WELCOME TO WINESPEED
Chardonnay seems so ubiquitous in America that few wine drinkers think about where it all started and when. In the US, most of Chardonnay’s early history dates back to the 1880s and the Wente family in the Livermore Valley east of San Francisco. To this day, five generations later, the Wentes still make delicious Chardonnay. Our Wine to Know this week is an example. Quizzards, this week’s Wine Quiz is a challenge, but the answer is something most of us wine drinkers will want to know. Our Deal this week is a very dry brisk Chenin sparkler from the Loire, which feels just right for hot weather. And then there’s this issue’s My Take in which I vent (a little) about “tasting a place.” A full Blog on this quandary is coming soon. And finally, chocolate. As if we weren’t already impressed by chocolate’s complexities, there’s the number 25. See the Numbers.
—Warmest (coolest) wishes, Karen
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
If you imagine a fresh apple tart—the apples crunchy and sweetly ripe, the pastry rich and crumbly—and then imagine a dollop of vanilla whipped cream on top, this is that Chardonnay. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
94 points Karen MacNeil / WineSpeed
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.
Wine, Food & Friends with Jean-Charles Boisset
Bastille Day (formally called La Fête Nationale), taking place on July 14, is a celebration of freedom and community. It commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison, the symbolic start of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is best celebrated with a gathering of friends and wine around the table—the same principle behind Come Together: A Community for Wine that I founded with my good friends in 2024. Napa’s incredible French vintner and wine ambassador Jean-Charles Boisset joined me in conversation as part of last year’s Come Over October campaign bringing people together through wine. I want to share it with you again today.
Renowned Author & Dynamic Speaker
With a reputation for captivating audiences and inspiring wine lovers around the world, Karen is available for keynote speeches, seminars, and custom events. Reach out to book Karen for your next event.
The Name Shiraz
International Shiraz Day was established by Australian wine companies in 2020 and has since been celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of July. Herewith, some information on the name Shiraz. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
Dear Carly: Wine, in general, is amazing in the number of aromas and flavors it can possess, and two of the more fascinating ones in the kaleidoscope are chocolate and cocoa. Both of these characters generally come from oak barrels, the toasting of which produces a range of flavors that fall into the camp of chocolate/coffee/vanilla/spice. Tannin, too, can play a role since the flavor of tannin is “good bitterness”—like dark chocolate. For these reasons, chocolate and cocoa flavors show up in red wines far more than in whites.
By the Numbers
8
Percentage of wineries in the 2026 Digital Winery Report by the creative brand agency Transom that offered some kind of shipping discount to non-wine-club members, a very low percentage. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
32
Amount (in millions of US$) that California senators requested in emergency funds from the US Department of Agriculture to contain and eradicate a detrimental vineyard pest, according to Drinks Business. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
25
Number of molecules that, in the right concentrations, make up dark chocolate’s aroma. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
Each week, my team and I will bring you a fascinating and fun dose of wine intel. You’ll find my top wine recommendations (for every one wine we recommend to you, we taste 50 to 100 wines), plus great wine and food quizzes, my takes on happenings in the wine world, and my (hopefully thought-provoking and helpful) blogs. Plus, as always, lots more!
~ Karen MacNeil