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2013-06-14 00:55:09 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Donkey & Goat featured in New York Times piece on the diversity of California wines.

The New York Times' wine critic, Eric Asimov, wrote a brilliant piece on how expanding consumer tastes, a new range of critics and "a new wave of energetic California winemakers" has brought stylistic diversity to the states wines. 

From the article: 

"Donkey & Goat winery has its own manifesto, and how can you not love a winery with a manifesto? This husband-and-wife team (don’t ask which is the donkey) does a fine job of abiding by its minimalist principles. I’ve enjoyed many of its Rhône-style wines, especially its Prospector mourvèdre — there’s that grape again — a powerful yet balanced wine with savage dark fruit and a refreshing, savory edge."
http://www.n... more »

2013-06-04 04:40:49 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 2 +1s)

Come enjoy Donkey & Goat's Summer Fête!

If you'll be in the Bay Area Saturday, June 8, come to the winery from 11:30am - 2:30pm. 

Join us to kick off the summer and taste our new wines that are perfect for BBQs, picnics, camping trips and sunsets.

We do love summer time!  

Bring the whole family and enjoy a complimentary tasting of our new wines while grooving to live tunes from the Michael LaMacchia 3io.

Kids can run, jump and play in our urban yard while adults swirl, sniff and taste the new wines.

Plus, all wines are available by the glass for $5 and we are thrilled to have Berkeley’s Five Ten Burger (food truck) parking to sell their amazing burgers and sandwiches. The summer release includes:

2012 Improbable Chardonnay, El Dorado
2012 Grenache Blanc, El Dorado (with 18% skin fermented!)
2012Gren... more »

2013-05-05 17:21:56 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

11-days skin contact verse 18% skin contact Grenache Blanc.

Super fun to taste side-by-side. (We were going to blend everything together - but decided last minute to do 2 bottlings.)

Both 2012 and both coming in June.

https://donkeyandgoat.com/

2013-02-16 09:47:08 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 5 +1s)

2011 Donkey and Goat Roussanne Stonecrusher named 'Wine of the Week'!

+Martin Redmond, who writes the wonderful ENOFYLZ Wine Blog, named our 2011 Donkey and Goat Roussanne Stonecrusher his "Wine of the Week"!

He also tells the story of how he discovered Donkey & Goat through our 2011 Grenache Rosé Isabel’s Cuvée. (He sought it out on the recommendation of a friend at the winery, but it was gone! He then happened upon a bottle later in a restaurant and enjoyed it very much.)

Anyway, here's his tasting notes on the Stonecrusher: 

"Lovely golden orange color with spiced orange peel and hints of floral and lanolin aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, dry, and nicely balanced with a wonderful vein of acidity, present but subtle tannins, and ample apple, nectarine, and sweet spice flavors. Long finish."
That&#... more »

2013-02-13 19:13:41 (2 comments, 10 reshares, 4 +1s)

The thrilling, unexpected story of American wine.

Michael Williamson, writing for The Washington Post, writes about the new book American Wine: The Ultimate Companion to the Wines and Wineries of the United States, by Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy.

Did you know that in the year 2000, there were about 2,000 wineries in the United States and that today there are about 8,000? 

There has been an "electrifying" viticultural explosion in the US, according to Williamson.

From the article: "We meet the usual luminaries, such as Robert Mondavi and Paul Draper, but also young trendsetters such as Jared and Tracey Brandt of Donkey and Goat winery..."

We appreciate the book, the article and also the shout! 
more »

2013-02-04 18:26:25 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 7 +1s)

Where sparkling wine comes from.

The practice of making sparkling wine is unique from still wine making. 

The first step is, of course, harvesting the grapes. Typically, winemakers aim to harvest the grapes at 17 to 20 brix, steering away from high sugar levels that are usually harvested for still wine making. At Donkey & Goat we pick around 22.5 brix and there is still sugar left at bottling. This comes into play later during the secondary fermentation.

After harvest, primary fermentation begins like other wines, but some winemakers use specially cultivated sparkling wine yeasts. Like most things at Donkey & Goat, we keep it simple and do not add any yeast. We use native no matter what, so in this case, Anderson Valley floor yeast.

