USA Today – Best Wine Region (2025)
Here are the 10 Best Wine Regions in the U.S., as voted by readers of USA TODAY’s 10Best. 1. Suisun Valley (CA), 2. Rogue Valley (OR), 3. Walla Walla Valley (WA), 4. Yakima Valley (WA), 5. Paso Robles (CA), 6. West Elks (CO), 7. Anderson Valley (CA), 8. Lubbock (TX), 9. Texas Hill Country (TX), and 10. Santa Barbara County (CA)
Hmm. No Napa, Sonoma, Finger Lakes. Lubbock?? No. Texas Hill Country, sure. And I need to look into West Elks, Colorado. Never heard of it. I do agree with 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10. Not sure the order is right. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Wine Business – San Francisco Giants Announce Giants Wine Club, Presented by Sonoma County Winegrowers
The San Francisco Giants unveiled the Giants Wine Club, marking the first-ever wine club launched by a Major League Baseball team. The membership program offers fans three curated shipments annually—each containing six Sonoma County wines hand-selected by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein—plus exclusive perks like private tastings and educational webinars. From the press release:
Wine will be hand-selected by Giants and first-ever professional sports team Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein – one of 279 Master Sommeliers worldwide who’s been voted twice into IntoWine.coms “Top 100 Most Influential People in the US Wine Industry”.
Financial Times – Grapes of wrath: South African wineries hit by 30% US tariffs
South African wine producers are facing steep challenges as the U.S. imposes a hefty 30 percent tariff on their exports—far higher than those levied on France, Italy, Australia, and others—jeopardizing a vital market that accounts for a significant chunk of the country’s annual wine sales and supports 270,000 jobs. Efforts to shift to other markets have begun, and the government has launched a support desk and aid package, though critics caution such moves may not be enough to offset the blow. From the Article:
The 30 per cent tariff on South Africa, which went into effect on Thursday, exceeds the 15 per cent levied on France, Italy and Spain, as well as the 10 per cent on Australia, Argentina and Chile.
Wine Business – WineSpeak – A Free Tool Built For Wine Industry Marketers – Releases With Rave Reviews
WineSpeak, an AI-based communication tool for wine industry professionals, has been introduced. The platform is designed to help wineries and related businesses streamline messaging, marketing, and customer engagement.
I put it to the test with an Opus One 2018 Tasting Notes From the Winery. Interesting, but is it game-changing? It seems like you could create a GPT to do this for you.
Cantine Marisa Cuomo in Furore SA, Italy
Founded in 1980, Cantine Marisa Cuomo traces its beginnings to a personal gesture: Andrea Ferraioli gifted his family’s vineyards to his wife, Marisa, marking the start of a winemaking project that would come to define Furore. From the outset, the winery focused on indigenous grapes and vineyard expressions shaped by the vertical topography of the Amalfi Coast.
2022 Page Springs Cellars Anonymous
Arizona probably isn’t the first place most people think of when it comes to serious wine. But that’s slowly changing thanks to bottles like the 2022 Anonymous from Page Springs Cellars. Nestled in the high desert south of Sedona, this winery has been doing the hard work of putting Arizona on the wine map—one vintage at a time. Their Anonymous blend—a mix of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah—is a quietly confident wine. It doesn’t scream for attention but settles into your glass with a kind of Southwestern swagger, balancing ripe fruit with earth, spice, and a distinct sense of place.
The Bootlegger Italian Bistro: A Slice of Classic Vegas Charm
Tucked away from the neon dazzle of the Strip but still undeniably Las Vegas, The Bootlegger Italian Bistro has become one of the city’s most beloved and enduring institutions. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard South, it’s been serving classic Italian dishes with a side of nostalgia for decades. With a Google rating of 4.6 from over 5,000 diners and a top-tier 5-star nod from Cork and Journey, this place is far more than just a restaurant, it’s a family legacy, a culinary time capsule, and a local icon rolled into one.
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