The Duckhorn Portfolio’s Post

Excellent content as is always the case from Cult Wines.

If you’ve ever felt... off after a glass of wine, you’re not alone. Many people attribute it to the alcohol, but what if there was more to the story? For a lot of people, the preservatives known as *sulfites* are a factor. Sulfites are added to most wines to keep them stable on the shelf. But while they help extend a wine’s shelf life, they can also be responsible for that lingering discomfort many experience after a glass. While sulfites occur naturally in small amounts during fermentation, many large wineries add extra sulfites to keep flavors consistent. The goal? A shelf-stable, predictable product. For big producers, consistency is crucial, but the downside is that these additives can overshadow the wine’s unique character, masking the subtle changes that make each vintage special. Why does this matter for you, the wine drinker? Excessive sulfites and other additives can make people feel drained, foggy, or even unwell. A good glass of wine should be something you can enjoy without regret, not something that affects you the next day. This is why at Peony Lane, we choose a different path. By skipping the extra sulfites, we preserve the vibrant, natural flavors of the grape, allowing each bottle to reflect its true character. The result? Many of our drinkers say they feel refreshed, clear-headed, and energized after enjoying our low-sulfite wines. For those who thought wine always came with a downside, it can be a revelation. Choosing a low-sulfite wine is about prioritizing both the drink and the experience. It’s about enjoying every sip without the usual drawbacks, letting you feel balanced and vibrant. If you're ready to experience a wine crafted with care for both the grape and the drinker, we invite you to discover Peony Lane’s low-sulfite, natural wines. Here’s to enjoying wine with no regrets—just the pure pleasure of every sip. 🍇🥂 #NaturalWine #PeonyLane #WineWithCharacter #Wellbeing PeonyLaneWine.com

Wine labels: A foreign language or a treasure map? 🗺️ Here’s a quick breakdown of common label terms: ⏱️ Vintage: The year the grapes were harvested. Older doesn't always mean better! 🍇 Varietal: The type of grape. Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay... ring any bells? 📍 Appellation: Where the grapes were grown. Think Bordeaux, Napa Valley, or Judean Hills. 🍾 ABV: Alcohol By Volume. Higher doesn't always mean higher quality! 🏞️ Estate Bottled: Means the winery grew the grapes and made the wine on their property. 🤷♂️ Reserve: Can mean... well, almost anything. It's not a regulated term! Did you know what all these meant? What's the most confusing term you've seen on a wine label?

Take a moment to read our feature in Wine Spectator! This article includes a passage about Ken Wright & a glowing review of our 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot noir that retails for $28. https://lnkd.in/gKJxvSMa

The Great Southern Wine Region. Home to five unique subregions, defined by dramatically differing landscapes and microclimates, the Great Southern is one of the only wine regions in the world that produces such a broad range of world-class varietals. With only 23 kilometres of vineyards planted across the region’s great expanse, each subregion expresses nuanced terroir through each small but powerful annual yield of fruit, resulting in well-balanced, cool-climate wines of exceptional purity and elegance. Here at Singlefile Wines we strive to capture the essence of this incredible region in each of our wine offerings, sharing a taste of the Great Southern with the world. 📷 @third.eye.photo

These are the high-elevation vineyards of Ao Yun, in northwestern Yunnan province of China which gave birth to Moët Hennessy’s Ao Yun 2020. Senior Editor Zekun Shuai recently tasted it with estate manager and winemaker Maxence Dulou and gave it the highest score we’ve ever given to a Chinese wine. It is by far the freshest and best expression of Ao Yun yet, with lower pH, striking acidity and tension. 2020 offered some of the best climatic conditions yet for the wine, being a “vintage of homogeneity” as described by Dulou. Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/d_Ka6GER

Grandi Vigne Italian excellence, controlled right from the vineyard, for everyone. Our country has a strong winemaking tradition and therefore an incredible regional variety of flavours, colors and aromas. White, red, rosé, dry or sweet, fruity, aromatic or fresh, still or lively wines. Almost every region offers the excellence of small producers, who have passionately taken care of quality for generations. With Grandi Vigne, Iper, La grande i has finally made these labels available to everyone, with full respect for producers and consumers. Grandi Vigne is therefore first of all a project to enhance the excellence of our territory, born from the constant search for the best it has to offer. Through a rigorous selection of producing companies, Grandi Vigne offers a wide choice of wines with a designation of origin, coming from owned vineyards with a controlled supply chain, which would remain unknown or would mostly be closed to the general public. https://lnkd.in/dEeT7dX2

Why Domaine Evremond is about to be your new favourite English sparkling wine As the vineyards mature and the winery finds its rhythm, one can only imagine how future vintages will unfold. Although nearly seven and a half years have passed since the first vines were planted on an unseasonably cool day by the likes of your correspondent, the actual wines, born of friendship and ambition, are just beginning their journey. #FineWine #LuxuryWines #WineConnoisseur https://lnkd.in/eXErsDYS

2024 has been a year of market fluctuations and shifting trends in fine wine. First up, #BordeauxFutures struggled to generate excitement due to release prices that did not correlate with the current market environment. Instead, collectors turned to established older vintages with proven market performance and quality. The downturn in the fine wine market created great buying opportunities, offering the chance to acquire rare wines at more attractive prices. #Bordeaux and #SuperTuscans saw increased demand due to their stability in uncertain times. Read more about how the market has evolved and the opportunities that remain for collectors in Westgarth Wines' latest article: https://lnkd.in/ectgZCi6

The Endless Pursuit of Perfection in Winemaking   For every idyllic moment you see of Team Di Costanzo amongst the vines or working in the winery, there are countless others filled with uncertainty and the nagging feeling we could have done better with a particular wine.   ❓But do you want to know the frustrating, shake-your-head-and-quietly-laugh-to-yourself thing about that?   ☑️ It means we're doing it right.   The best winemakers we know, the women and men whose work we admire so much, are all the same. We are never satisfied with our work.   There's never a sense of being done, or having nailed a vintage or even one particular wine. Even many years after those grapes were picked and crushed into wine, often we still question what we might have done to make that wine better.   It's downright torture! A relentless journey without a final destination. 🤪   While we don't revel in this torment, understand that when you buy from an independent, winemaker-owned winery like ours, you're tasting the fruits of our unwavering determination to improve constantly. It's a lifelong pursuit of perfection in every bottle.