Weekly Wine News Around the Web

Decanter’s New Wine Rating System: As those of you who frequent these (virtual) pages know, CORKZILLA has a fondness for a blog called The Wine Economist authored by Mike Veseth, a professor at the University of Puget Sound. His latest post on a new approach to wine ratings at Decanter magazine and possible additional changes is worth a read. The new system, as described in the post, sounds like an improvement on the current offerings in the market, with the chief innovation being the opinions of more than one wine reviewer.

New Naked Custom Crush Option: Sonoma County, Calif. gained anew custom crush option for so-called experienced winemakers this week, as Naked Wines signed a deal with Blackstone Winery to utilize its facilities. Naked Wines will accept applications until Aug. 6 for this space, according to this report.

In Praise of Vineyard-Designate Wines: Tthis article in Bohemian.com revels in the joys of single vineyard wines. As a fellow lover of vineyard-designate vintages, I share the enthusiasm – There’s nothing quite like a bottle of wine derived from a single vineyard, in my mind a singular expression of place. Enjoy.

Sweet Spot for Wine? $20, according to the Times: The venerable New York Times has declared $20 to be the sweet spot for a bottle of wine “where high values intersect with low prices.” The author also offers several examples of bottle to try. Take a look here.