Sonoma's vaunted wineries embrace online sales, budget pricing to woo pandemic drinkers

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Sonoma’s vaunted wineries embrace online sales, budget pricing to woo pandemic drinkers

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[Harker]

1. I could be wooed. n/t

[lkinwi]

2. I've already been wooed.

[Brother Buzz]

3. Wines with smoky aromas, or smoke-taint wine?

Asking for a friend.

[SophieJean]

4. NO.

The majority of wineries are doing okay, and harvest is over.

[Brother Buzz]

6. Cabernet Sauvignon, the premiere grape of the Napa Valley, is a late harvest grape

I understand a lot of it was still hanging on the vine when the Glass fire disrupted the picking schedule. I suspect a ton of it will prove to be smoke tainted and the marginally tainted wines will be downgraded to the second tier markets.

But that's neither here nor there because this year's crop would not be released to the market for another three years, or so. I suspect there will be a dearth of premium 2020 vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a few short years.

[Auggie]

5. Hey Brother Buzz, the 2020 harvest won't be available for purchase until 2021 or 2022 ...

so any Sonoma or Napa Valley wine you buy NOW is from a year to two years ago and okay. And most to all 2020 white grapes were already harvested before the mid-August lightning events, so those will be okay too.

Heard the CEO of Charles Krug say thick-skinned Cab grapes may be fine. Says they'll know for sure after fermentation. Pinot Noir, which is a very thin-skinned grape, is a little trickier.

[Brother Buzz]

7. Yes, and if we can get the accountants out of the decision making process....

on release dates, the wines would spend more time in the barrel, and more rest in the bottles.

I always defer to you because you got the skinny on what's actually happening in the Napa Valley.

[ailsagirl]

8. If I drank, I would allowed myself to be wooed...