones had made at Aubert came from this area. When they saw a listing in that exact neighborhood that fit their budget, they felt that it was fate. They closed in May — and are legally prohibited from naming the vineyard's previous owner or which wineries bought its fruit. Coming up with a name for a winery that's not already trademarked is notoriously difficult, especially when 'your last names are not exciting,' said Jones. They chose Sphaerics, the title of the foundational text on the geometry of the sphere written by Theodosius of Bithynia in the 2nd or 1st century BC. It's partly a play on Ball's last name. It's also a nod to the shape of winemaking itself. 'Think of the most important objects that make wine,' Ball said: 'the shape of a grape, the shape of the earth, the shape of the moon.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Like pawns on a chess board': Trump's proposed tariff threatens European wine industry, Chicago restaurants
CHICAGO (WGN) — First Canada, now the European Union: The escalating trade wars and reciprocal tariffs could pave the way for a devastating economic toll on Chicago businesses. Volo Restaurant Wine Bar and their vast wine list has been a Roscoe Village staple for the last 20 years. But owner Jon Young may have to slim down the selection of wines following a threat from President Donald Trump, who, on social media Thursday, proposed a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne, and spirits if the EU moves forward with a 50% hike on American Whiskey. 'Just hearing that, it turns my stomach,' Young told WGN News. 'When I hear news like this, I feel like we are kind of like pawns on a chess board.' Trump threatens Europe with 200 percent tariff on wine, Champagne Young's business features wines from Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Slovenia. 'Lots of Europe repped here,' he said. The proposed 200% tariff on European wine was in response to steel and aluminium tariffs by the US, in what Young called another tit for tat move that could potentially impact people's livelihoods. 'I think it demonstrates a huge disconnect or even disregard for the average consumer and the average American,' Young said. The alcohol industry is thriving in the States, and Chris Swonger, the CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, told Nexstar's NewsNation that fair and reciprocal trade is vital. 'We are working closely with the Trump administration and the EU and Canada to try to untangle this industry,' he said. Still, Young feels President Trump's proposed actions would harm the US wine industry more than benefit. EU retaliates as Trump steel, aluminum tariffs take effect 'It's going to drive down consumption of wine in the US,' he said. For wine drinkers, Young added that enthusiasts cannot replace a French Chablis with a California Chardonnay, and the hope now is that Trump's threat remains as such – a threat. 'Everyday it seems shocking,' Young said. 'Today I woke up and guess what, this directly affects me. How long is it before it directly affects you?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
05-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Uncertainty looms, say Windsor businesses, as Trump pauses promised tariffs for 30 days
While Canada and the United States have gotten a 30-day reprieve from the threat of tariffs and a trade war, shoppers at a Windsor, Ont., LCBO were preparing themselves Monday afternoon and some uncertainty about future tariffs remains. Steven Clayton had purchased a case of Martha Stewart's California Chardonnay just in case American alcohol was pulled from the shelves, a retaliatory measure promised by Premier Doug Ford. But the temporary relief is still fuelling uncertainty. "It's my fourth case, don't tell anybody," said Clayton with a laugh. "I have bought a bottle of wine from California and a bottle of Irish cream from Canada," said Michael Jaworiwsky. "Once the dust settles, I think everything will be fine. There's too many 'Chicken Littles' running around in panic." With the news of a 30 day pause on tariffs, Ford has also announced a pause in retaliatory measures. Though stated reasons for the tariffs deal with the flow of drugs into the United States, Trump has still said that an "economic" deal with Canada needs to be reached to avert tariffs. "For 100 years, we've been integrating economies and we have this madman as the president coming on board who wants to destroy it," said Serge Dignard, who bought a local coffee liqueur. "His motto is to make America great again. It'll make America alone." Impact has already begun: Duty Free store But at Windsor Detroit Tunnel Duty Free shopping, the store says it's already seeing fewer Americans and less foot traffic. "Being a business in the border community, we're the first to get hit and the hardest to get hit," said Abe Taqtaq, president of the company. He said American liquor is the most sold item in the shop and while a month's time is some solace, the uncertainty still prevails. "The hardest impact is going to be, if this continues to go through it. But how much of an impact? We're in uncharted territory right now." While supportive of a buy Canadian approach, Taqtaq said governments should consider that many border businesses cannot "withstand another significant impact" similar to the pandemic. "With every crisis, there's an opportunity," he said. "We are going to start focusing on brands that are Canadian made, Canadian-sourced that we can put forward for our customers to be able to incentivize them to be able to substitute some of the products that are not going to be readily available." Uncertainty looms: Cocktail bar At Maiden Lane Wine and Cocktail Bar, American bourbon and whisky is a "mainstay" in many of their signature cocktails. Mackenzie Vetor, general manager, said while the temporary relief is welcomed, the "worrisome uncertainty" still looms. "While there is relief, knowing that maybe the tariffs can be avoided and that we will move forward, there's still so much uncertainty as there was over the last month," he said. "I'm also concerned just about the U.S. customer base coming over and what kind of effects are going to happen with our relationship there." That worry is always there in the future, Vetor said. "If the tariffs do come through eventually, we'll certainly feel it. That's undeniable." Vetor said one of their top cocktails is the old fashioned, classically made with American bourbon — but they might have to look at putting a twist on it with Canadian spirit options. "The average Canadian and American didn't ask for this, nor do we plan for it," he said. "My entire life we've shared an amazing alliance and partnership with the U.S. and seemingly all facets of life. It's just scary and the uncertainty around everything has got people in an already strange time gripping their pockets a little tighter." 'A good wake up call:' Downtown Windsor BIA City councillor and Downtown BIA board member Renaldo Agostino said businesses are adjusting to the uncertainty. "Everyone's just proceeding with caution... We don't want to play in the field of unknowns. And right now we just don't know enough moving forward," Agostino said. He said the situation means businesses don't have much control. "There has been some concern there from some of our business owners that they won't be able to serve some of the products that their customers like." Agostino said the 'Team Canada' approach should have been the case all along, not a reaction to looming tariffs. "It's a really good wake up call for everybody in this country to say that we need to carve out our own should be a strong focus on buying Canadian," he said. "But the biggest concern right now is the uncertainty with the border."