Secondary fermentation is what really distinguishes sparkling wine from the rest of its wine counterparts, for it’sth... more »

2013-01-17 09:27:33 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

The Wall Street Journal prints the best correction ever!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424127887323468604578245690786083504.html

2012-12-23 10:52:27 (270 comments, 1487 reshares, 2397 +1s)

Know your wines!

With this handy chart. (Click to view full-size.)

Via http://winefolly.com/review/different-types-of-wine/

2012-12-21 15:09:41 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Lou on Stone Crusher.

Writing for LA Magazine, "Lou On Wine" writer Lou Amdur tells why Donkey & Goat’s 2011 “Stone Crusher” is "the rare Roussanne let off the leash."

"The wine attacks with a rush of acidity but pulls back with a chewy, nectariney finish. How do winemakers Tracey and Jared Brandt do it? First, they pick ten days earlier than their neighbors. Then they let the crushed grapes ferment in neutral oak, on their skins, for more than two weeks (most whites receive zero skin time). The skin soak makes the magic, revealing Roussanne’s electrifying side."

http://www.lamag.com/digest-blog/2012/12/19/lou-on-wine-donkey-goat-stone-crusher-roussanne-el-dorado-2011

2012-12-13 21:26:07 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 4 +1s)

Fact Friday: malolactic fermentation.

Until recently, malolactic fermentation in wine has been viewed as a capricious, uncontrollable event due to a lack of understanding of the process. This was problematic as MLF is a pivotal process in wine making- either improving or destroying the final product. With better knowledge of the process today, MLF is understood as the conversion of L-malo acids to L-lacto acids during secondary fermentation through the presence of certain strains of bacteria. This conversion is linked to mouthfeel, acidity, and the aroma of the wine.

It is important to monitor for MLF as bottling a wine before the process is complete will be detrimental to the wine. There are different ways to monitor MLF; Donkey and Goat prefers using chromatography paper to determine when this process is complete. A detailed example of this process can be found here:
... more »

2012-11-15 18:00:29 (1 comments, 5 reshares, 0 +1s)

In search of the perfect Thanksgiving wine.

Wine Time blogger +Jeremy Parzen posted a great piece on why his family will be drinking Donkey & Goat's 2011 Grenache Blanc for their Thanksgiving meal. 

A must read: 

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2012/11/donkey_goat_wine_california.php

2012-10-29 19:42:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Zester Daily on the Stone Crusher.

Zester Daily contributor Elin McCoy wrote a wonderful piece about our 2011 Roussanne Stone Crusher. 

She wrote: "This isn’t a simple, fruity, crowd-pleaser kind of wine. But it will give you some idea of California’s current cutting edge. And, by the way, it’s delicious." 

Read it all here: http://zesterdaily.com/drinking/elins-wine-pick-2011-donkey-and-goat-stone-crusher/

2012-10-21 07:34:13 (0 comments, 7 reshares, 8 +1s)

What if winemakers listed ingredients on labels?

When you go into your local favorite wine shop, you get the sense that wines  differ only in grapes used, terroir and the winemaker's processing. 

In fact, one of the biggest ways wines differ is in ingredients. One wine might have 2 ingredients, and another 22. You can't really know, because winemakers don't have to list ingredients, as long as additives are on the long list allowed by law. 

But what if winemakers voluntarily listed their ingredients. Would you be more likely to choose the wine with just two ingredients over the one with dozens? 

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2012/10/wine_labeling_ingredients_rand.php

2012-10-10 17:49:06 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Cool picture snapped at Donkey & Goat!
 
Posted on Twitter by Chris Greacen: https://twitter.com/greacen/status/254961042935918594

2012-10-05 19:59:12 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

(Trade only) Donkey & Goat wine tasting in Los Angeles Monday!

Tracey will be pouring our new Fall Release at the Sidebar at Bar Covell in Los Angeles Monday, October 8, from 3 to 5 pm. 

Poured for the Trade, our Fall Release features six new Donkey & Goat wines, which will be paired with delectable meats and treats from Salt Cure.

