News-blog-2019-2020

What’s in Your Wine May Surprise You ( NewsUSA ) – The holiday season is fast approaching. In anticipation of entertaining and gift-giving, now is the time of year we really start to think about wine. Sure, there will be tons of flashy packaging and labels to help find "the best", but have you ever stopped to think about what’s actually in your wine? Heads up: there could be more than you think.  The Modern Wine "Factory"  Even under FDA regulations, US mass wine producers like many in California can include up to 70 additives in their wines. Colorings like "mega purple" or "ultra-red", synthetic fertilizers, tartaric acid, powdered tannins, and gum Arabic don’t even have to be disclosed on the label. Once again, consider California wines: overall, many aim for consistency year after year. Mass producing wine in some parts of the world is more like a factory than a vineyard. Though there is something to be said for uniformity, a lot of the magic...

Old Oak Barrels Find New Life as Furniture ( NewsUSA ) – Chris Deffenbaugh first saw the potential in repurposing old oak barrels when he saw pieces of an old one in the corner of a friend’s basement."Looking at the curve of the old barrel staves, the wooden lids and the rusty rings that once held it all together, I was struck by the shapes and threw it in my pickup truck to take home and see what I could do with it," Deffenbaugh recalls.Despite having no barrel-making experience, Deffenbaugh put the barrel back together and decided to take it a step beyond serving as an unusual table in his home. He cut out one side and turned the pieces into a bar cabinet that could store wine and liquor bottles on the deck when he had guests.Then, when the guests started asking him to make something similar for them, he had an inspiration that led him to quit his career in human resources, draw up plans, rent a truck and head for Kentucky, returning with 90 barrels and an idea that would ...