Wine Recipe Cooking Articles >>History of the Mendocino County Wine Industry
by Benjamin Bicais
The history of wine production in Mendocino dates back to the mid 19th century. The first Europeans to settle in the region were Russian hunters and trappers. They made their living selling seal and otter pelts.
The Gold Rush caused the population of the San Francisco Bay Area to expand dramatically. The local timber industry took off with the increase in demand for building supplies.
The first grapes were grown during 1850s by failed gold prospectors. The wine produced during this era had a mainly local customer base due to the isolation of the region.
In 1851, the Anderson Valley was discovered by accident. Italian immigrants planted vineyards on the sunny hillsides of the valley during the ensuing generation.
Even when the railroads were extended north, Mendocino's Wine Industry remained relatively unknown in the national and international markets. Despite the region's obscurity, there were over 5000 acres of vineyards and several wineries during the late-ninteenth century.
Phylloxera and Prohibition
Most of California Wine Country was hurt by the spread of the Phylloxera Louse in the late 19th century. Despite the damage, the isolated region fared better than some other parts of the state. The industry rebounded after the utilization of Phylloxera resistent rootstocks. In the 1910s, there were close to 6000 acres of vineyards in Mendocino County.
Prohibition was almost a death sentence for the region's wine industry. With a few isolated exceptions, almost all was lost. A few Zinfandel vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge survived and are thankfully still alive today. However, all of the wineries were closed during Prohibition.
The Parducci Family is credited as being the stewards of the wine industry during the ensuing difficult years. In the 1960s they owned and operated the only winery in the county. It is located near the Redwood Valley.
The Renaissance
The industry began to come alive with the rest of the California wine industry during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968, the Fetzer family established a winery near the McDowell Valley. Finally the Parducci Family had some company. Substantial investment went into planting vineyards, but not much wine was actually produced in Mendocino. Most of the region's grapes were sold to non-resident wineries and used in faceless blends.
Thankfully, this has changed. There are currently many high-quality wineries in the county. In recent years, the region has gained a reputation for producing many varietals exceptionally well. The practice of shipping grapes to other regions for production lessened as the large AVA's renown increased. It currently contains over 15,000 acres of planted vineyards.
Introduction to Italian Wine
by Tynan Szvetecz
Each year, it is not uncommon for Italy to find itself at the top of a number of wine-related lists, not the least of which ranks it as the largest producer, exporter and consumer of wine in the world. This fact is all the more impressive when you consider that Italy is not a very large country - indeed it is less than three-quarters the size of California. Even considering the roughly 8 billion bottles of wine it produces each year, the country manages to stay true to wine styles that go back four thousand years. As a result, Italy not only has more local grape varieties than any other country, but it also has some of the most distinctive wines on Earth.
One of the major considerations with Italy's unique wine style is the wide range of dive 
Introduction to Italian Wine
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Family Life or Wine for Christmas Dy
by Elen Meerovich
For your family and guests,Christmas is a day to spend time together, You expend so much energy planning for the big event that you may forget about the days before and after, when houseguests will still need to eat.
If you know what varieties of wine you and your guests enjoy, stock up on them.No matter what food you'll be serving. What kind of wine should you serve with appetizers? Choose something pleasant and interesting, and save the serious wine for a sit-down dinner.
Best of them:
Piper Heidsieck 1995 Brut Vintage
Champagne, France
Dom Perignon 1996 with Gift Box
Champagne, France
Ch. Ste. Michelle 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley, Washington
Simi 2001 Landslide Vineyard Cabernet Sauvig Family Life or Wine for Christmas Dy
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Guide To Tasting Wine
by Ben Bicais
The basics of tasting wine are relatively simple to learn. Once the fundamentals are mastered, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any other skill, tasting wine requires practice, and consistency is probably the most important factor.
One helpful strategy an aspiring wine taster can pursue is tasting with a friend that has superior knowledge. Questions can be addressed, and you will quickly become comfortable with this unnecessarily intimidating subject.
Another important strategy for a beginning wine taster is to taste several wines side-by-side that share at least one common variable. This could be the varietal, style, AVA of origin, or any combination of the three.
Tasting blind will minimize an Guide To Tasting Wine
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