Currently there are seven multinational beverage conglomerates that control two-thirds of the wine sold in the U.S. The result of this near-monopoly has been a tidal wave of quaff—roughly 200 million cases of wine that taste more or less the same from one producer to another. In the midst of this situation, wineries that are individual and distinctive stand out more than ever. Since its founding in 1978, Sequoia Grove in Napa has kept its quality high, its production low and its prices reasonable. Mark speaks with Michael Trujillo, the current Director of Winemaking, to get some insights into how he does it. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark begins with the strange tale of Treasury Wine Estates (one of the seven multinational beverage conglomerates), which just destroyed $145 million worth of its own wine; he follows that with an update on Operation Swill, the law-enforcement sting intended to make New Jersey safe for the consumption of high-end booze.

LINKS:

Sequoia Grove Winery—Link to: http://www.sequoiagrove.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:
http://www.iconicspirits.net