David Lett, the pioneer Pinot Noir vintner who proved that the Willamette Valley in Oregon was ideal for growing Pinot Noir grapes died at 69.

Papa Pinot, as he was called, came to the Willamette Valley in 1965 with 3000 vine cuttings. His viticulture professors believed the area was too cold and wet. Today the region is renowned for its exceptional Pinot Noirs. The full story in the LA Times

The process of classifying wine is a kind of “order of nobility” for vineyards. What’s at stake is reputation, top ranking, prestige and price. This current controversy is over who has the authority to declare quality in the wine world. It has become a battle between 19th century agrarian tradition and 21st century law. In question, the demotion of four wine producers in the famous French region of St. Emilion. A legal dispute ensued with classification panel members suspected of bias. See the entire article Classified Matters from NY Times writer Edward Lewine.

The land of wine and enchantment - Hot Days and and cool nights make a great combination for a lovely vacation. It is also key to growing grapes for wine. New Mexico has a history as rich as its wine - home to the oldest wine producing region in the country, vines planted over 400 years ago by the monks for sacramental wine still grows in New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment is home to a revival of wine making with as many as 40 wineries and wine festivals of international proportions. September is the loveliest month for touring its wine country and enjoying its many wineries. The Santa Fe Wine and Chili Festival is coming up September 24 -28th.

We just heard about a new online community called www.corktraders.com  where subscribers can meet to swap wines from their collections. The site is due to launch in October. Subscribers (at $10 per month) can upload their wines and include information about vintage, winery, varietals, region and zip code where the wine is located. The site is looking for people who are interested in helping them test out the site before the launch this fall. You can contact them at info@corktraders.com

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Juliet Chung of the Wall Street Journal discusses why the same Cabernet may cost $1500 in a San Francisco Restaurant and $5435 in a Las Vegas Restaurant and what you can do to find wine values when dining out. Check out the article at Cracking the Code of Restaurant Wine Pricing. Clicking on the wine map above will take you to an interactive that shows you what the same wine costs at several restaurants across the country, pretty interesting and fun, so click away.

The American Association of Wine Economists met in Portland Oregon August 14th through 16th.  One of the most noteable presentations questioned whether or not the value of a wine is in line with how much a consumer actually enjoys a wine. Not surprisingly, presenter Robin Goldstein found, not necessarily.

Goldstein and a colleague in Italy were curious about what it takes for a restaurant wine list to receive Wine Spectator’s award of excellence.

Goldstein and his partner set up a virtual restaurant, complete with website and winelist. Alas, no actual restaurant exists. The pair created a wine list that was not top notch by Wine Spectators own standards, although peppered with some very highly rated wines. As you might expect the story to end, the virtual restaurant received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The magazine is investingating the situation.

For the full story go to the restaurant’s “website” at Osteria L’Intrepido di Milano

The best wines were once considered to be found in France and Italy, which were also home to the best restaurants of the world. But this is no longer the case.

Today, a revolution in quality has paired the finest wines with the finest dining destinations the world over, which can now be found in Spain, Tokyo, New York and of all places, Las Vegas.

See the full article at Food and Wine - Robert Parker on Wine Trends: The Culinary Revolution

San Francisco Chronicle Writer W. Blake Gray explains his Top 10 Wine Movie selections based on the following criteria:  “wine plays a significant role, the filmakers get the wine parts right, and the movie is a pleasure to watch.” Included in his list are Casablanca, Dr. No, French Kiss, Gigi, Killer Bees, The Muppet Moviie, Notorious, Sideways, Silence of the Lambs and The Earth is Mine.

Bottle Shock is a story of how California wines gained attention at the 1976 Paris blind tasting. Could be a great story, but the reviews have been mixed. See for yourself, the movie is being released August 6th.

A  growing number of wine makers are looking to the past as a guide to water use  called “dry farming” .  These vintners may be returning to dry farming driven by the obvious reason - the concern over diminishing water supplies.  Spain and France have grown their grapes without artificial irrigation by utilizing rain, dew and deep roots.  It is their belief that the dry farming method  produces a more intensely flavored wine. See the full article at Winespot.