Dreamers and True Believers: A Wine Industry in Denial
Therapists weigh in on factors that influence the industry’s glass-half-full mindset.
By Jeff Siegel
The litany of bad news — falling sales, attacks by health officials,...
OpEd: They Did It All for the Love of Zin
At 2024 ZAP, it became clear that California Zinfandel has finally grown up
By Randy Caparoso
There is, undoubtedly, no organization that’s done more for a...
OpEd: What Dylan Has to Do with Mondavi, the History of...
When it comes to wine choice, consumers have always been more sophisticated than industry professionals.
By Randy Caparoso
I started out on Burgundy but soon hit...
Terroir Is Truth: The Timeless Tutelage of Tchelistcheff (OpEd)
A writer remembers words of wisdom from a true winemaking legend.
By Randy Caparoso
The late André Tchelistcheff, Beaulieu Vineyards' winemaker from 1938 to 1968, was...
Op Ed: Let’s Take a Breath Before Pushing the Panic Button...
The shrill talk about the American wine industry having a “problem”
defies all logic and common sense.
By Randy Caparoso
Like everyone else in the wine...
OpEd: We Will Continue Your Work, Mr. Franzia
Fred Franzia brought millions of consumers into the wine business
who had never thought of drinking wine.
By Steve Kemiji
I’m not surprised at the lack...
Op Ed: Have Alternative Style Wines Become Tiresome?
Today's cutting-edge wines are more terroir-expressive than the usual commercial styles. What I don't get, though, is how formulaic it's all become.
By Randy Caparoso
I...
Op Ed: Criticism of Organic or Sustainable Winegrowing Programs Adds to...
Are regional sustainable winegrowing certification programs
a boon for the industry?
By Randy Caparoso
For the longest time, a certified USDA organic seal on a food...
Op Ed: Is the UK Wine Trade’s “The California List” a...
An outdated classification model will cause
more problems than it solves.
By Randy Caparoso
Who doesn't love the UK wine trade? Most of us in U.S. wine-related...
Op Ed: What Do Wine Consumers Really Want?
They want what they want.
—Randy Caparoso
What do wine lovers want?
On one hand, every other day there seems to be a new "natural wine bar"...
The Enduring Mythos of Wine
The wine world has always been full of myths—mystique and imagination play as big a part in our enjoyment of wines as facts and...
Op Ed: Wine Consumer Preferences Are a Reflection of the Industry
Consumers are not stupid. There, that's the crux of this entire op-ed.
Although I do have something to add: If consumers are stupid, it's only...
Opinion: Minerality in Terms of Terroir
Terroir as like a tree falling in a forest. Just because you don't hear it, it doesn’t mean it didn't fall.
—Randy Caparoso
I think that...
Op Ed: Dear Sommeliers, It’s OK to Like Zinfandel
This op is written from a sommelier's perspective. I know a lot of them because I was a sommelier who worked in restaurants for...
Opinion: Natural Winemaking Is the Most Natural Thing
Hands off those vines, hands off those wines—what comes naturally should be respected
—Randy Caparoso
I love natural style wines. In fact, I'm partial to them,...