Hispanic Heritage Month straddles the months of September and October, lasting from the 15th of September to the 15th of October. The impact of the numerous cultures that make up the diaspora of the Hispanic population cannot be denied in the wine industry. Today we're talking with Bibiana Gonzalez Rave of Cattleya Wines in Napa, by way of Colombia and France. 

On International Pinot Noir day we celebrate with a few domestic options since we couldn't seem to get the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti here in time. Just kidding- who'd ship something like that in August? This grape may be of particular interest to our Libra friends- the zodiac sign we paired with this delicate beauty of a grape. 

Yeah, we know we just talked about rosé a few weeks ago on  rosé  day, but the wine gods have given us the entire month of August to celebrate the pink stuff,  so here we are, yet again, loving on this bashful hue of wine.  Dive in with us as we cool off and talk about the summer sipper we all adore.

We try: Cattleya Wines' Rosé of Pinot Noir from Sonoma and Hahn's Rosé of Pinot Noir from Monterey County.

Gina and Julie joined a virtual happy hour with wine lovers from around the world to talk about BIG NEWS in Italy's Bubble Belt (Prosecco land aka: Conegliano Valdobbiadenne). Mionetto hosted the Happy Hour so we were able to try through their wines with the winemaker.

The time to make your opinion heard is now.  The US Trade Representative's Office is taking public comment on a proposed 25% tariff on European wine. We've been hearing about a couple of different tariffs (the proposed 100% hike on sparkling wine was particularly upsetting) and this week the president of the US Wine Trade Alliance sorts out the hows and whys- showing exactly how a tariff like this can hurt American small businesses already reeling from the economic crisis in the wake of COVID- 19.

Once judged for its pinkish hue, rosé presents a cooling option for those who swing red in their wine preferences. This week Gina and Julie try a few lesser known grapes that look cute when they blush. 

Back in January, Gina and Julie got to sit down and talk with Jean Charles Boisset of the Boisset Collection. We were at the Naples Winter Wine Festival and this was before COVID-19. Little did we know that the ebullient winemaker would become our virtual BFF for happy hour as we all quarantined (or Sip In Place, as Boisset likes to say). Then came the past week and a half of unrest. Listening back to this interview, it feels like this is a good moment to hear from a Frenchman transplanted to Napa.

Chardonnay is a many- splendored grape. Let's talk about her in the many forms she takes; lean, acidic minx, full-figured diva. 

In this episode of Grape Minds we travel to one of our favorite wine regions in the US, Oregon.  This is the month to celebrate Oregon wines, and we get a guided tour from Gary Horner, the winemaker at Erath Winery in the Dundee Hills. 

E-Commerce and direct-to-consumer sales surged over the past six weeks as people "Sip in Place" while "Sheltering in Place." Some states and municipalities are easing restrictions on wine shipping and delivery, while several wine clubs and wineries are waiving shipping fees.  It's an opportuity to get hard-to access wines, subscribe to clubs to support your favorite producers, or just ask your local wineseller for a curbside pick-up assortment.