World Wine Shortage

      According to CNN there is a global wine shortage. With worldwide demand on the rise, both new and old wine producing regions are failing to keep up. Aaron Smith wrote today for CNN that bad weather in France and Argentina led global wine production to fall by more than 5% last year. Production in Europe, known as “old world” fell 10% in 2012, and researchers say new world wine production in countries like the “U.S., Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa has already peaked”. Meanwhile, in the last year, “worldwide consumption rose by 1%”. The French lead in wine consumption, followed by Americans and then the Chinese who currently experiencing a rise in the standard of living as their economy booms. Apparently, we’re drinking more than our fair share of the world’s wine, consuming 12% while only producing 8%. National consumption also rose 2% last year. Furthermore, although the U.S. winemaking industry is growing, “most new producers are boutique operators rather than large-scale producers” so they’re not driving any real growth in supply. 

      Despite this data, visit any liquor or grocery store or wine boutique and you’ll hardly find empty shelves. For now, it appears, at least on a national level that the wine industry is booming. But what will this mean for the wine industry in the future? My guess is that this will lead to higher prices for foreign wines and a focus on buying local and domestic – which is already trending in the food industry. Also, with the Chinese starting to make their own wine, maybe their production will rise to meet some of their national demand.  

      Start stocking your wine cellars, friends!

To read the full article, visit http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/29/news/economy/wine-shortage/

My Mom's Favorite Wines

      Like most millenials I’ve found – especially since college – that I actually enjoy my parents’ company. Being the oldest of four and part of “the management team” since I was little, I’ve always been comfortable around adults. By the age of 18 this meant that while my younger neighbors and siblings were still playing capture the flag on the front lawn, I had graduated to the porch, glass of wine in hand. Since then, I’ve spent many summer nights and breaks home from college, catching up with my mom over a glass of one of her favorite wines. After years of trying every red we could get our hands on in the $10-$15 price range (and a few more expensive gifts) my mom has settled on two definite favorites. 

      These two West Coast red blends are tasty enough to be enjoyed by beginners but not so sweet as to offend a more developed palate. Apothic Red, distributed by E. & J. Gallo, is a California blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Zinfandel and Syrah. Even my sister who anything but a red wine drinker (literally, she will take a beer, whiskey or white wine before drinking a red) appreciates a glass of Apothic.

 Though 14 Hands has an excellent selection worthwhile of reds, our favorite is Hot to Trot, a blend of Cabernet, Greanche, Merlot and Syrah from Washington. Both wines have an average price of $10 a bottle, according to www.wine-searcher.com. They’re a perfect selection for any occasion, from a night on the porch, to gifting or serving at a party.

      Enjoy!

Welcome!

      Two things in my life shaped my love of wine. As a junior in college, I spent a semester abroad in Florence. Being a Food Marketing major allowed me to take classes like An Exploration of Wine Culture in Italy, Food, Culture and Society in Italy and Wine Marketing and Communications. Aside from gaining a basic technical knowledge of the Italian wine landscape, the plethora of excellent wines available – even in the 2-5 Euro range – gave me the chance to taste a good bit of Tuscany. That semester I stepped out of my comfort zone, traveling and trying new things, and I came to associate wine with all of the best parts of my experience. 

      Returning from Italy, most of my wine drinking continued on my family’s front porch surrounded by neighbors and friends. Compared to my experience abroad, this provided a vastly different forum for sampling a much different flavor profile of wine – porch wines were generally $10-$15 bottles of California reds. On those nights, in the presence of “the village” as we like to call ourselves, I began distinguishing my palate – realizing what I liked in a wine and what I didn’t. I also believe those nights helped shape me as a person – realizing who I was and who I wanted to become. Because of this, so many of our favorite porch wines will forever remind me of home, family and comfort. 

      My purpose in creating this blog is to share any and everything I know, love and learn about wine and the fascinating industry surrounding it. From packaging innovations to craft ideas, and of course my favorite picks, consider this your one stop destination for all things wine!

For more follow my Pinterest board http://www.pinterest.com/laggiemong/vino/