The Declaration Demanded More Than Water

Jul 3, 2026

I am so thrilled that California Sauvignon Blanc is riding high these days—a sign that purity and freshness count for a lot. Our Wine to Know this week is one of our favorites from Napa Valley. Sauvignon’s (genetic) half-sibling is Chenin Blanc, and this week’s Steal is a “steal of a steal.” Don’t miss it. In celebration of July 4^th, I’ve written a special Blog I call Wine and America. It’s in this edition, and I hope you’ll let me know what you think. (We’ve also added a July 4^th– related Wine Quiz and Food Quiz). Two last thoughts, if you don’t subscribe to my Substack, please give it a try. It’s called Wine Bible-ing (it’s complimentary), and I recently tackled a number of juicy topics including the loaded (and complicated) subject of wine and health. I write in Substack only occasionally (not like WineSpeed!), but if you love wine, you might find Wine Bible-ing worthy of reading too. And finally, if you are traveling this summer or fall to a wine region, a private wine class with me about the region you’re visiting could be some delicious insight before you go. I conduct my private wine classes online, and several WineSpeed readers have used them as a way to get in the spirit of a place before they visit it. For more information on this, just reach out to [email protected].

Best, Karen

Non-alcoholic wine sold in the US:The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Must carry an ingredient and nutrition label

B. Must note that the wine is less than 0.5% alcohol

C. Must be made from actual wine grapes (not other fruits) and use the term “dealcoholized” or “alcohol-removed” wine

D. All of the above

PUNT

The indentation found in the bottom of most wine bottles. The punt may be shallow or, as in the case of Champagne bottles, quite pronounced. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.