grapes news stories on Newser

Raisin Bosses Launch $1.5M War on Craisins

Matt Cantor — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:18:05 CST

When Ocean Spray's Craisins first emerged in 1989, California's raisin growers were miffed: Raisins had been around, by some accounts, since Biblical times, and here was a new fruit snack trying to steal their thunder—not to mention borrow their name. Now the raisin growers have had enough, the Los...

Grape Bandits Strip Vineyard

Rob Quinn — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:38:28 CDT

An award-winning German winegrower has lost his crop of grapes to a band of brazen thieves just before harvest time. Almost three tons of high-quality red grapes destined to become wine were stolen overnight by bandits who brought their own harvest machine, reports Der Spiegel . Wine experts believe the theft...

Wine: a Sunburn Preventative?

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:59:05 CDT

More good news for oenophiles: A new study shows that drinking wine might protect you from sunburn, or at least that's the Telegraph's take. Flavonoids contained in grapes can halt the chemical reaction that causes cell death and skin damage when UV rays hit the skin, Spanish scientists found. The...

12 Little-Known Wines Worth Trying

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:52:00 CDT

Ready to move beyond familiar cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays? Eric Asimov of the New York Times suggests a dozen little-known but “thrilling” wines to explore: Assyrtiko : This white wine grape from the volcanic island of Santorini “produces dry, deliciously minerally wines” that pair well with seafood. Frappato : These grapes from...

French Wines Wither Under Climate Change

Matt Cantor — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:13:00 CDT

A warming world has French winemakers sweating more than a little, experts tell the Financial Times . “Current research suggests that by the end of the 21st century, one summer out of two will be at least as hot as 2003,” the year of a record-breaking heat wave that prompted early...

Look for Black Widows in Your Grapes

Neal Colgrass — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:18:38 CDT

Spiders are hitching rides into grocery stores on organically grown grapes, and growers can't find a way to stop them, Gourmet reports. The problem is, spiders are helpful: They feast on bugs that feast on grapes, allowing growers to avoid pesticides. But stores from Boston to South Africa are reporting...

The State of US Wine, in 50 Bottles

Michael Foreman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:37:01 CDT

Wine snobs contend that "terroir"—soil, climate, and topography—restrict great wines to certain regions. But are they right? All 50 US states make wine, so Joel Stein sampled a bottle from each to test the claim in Time . He discovered "quite good" varietals from surprising states like Delaware and...

Philosophical Vintner Rethinks Wine

Nick McMaster — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:39:25 CDT

Abe Schoener is reinvigorating California wines with a decidely unorthodox, almost experimental, approach, writes Jon Bonne in the San Francisco Chronicle . Schoener, who lacks formal training, eschews the traditional do's and don’ts of the craft with his Scholium Project winery. His wines "are bizarre, ingenious and polarizing—quite simply unlike...

Oregon's Having a Grape Year

Michael Quinn — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:07:34 CDT

Thanks to good weather and rising demand, Oregon crushed a record number of grapes in 2007—good news for its 370 wineries. And despite selling 1.7 million cases worth $208 million last year, the state hasn't quenched thirst for its wine, the AP reports. "Fussy superstar" pinot noir has...