The tasting will proceed in an unusual ascending/descending order, yet one that has been esteemed by many:

2011 Helluva Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

2011 Carignane (old vine), Mendocino

2010 The Recluse Syrah, Broken Leg Vineyard, Anderson Valley

2011 Stone Crusher Roussanne (skin ferment), El Dorado

2011 Sluice Box, El Dorado White Wine Blend (Marsanne+Grenache Blanc with skin ferment+Vermentino 100% skin ferment+Picpoul)

2011 Untended Chardonnay, Anderson Valleymore »

2012-10-05 19:52:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Jared's turn to dig out 5 tons of pinot!

2012-10-02 07:19:48 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Local Berkeley newspaper covers our harvest.

The Berkeleyside did a nice write-up about our harvest, and took some good pictures. 

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2012/10/01/grape-harvest-comes-to-berkeley-at-donkey-and-goat/

2012-10-01 08:16:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

It's a good sign when the tasting notes begin with the word "Wow"!

2011 Roussanne Stone Crusher on the Astor Wines site: 

http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?p=1&search=27690&searchtype=Contains

https://donkeyandgoat.com/store#current-release

2012-10-01 08:11:19 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 1 +1s)

Looking for wine made from just grapes in Tuscany.

Marko Kovac has a really nice story about the natural wine scene in the heart of Tuscany for Palate Press.

He's found wine makers there who embrace the philosophy of French natural winemaker Eric Texier, who told Kovac that winemakers "need to work with nature, not fight it.”

These include Dante & Helena Lomazzi, Primož Lavrenčič and Arianna Occhipinti. 

Lavrenčič, for example, said that Chardonnay is fine for Burgundy and the New World, but that in Tuscany "I want to plant the grapes that are part of our identity, our history. I’m trying to step back, trying to understand how to encourage nature, most of all the soil, to express itself in the best way in my wines. Or even better, I’m trying to diminish my influence overall." 
http://palat... more »

2012-09-28 20:37:45 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Jared talks about the wonderful variations in wine from natural methods.

Jenny and François selections posted a nice video of Jared talking about what he loves about natural wine. 

http://www.jennyandfrancois.com/2012/09/27/things-people-like-about-natural-wines-part-8-jared-brandt-of-donkey-and-goat-winery/

2012-09-22 14:34:39 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Broken Leg Syrah At Sunrise

Worth getting up at 3 to watch.

2012-08-28 13:41:59 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Donkey & Goat at Marlowe

Nice picture captured via Instagram by Chris Greacen: http://instagram.com/p/O0ICSCTBPV/

http://marlowesf.com/

2012-08-22 20:34:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Jared Is the Guest on the First-Ever Episode of In the Drink.

In the Drink host Joe Campanale had +Donkey & Goat's +Jared Brandt as his guest on the inaugural episode of his new podcast.

Listen here! http://www.heritageradionetwork.com/episodes/2846-In-the-Drink-Episode-1-Donkey-and-Goat-Winery

2012-08-20 13:46:35 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

Stomping the Last Grapes from our First 2012 Harvest

Brown seeds, good acid, low sugar. Happy harvest!

2012-08-06 18:27:58 (17 comments, 65 reshares, 78 +1s)

Wasps Carry the Yeast That Ferments Wine - Science

Yale University researchers have discovered that the yeasts and other microorganisms used for the fermentation of natural wine are added to the grapes primarily by wasps. 

It turns out that wasps carry the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in their guts, then transfer them to grapes on the vine when they bite into the grapes close to harvest time. Later, those yeasts start the fermentation process in the winery. 

Those yeasts can live in the guts of wasps while they hibernate in winter, and can be passed on to offspring wasps. 

http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2012/08/wasps-kick-start-fermentation-in-wine/

(Picture credit: http://saffronfields.com/angelas-blog/when-will-the-grapes-be-ready )

2012-07-09 05:03:38 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Quick Improbable Chardonnay review!

Etty Lewensztain of Plonk Wine Merchants reviews the 2011 Donkey and Goat Improbable Chardonnay. 

2012-06-20 23:35:24 (0 comments, 10 reshares, 0 +1s)

Join us Saturday!

Donkey & Goat's SUMMER SOLSTICE FÊTE is this Saturday, June 23, from 1pm to 4pm. The winery's address is: 1340 Fifth Street in Berkeley. 

