What is Colorado wine? On my Southwest Winery Tour, I was really interested in seeing what Colorado wine was all about.  What I found is that the state has not defined what Colorado wine is actually (BTW, this is not unique to Colorado, and most states/regions are in the same boat).  By that I mean, as →

Building the Foundation for Your Winery I have found that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people in starting a business is not asking enough questions. And if they’re asking questions, often they aren’t the right questions of the right people. Many times entrepreneurs are so lit up and passionate about their idea or →

You are passionate about wine. Perhaps you’ve been making your own wine for family and friends. Maybe you’re even growing a few vines! But now you’re really excited and motivated about living the dream – being a winery owners and sharing your passion with many. Where do you start? One of the biggest Catch-22’s of →

Are your wines distributed?  Should they be?  Many small wineries ask themselves these questions.   The answers are not always easy to come by.   Let’s shed some light on the subject. First, how did we get here? Why do we even have mandated distribution in most states? The 3-tier system, born out of the →

Fire destroys truckload of wine on I-80. How would you like to get that news from the truck drivers transporting your wine?   The fire broke out in the trailer’s refrigeration unit while being delivered. Perhaps you’re saying “Man that sucks. Glad it wasn’t me.”  The big question here is what if this had been →

It’s February, you look out over your winery and vineyard.  The landscape is brown, the wind is blowing cold, the vineyard is barren, tours are down and there aren’t any wine festivals.  Winters can play havoc on your customer traffic and sales, causing you stress if you aren’t prepared and sometimes even if you are! →

Oklahoma is cooler than most areas of Texas and is having success in making crisper whites such as minerally Pinot Grigio, Rieslings and Chenin Blancs, as well as some Viogniers that are more citrusy and less melony. With these colder temps, Cabs, Merlots and Zinfandels do well too. The challenge Oklahoma is facing now is →

Grapefest turned 24 years old this 2010 and has grown into a renowned festival in North America, attracting ever larger crowds.  Grapefest People’s Choice Tasting was created with the intent of showing off Texas wines and making Grapevine the “Wine Capital of Texas.”  It has succeeded, attracting over 250,000 visitors from all over the world, →