Introduction Coopers have long recognized the importance of forest origin in shaping the sensory qualities of wine, yet relatively little research has been conducted to understand the underlying factors driving these effects. With access to oak sourced directly from several prestigious and historically significant French forests through our company-owned stave mill in northeastern France, we saw a unique opportunity to investigate how forest terroir contributes to wine expression. This study was conducted for our TW Boswell brand of French oak barrels and aimed to evaluate whether specific forest origins impart distinct chemical and sensory characteristics to wine. We selected three single-origin forests – Allier, Tronçais, and Nièvre and a blend composed of Bertranges, Bercé, and Russy – to compare the influence of each on wine aged in barrels crafted with TW Boswell’s proprietary toasting profiles. Our goal was to better understand the role of f

March 25th Webinar, by Coastal Viticultural Consultants, Inc. Effective Implement for the IPM Toolbox Improve powdery mildew management with spore trapping technology.  This technology can identify and quantify powdery mildew spores entering into or within a vineyard, better quantify overall powdery mildew pressure, and identify mildew “hot spots” before visual symptoms and damage occur. As the visual inspection of 1,000 leaves per acre is required to detect powdery mildew on leaves at an incidence level of 1% or lower (Mahaffee, et al. 2014) and Disease Forecasting Models do not reflect actual field conditions, spore trapping is more effective in monitoring and predicting powdery mildew populations and treatment needs. Coastal Viticultural Consultants (CVC) is providing a free informational webinar (via Zoom) that will discuss the practical use and advantages powdery mildew spore trapping offers, and availability to regional data sets. The webinar will also discu

Afternoon Brief: Premiere Napa Valley Celebrates the 2023 Vintage and the Spirit of Unity in the Wine Industry

The 2025 Premiere Napa Valley wine auction came to a celebratory conclusion on Saturday, marking the end of a truly memorable week in Napa Valley. This years auction raised a total of $3.3 million, underscoring the wine trades optimism for the future and reaffirming that demand for Napas finest and most innovative wines remains strong...

Afternoon Brief, November 10th

France Raises Wine Output Estimate, Regains Top Producer Spot: France's farm ministry on Friday raised its estimate for this year's wine production, confirming that it will regain the top spot among world producers although some major producing regions including Bordeaux have been hit by disease...

Afternoon Brief, September 28th

Is a Robotic Arm in Calistoga Pouring the Future?: An early-stage piece of technology at Maria Concetto's tasting room in Calistoga is turning heads. Known as RobinoVino, this robotic wine-pouring arm is not merely a novelty but a functional prototype with potentially significant implications for the sector...