There is no charge for admission to taste the new wines (we normally charge $10 in our tasting room), but please RSVP if you're planning to attend: 

http://www.localwineevents.com/rsvps/add/426594

We will be pouring our new summer wines: 2011 Improbable Chardonnay, 2011 Grenache Blanc and 2011 Grenache Noir!

The Tear Jerkers will be playing, and we'll have Pizza Politana's wood-fired pizzas.

For more information please contact tracey@adonkeyandgoat.com or call the winery at 510-868-9174.

http://www.donkeyandgoat.com/summer/

2012-06-09 05:29:48 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

BBC dispatch from the London Raw Wine and Real Wine events!

The BBC's The Food Programme recently broadcast a wonderful report from the London International Wine fair and also from the Raw Wine and Real Wine fairs. 

This is great wine radio, and worth a listen: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jgb8w

Picture courtesy of _Hello._ http://www.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/201205108000/wine/fair/london/

2012-06-09 04:06:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Tasty Thursday #4!

Tracey recently spent a few days in Boston, hitting the pavement to sell wine.  Her last night there, she went with some old friend and new friends to Oleana in Cambridge.   Picking her up the next day at the airport, she told me all about her delightful meal.  (I told her about trying to get Lily to eat baby food.)

Lauren Friel has been the wine director at Oleana for over 3 years.   Her list is a delight to read.  Wines are listed with spices.  Our Prospector is in the Ripe Dates & Cloves section.   For this week's pairing,  Lauren suggested Stone Crusher with Pork Belly. 

I love the Stone Crusher with a lot of things -- which is great, because we're a meze-driven restaurant, so I'm constantly seeking out wines with a lot of versatility. Right now, though, I'm crazy about it with our Azuluna Pork Belly with MoorishSpices, ... more »

2012-06-09 04:03:07 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Our youngest forklift driver.

2012-05-18 04:56:14 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Coming to a table near you!

2012-05-18 02:08:39 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Why your digestive system loves wine as much as you do.

In the past ten years or so, there has been an enormous leap in scientific understanding of the role of gut flora in human health.

We now understand that babies are born with sterile digestive systems, and must acquire thousands of species of microbes to populate their guts in order to enjoy a functioning immune system and good health. These gut microbes come from food, the air and the environment.

Raw, organic produce, for example, is a great source. Local microbes land on local apples, for example, and you eat them when you bite into the fruit. They go into your digestive system, and join the populations of microbes that thrive in different parts of your digestive system. This process "trains" your immune system to know what to expect when you breath local air, which also contains the same pollens,... more »

2012-05-13 12:26:44 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

Wine tasting in the Berkshires.

Nicolas Contenta (pictured on right) blogs about a wine tasting in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts with Tracey (second from left) and encountering "some of the best California wines" he has tasted.

A delightful read!

http://croosadabilia.blogspot.com/2012/05/donkey-and-goat-in-berkshires.html

2012-04-22 04:42:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

The joys of discovering a bottle of Isabel’s Cuvee Grenache Rosé on a warm April evening.

Wine Zag blogger +Adam Japko found himself celebrating his 27th wedding anniversary on an unseasonably warm April evening. It was 85 degrees outside, and Adam discovered a bottle of 2010 Donkey and Goat Isabel’s Cuvee Grenache Rosé that he had bought a year earlier and forgot about.

He described the wine in a wonderful post this week:

"The Donkey and Goat was full of zippy acidity, feigning (or actually having?) sprtiz. The salmon color was enticing, tasting at one moment like raspberry baked goods, and then showing off serious herbal fragrances. A little more time in the glass and stewed strawberries arose alongside the herbal aromas. The acidity always remained strict. The wine wakes your senses, exciting, every sip another monumental and playful indulgence. It isone o... more »

2012-04-03 01:50:08 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

Château Musar's Serge Hochar holds forth on a philosophy of wine.

“I know nothing about wine. I know how to make wine, but I know nothing about wine, and each day I discover that I know less.” -- Serge Hochar

Read the whole article on +The New York Times web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/dining/chateau-musar-makes-wines-in-lebanon.html

2012-03-28 17:50:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Jared talks wine with Joe Campanale in the L'Artusi Wine Cellar.

2012-03-17 01:27:08 (3 comments, 4 reshares, 2 +1s)

Ode to Spring Dinner at Zut in Berkeley March 20!

