by Sally Colby
Most agricultural enterprises will likely employ paid workers at some point, but finding and keeping those workers is an ongoing challenge. Some key issues associated with hired labor include where to find employees, pay rates and how to retain trained employees. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Wine consultant Denise Gardner says it’s important for winemakers to understand malolactic fermentation (MLF) and how it can influence wine at various stages of production. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Sulfur is an element indicated on the periodic table as “S.” In its many different forms, it is found in a wide range of foods. Many amino acids contain sulfur, and it is present in leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. (more…)
by Melissa Piper Nelson
With craft brewing, distilling and boutique winery sales snagging a good share of sales volume in the U.S., start-ups as well as established businesses are seeking the next level of marketing potential. (more…)
Although Jen Wampler isn’t in the vineyard during harvest, she receives samples prior to and during harvest. Her role is to be aware of the progression of the ripening process and when grapes will be ready for picking. Photo by Sally Colby
by Sally Colby
Jen Wampler had a successful career as manager of a medical practice, but knew it was time to do something different. Although she didn’t seek a particular career change, Wampler started making wine at home and became interested in the process. (more…)
by Enrico Villamaino
There is no doubt about it: founding and running a brewery is a business. For some it is an experiment, for others a passion – some might even tell you it’s a calling – but it is always a business. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
While we are all Americans, we all have regional pride as well. Maryland is proud of its crab cakes; Texas has the biggest everything; and now a 1,650 square mile area in Upstate New York can officially be proud of its wines. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
According to the Brewers Association, as of 2017 there were 2,252 brewpubs, 3,812 microbreweries and 202 regional breweries operating in the nation. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Jim Miller planted Concord grapes simply because he had too much ground to mow. The grapes were ideal for jelly, but when the vines bore more fruit than he needed, he made wine instead. (more…)
by Catie Joyce-Bulay
When Chris Morley sat down to think about the brewery he wanted to open in Brewer, Maine, he knew it would need to have enough of a draw to bring people that far north. (more…)
by Laura Rodley
Three days of tasting events and visits to apple orchards and all things apple were the highlights of the 24th Annual CiderDays, held throughout Franklin County, MA, on the first weekend in November. (more…)
by Melissa Piper Nelson
In the rapidly burgeoning wine and craft beverage industry, the question regarding the return on investment (ROI) versus specialized training for tasting room assistants (TRAs) pops up frequently by owners, industry trade associations and market researchers. (more…)
by Karen Van Wyk
Brothers Mark and Todd Stricker along with Jay T. Nolan and Jeff McCarthy are the owners of Rush Creek Distilling. An adventurous spirit clearly fits the energy and productivity of this company and is also their tagline. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Growers know that all areas of their vineyard are not created equal, and all parts of the vineyard aren’t going to perform identically. If the end goal for the vineyard is the same throughout, different management protocols would need to be used as any variables change in order to achieve the same outcome. (more…)
Current advertising embraces the idea of generational segmentation, or developing marketing strategies for each age group. The most recognizable segments are Mature, Baby Boomers and Generations X, Y (Millennials) and Z. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Michael Paluzzi grew up in a town largely populated by Italian immigrants, most of whom made their own alcohol and served it at every meal. (more…)
by Enrico Villamaino
The Crescent City recently celebrated its largest ever beer festival at the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds – an unofficial start to the region’s Oktoberfest and a chance for brewers both large and small to exchange ideas and innovations while raising money for worthwhile causes. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
One visit to the Lassiter Distilling Company’s Facebook page might tell you a good bit about the business. The banner across the top of the site reads “Greatness and mischief and damn fine character.” It’s a bold statement, and a blunt one, and it totally encompasses the spirit cofounder Rebecca Lassiter brings to the brand. (more…)
LOUISVILLE, KY – Craft Beverage Expo (CBE) 2018, the only show dedicated to independent beverage producers, recently announced a newly enhanced format to their one-of-a-kind conference and tradeshow for alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft beverages. (more…)
by Brandon Fralic
Beer festivals abound throughout the United States. For the consumer, these fests are all about fun and discovery: sampling new brews is a great way to spend a Saturday with friends. Breweries get in on the fun too, often going all out in their booth decor and hype. (more…)
by Greg Hitchcock
Ben Applegate is the apple orchard manager for Eden Specialty Ciders of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom region. He has worked in cider production since 2009. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
A canned beverage in the United States is almost always a perfectly hand-sized cylinder that holds 12 ounces of a cool, refreshing drink, be it made of sugar and water or hops and water. (more…)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The third annual Drink Outside the Grape competition took place in Charlottesville, VA, on Aug. 8, resulting in 83 medals for fruit wines, meads, ciders and fruit brandies; 21 golds, 33 silvers and 27 bronze medals in addition to the five “Best of Category” winners. (more…)
NEW YORK – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the results of the second annual New York State Craft Beer Competition, which featured 642 New York State-brewed beers. For the second straight year, Brooklyn-based Threes Brewing took home top honors, winning the Governor’s Excelsior Cup. Gold medals were awarded to 23 beers from breweries across the state. (more…)
Hop Disease: Viruses and Viroids
Hops are fruit, and plants are susceptible to four diseases in the United States. Three of these belong to the same family – American hop latent virus, hop latent virus and hop mosaic virus. The fourth and most important is apple mosaic virus. (more…)
When it comes to evaluating your business, are you more of a numbers cruncher or an introspective learner? Can you be both? Should you be both? (more…)
by Rebecca Jackson
When he first met his wife Wendy, Donald Furrow-Scott hated wine, but he was more than happy to help her and her parents, vintners Roger and Judy Furrow, plant Cabernet grapes in 1984 in the family vineyard near Smith Mountain Lake, VA. (more…)
by Hope Holland
With a full year of unusual and persistent rains that followed late spring cold snaps, any farmer in Maryland could not be blamed for feeling a little put upon. Add to that the threat of having the tail end of a large hurricane threatening you with more rain, and being darn well discouraged is almost a given, especially when it comes right in prime harvesting time. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
Mead has been made across the world, from ancient China to ancient Greece, from the savanna of Africa to the tundra of Scandinavia. King Harald Fairhair united Norway back in the ninth century, and today one of his descendants, through many generations, is working toward uniting lovers of drink through his passion for authentic mead. (more…)