Sonoma County Chardonnay grapes in trouble

Sonoma County's Chardonnay harvest is threatened this year by the onrest of botrytis, or bunch rot, due to recent wet weather. Damages could reach nearly $5 million at the present grape price of $1,600/ton. Full story

A New Study, A New Feature

The Trib's excellent Kevin Smith reports on a study in the Journal of Labor Research which finds that social drinking can improve one's earnings. Specifically, male drinkers earn 10% more than non-drinkers, while female drinkers boost their earnings by 14%. (Full article)

In honor of this development, we'll be adding short notes on different wines from time to time. Today's feature is:

Smoking Loon 2005 California Chardonnay

Strong reminder to a recently tasted 2005 Yellow Tail. However, the oaking was significantly reduced, allowing for a much better rounded quaff. The wine was decanted and consumed over a long enough period of time that there was a noticable strengthening and maturity after an hour or so. If you're going to drink wine like this, the $20 Riedel Vivant decanter at Target is a necessary investment, helping the wine quite a bit. Very light feel on the palate. 13.8% ABV. Von's carries Smoking Loon's lineup for under $10/btl.