Zut is holding an "Ode to Spring Dinner" Tuesday with a chef's tasting menu by Jim Wimborough. The dinner will be paired with Donkey & Goat wine!

Zut specializes in regional Mediterranean dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. They will be serving locally grown spring vegetables, rotisseried lamb from Don Watson (a top supplier of lamb for upscale Bay Area restaurants), and local seafood from Monterey Fish Company.

To make a reservation call 510.644.0444
For more information visit http://zutonfourth.com

2012-02-14 04:57:00 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

How to open a bottle of Lily's Cuvee!

Lily's Cuvee may be a little tricky to open, but it's worth it!

2012-02-11 02:49:27 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

AQ Restaurant to host Donkey & Goat Winemaker Dinner!

AQ Restaurant and Bar in SoMa San Francisco will host a Donkey & Goat Winemaker Dinner February 21.

The five-course prix fixe meal with wine pairings will focus on local produce and sustainable meats and seafoods. Chef Mark Liberman will prepare a menu featuring "Celeriac with smoked herring, green apple and wild nettles served with Chardonnay, Goat Poached in Whey with Bergamot oranges, winter wheat, and a Sluice Box, then followed by a risotto of braised octopus with bone marrow and Provolone paired with Perli Vineyards Syrah. The fourth course, Venison Roasted in Vine Clippings with huckleberry must, sweet onion, and salsify will be paired with a Viello Vignes Syrah while the final course, Fresh Cheese with long pepper, Sourdough, and ripe pear, will be washed down with Chardonnay Bubbles," according to... more »

2012-02-11 02:25:15 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

How to open a bottle of Lily's Cuvee.

Our first Pet' Nat is au natural. That means without additives, leaving the sediment in the bottle as ample proof of the natural and unfiltered wine-making process.

Before popping a bottle open to enjoy, here are a few simple steps to get that natural sediment out.

Donkey & Goat’s Pet’ Nat may be slightly tricky to open, but the effort is worth the reward!

Go here to read the step-by-step instructions: http://donkeyandgoat.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-properly-open-lilys-cuvee.html

2012-02-06 22:49:23 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

The 'natural wine' debate is about language, not wine.

Keith Levenberg blogged an insightful piece yesterday called "On Language and Dogma," in which he makes the case for the heated "natural wine" debate being more about language than wine.

Most critics of the natural wine movement slam the category as non-existent because there is no definition for "natural wine" that everybody agrees with.

He also points out that one of those critics, in an attempt to explain what people mean by the non-existant category actually gives a great definition for natural wine. Levenberg quotes +Slate's Mike Steinberger as saying natural wines are:

"those that have been made with minimal involvement by the vintner. As with organic and biodynamic wines, the grapes must come from vineyards that have not been treated with... more »

2012-01-25 18:28:58 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

The New York Times' Eric Asimov enjoys our Stone Crusher roussanne!

Wine critic Eric Asimov, writing in The New York Times, tells his readers about Torrisi Italian Specialties on Mulberry Street between Prince and Spring in New York City ("Italian-American Food, All-American Wine").

The restaurant uses domestic products exclusively, including wines. Their current wine list features about 80 bottles, mostly from California.

In his review, Eric wrote that his personal choices for wines at the restaurant would include the 2010 Stone Crusher roussanne from Donkey & Goat.

Thank you, Eric!

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/italian-american-food-all-american-wine/

http://www.torrisinyc.com/

2012-01-17 06:27:34 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Want to know if a wine uses natural cork? There's an app for that!

An organization called ReCork offers a mobile web-based app called CorkWatch that will tell you -- before you buy -- whether a wine uses natural cork or not.

The "app" is a web page optimized for a mobile device, so it can be used from any major brand of smart phone.

To use the app, go here: http://recork.org/corkwatch/

Then save the link as an icon on your phone for easy access later on.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-app-allows-consumers-to-identify-wines-with-natural-cork-closures-137409133.html

2012-01-17 06:28:06 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 0 +1s)

Why Mad About Wine blogger likes natural wine.

Thomas Iversen of Mad About Wine fame weighs in on the natural wine debate, and offers some compelling insights.

