KENWOOD, Calif.—Vineyard manager Steve Thomas grasps the trunk of a zinfandel vine, a redwood of the vineyard, gnarled with age and planted in the days when irrigation meant a barrel of water on a horse-drawn cart.
The work horses and carts are long gone. But these old zin vines at Kunde Estate in Sonoma County still get their water the old fashioned way, from rain, dew and a deep root system.

They call it "dry farming," the way agriculture used to be back befor...
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The United States has threatened to block imports of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most famous wines, unless it receives assurances over the type of grapes used.


Italian authorities last month seized hundreds of thousands of bottles of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino because of the suspected use by winemakers of grapes other than the Sangiovese, the only ingredient allowed in the premium Tuscan wine.

The allegations were first made in a news magazine re...
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Green wines are growing. These are "eco" green wines that their makers say are made in harmony with nature. In the United States their sales are up, as is the number of vineyards using organic farming methods.

There are various grades of green. First, there is wine made from vineyards that practice "sustainable farming." This is a rather loosely defined designation, which means that the wineries use a minimum of chemical treatments and preserve the natural bala...
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