Garagiste (gare-a-JEEST)

A French term first used in Bordeaux in the 1990s, the word garagiste refers to an innovative (possibly renegade) professional winemaker without much financial capital, who began making small lots of fine wine in his/her garage or in another humble venue (like an industrial park). Garagistes are now at work all over the world. The term is generally used approvingly.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the California State Fair was unique in having:

A. Wine Queens

B. The first Chili Cook-offs (pairing Zinfandel with chili)

C. Grape harvesting contests for high schoolers

D. Grape naming contests inviting consumers to suggest names for new grape varieties being developed at the University of California at Davis

One of the highlights of the California State Fair in the 1950s and 1960s was the chance to see the newly crowned Wine Queen. The first local Wine Queen was chosen in 1913 at a fair in San Diego County. Wine queen popularity grew during Prohibition as small towns all over California crowned one of their own. By the 1950s and 1960s, the Wine Queen at the California State Fair had celebrity status, and she also had an active PR role, helping to promote wine consumption and sales in the state.

It’s in the Mail… The History of Winery Mailing Lists

Getting on a top winery’s mailing list can be harder than scoring tickets to the Super Bowl. Indeed, there are now waiting lists to get onto mailing lists. How did such coveted access begin? The quick story… Continue reading

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