The larger industrial wine "system," according to Rudolf "is based on processing information and removing areas of uncertainty in wine. It’s also designed to build up averages, consensus." The system, he continues, has "created a financial district, with ratings moving the market, which underlines how wines are becoming a commodity and movement towards more data and less emotional aspects in wine."

As a result, "wine becomes attractive, not only for the investors, but also for the wine lover because the ratings acts as an acknowledgement factor of what trophies you might have in you cellar and the market value they posses. It ties market mechanism to wine and we aree... more »

2012-01-17 06:28:27 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 0 +1s)

Washington Post calls Donkey & Goat wines 'untamed,' 'exotic,' 'fascinating.'

The Washington Post's Dave McIntyre devotes a story to exploring Donkey & Goat, "a darling of the natural wine movement, champions of minimalist winemaking"... who "craft fascinating and unconventional wine."

McIntyre talks about his favorite Donkey & Goat wines:

The 2010 "Improbable" Chardonnay: "wildly exotic with surprising acidity and structure."

The 2010 "Stone Crusher" Roussanne: "flamboyant" and "lively."

The 2010 Carignan: "rich and spicy, with deep color and a hint of minty freshness. Delicious."

The 2010 Pinot Noir: "deceptively light aromas, but followed through with tasty flavors of Rainier cherries and a delicate balance... more »

2012-01-17 06:28:45 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

2011: The year in wine.

The Financial Times' Jancis Robinson takes a look at 2011.

In particular, she notes, the world of natural wine "emerged into the mainstream from having been a speciality of the Japanese market and a certain wave of Paris wine bars." As evidence, she lists the UK's first Natural Wine Fair and the publication of both Naked Wine and Authentic Wine, as well as the sudden appearance of new wine bars with the word "Terroir" in their names.

The mainstreaming of natural wine is just one of the many tectonic shifts that took place in wine, from ethics in wine journalism to revolutions in wine containers.

What a year.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/749fcdd0-2801-11e1-91c7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1i7THjSdw

2011-12-29 18:00:29 (1 comments, 11 reshares, 2 +1s)

Dispatch from the French war on Terroir.

The Los Angeles Times published a dispatch today from the front lines of the natural wine movement in France, where some wine makers are either being ejected from the regulatory system -- or leave voluntarily because of the controlling agency's low standards and bias for industrial wine.

From the article: In place of the appellation d'origine controlee-approved label, some natural winemakers will use the no-man's-land, lower-quality title of "table wine" or simply "French wine." Though associated with everyday consumption, and sometimes with wine used for cooking, the designation gives them the freedom to make their wine as they please.

The article centers on winemaker Olivier Cousin (pictured), who is is being fined by the French government for fraud because he uses the word "Anjou"... more »

2011-12-23 05:21:47 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

Kick off the holiday weekend Friday at Donkey & Goat!

Happy Holidays!

We'll be open tomorrow (Friday, December 23) from 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM. (The tasting fee is $10, but waived with purchase.)

If you need great last-minute gifts, we've put together a holiday offering. Gift packs, winter samplers, two new wines and last call on fall favorites, including our 2010 Grenache Noir that was included in the Sunday, December 4, in the San Francisco Chronicle’s annual round up of Top 100 wines. Get them while they last!

We wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. And we hope to see you in the tasting room soon!

Tracey & Jared Brandt

2011-12-22 02:44:42 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Future Donkey & Goat Pinot!

A picture taken this week of grapes that will become Donkey & Goat pinot at the Broken Leg vineyard in Mendocino County.

2011-12-02 23:11:16 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Understanding Terroir

You hear a lot these days about something called terroir (pronounced like "tear wahr" and rhymes with bear far).

In a nutshell, terroir is the totality of the vineyards environment -- soil, climate and so on -- as expressed in the quality of wine.

The industrial wine industry has sought to all but eliminate terroir from wine, instead taking control in the winery with all kinds of technological interventions, including inoculation (the addition of yeasts that yield specific flavor profiles), added chemicals and various industrial processes to engineer the final wine product.

The good news is that terroir is back. The most exciting trend in wine-making is a refocusing on special qualities of each vineyard, with the winemaker working hard to bring out the full expression of place, rather than engineering wine to a... more »